Interview with Bob Vawter 10-3-07

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Mikey P

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Thanks for logging in everyone.



Tonight's Hot Seat should be a hoot.
I want to remind every one that like ALL Hot Seat Guests Bob should be treated with respect and you should all act like the grown adults you claim to be. The purpose of this interview is to learn from Bob's experiences. Anyone who has been cleaning for over 40 years will surely have something to teach you.

If you are only here to give him a hard time you will be ejected from the room

Now on with the show~


Bob,

First off I want you to answer one of the pre asked questions originally sent to you but didn't get answered .

How would your company go about cleaning a 1200 foot home that was just moved out of and left filthy by it's last tenants. Garbage is all over the floor, Nails Crumbs, food pet hair, Dry wall etc.

Along with lots of dried paint there are also urine puddle form a large dog in some areas. The carpet is a five year old nylon reverse twist pile.

It also needs to be completely dry so the new tenants can move in the next day.

Pleas give us step by step details about how you would attack this situation.

Take you time while the members here read the next set of questions and answers.


Thanks Bob.






How did you get into CCing?

Well after doing what most other young people at the time was doing, sex drugs and rock and roll. Biker Gangs and prison for a half a joint and a failed marriage......I got married again! Great Gal however she was fresh outa school and neither one of us had jobs!
Look in the want ads and saw "help wanted" apartment manager......great Gig in St Clair Shores Mi on the water! We ran 765 apartments...I quickly noticed that the painters and the carpet cleaners was making good money! So I went to my boss an's ask if I could do those chores and make extra money.......SURE!!!! He was a great boss!
So I become an instant painter AND carpet cleaner....AND had 765 CAPTIVE customers to start out!



Your history in a nutshell please...

Well at first i used a Clark 17" shampoo machine but that didn't cut it so i went out and spent $4000.00 for a Clark Stainless Steel Portable with a drag wand...sucked!
Somehow I heard about a guy named Gene Bates out in California who built these things called "truck mounts" We drove out there and pulled one home in a trailer.
BIG RED...a bohemeth machine with a FOUR cyl PERKINS Diesel engine...I WAS THE CATS ASS in Michigan.....
I started cleaning some of my bosses friends in the Grosse Points ..The Woods The Shores ....I soon became very busy and we put a full page ad in the YP....I had a crew to paint AND to clean...

Soon I was playing out on the water with my new Cigarette race boat and BLOWing through dough like it was water!



What was the biggest mistake you made in your biz?

Probably Partying too much with the easy money I was making.....my boat could blow out 100Gal in TWO hours....and the girls all liked the guys with race Cigarettes for sure!
So I got another Divorce



Any regrets that you didn’t go after the highend clients out in the burbs?


I've cleaned mansions in the shores to Gov Rommey's Mansion in Bloomfield Hills....who do you guys think your dealing wit here?


What was the maximum amount of trucks & employees at any one time.


i had three working trucks at one time...NEVER AGAIN......it NOT about how much money you make....it's ALL about how much you can KEEP after taxes and all the other business expenses.



Describe your average client.

So now well fast forward to several more divorces and i moved my business yet agian....
close to Pontiac Mi a GM worker town mostly black people that have worked all their life and live in a small dingy hose...although usually clean!
Back then I needed to get started again so I put flyers inserts into local community papers....you could even chose the ZIP that they were sent to.......THE PAPER MESSED UP...sent my flyer to the WRONG part of town....THE GHETTO....DAMN i was pissed!

But all of a sudden my phone lit up......from the Ghetto! They liked the $44.95 TWO ROOM special i had!

So it started...the Black Community is usually a very closed community...it's hard to break into...they do things by word of mouth mostly...if you can make one family happy...they will tell TEN of their friends.....

Im happy to say that I have Pontiac pretty much nailed down...however i HAVE seen Kens truck in there some lately. And that Modernistic guy is nosin' around some too!




Do you have any competitors that you worry about?


NO..theres plenty of carpet out there!



What was the biggest mistake you made in your biz?


Probably by being a self centered ass when it came to my women




Do you still get on the truck and push a wand?


Yes i do sometimes if I have to train a new guy.....i've been very fortuate my First tech stayed 16 year

I had one 12 years several 6 and 7 years.....latley Hoekilla lasted two and now DoeKilla is at seven months



Have you saved/invested enough dough to retire the biz some day?



Sure..just like every other person in the great state of Michigan I'm jus rollin' in the dough.....

actually I worry about the poor house every day!




Do you clean upholstery as well? Tile? Windows?


Sure We clean upholstery all the time





If you could take your wife on a two week all expenses paid vacation next week where would you go?

Although I have been to almost every state....and have no need to travel, my wife still hasn't been to Las Vegas...so i guess i could stand it one more time although I love the Lake tahoe and State Line areas better!




If you were to be stranded on a desert island with five of your favorite BBoarders who would they be?

