Explaining dirt left behind on Commercial Pad Cap

[jerry ACC]

I have been serving this particular customer for about 8 months now.
Commercial Bar/Rest carpet 2000 Sqft, monthly clean at .32.
Every 4th visit I HWE followed by cotton bonnet Encap.
In the maintanence months I encap with green stripe bonnets.
The reason I still have the account is I am the only cleaner that can clean and not have the stains wick back.
The other day I cleaned, left my air movers and returned.
The client decided he saw a spot and wiped it up with a white towel, which brought alot of additional dirt.
He asked me why the carpet was still so dirty, I tried to explain to him how encap works and that it will stay in the carpet and keep working. Then be vacuumed up. (I have never been sold on encapping until this account)
I also explained to him that his main objective was to have nice clean looking carpets, which I have done to perfection.
I did feel a little uncomfortable though seeing how dirty the towel was and hope he doesn't think I am full of shit.
I tried to comfort him by telling him that I can HWE every 3 months verses 4.
How would you have handled the situation ?

 

[Art Kelley]

You need to get him off the subject. Learn some jokes. Ask about his children. Develop a bond with him. Whatever you do, don't focus on the dirt still in the carpet.

 

[Brian R]

Generally most commercial clients focus on the appearance more than anything...maybe odor next. So this is a little different.

Did you get off on the wrong foot somehow by bringing up your process and how your were going to clean it each time?

He (and most) would think that he's getting the short end of the stick if you basically said "I'm going to half ass it 3 times and then CLEAN it on the 4th time"

Now, that's not what you did...but it might be what he heard.

Especially if you're spending more time while HWEing.

He may have been waiting for the opportunity to bring it up and found the dirty towel deal to be just that.

If you can't steer the conversation away at this point, there are some things you can do.

1. Explain that cleaning the carpet is an ongoing process and not a one shot deal. (commercial)

2. Explain to him your real reason for doing it this way...so you don't have to charge him through the nose.

3. Explain (again) that the chemistry involved works in such a way that any dirt left behind (which there always is with any process) will be encapsulated and more easily removed with vacuuming AND it helps it to stay cleaner and clean better the next time....further explain that MOST cleaners will only steam it until it looks clean but without the chemistry the dirt will build up and become much more difficult to remove.

I wouldn't get into any of those converstations...normally. But this case may warrant it.

I'm sure there are other suggestions.

 

[Jeremy]

Explain the encapsulation process, the purpose of the polymer in your cleaning solution & in the future yo may want to change bonnets more freqently. Also some fluffier cotten blended bonnets may be a nice addition to your tool box.

 

[Mike Draper]

TO me, its sounds like you tried to cover his concern. I think that is the right approach. Make sure when you do HWE you do it well, because he will probably do a white rag inspection again.

 

[Royal Man]

With encap some soil is supposed to be left. So, it can be vacuumed up.

Actually I pad encap and I get better results than with HWE on commercial.

The HWE could of promoted some wicking (Common with commercial)

Although with any kind of cleaning there will be some soiling left.

With heavy soiling situations the soil is completely through the carpet all the way to and beyond the backing.

THe only real thorough cleaning would be removal,submersion and re-install.

(THis is how they used to clean carpet)

Which is not feasible.

 

[Ken Snow]

32 cents is not already charging him through the nose?????

 

[Brian R]

32 cents is not already charging him through the nose?????

It's all relative (no, not like that Chavez. !gotcha! )

 

[bob vawter]

jus tell him it is smeared evenly.......and ask him what he wants for 32 cents......

 

[Brian R]

Yeah just tell him

"Look, you run your company and I'll run mine AssHole"


That'll earn his business.
shiteatinggrin

 

[Desk Jockey]

If it came up dirty that easy, do you think another go around with a pad or two would have picked up more?

Not knocking your work but if it were me I think I'd gave it another go around. :?:

 

[rwcarpet]

If it came up dirty that easy, do you think another go around with a pad or two would have picked up more?

Not knocking your work but if it were me I think I'd gave it another go around. :?:

Did client realize that ongoing business is going to bring soil back onto the carpet from day one after you clean the carpet?? Especially a bar/ resty combo. Drinks are spilled daily in these places. I've sat in restys and watched custys and the wait/bus staff spill food and drink on the carpet on almost every table they clean.

Jerry....I see you live in this ass-nasty area of the country, like me, that gets snow and rain and mud and crap on the streets and sidewalks and parking lots.......and alot of that stuff gets dragged right in the door.

 

[Goldenboy]

Its all the board hype. Tell him the TRuth its scrub and run. You aint there to remove soil you are there to line the pockets with cash for all the sNaKeoil salEsmen. Its Sick and Wrong. 40 Dollars for a bottle of sHamPoooo? Who is making money here? Encapping is a over blown internet rage. Use your TM and remove the soil.

Golden Boy

 

[Desk Jockey]

Don't hold back, tell us how you really feel Waldo! :mrgreen:

 

[Out of Character - 0]

I would never tell a customer that the soils will vacuum out, especially in those circumstances. What if he vacuums a spot very thoroughly to test your hokey system and then does his rag test? I think .32 supports actually cleaning the carpet in most cases, that's what I would do.

 

[ruff]

Give him Rick Gelinas phone number.

Not only will Rick's explanation bamboozle the hack out of him.
I am willing to bet that by the time Rick will be done your client will switch to encaping his clothes instead of the washing machine.
He will be 100% sure that all the itching is how 'real clean' feels like.

 

[ruff]

32 cents is not already charging him through the nose?????

The fact that there is still a couple of carpet cleaners still in business in the greater Detroit Metro area, shows that price alone is not everything Ken

 

[ACE]

Are you encaping most of the time becuse of wicking issues? Most commercail here pays $.10 to $.15 a sq. For what I get paid I will scrub and run every chance I get. At .32 I would HWE unless there is a reason not to.

 

[Goldenboy]

Have him call Rickey. He could show the janitor of the building how to do it. Professional carpet cleaners are not needed anymore.

Golden Boy

 

[Jimmy L]

:shock:

 

[Ken Snow]

For 32 cents in Detroit we throw in dancing girls :-)

 

[bob vawter]

For 32 cents in Detroit we throw in dancing girls :-)

Ugly DEEtroit women......

 

[Ken Snow]

No we import the toothless ones from Pontiac.

 

[bob vawter]

you'll pay for that!

 

[sweendogg]

And here Bawb.. you kept telling us your wife was just going to get a drink with Ken! :shock:




:mrgreen:

 

[jerry ACC]

I did HWE this account the first 2 times, but within 2-3 days the dozens of spills wicked back.
This was the reason he fired his last cleaner.
This account was my first attempt at Encap as a maintanence method.
He has been thrilled with the results, until the white towel.
I would HWE each time and follow with pad, but it's location is tricky when having to run the TM around the residence at 5:30 AM. Job has to be done and dry by 9:00 AM.

 

[ruff]

Most clients respond well to an honest and straight forward explanation. Tell him the reason why you chose to do it the way you did and give him the options.

Wasn't it Ken that said: "The truth shall set you free?"
Or did he say" For 32 cents a sf I'll chip in two Hagopian toothless dancing girls, a mule and do the laundry as well"?

I get confused.

 

[Ken Snow]

LOL- I think they mean the same thing.

 

[jcooper]

Some pretty funny replies so far...!

 

[ruff]

LOL- I think they mean the same thing.

Only in Detroit :shock: