How long before Interlink cuts off Carpet Cleaners totally?

[John Olson]

http://www.homeprobydesign.com/

From CleanFax..The program touts professional cleaning products the carpet cleaning professionals can offer to their customers and direct their cust6omers to the HomePro website for ordering. Products for carpet hard floors and most surfaces are part of the program. The program calls for interlink distributors to work with local cleaning companies to launch the program.

Ok so who in their right mind would send their customer to a website to buy professional cleaning products? Granted a few home owners my slip through on my website but Joe Public cannot come in my store and buy anything more then a rake or maybe some odorcide and thats IT. When a customer tells a home owner to call me I call them back and ask them WTF are they thinking. If they want a rake sell it to them don't send them to me. My Job is to help you guys make money NOT steal your customers.


So what do you guys think of this new program? Will you send your customers to this website?

 

[Carpet Cleaning Fool]

No kidding!

I wonder how much longer until my local vendors start offering carpet cleaning services on the side. Ops! They already do...

 

[Desk Jockey]

John
I send customers to my local distributor all the time. I just hate the hassle when you sell them something.

It takes a lot of time explaining dilution, usage, storage, what to expect. Then come the calls when it doesn't work as it said on the label. Then we have to go on site to see what happened, all for a $15.00 markup.

I prefer to be out of the loop, I'd rather you guys make the money.

Interlink?

Aren't those the guys that have a marketing program?

Just kididin! :mrgreen:

 

[Ken Snow]

You are so right John!!!!!

 

[MicahR]

You get a piece of the pie.

Any chemical you get 25% of. Accessory 10%.

Get enough of your customers buying it and you can sit back and collect the checks.

How many carpet cleaners have been asked what they use at home or what the best product to use on this or that is? Or, "Can I get some of that stuff to use here at home?"

I was pretty skeptical at first about the products, but I've been using the glass cleaner and general purpose cleaner around the shop and the stuff works pretty darn well.

The few customers that have signed up for the program and given us some positive feedback about the products so far.

The aren't products that will replace the professional but help maintain in between cleanings. I would rather have my customer be buying pet spotter that I get a cut of instead buying Nature's Miracle from Pet's Mart. The pet spotter, for example, is and effective spotter but not the same Bridgepoint product that is available to professionals.

When they go to the website they enter your phone number. Your information, pictures, and blurb comes up on the left hand side. They get 20% off the retail price and you get your cut. You do nothing other than get them hooked on it to begin with.

 

[tracywalker]

I am with John on this one. If my customers want products I sell them MY products with MY label on it. It is easy to private label these days. I have a spot program where I make all my own natural spotting solutions. My product was even featured on QVC for earth day. With a little time, money, and research you can put more money in your pocket.

 

[John Olson]

Richard I hear what your saying but I think you missed that I do not sell to the general public. They can buy a rake or Odorcide or neutral spotter and thats it. No stain removal no Protector etc. Now granted a few might get by on our website but we do not activly market to non-professionals. Even our eBay store only has a few joe publics slip through.

Now Micah I know you have to tow the line and sell this thing but it is like the IRS showing up at your door and saying they are here to help. Remeber not all money is good money and not everyone that offers you money is your friend.

 

[Jimmy L]

Why the public could go in there and buy their own TM package and be in business!


Portable packages for the homeowner!

 

[harryhides]

I would not want my custys seeing the price of a jug of Teflon and then spraying it down themselves. I suspect that most CC'ers would have a hard justifying their prices for Gard to a customer who knew the real costs.

 

[Desk Jockey]

John I think you're hurting yourself by not selling to non carpet cleaning customers.

What you doing is admirable, but realistically it probably doesn't have that much impact on your sales.

Now if you said you would sell to my competitors that might carry more weight! :wink:

I'd rethink your postion and see if it really helps or hurts you.




The Interlink hook up sounds geeky at best.

Man I'd rather not scrounge for pennies, just help my customers by steering them to what they need.

