LisaWagnerCRS
Member
An open letter to the IICRC Executive Committee
Dear IICRC EC,
I am writing this as a former member of your board, a long time member of my IICRC-shareholder trade association, a strong advocate for technical training, a purchaser of IICRC education classes for our Piranha network, and as an IICRC-certified cleaner.
I know you are already aware I’m going to speak to SOA in this letter, since it is the big topic at hand, but I want to address some important points also brought up today in posts by Dan Mabesoone. In particular that the IICRC is at a cross roads, and your actions this week at your EC meeting will help set which path you choose.
The organization as a whole is incredibly out of touch with the rank and file cleaning specialists in our industry today.
I cannot remember EVER being surveyed as a registrant in 15 years, as to what I would like to see more of, or issues/topics I felt the organization should be focusing on.
The best in business know that they need to be ahead of the curve on the needs of their market, and develop new ways to deliver real value to them in order to keep customers for life.
That is a business principle that has never been in place at IICRC - customers for life. Rather it seems to be the government path of top board members, advisors, consultants, and management, for life.
The same top leadership that was in place way back when I was on the board is pretty much the same people in place now. I’m sorry all of you on the EC, but you DESPERATELY needs some new blood and new ideas in your mix. Though it has been nice to see Patrick Winters come in as the new paid President, and nice to see the recent cleaning out of some of the more polluted people of the organization.
The progress has been glimmers of hope in the midst of a past industry reputation of being a “good ol’ boys - and one gal - network” set on making deals for friends and funding programs and international travel for one another.
More glimmers of hope have also come in with new additions to the overall board over the past four years. But that energy seems to quickly get sapped from even the best of them, as we see them last only a few years and then have to leave after they are exhausted.
It’s like buying a house, moving in excited to make changes, and discovering it has a mold problem. You couldn’t see it, but when you moved in, you could smell it.
And all the effort and energy is put into mitigating and cleaning OLD problems, rather than into designing new things is tiring. And it is a damn shame to waste that talent.
That’s what exhausts the new blood - having to clean up a lot of old messes.
Meanwhile, the same old people in the leadership ranks stick around, status quo, because honestly...they are used to the smell. It just seems normal to you all. You are a tight group, and you are good people, and you like one another, so this “work” is just what you do, and you keep it consistently in your same comfort zone.
Rather than being a technical training and standards writing body that is advancing along with the technological and operational advances in the industry, the IICRC is operated like a complicated big family business.
Where contracts are given (such as to management) without a bidding process because of who the people are involved, rather than what is best for the “business.” And where committee appointments and “prize” positions are given to friends rather than to those most qualified. Politics as usual.
This may simply be “the way it’s just always been” - but this is the source of the growing negative reputation of your organization, as well as the source of why IICRC is not a voice of leadership in this industry as strongly as it used to be.
You are burning out your best talent on your board, and as instructors, through this bureaucratic mess that has been built over the years. Your JTA’s and policies are like swimming in mud, and though it used to be controversial to come out with a non-IICRC course...not any more. In fact, to the cleaners it often can be a competitive advantage to have a course NOT be an IICRC certification course today. It implies they will learn some real practical hands-on training.
It did not used to be like this. It used to be that cleaners had pride in wearing their patches.
If you do not agree with me on the current state of IICRC’s relationship with the rank and file of this industry, then take that as a sign of how truly out of touch you are with them.
And this CRI Seal of Approval program is an example of that disconnect.
You are about to discuss the possibility of allowing the CRI to include “IICRC Certified Firm” status in their list of requirements to be an SOA Provider.
That is a very tempting carrot. (Though with the lack of validation on their part on their current SOP members, there may be nothing enforced so this might all be a moot point.)
Still...it is a tempting political carrot.
It would mean more fees to collect. More classes to sell. More test fees to collect. And a nice amount of commissions going to your management team which I believe is making seven figures based on the sweet arrangement they have for all of the paper pushing and processing all those scantrons create...as well as standards sales.
But here is the problem.
The SOA program, as it applies to the residential and commercial cleaners in this industry, is seriously flawed.
