Do you vacuum first?

AdamDumphy

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Adam Dumphy
Most of my customers vacuum the night before their scheduled cleaning or our house cleaners will be there the day before or while I'm there cleaning.
 

bob vawter

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Bomb it with a strong Prespray and scrub with the crb extract with a good rinse. Pull the paint screen and replace. On to the next.

The extra dwell works great for the dog odors. And you don't have to breath all that allergy ridden hair and dander.
And don't EVER forget to move the sofa ...right SteveO?
 
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bob vawter

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I used to say that when i used HOST. Add water to dirt and you get Mud.

So your saying that the soil the vacuum gets out would turn to mud but the soil the vacuum cant get out doesnt turn to mud?

As Ive always said, call 50 different carpet cleaners and you will get 50 different prices and 50 different results because they will have 50 different opinions on how to do the job properly.
Nobody is right. Nobody is wrong.

Wrong is when yor pushing the wand one armed with a phone in the other hand
 

bob vawter

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I have a lot of customers that vacuum before I arrive. Often I am 5-10 minutes early and I can hear the sound of the vacuum from outside the door. I don't always prevac but more and more I am leaning that way. I used to think that I would offend someone by inferring their vacuuming wasn't as good as mine. Just let them know that vacuuming once is good, vacuuming twice is better. Not that they haven't a good job. Ironically, in the shop, I wouldn't even think of cleaning a rug before vacuuming and dusting.

HINT: sit on the steps till you hear the noise stop.....
 
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Kenny Hayes

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Usually in commercial, if they move furniture which is rare, they’re not vacuuming or sweeping. Usually they’re not doing either, moving or vacuuming.
 
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CJ-FL

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In carpet cleaning, as well as any business, you have to know your target market. I always use steak houses as an example. There are absolutely AMAZING steakhouses available (berns, Capital Grille, Flemings, Hyde Park, etc.....) where you can easily spend $50 -$75 on the steak alone. On the other hand you establishments like Outback, where IMO you can get a fairly good, consistent meal, at a price that the average consumer is willing to spend. I have always felt that SS was the Outback Steakhouse of carpet cleaning. I feel that most locations generally provide a “fairly good, consistent service, at a price that the average consumer is willing to spend”.

Are there cleaning companies that deliver an overall better product than we do? He’ll yes, but generally at higher prices that place them in the premier category that makes it unaffordable for the masses.

As with any large organization, like Outback and Steemer, there are bound to be bad experiences due to shear volume.

With that being said, all of my 60 trucks have Sanitaire vacuums on them, 14 have CRB’s... are they used every job? Nope.... are they used on the trashed houses where the tech knows it’s in his best interest to use such tools? Yep. If I had to guess I bet the vacuums get used on 1 out of 4 jobs. CRB’s 1 out of 2 or 3. If I were to being more “stringent” upon my techs to use them on every job, I would have to adjust and price myself right out of the Outback customer target market.

As business owners we have to provide what our target markets desires are to be successful. Is there a demand for the premier service at a premier price? Yep, they’re just not my average customer. Are there customer that want a reasonably good service at a lower price point? Yes and I believe that’s what the masses are wanting. On the other hand we have to ensure that if we are asking Outback prices, not to deliver affordable house steaks. I think in that regards, ends up being 97% - 98% of the time. Which unfortunately results in nearly 1,700 unsatisfied customers per year in my franchise alone (we complete about 48,000 jobs annually).
 

Cleanworks

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In carpet cleaning, as well as any business, you have to know your target market. I always use steak houses as an example. There are absolutely AMAZING steakhouses available (berns, Capital Grille, Flemings, Hyde Park, etc.....) where you can easily spend $50 -$75 on the steak alone. On the other hand you establishments like Outback, where IMO you can get a fairly good, consistent meal, at a price that the average consumer is willing to spend. I have always felt that SS was the Outback Steakhouse of carpet cleaning. I feel that most locations generally provide a “fairly good, consistent service, at a price that the average consumer is willing to spend”.

Are there cleaning companies that deliver an overall better product than we do? He’ll yes, but generally at higher prices that place them in the premier category that makes it unaffordable for the masses.

As with any large organization, like Outback and Steemer, there are bound to be bad experiences due to shear volume.

With that being said, all of my 60 trucks have Sanitaire vacuums on them, 14 have CRB’s... are they used every job? Nope.... are they used on the trashed houses where the tech knows it’s in his best interest to use such tools? Yep. If I had to guess I bet the vacuums get used on 1 out of 4 jobs. CRB’s 1 out of 2 or 3. If I were to being more “stringent” upon my techs to use them on every job, I would have to adjust and price myself right out of the Outback customer target market.

As business owners we have to provide what our target markets desires are to be successful. Is there a demand for the premier service at a premier price? Yep, they’re just not my average customer. Are there customer that want a reasonably good service at a lower price point? Yes and I believe that’s what the masses are wanting. On the other hand we have to ensure that if we are asking Outback prices, not to deliver affordable house steaks. I think in that regards, ends up being 97% - 98% of the time. Which unfortunately results in nearly 1,700 unsatisfied customers per year in my franchise alone (we complete about 48,000 jobs annually).
What do you find are the majority of complaints about?
 

CJ-FL

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CK-FL
What do you find are the majority of complaints about?
In all honesty it would be odor related. Our main deodorizer is a digestive agent (dormant bacteria, not just a bottle of enzymes) when a customer purchases our deodorizer, we either inject pre-cleaning or overspray post cleaning depending on size of the spot in question (its likelihood to of penetrated beyond the backing).. a lot
Of our redos are “Odor still present” or “spots re-appearing”. Sticking to the Outback fairly good, consistent meal, at a price that the average consumer is willing to spend de-odorization procedure is affective on most homes. Where the issue is significant enough to justify disengaging carpet to replace pad, seal slab, clean backing, etc... is beyond our services offered and a more premier and/or specialized cleaner would be appropriate.
 
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Cleanworks

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In all honesty it would be odor related. Our main deodorizer is a digestive agent (dormant bacteria, not just a bottle of enzymes) when a customer purchases our deodorizer, we either inject pre-cleaning or overspray post cleaning depending on size of the spot in question (its likelihood to of penetrated beyond the backing).. a lot
Of our redos are “Odor still present” or “spots re-appearing”. Sticking to the Outback fairly good, consistent meal, at a price that the average consumer is willing to spend de-odorization procedure is affective on most homes. Where the issue is significant enough to justify disengaging carpet to replace pad, seal slab, clean backing, etc... is beyond our services offered and a more premier and/or specialized cleaner would be appropriate.
That would probably apply to most carpet cleaners. Urine odors are difficult to treat and guaranty. We never guaranty odor removal. Especially if the animal is still in the house. Many reasons for wick back, not always the carpet cleaners fault.
 

Dolly Llama

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If I were to being more “stringent” upon my techs to use them on every job, I would have to adjust and price myself right out of the Outback customer target market.


some of us knew that when Mike was trying to get you to be TWGSS.
anyone with a brain knew Stan's biz model couldn't $upport all the additional operations.
4-6, or 8 jobs a day, you blow 'n go ...and push the scotchguard to make dough

..L.T.A.
 

CJ-FL

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some of us knew that when Mike was trying to get you to be TWGSS.
anyone with a brain knew Stan's biz model couldn't $upport all the additional operations.
4-6, or 8 jobs a day, you blow 'n go ...and push the scotchguard to make dough

..L.T.A.
So am I to assume all O/Oer’s are the same? Based upon that assumption and your history of comments towards other Owner Ops., you’re quite the “idiot” as supported by your generalizations.

If my math is correct, which it is idiot, my franchise completed 146 jobs on 40 routes. That’s 3.65

additionally Scotchguard is not an approved product by Stanley Steemer International hence, making it quite difficult to “push the scotchguard” as you suggest.
 
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Dolly Llama

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So am I to assume all O/Oer’s are the same? Based upon that assumption and your history of comments towards them, you’re quite the “idiot” as supported by your generalizations.

If my math is correct, which it is idiot, my franchise completed 146 jobs on 40 routes. That’s 3.65

additionally Scotchguard is not an approved product by Stanley Steemer International hence, making it quite difficult to “push the scotchguard” as you suggest.


so tell me why again why you're not vaccing and CRB'ing every job like Mike suggests only hacks don't??
How much profit is in "protectant" and do you teach the guys to sell it on every job?

..L.T.A.
 

Cleanworks

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So am I to assume all O/Oer’s are the same? Based upon that assumption and your history of comments towards them, you’re quite the “idiot” as supported by your generalizations.

If my math is correct, which it is idiot, my franchise completed 146 jobs on 40 routes. That’s 3.65

additionally Scotchguard is not an approved product by Stanley Steemer International hence, making it quite difficult to “push the scotchguard” as you suggest.
He's a sheetrock hanger. Mikey's idea of a Stanley Black has some merit I think. I saw a black ford transit the other day with the name Stanley in yellow on it. Not a carpet cleaning company but looked great. Thought of you right away.
 

Mikey P

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In all honesty it would be odor related. Our main deodorizer is a digestive agent (dormant bacteria, not just a bottle of enzymes) when a customer purchases our deodorizer, we either inject pre-cleaning or overspray post cleaning depending on size of the spot in question (its likelihood to of penetrated beyond the backing).. a lot
Of our redos are “Odor still present” or “spots re-appearing”. Sticking to the Outback fairly good, consistent meal, at a price that the average consumer is willing to spend de-odorization procedure is affective on most homes. Where the issue is significant enough to justify disengaging carpet to replace pad, seal slab, clean backing, etc... is beyond our services offered and a more premier and/or specialized cleaner would be appropriate.


How do you know where the send the 14 crb equipped vans to?
 

Dolly Llama

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as I understand it, Chester, your father build the biz to where it's at today?
I'd suggest you pay most attention to him than Mike

..L.T.A.
 
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CJ-FL

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do you teach the guys to sell it on every job?

..L.T.A.

Once again, in an attempt to provide accurate information and not to simply regurgitate uninformed “assumptions”, I will provide you will the data.

For the entire year of 2019, my franchise sold carpet protection on 9607 jobs out of the 31,508 total jobs last year that we cleaned carpet on. Once again, if my math is correct that’s slightly more than 30% of jobs. Keep in mind, that does not mean it was applied to all the rooms, simply the number of jobs, that we applied some protection and cleaned some carpet.

Man, that really seems like a hard sale! 🥱
Assuming I was in fact “teaching the guys to sell it on every job” I’d be as good of a trainer as you are a “sOOper” speller.
 
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CJ-FL

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How do you know where the send the 14 crb equipped vans to?

I don’t. I have 7 on the trucks in the branch I am personally located in and I have 7 on the trucks my father is located.One of my few complaints with the CRB’s is the daily cleaning we expect our techs to do (the Mark Saiger daily cleaning video of multi surface cleaner, wipe clean, WD40 underneath and top, not the bearings and cleaning of the tray) we keep them local to ensure they are being well maintained. Most Steemer equipment could survive the apocalypse. Not the CRB’s. And in all honesty, they’re expensive and I don’t trust my techs in other locations to treat them any different from the apocalypse proof Steemer equipment.
 
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CJ-FL

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He's a sheetrock hanger. Mikey's idea of a Stanley Black has some merit I think. I saw a black ford transit the other day with the name Stanley in yellow on it. Not a carpet cleaning company but looked great. Thought of you right away.
Stanley Tools I believe and yes, I agree, they do look nice.
 

Hack Attack

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I don’t. I have 7 on the trucks in the branch I am personally located in and I have 7 on the trucks my father is located.One of my few complaints with the CRB’s is the daily cleaning we expect our techs to do (the Mark Saiger daily cleaning video of multi surface cleaner, wipe clean, WD40 underneath and top, not the bearings and cleaning of the tray) we keep them local to ensure they are being well maintained. Most Steemer equipment could survive the apocalypse. Not the CRB’s. And in all honesty, they’re expensive and I don’t trust my techs in other locations to treat them any different from the apocalypse proof Steemer equipment.
crbs are good but over rated, vacuuming isn't...

my 2cents
 
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CJ-FL

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CK-FL
Speaking of pre-vac’ing.... I had an upset customer today because we told him he would have to reschedule after he cleaned up a bit. He said suggested we “go get a shovel and dustpan and return”...
B598733B-3813-48E4-BA0B-F4D1FEA82CAC.jpeg
C3EC07E0-C70E-4118-BB96-5C04A1BB7365.jpeg
 

Kenny Hayes

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No ma’am Pam, other way around🤷🏼‍♂️ I do just that. I have one customer who is the music director at one of my churches. I’ve gotten him a snow shovel and roll around and told him, when I can see the floor, call me. I’ll clean it, but at a price they usually won’t pay.
 
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