DUDES?????????

You have to give me a better choice!




Boxers or briefs?


That makes you a perv to even ask that.....however if you jus HAVE to know...

IT'S........ C O M A N D O

Now go burn your eyeballs out wit sharp sticks......
 

bob vawter

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Well this one should be pretty easy, cause THIS is what i do EVERY day!

First of all it depends on a couple of things......is it furnished and DO they WANT the furniture moved?

You'd be surprised to know jus how many people DON'T want the furniture moved....but i usually try to at least talk them into moving at least the small stuff........

But for the sake of THIS discussion, we'll assume that there IS furniture to move.....

First, i ask Mrs Custy to take me through and show me what's to be done, and make sure she let's me know of any potential problem areas...now since i deal with mostly elderly customers there are hardly any pet spots to deal with cause they're usually eating the dog food themsefs........

Having "qualified" the job...i proceed out to the truck..hook up the water and pull my hoses to the furthest point of cleaning! And fire the Genie up...an evil hiss can be heard all through the house and i can tell the 47 is suckin' air!



Now let me say right away that MOST of you all are cleaning improperly from the git.....

If there are big chucks of drywall, yes i'll pick it up, but that's usually not the case..jus the usual snot and boogers and various other bodily fluids is all i have ta do!

OK...are ya ready to get started?

BR's we don move NUTHIN in the BR's cuz they are usually so full of stuff we jus go around the bed.......out and down the Hallway...LR...start at your right baseboard and spray all the way around the room to the very left side...this dislodges the chicken bones and various pieces of pepperroni......Takes the dust and cobwebs off too!

FACE the base board and push the wand right up against it and lift one corner of the wand...this produces a vortex of air and sucks the crap outta the edge....OH THEY LOVE IT!!!!

Work yor way around the perimeter till you get to the right side corner....You have jus done the whole perimeter and now jus like painting by number!

Now the most important part of your cleaning process is the wand stroke...i find that most of ya are doing it incorrectly.....I prefere the chop stroke with 1/2 overlap with every other pass on the opposite triangle...that way you get a full dry stroke on the carpet while allowing a full trigger pull the WHOLE TIME!

As for the furniture....move it SIDEWISE so you can still face the wall wit yor stroke...put it back and block wit styrofoam blocks and continue to work out to the door...when you are finished..if done correctly ...there won't be ONE footprint on your job.

If i where to rake and groom the carpet Mrs old black custy would beat me wit her broom.. they ALL like the triangles

And i BETTER have the green paper to put down cus the would riot if i didn't....

And if i catch a one armed carpet stroker...he's gone...get on TOP and HURT that wand...BAD!
 

Ken Snow

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Hey Bob

We do clean a fair amount in Pontiac~ in case anyone doesn't know Pontiac is considered one of the best integrated cities in America and except for the really bad parts people of all races keep their modest homes up very nicely.

Ken
 

Bob Foster

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Bawb! If you had a choice to bunk up at MikeFest with one of these guys which one would choose and which one would you most avoid and why?

Mike
Chuck
sMarTy
Yimmy
John G
 

truckmount girl

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I know you favor the old Steam Genie wands, made by Bates...why do you like these wands in particular? Is it just old habits, or do you feel they have some edge in cleaning and/or drying over a more modern design wand?

Take care,
Lisa
 

Ken Snow

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That bunking up stuff is kind of weird!!! Why would all of you .50 a sq ft guys need to share a room at a cheap motel??
 

bob vawter

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WOW..yous guys are rapid firin' these at me....

Out of those choices i believe Chuckie and my would get along best.......


I would hafta KILL G!!!!
 

Jim Martin

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bob vawter said:
Hi Sweetie Pie.....i'm really 62.....does that mean yor jailbait

What was the biggest mistake you made in your biz?

Probably by being a self centered ass when it came to my women

blew that one to hell real fast
 

Jimbo

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Jeez Bobby...you were in the fast lane...with the Boats, Broads, and Bikes! What was your best motorcycle...and do you really know Sonny Barger?
 

truckmount girl

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As the only person on this board married more times than me, you must have a wealth of information on what to do and not to do in a marriage. care to clue the rest of the world in?

BTW...how many did you leave, and how many left you? If you care to say.

Take care,
Lisa
 

Bob Foster

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So duz the Misiz answer the phone or duz yu? Duz yu give quotes on the phone?

When someonz sez thats way too much do you telz them to F off or what duz ya saz?
 

bob vawter

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The one thing i've learned in life is:

If ya wanna be happy in life ya GOTTA learn three little words....

you're right honey...

right away dear works as well!
 

Bob Foster

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So who is da kleaNer you most look up tuz or do you look mostly look down at the restiv us?
 

bob vawter

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"BTW...how many did you leave, and how many left you? If you care to say."


I did say that I was the ass.......
 
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