It not only does NOT measure cleaning results accurately (giving Rug Doctor a Platinum rating while some of our truck mounts get Bronze or Gold), but it also unfairly charges excessive fees for product testing by a testing lab that seems to be coming under question lately. These fees are passed on to cleaners, so this is an indirect fee on cleaners. A “regulatory tax” without our input or support.
You can read Dr. Aziz’z article regarding just a few of the very large problems with the program at the CRI blog that is giving cleaners a place to voice their views on the subject.
Your choice will be to side with CRI or to side with your registrants and the carpet cleaning industry.
By giving approval to CRI, even though you are not publicly accepting the program in so many words, it would be an implied endorsement.
By refusing, and requesting that improvements be made to the current testing system, you stand up for the real concerns of real cleaners about this program. And you show the industry that you are indeed “one of them.”
I have endorsed IICRC courses to my clients for years. Even after my very unpleasant experience in the middle of the politics and double-dealing there for years that burnt me out, I still recommend as part of the career path to get your certifications.
It has been harder and harder to do so these past years as the organization seems to get more and more detached, courses getting very stagnant, standards taking so long to produce that they are outdated by the time they hit, and instructors less and less energized by teaching to a test.
IICRC has lost its focus. It seems more concerned about money opportunities than for the true betterment and advancement of the industry and its professionals.
If you can state without a doubt that you would NEVER EVER show up at your client’s home with a Platinum rated Rug Doctor to clean, then you cannot deem this SOA program as acceptable.
This is your chance to take a stand for the cleaners, and begin to work to reconnect with your market, and begin attracting some new blood to fill your board.
If you side with CRI on this one, for what it is worth, I will cancel my certifications and cease my recommendations of your classes.
Any organization who can knowingly support a program that presents false claims about “best” products and cleaning systems to consumers would not be an organization I would want anything to do with.
You might not care if I leave, but I surely would not be the only one.
I know you are a leadership group that prefers status quo, no confrontations, and not having to get out of your comfort zone.
Unfortunately you will have to make a stand on this one.
And this industry will be watching for which side you choose to stand with.
Looking forward to your decision.
Sincerely,
Lisa Wagner
P.S. If you want to read comments by current and former IICRC registrants on the SOA program, you can read them at our blog http://www.realdirtoncri.wordpress.com
Dear IICRC EC,
I am writing this as a former member of your board, a long time member of my IICRC-shareholder trade association, a strong advocate for technical training, a purchaser of IICRC education classes for our Piranha network, and as an IICRC-certified cleaner.
I know you are already aware I’m going to speak to SOA in this letter, since it is the big topic at hand, but I want to address some important points also brought up today in posts by Dan Mabesoone. In particular that the IICRC is at a cross roads, and your actions this week at your EC meeting will help set which path you choose.
The organization as a whole is incredibly out of touch with the rank and file cleaning specialists in our industry today.
I cannot remember EVER being surveyed as a registrant in 15 years, as to what I would like to see more of, or issues/topics I felt the organization should be focusing on.
The best in business know that they need to be ahead of the curve on the needs of their market, and develop new ways to deliver real value to them in order to keep customers for life.
That is a business principle that has never been in place at IICRC - customers for life. Rather it seems to be the government path of top board members, advisors, consultants, and management, for life.
The same top leadership that was in place way back when I was on the board is pretty much the same people in place now. I’m sorry all of you on the EC, but you DESPERATELY needs some new blood and new ideas in your mix. Though it has been nice to see Patrick Winters come in as the new paid President, and nice to see the recent cleaning out of some of the more polluted people of the organization.
The progress has been glimmers of hope in the midst of a past industry reputation of being a “good ol’ boys - and one gal - network” set on making deals for friends and funding programs and international travel for one another.
More glimmers of hope have also come in with new additions to the overall board over the past four years. But that energy seems to quickly get sapped from even the best of them, as we see them last only a few years and then have to leave after they are exhausted.
It’s like buying a house, moving in excited to make changes, and discovering it has a mold problem. You couldn’t see it, but when you moved in, you could smell it.
And all the effort and energy is put into mitigating and cleaning OLD problems, rather than into designing new things is tiring. And it is a damn shame to waste that talent.
That’s what exhausts the new blood - having to clean up a lot of old messes.
Meanwhile, the same old people in the leadership ranks stick around, status quo, because honestly...they are used to the smell. It just seems normal to you all. You are a tight group, and you are good people, and you like one another, so this “work” is just what you do, and you keep it consistently in your same comfort zone.
Rather than being a technical training and standards writing body that is advancing along with the technological and operational advances in the industry, the IICRC is operated like a complicated big family business.
Where contracts are given (such as to management) without a bidding process because of who the people are involved, rather than what is best for the “business.” And where committee appointments and “prize” positions are given to friends rather than to those most qualified. Politics as usual.
This may simply be “the way it’s just always been” - but this is the source of the growing negative reputation of your organization, as well as the source of why IICRC is not a voice of leadership in this industry as strongly as it used to be.
You are burning out your best talent on your board, and as instructors, through this bureaucratic mess that has been built over the years. Your JTA’s and policies are like swimming in mud, and though it used to be controversial to come out with a non-IICRC course...not any more. In fact, to the cleaners it often can be a competitive advantage to have a course NOT be an IICRC certification course today. It implies they will learn some real practical hands-on training.
It did not used to be like this. It used to be that cleaners had pride in wearing their patches.
If you do not agree with me on the current state of IICRC’s relationship with the rank and file of this industry, then take that as a sign of how truly out of touch you are with them.
And this CRI Seal of Approval program is an example of that disconnect.
You are about to discuss the possibility of allowing the CRI to include “IICRC Certified Firm” status in their list of requirements to be an SOA Provider.
That is a very tempting carrot. (Though with the lack of validation on their part on their current SOP members, there may be nothing enforced so this might all be a moot point.)
Still...it is a tempting political carrot.
It would mean more fees to collect. More classes to sell. More test fees to collect. And a nice amount of commissions going to your management team which I believe is making seven figures based on the sweet arrangement they have for all of the paper pushing and processing all those scantrons create...as well as standards sales.
But here is the problem.
The SOA program, as it applies to the residential and commercial cleaners in this industry, is seriously flawed.
It not only does NOT measure cleaning results accurately (giving Rug Doctor a Platinum rating while some of our truck mounts get Bronze or Gold), but it also unfairly charges excessive fees for product testing by a testing lab that seems to be coming under question lately. These fees are passed on to cleaners, so this is an indirect fee on cleaners. A “regulatory tax” without our input or support.
You can read Dr. Aziz’z article regarding just a few of the very large problems with the program at the CRI blog that is giving cleaners a place to voice their views on the subject.
Your choice will be to side with CRI or to side with your registrants and the carpet cleaning industry.
By giving approval to CRI, even though you are not publicly accepting the program in so many words, it would be an implied endorsement.
By refusing, and requesting that improvements be made to the current testing system, you stand up for the real concerns of real cleaners about this program. And you show the industry that you are indeed “one of them.”
I have endorsed IICRC courses to my clients for years. Even after my very unpleasant experience in the middle of the politics and double-dealing there for years that burnt me out, I still recommend as part of the career path to get your certifications.
It has been harder and harder to do so these past years as the organization seems to get more and more detached, courses getting very stagnant, standards taking so long to produce that they are outdated by the time they hit, and instructors less and less energized by teaching to a test.
IICRC has lost its focus. It seems more concerned about money opportunities than for the true betterment and advancement of the industry and its professionals.
If you can state without a doubt that you would NEVER EVER show up at your client’s home with a Platinum rated Rug Doctor to clean, then you cannot deem this SOA program as acceptable.
This is your chance to take a stand for the cleaners, and begin to work to reconnect with your market, and begin attracting some new blood to fill your board.
If you side with CRI on this one, for what it is worth, I will cancel my certifications and cease my recommendations of your classes.
Any organization who can knowingly support a program that presents false claims about “best” products and cleaning systems to consumers would not be an organization I would want anything to do with.
You might not care if I leave, but I surely would not be the only one.
I know you are a leadership group that prefers status quo, no confrontations, and not having to get out of your comfort zone.
Unfortunately you will have to make a stand on this one.
And this industry will be watching for which side you choose to stand with.
Looking forward to your decision.
Sincerely,
Lisa Wagner
P.S. If you want to read comments by current and former IICRC registrants on the SOA program, you can read them at our blog http://www.realdirtoncri.wordpress.com
