The less said the better when it comes to creating repeats out of pet owners

Mikey P

Administrator
Joined
Oct 6, 2006
Messages
112,308
Location
The High Chapperal
It ain't brain surgery. It is actually belongs to the common sense and decency category:
  1. You do not lecture your clients you inform and educate them. Its your job, it helps them make the best decision for themselves and is the most fair thing you can do for them. Most people appreciate it. Making decision for them without their understanding and consent is patronizing.
  2. If the situation can potentially cause problems you have them sign for per-existing conditions and a release of liability if needed. Otherwise you hope nothing will happen, yet open yourself to serious liability. (AKA - being hopeful yet dumb.)
  3. If you already explained in the past etc. and they signed, just go about your business. They know.
  4. If it requires more work than regular cleaning you charge for it. Unless carpet cleaning is your hobby.



Maybe in SF with your fellow plentiful weirdos, try that shit in the country and let me know how your repeats and referrals go.
 

Cleanworks

Moderator
Joined
Oct 22, 2012
Messages
26,929
Location
New Westminster,BC
Name
Ron Marriott
I totally agree with this mentality and approach. There are a three grey areas I'd like more detail on Mikey?

You said

1. "if you don't mind dealing with your contaminated equipment" - Dealing with contaminated hoses before I drag them through my next clients home is a big deal to me, my hands, arms, mental stability and respect for my next client. I spend about 10 minutes hosing down my hoses with peroxide, pre-spray and rinsing after bad jobs.

2. "use your UV light with out mentioning it, hit the pee spots with some 40 and or some smell good product and just flush the carpet as best you can." - Totally agree which takes us to number three.

3. "charge enough to make it worth your while" - Using a black light, mixing up a totally separate pre-treatment, detecting and spraying all the spots, the costs of chemicals, and then douching your hoses at the end adds a ton of time, effort, and mental fortitude.

Either your a really nice and charitable guy Mikey (which we know you are) or you are charging extra to clean urine jobs.

So how are you "charging enough to make it worth your while"?
He charges extra to clean non urine jobs. That way when he comes across urine, the price is right.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SamIam

Cleanworks

Moderator
Joined
Oct 22, 2012
Messages
26,929
Location
New Westminster,BC
Name
Ron Marriott
I would advise everybody who thinks they can get urine out of a carpet to watch some video on area rug cleaning. There are lots out there on you tube where you can see them hosing down rugs in a wash pit and you can see the urine running in the gutters. Remember there is no pad there or floor. If you think you can remove urine, you are kidding yourself. All you can do is try to modify it so it doesn't stink quite as bad. It is rare when you are dealing with a single urine stain. Usually, they are overlapped in the same area because the animal is using that area as a toilet. The only time I pull and replace pad, seal the floor and clean both sides of carpet, is when that animal in no longer present. And there is no guarantee I have got everything out. I have simply done the best I could. This job is not about making your customers feel bad, its about managing expectations. You have to inspect and qualify every job. Done properly, you provide a valuable service, you have a happy customer and you get paid.
 

ruff

Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
Messages
11,010
Location
San Francisco, CA
Name
Ofer Kolton
Better work on your bumpkinisms...
I will and do practice it everyday. The silly thought that people in S.F. are all rich flakes is just silly. Most work hard to provide, struggle to make ends meet, appreciate honesty and want good return for their money. Its universal.

But we all have to stay true to ourselves. What always worked for me is being honest, informative, respectful of the client's property therefore help them make the best decision for themselves and being very straight forward.

My clients seem to appreciate it and business is good.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cleanworks

Lint Basket

Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2013
Messages
281
Location
Centerville UT.
Name
Scott Mckay
On a 1st time client there has to be some educated discussion on the most feasible approach. I am very similar to Mikey and the Wand Slinger. I sell them on my feasible approach, and lightly discuss all the extreme measures that can be taken with added time effort and cost that will be of little benefit. If they want to know more about those measures I can tell them more. They never want to hear the extreme measures to cure their pet problems, they just want it cleaned. I say I'll just add some odorside treatment for the smell and peroxide to take care of the bacteria and staining and spray the noticeable areas really good, then give them extra flush rinsing when I'm cleaning. They take that 95% of the time. That's all they want is some extra love and attention to those areas and just clean it.