 

[MicahR]

I was wondering how you would word that John.


I guess it's up to Joe Carpet Cleaner on whether or not they decide to partner up with the Evil Empire.

No skin off my nose.


I have had quite a few of my custy's want their own label on things so they have decided not to sign up. I know I would rather have my logo and info on the products, but I can't imagine what the logistics would be like to make that happen.

 

[MicahR]

Richard,
We don't sell to the public either. It's hard enough to get the average carpet cleaner to use the stuff right or know how it works. I have a bunch of customers that don't know the difference between Red Relief and Stain Magic. The problem is that even though you can explain things, give them handouts, and support over the phone there are just too many guys that will never get it.

I don't know how many times I'll get the same question over the course of a year from the same cleaner because they can't remember what to use on a wine spill vs. a cool aid spill. Oxiwhat? Reducerwhatchamacallit? That's just on those specific products. Don't even get me started on pet urine products.

I can't imagine the mess we would have with most of our products in the hands of homeowners. Definitely not worth the headache.

Most of the calls we get from homeowners is along the lines of "What kind of stuff do you have to spray on mold to kill it?"

Can you say liability three times fast?

 

[Desk Jockey]

Micah
Exactly why I pass the buck, I don't need the additional liability over a few dollars of product.

We have a store front in our Topeka facility and I think as a high we sold $6,000.00 out of it a year. The cost to do so is low, display racks are cheap and the girls up front are already there, but it is still a hassle, they want to buy what we use, not watered down versions.

We sell mostly spotters and deodorizers, but if I were doing it for the money, there are other things that could generate more. We do it to provide a handy service to those dropping or picking up rugs.

I'd prefer the distributor spend the time selling and supporting cleaning products and we will do what we do best, restore and clean.
:wink:

 

[Jimmy L]

Same sort of ethics by a certain SHAMPOO guy who sells commercial buildings CIMEX machines that take away market share from carpet cleaners.

And who would that be?



SATAN?


:shock:

 

[Bob Foster]

The worlds too small a place now to pull that crap.

 

[John Olson]

Why the public could go in there and buy their own TM package and be in business!


Portable packages for the homeowner!

Thats a different animal. Someone looking to start a buisness is very welcome in the store. A home owner wanting to buy protector because they just had their carpet cleaned but didn't want to pay the cleaner to apply it is different.

Micah I just don't have a lot of trust in people that have shown time and time again they will use you to get where they want to be and when they get there they cut you out. They are using the carpet cleaner as the middle man and what happens to the middle man when they no longer need them? Just ask Prochem and Powerline Industries or Turbo-Force or White Glove etc etc etc.

My gut tells me this is a very bad Idea for any cleaner to get involved in. If Rob or Gordon could convince me otherwise maybe I would look at it differently but history says different.

 

[MicahR]

John good points. It will be interesting to see how big this gets and then what develops.

 

[Mikey P]

just one more reason you'll never see a BP banner here.

 

[steve g]

Get enough of your customers buying it and you can sit back and collect the checks.

.

maybe we should call that bridgepoint direct????

BP seems to have a habit of trying to bypass people and go strait to the money, just ask the guys who have had their chemical formulas stolen, or ideas copied, seems like a guy showed BP his corner guards, a few months later ironically BP was selling corner guards with a slightly different design that went around the patent, seriously BP should really take a long look at how they look in the eyes of customers. They are also pretty mean to competing suppliers, afraid of a little competition??

 

[Chris Muetterties]

BP the very same guys that promoted BP Direct and screwed over tons of clearners ?

BP the company that promoted their central vac carpet extractor by bashing the prorestional cleaner ?

Why would anyone use them ?

 

[floorguy]

I would not want my custys seeing the price of a jug of Teflon and then spraying it down themselves. I suspect that most CC'ers would have a hard justifying their prices for Gard to a customer who knew the real costs.

So does this mean its snake oil???

or just stickin it to the custy???