I'm thinking of just a simple 20% extra effort and chemical tax for pet jobs. If the cleaning is $300 the additional fee for pet conditions would be $60 and this is not optional. Your total is $360.00. I'm just thinking out loud here, never done it this way.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mikey P

ruff

Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
Messages
11,010
Location
San Francisco, CA
Name
Ofer Kolton
If that is what you're doing why not the peroxide based cleaners that also have a deodorizer?
One step that combines both.
 

Cleanworks

Moderator
Joined
Oct 22, 2012
Messages
26,929
Location
New Westminster,BC
Name
Ron Marriott
On a 1st time client there has to be some educated discussion on the most feasible approach. I am very similar to Mikey and the Wand Slinger. I sell them on my feasible approach, and lightly discuss all the extreme measures that can be taken with added time effort and cost that will be of little benefit. If they want to know more about those measures I can tell them more. They never want to hear the extreme measures to cure their pet problems, they just want it cleaned. I say I'll just add some odorside treatment for the smell and peroxide to take care of the bacteria and staining and spray the noticeable areas really good, then give them extra flush rinsing when I'm cleaning. They take that 95% of the time. That's all they want is some extra love and attention to those areas and just clean it.

I'm thinking of just a simple 20% extra effort and chemical tax for pet jobs. If the cleaning is $300 the additional fee for pet conditions would be $60 and this is not optional. Your total is $360.00. I'm just thinking out loud here, never done it this way.
I mostly agree with you. I don't charge an arm or leg for urine treatment, I just want to cover my additional costs. If you're going to charge a fortune, you better be sure you can deliver the goods.
 

Cleanworks

Moderator
Joined
Oct 22, 2012
Messages
26,929
Location
New Westminster,BC
Name
Ron Marriott
So you guys charge the same for one stain as you would a whole side of a room?
every job is different just as the expections are different. I will charge more if I am using something like Pet Zone in my watering can and water clawing compared to spraying a little hydrocide or whatever and rinsing. I did one recently where we just cleaned ordinarily. He knew it wasn't going to make a difference, just wanted it a little cleaner. Looked good when I was done, spent a little extra time flushing the worst spots, used Saiger's code red which has an oxidizer in it. I know when it starts to dry, it will stink again and most of the spots will wick back. The carpet needs replacement. He knows it, I know it, just a matter of time and money.
 

ruff

Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
Messages
11,010
Location
San Francisco, CA
Name
Ofer Kolton
For just adding a deodorizer and peroxide to my pre-spray I don't charge (sometime an extra $10.00). But we all know that it really does not address the issue. Just a band aid.

If it involves the use of products that have a better chance of giving a semi-decent improvement and require extra dwell time, flushing, or in the case of products like UnDuzIt or enzymes that are quite expensive- I do charge according to the extent of the problem. It costs me extra $$ both in time spent and product used.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: SamIam

SamIam

Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2012
Messages
11,094
Location
California
Name
sam miller
4B8237F0-955C-41D1-9CF6-C0D484F64FCC.png
649558C3-F2C6-4A15-B0E3-87DF7958F271.jpeg
285A567B-C547-4A03-8788-E2C11785F54D.jpeg
9AC35A4E-820C-4477-B959-C532C4D03DAB.jpeg
B4B5B586-2386-4832-ACB9-22A40DDCC433.jpeg


When your logo is a dog that says oops did I do that?

Oh well call Sam!

You tend to get people who call with pet problem.

The good news is with a cobb light and a prespray loaded with oxydizers and enzymes that are effective on pet urine.

And a splash of Saiger cide.

You can be a hero to most small urine jobs.

And if your wondering after you spot said contamination flood it extract it.

You can take a knee and sniff to see if you got it.

Obviously, there has to be expectation set for work provided.

And communicating with your customer can manage those expectations.

But I have a business model and a way we communicate with our clients.

I also usually don’t charge an arm and a leg extra for pet treatment, but we do charge more.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BIG WOOD

SamIam

Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2012
Messages
11,094
Location
California
Name
sam miller
http://www.magicwandcompany.com/Best-Carpet-Cleaning-Chemical-p/greaseeater.htm


I like the 2x concentrate I buy the three bottles deal and get 6 total with free shipping.

In a 4-1 hydroforce I use about 2 oz

When mixed in hot water it effervesces leave some room for a 8-10 oz of a cide of your choice.

I do post spray yellow urine spots that may not of been removed during Cleaning with Cobbs brightner.
 

DAT

Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2017
Messages
6,485
Location
Nevada
Name
Bill Cheryl
http://www.magicwandcompany.com/Best-Carpet-Cleaning-Chemical-p/greaseeater.htm


I like the 2x concentrate I buy the three bottles deal and get 6 total with free shipping.

In a 4-1 hydroforce I use about 2 oz

When mixed in hot water it effervesces leave some room for a 8-10 oz of a cide of your choice.

I do post spray yellow urine spots that may not of been removed during Cleaning with Cobbs brightner.
I boost with oxyblaster, Taff store is literally a few min walk from my house. Nice guy
 
  • Like
Reactions: SamIam

bob vawter

Grassy Knoller
Joined
Sep 15, 2007
Messages
43,690
Location
La La Land
Name
bob vawter
i've told this story before...
however most of ya's are a newer audience....
prolly 15 years or so ago my step son was working
for a large CC co. in the area....(no names mentioned)

he ran across this yippy little shit-so or something...
well it kept barking and attacking the wand on every stroke....

so one time he lifts the wand up and the shit-so ran right into the sharp corner of the wand...killt him dED!

freaked my step-son right out
he didn't know what to do

soooooo he picks fluffy up and curled it in the dog bed lik it was sleeping
got paid and got outta there.......

i didn't get all the details of how it ended but it wasn't good at all......

mysef....i jus gave them a poof outa the wand till they gave up!
 
Last edited:

SamIam

Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2012
Messages
11,094
Location
California
Name
sam miller
i've told this story before...
however most of ya's are a newer audience....
prolly 15 years or so ago my son in law was working
for a large CC co. in the area....(no names mentioned)

he ran across this yippy little shit-so or something...
well it kept barking and attacking the wand on every stroke....

so one time he lifts the wand up and the shit-so ran right into the sharp corner of the wand...killt him dED!

freaked my son in law right out
he didn't know what to do

soooooo he picks fluffy up and curled it in the dog bed lik it was sleeping
got paid and got outta there.......

i didn't get all the details of how it ended but it wasn't good at all......

mysef....i jus gave them a poof outa the wand till they gave up!


Hahaha that’s great!

You got some crazy stories poor dog
 
  • Like
Reactions: BIG WOOD

BIG WOOD

MLPW
Joined
Feb 4, 2016
Messages
13,158
Location
Georgia
Name
Matt w.
i've told this story before...
however most of ya's are a newer audience....
prolly 15 years or so ago my step son was working
for a large CC co. in the area....(no names mentioned)

he ran across this yippy little shit-so or something...
well it kept barking and attacking the wand on every stroke....

so one time he lifts the wand up and the shit-so ran right into the sharp corner of the wand...killt him dED!

freaked my step-son right out
he didn't know what to do

soooooo he picks fluffy up and curled it in the dog bed lik it was sleeping
got paid and got outta there.......

i didn't get all the details of how it ended but it wasn't good at all......

mysef....i jus gave them a poof outa the wand till they gave up!
HAHAHA
 
Joined
Oct 10, 2006
Messages
3,739
Location
Ann Arbor
Name
Steve Lawrence
Remember Larry that Mark is really here to promote his business online and sell his juice here.
I disagree, Sir Jimster. I have learned a lot from Mark and I buy his juices cuz they work great not because he's our guy. He started educating many of us long before he had his Saiger Sauces on the market.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom