truckmount girl
1800greenglides
Welcome Everyone,
Mike will be arriving shortly, for now I will be posting the pre-asked questions and answers for you to read:
Those living outside California may not know Miller's Carpet Care, but those in California know it well as a large notorious bait and switch outfit. I know your first carpet cleaning job was with Miller's before moving on to Coit later. Tell us what you observed in your time at Miller's, how long you lasted there, what kind of equipment you had and what you learned, if anything, good or bad while you were there?
I was 21 years old and working in a health food restaurant for minimum wage. I cooked and cleaned all night and peddled my Roadbike all day. After learning that my wife was pregnant I had to become the breadwinner. Paula found an ad in the paper for Millers stating that if I had a clean DMV I could earn up to $1000 a week. Too good to be true for a guy who was making $150 a week.
I received a weeks worth of “training” by various guys who used me to dump and fill their Uncle Sam Portables and showed me how to use the home owner’s hair shampoos as a detergent.
You can’t imagine what a shady operation this was. I think out of the 200 or so guys I saw go through there in my year and a half there only about 3 had any sort of ethics.
It didn’t take long for me to figure out (on my own) that if I wanted to up sell over the 6.95 a room offer I would have to offer more then an additional wand pass. So I borrowed some money from my dad to buy a 175 rotary. Now I had a tool to actually “Pre Condition” the carpet with for an extra .30 a foot instead of just dumping more Clean Green into the tank.
I knew absolutely nothing about cleaning chemistry back then. I cant tell you how many carpets I ruined figuring it out. I had no one to go to for answer, as everyone back at the office was as clueless or worse, just plain legitimate idiots. Occasionally they would hire a guy with some experience and I would pick the guy’s brain to no end. Over time I became a pretty decent half assed POG who could sell on just about every job. They valued me and gave me raises. This was at the time when every other sofa you saw was Haitian Cotton. After I ruined a few I found a guy who had them down and I learned some pretty good tricks from him. So I usually got most of the upholstery jobs there.
After about three months I became the official “Trainer” for this branch. Lol! Boy did I set up some people for failure… where was the IICRC or ICS when I need them???? But I was the best they had.
I can still remember the first time I saw a truckmount. It was probably a year after I got started. The guy who owned it (who for some reason wanted to work for Millers) had to be trained by me for two days before he got to go out on his own. He was really pissed that young ignert like me had power over him. He had many years in the biz and just couldn’t believe the shit I was trying to teach him.. He just about quit when he saw me deal with a difficult customer who didn’t want to pay for pre scrubbing. When I used the official Miller term “Commercial Saturation” to convey that I was going to pre spray the room with my wand for half the price of a 175 pre scrub he lost it. When we got back to the office he quit. I never got to try his truck out
Anyways, I have 100’s of stories like this but to answer your question, all I really learned at Millers was how to use a Thomas Brothers and to sell my ass off if I wanted to eat the next day.
Tell us a little about Coit, your next employer in the carpet cleaning world, how was the training process there? What were the best and worst things about working for a large franchise like Coit, and what made you leave?
Coit wasn’t much better. Looking back now, the guys they had training me for the first month were clueless. No pre vacuuming, no pre spray, just heavy detergent rinses. Again it was all about upselling.
I was sent out on my own with a truckmount that I knew just about nothing about, and a beat up POS ford van that would break down on a weekly basis.
We were given 6 to 7 jobs a day, six days a week. We were also expected to cover huge geographical areas. I had many days a week where just to drive my route it would take four hours. Add in seven homes and you can imagine the length of the average workday.
We had a manager there by the name of KC O’Hanolan ( who is now a regular lurker here) who really knew his stuff. Unfortunately he was a operations manager and not really in the position to spend the time training the hundreds of chimps that went through there. I did manage to learn some stuff from him on occasion though. KC was responsible for getting Aaron Groseclose to teach in house IICRC CCT and Upholstery classes.
That was a big step for me to say the least.
Over time I became a decent cleaner and a darn good upseller. Coit had a lot more things to sell compared to Millers so I took full advantage of it. By the time I left I was making over 70 grand a year with decent benefits. They learned to appreciate me and my work ethic and rewarded me with a brand new van about every 10 months and I got first dibs on any new equipment that showed up. I believe I got one of the very first Hydro Forces ever made.
The customer loved me and I had lots of requests. When you were asked for by name you got a higher percentage so I learned to charm Mrs. Piftleton and her friends real well. No body got more requests than I did.
I think it was about 3 years before I left that we had a streak of managers who actually new how to clean. I got along with them well and learned a ton. One of them, Louis Brasher, had a monumental effect on my life. Louis was the guy who first gave me a Sanitaire Vacuum to play with. He wanted to rock things at Coit. He had all kinds of ideas to better the company He had the crazy notion that the “Worlds Largest Cleaning Company” should try actually CLEANING the carpets for once. So he bought a Vacuum and had me test the effects of Pre Vacuuming.
What an eye opener that was.
It was at that very moment that I became a cleaning nerd, hence the Vacuum logo/Tattoo.
I think it was a few days later that he turned me on to the ICS bulletin board.
If you want a good laugh do a search for “Coit Guy” on ICS. You wont recognize me.
I was cleaning in the closet for 13 years at this point and all of a sudden I had the whole world at my fingertips. My days at Coit were numbered. With all my newly learned skills I was cleaning slower and slower and yet charging more and more. I was now down from seven jobs a day to four or less. With the resources that ICS provided it became clear to me that I could do very well on my own.
I gave Coit a chance to keep me by suggesting a huge pay raise but they balked. So I walked….
And I took my custom length four jet Ti wand with me.
I hear you have family that still works for Coit. Do you ever encourage them to go independent like you did?
My oldest brother is a salesman for the division in Seattle. I wish O’Halick would find him a job at DA Burns.
After leaving Coit and starting your own business, how long was it before you knew you'd made the right decision? Were you immediately successful or did you struggle for a period of time? Did Paula and the rest of your family support the move?
Paula was all for it and was my partner in crime from day one. We live in a small town so word got out fast that I was on my own. I also had a neighbor who worked for Legget and Platt (carpet cushion) who hooked me up with some local carpet retailers. That helped tremendously. We did some direct mail pieces and lots and lots of door to door. I even got my kids out there placing flyers and door hangers. We started in April 01 and I think we made 140K that year. We over spent so much on supplies and marketing that we got a $23,000 tax return. From what I’ve seen on the Boards that was a pretty good first year.
What was the most humorous situation you've ever encountered in the carpet cleaning trade?
Spending a weekend with Curt Johnson and Waldo.
What fuels your passion for perfection in this industry? You hold others to a higher standard and people rise to your expectations. This is an exceptional quality. Can you give others especially the educators, distributors and suppliers, an insight into how you instill that in those you come in contact with?
I stumbled over this question for almost two hours. With out going on for hours and in 47 different directions all I can say is that it pays off to be the very best.
What inspired you to become a vegetarian?
I just love cute fuzzy animals.
Would you like to see your children take the business over at some point?
I think my son could do wonders with it. He got my great looks but Paula’s brains.
At this point he would rather go to college and work elsewhere.
How did you meet Paula? Did she know what she was getting into back then?
We met while working in a health food market/sandwich joint. I was a lean, mean punk rock cycling machine at the time but I think it was my sense of humor that sucked her in. I imagine she knew from our first date that I am a high maintenance pita but you’ll have to ask her if it’s all worth it.
Where do you see this industry in 5 years? 20 years?
With the power of the Internet I can only hope we all become better cleaners and business people. Hopefully more unified in our pricing. At some point our industry has to realize its not 1970 anymore.
I could speculate that with a dwindling fuel supply we’ll all be VLMing but I would guess that we’ll alll be running around in turd powered vehicles with truckmounts that are much quieter and leave the carpet dry in seconds. There is no escaping the fact that soils needs to be flushed, not now nor in the future.
Now that you've attended and given us your opinion on SFS, what specific actions will you take to increase your business in the next 6 months?
I want to get my current tech ready to go out on his own. I immediately put him in charge of protector sales. It will be good for him to have more face time with our customers and he needed a raise as well. Paula will get tighter with our books for sure. We will probably implement a Stay Beautiful program for our regulars. I need to market our company to Tile and Stone resources more as well.
As a very successful one truck operation, when do you envision yourself either getting off the truck or duplicating yourself to increase you daily production numbers?
Working on that right now actually. I am not close to being ready to sit behind a desk all day but I would like to work a bit less. I am a workaholick unfortunately .
In what ways do you feel you have benefited from previously working for a large multi-truck operation?
“Mrs Smith, I am sure glad we Protected your carpet the last time we cleaned. I don’t think that dog stain would have came out so well if you hadn’t.”
Assuming that the motivation for attending SFS were to develop an expansion strategy, what personality traits pose the greatest threat to your plan.
I am not patient at all so it will be (and is) a challenge for me to deal with employees.
Who do you most admire in this industry and why?
Scott Rendal because he is such a go getter and is constantly trying something new business wise. A very clear thinker and it impresses me how he gets so much done. That boy has a lot going on.
Jim Pemberton and Steve Toburen. I can lump together as two guys who really care for our industry and go way out of their ways to improve it.
I also admire the Broke Dicks who work their ass’s off day and night to support their families. We have so many honorable guys on the board. I look up to guys like the Beckers, Martys, meAts, and Curt Johnsons who bust their butts every day. While some of us were not built to run a multi truck company we still have created a incredible income for ourselves while remaining respectful in our communities.
Where do you envision your board and it's role in this industry in the future? What role did you see it filling when you started?
I can only hope it continues to grow at this pace. I get letters all the time from guys who are just now finding the Boards ad the testimonials are great. I love that it has an impact on their businesses. I love that.
The membership could turn into an Association of sorts I’m hoping. It would be nice to have a voice when it comes to dealing with the mills and the IICRC.
I think most members love the freedom on MikeysBoard. It’s funny but when you take away the heavy rules they get along better. Also the modern format makes it so much better then the competition.
What is the hardest part of running a bulletin board? What is the most enjoyable aspect?
The daily request for lost passwords is a pain. Dealing with the issues of lame servers and the porn companies that try and sign up gets old too. There are a couple of members whom I wouldn’t mind tossing but I have to hold my tongue and play nice to keep up the integrity of the board.
How does Paula feel about your bulletin board addiction? I heard she lost her heart to Island Boy when she was at SFS.
She hates it and would marry Steve in a heartbeat if Sioux and I were to fade away. I think she would be disappointed to find out that IB is online almost as much as I am.
There were A LOT of people who said your board would never get off the ground, or never last, or never rival ICS but it has, what would you like to say to the doubters now?
In the words of my buddy Jimmy Ladwinks…. KMA!
In honor of the board's one year anniversary I pulled up this thread from ICS where the idea of this board was discussed for the first time. Interesting to say the least…
Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Lisa Smith-Lydon on 8/13/2006 at 4:25 PM
My Idea For Mikey's Forum
Posted by Lisa Smith-Lydon on August 13, 2006 - 04:08 PM
A forum where manufacturers and distributors are free to talk about and even promote their products as much as they care to.....HOWEVER in exchange for that ability they must agree to spend ONE DAY PER MONTH on "the hot seat" where they are the featured company and they MUST answer praise, criticisms, questions, challenges, suggestions etc. from the members of the forum, both end users and competitors, etc.
The forum itself shall accept no advertising (ie: on banner ads, no sponsorship, etc.). The sole means of income shall be a monthly subscription paid by all forum members. I would suggest $20/mo. to compensate the administrator/moderator for their time and bandwidth.
Those manuf/dist. who choose not to participate in such a forum because they don't want to face the possible criticism are sending a message loud and clear which says "we don't care what you think". Those who do take their place on the hotseat and actively listen and discuss the merits/problems with their products also send us a message "We care what you think".
A board like this would be a great place for manufacturers and distributors to get ideas on how to improve their existing products and develop future products. The membership would be able to provide valuable input on functionality, design, improvements, etc.
When faced with a product criticism, does a manufacturer take input on possible ways to fix the problem or do they just make excuses and pass blame....or leave the forum altogether? All of these things will help the consumer decide where and with whom they choose to spen their hard earned money.
One day a month, that's all we ask.
I would call the forum "The Next Level of Clean - the cutting edge of cleaning".
Would you pay a monthly fee to tell your TM/porty manuf. the weakness of their system, and how you feel it needs to be improved? Would you like to have your input in the direction of the industry?
I think the subscription would help weed out the bogus posters and those there just to heckle...and we could have some really great discussion, debate and ultimately a better, more responsive industry as a whole.
Manufacturers, distributors and cleaners all stand to win with a forum like this IF they are willing to listen.
Take care,
Lisa
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Eddie on 8/13/2006 at 4:37 PM
Is this Mikey as in Mikey P? The same Mikey P who has repeatedly shown that he does not play well with others? The same Mikey P who is a powder keg looking for someone to explode on?
Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Joey Johnston on 8/13/2006 at 4:42 PM
Sounds ok, but are we not allowed to discuss merits/problems with distributors and manufacturers here? I am not sure I see what the cleaners would gain in this forum, other than having a bunch of posts specifically promoting certain products. I do like the idea of companies responding to individuals concerns about their products, but not sure how much participation you would get. After all it is well documented that not all that many cleaners in the grand scheme of things actually frequent these boards.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Dale Dodson on 8/13/2006 at 5:01 PM
Would YOUR customers pay $20 a month for the opportunity to help improve YOUR cleaning services?
There must be some cannabis fields on fire in CA.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Lisa Smith-Lydon on 8/13/2006 at 5:13 PM
This post was pasted over from the Blue Board on a thread started by Mikey P discussing ideas for new forums, hence his name in the title of that thread.
Just like forms of govenment, there is no perfect forum... but I believe that the subscription would help weed out the blow hards and hecklers and get down to the real meat....or brocolli in Mike's case.
If someone out and out lied there would be enough evidence to the contrary from other users...or lack of specifics from the liar, to illustrate the discrepancies between truths, half-truths, conjecture and outright lies. If it becomes apparent that someone is out to get someone else personally...barraging that manufacturer, distributor or end user with false accusations or complaints then that member should be removed from the forum. However I believe that it should need to be shown that there is not a factual basis to their rants. At that point it leaves the realm of constructive criticism, or even frustrated complaint to slander.
Dale, there is plenty of benefit from the end user...think of it like Consumer Reports for carpet cleaners. get the real scoop from other users, hear about the newest equipment, tools, techniques, methods and chemicals, get answers to your problems and questions with specific products.
For example, let's say you buy new chemical X from your local distributor CleanSuff Guy, made by manufacturer StuffMaker. You use the product and it doesn't work well for you. You can post about it when manufacturer StuffMaker or distributor CleanStuff Guy come onto the hotseat. Maybe you are not using the product correctly....they can help you use it right and now know that they may need to makle their instructions more clear...or maybe 20 other guys come on with the same complaint and it becomes obvious that chemical X is just a failed chemical. Manufacturer Stuffmaker can pull the product and work on reformulation before they lose credibility. Win/win if you ask me, no matter how it goes....IF the manuf/dist is willing to really listen and not just get defensive.
Take care,
Lisa
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By DPS on 8/13/2006 at 5:39 PM
I would subscribe to that forum for a reasonable fee, but only if Mikey P was the administrator, called all the shots and could not be fired. Only then would we be guaranteed free speech amongst our selves. Little girly men with hurt feelings would have no mommy to cry to.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Fred Homan on 8/13/2006 at 5:48 PM
Good point Eddie....He does not play well with others!
Modified By Fred Homan on 8/13/2006 at 5:49 PM
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Gary R. Heacock on 8/13/2006 at 6:00 PM
I would read and perhaps contribute things from time to time, but a temporary trial at no charge might be the way to get it off the ground, say 30 or 60 days at no charge, then once it becomes viable start to charge folks.
One caveat- no politics, no religion, no foul language, no beating up on people you disagree with, it must be civil at all times.
Gary
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Jeff J on 8/13/2006 at 6:02 PM
"Those manuf/dist. who choose not to participate in such a forum because they don't want to face the possible criticism are sending a message loud and clear which says "we don't care what you think"."
I never took you or Greenie for using that type of "tactic" when trying to solicit business, I'd suggest you tame it down a bit ... this coming from someone who has NOTHING to sell, but thinks your assumption is unfair.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Steve Lillard on 8/13/2006 at 6:12 PM
A administrator must be a example, not blasting, bad mounthing or insulating everyone! You dont see Evan doing that on this board.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Lisa Smith-Lydon on 8/13/2006 at 6:21 PM
Jeff,
I don't understand what you mean by this:
"I never took you or Greenie for using that type of "tactic" when trying to solicit business, I'd suggest you tame it down a bit ... this coming from someone who has NOTHING to sell, but thinks your assumption is unfair."
What assumption am I making and what tactic?....you have me confused, perhaps we misunderstand each other.
Take care,
Lisa
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Fred Homan on 8/13/2006 at 6:35 PM
Good point Steve....
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Ricky Thurman on 8/13/2006 at 7:09 PM
I agree with Dale. My customers don't pay me to let them tell me how to do better. Likewise, I won't pay to tell distributors how to do things better. Especially when I can pick up a phone and call 90% of them toll free, talk to them directly, and get the problem solved. Any good distributor will make good on their products if you are not satisfied. If they don't, then I don't use them. I think the forum format is a great idea, but I don't like the subscription. If there has to be a subscription, let the distributors and manufacturers pay for it....as a service to the cleaners they serve.
Re: Lisa
Posted By Jeff J on 8/13/2006 at 7:25 PM
I took it as you saying that a distributor who was not willing to participate in the board MUST not care what people think or they are afraid of the possible criticisms, when perhaps they just simply might not like the board or the idea itself.
It seems to me you are making a pretty broad assumption that people MUST have something to hide or not be on the up and up if they don't participate.
For example, a respected participant on the boards now sells GREAT chemicals and shares his wealth of knowledge in this industry; however, he has been criticized (even by himself) several times for not being very good at returning emails. Some people simply choose to run their businesses their way, not the way others have decided is "right".
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By larry capitoni on 8/13/2006 at 7:35 PM
"no beating up on people you disagree with, it must be civil at all times."
LOL, Gary!
we're talking about a Mikey P board!
Unless he intends to be the phoney corp suck up he started out as on the V board, it will be Mike in all his no holds barred glory
...L.T.A.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Mike Charles on 8/13/2006 at 7:38 PM
"It's the same Old Story, a Grab for Money and Glory....As Time Goes By...."
Sounds like some late nite phone calls with lots of wishin and what ifs....
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Lisa Smith-Lydon on 8/13/2006 at 7:47 PM
I think I get what you mean Jeff. That is why I said one day per month minimum. All would be free to participate more, but at least once a month is reasonable to ask.
It need not be the same person from that company every time either, but should be someone knowledgable enough to handle most questions...ie the CEO, the person in charge of R&D or new products, the head mechanic or lead salesperson all would be excellent choices and each bring their own insight into a situation.
It would not be designed to be a time burden on anyone....and quite possibly SAVE time in the long run, because situations could be handled on the forum, freeing them up to handle issues that otherwise might have had to be addressed repetitively via email or phone.
Also, it could be a huge cost savings to manufacturers and end users alike. Manuf. could save money by not pursuing a project which was an ultimate flop, investing their money more efficiently into developing projects which showed a genuine need, and cleaners could save money by not buying the newest machine/tool/chem/class just to find out it didn't work and having it gather dust in their garage. It would also help more quickly identify when something is truly a failure or when it is being used improperly or in the wrong application. Everyone who participated would (or could) win if they wanted to.
Take care,
Lisa
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Lisa Smith-Lydon on 8/13/2006 at 7:51 PM
How so Mike (Charles)? It seems to me more along the lines of Consumer Reports....only better.
Take care,
Lisa
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Kris on 8/13/2006 at 7:58 PM
I think that it is an excellent idea; however, I think that $20 is a little expensive for something like this. Why not put a $10 per year membership fee on it... Allow advertising to cover costs and let the rest fall where it does.
$10 a year is enough to keep the so called 'blow hards' out and the advertising should be enough to cover any costs.
If it was changed to something like that....sure....I am all in. But there is no way that I would spend $240 a year to watch people cut eachothers throats.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Lisa Smith-Lydon on 8/13/2006 at 8:09 PM
The price was an arbitrary number...True price would need to be set depending on costs and time involved.
The idea is to NOT need to accept money from advertisers....along the lines of Concumer reports, so that the forum is not forced to be biased to protect their income from large advertisers. Too much of this industry is swayed by deep pockets and advertising as it is, the cleaners and end users need to have more direct input.
Take care,
Lisa
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By larry capitoni on 8/13/2006 at 8:29 PM
"It seems to me more along the lines of Consumer Reports....only better"
Lisa, that idea has merrit.
You know i love vEEgs and consider him a friend.
BUT...as long as he's the main attraction on the board
(and he will be if he's the moderator)
he'll put off a LOT of peeps with his style.
Most won't have the chutzpa or the inclination to jump into that fire unless they happen to be on his "A" list.
There may be a few quality contributers, but most will be Mike wannabes and manufactures/suppliers on the "vEgan approved" list
..L.T.A.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Lisa Smith-Lydon on 8/13/2006 at 8:38 PM
Larry,
Who says Mikey has to moderate it? I don't think it should be a burden for one person anyway.
I think you and Freitas and a few others should do it...
Take care,
Lisa
Modified By Lisa Smith-Lydon on 8/13/2006 at 8:39 PM
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Noble on 8/13/2006 at 8:42 PM
If I thought for a minute it would be a place to pull up, grab a cup of coffee and exchange some cool ideas I'd say yes. I have a feeling it would be rapidly turn into a janitorial biker bar where only a ruff and tuff crowd dominate it.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Ken Levens on 8/13/2006 at 9:04 PM
Sounds like a pay per view version of the blue board, lol
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Lisa Smith-Lydon on 8/13/2006 at 9:06 PM
Noble,
Like this?
I think I see Rawknee in the background....lol.
Take care,
Lisa
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Ken Levens on 8/13/2006 at 9:07 PM
Nice........chaps!
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Chad on 8/13/2006 at 9:25 PM
Quit lookin at my old lady!
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Noble on 8/13/2006 at 9:31 PM
Tell me that's on the agenda for Connections Vegas and Carlos and I are there!
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Mike Hogan on 8/13/2006 at 9:37 PM
Sounds fine in theory. However,once
Mike P.is involved it will turn into
an embarrassment like the blue board.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Lisa Smith-Lydon on 8/13/2006 at 9:50 PM
You know, I was talking to Jim Pemberton on the phone the other day, and he told me he is a Mikey P fan. he said "Mikey has done more to change this industry for the better than he will ever know".
He even likes the bird reports.
Take care,
Lisa
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By larry capitoni on 8/13/2006 at 9:51 PM
"Who says Mikey has to moderate it? I don't think it should be a burden for one person anyway.
I think you and Freitas and a few others should do it"
LOL, thanks for the flowers, Dear.
You know I don't have a problem playing in the "rough hoods".
But many do, and if the intention is to have honest, truthful, candid reveiws, as well as participation by many manufactures/suppiers, there has to be some manners and decorum.
Which means some will have to be muzzled.
Which means censorship.
Which means a lack of honest hard hitting reveiws.
which means just another board.
Without those restrictions, it will be a handfull of the same posters and many of the valued posters won't participate because a no holds barred style just isn't for them
..L.T.A.
Lisa, you asked and he replied...
Posted By Mike Charles on 8/13/2006 at 10:24 PM
"It's the same Old Story, a Grab for Money and Glory....As Time Goes By...."
Sounds like some late nite phone calls with lots of wishin and what ifs....
You asked How So...
And He replied....
RE: Yo vEEgs...regarding your new board
Posted by Mikey P on August 13, 2006 - 10:11 PM
MY board....MY rules...
The five or six red board sissys that cant handle it can go GFT..
If it quacks like a duck, it usually is a duck...
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Dave Rampage on 8/13/2006 at 10:32 PM
I think it would be good if it offered real marketing help as well as technical. If it is the same as the others, I wouldn't waste the money. I am not willing to pay to talk to my peers.
Dave
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Fred Homan on 8/13/2006 at 11:14 PM
It's all about appropriate or inappropriate responses...."GET IT"
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Tony G on 8/13/2006 at 11:17 PM
I love the format of this board but I think that it would be great if when a new post was made to a thread it got bumped to the top.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Jim Lynch on 8/13/2006 at 11:36 PM
Tony G, if you go to "Search" above, and hit the "Search" button again, without adding anything, you will get the last 200 posts in order of posting.
Jim
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By T BREVIK on 8/14/2006 at 12:38 AM
we could have ron curtis moderate
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Greenie on 8/14/2006 at 1:26 AM
You guys are missing the boat, there is indeed incredible potential here.
This talk about calling 800 numbers and getting results isn't typical, we are talking about real change, not the typical "oh, that does sound like a problem, funny you are the first to report that".
On the positive side, it is a chance to really interact with the industry, The better companies are indeed interested in you 1% ers out there, you here on the internet are their "pulse" for the industry, and you actually represent a far larger influence than you think, I promise you that.
Everyone who is anyone visits these forums form time to time, you can take that to the bank, they watch, they read, they learn the same as you do.
How many times have you received an email or a phone call after posting something here?
I know most of our Distributors read here, and many have some great experience and information to share, but for various reasons don't, and that is just a shame.
You could be responsible for shaping this industry in the next decade, or you can just be an idle sit and watch and get what you get type, but at least you have an opportunity.
Try and get past the thin skinned nambly pambly stuff and get to the core issues.
Greenie
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By John Mason on 8/14/2006 at 1:48 AM
Please, just to be enlightened, what are some of the core issues? Just list Five important issues which could change this industry.
I can't help to think!!!
???????
J
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Chuck Robbins on 8/14/2006 at 2:03 AM
Those manuf/dist. who choose not to participate in such a forum because they don't want to face the possible criticism are sending a message loud and clear which says "we don't care what you think".
JoeyP could set it up, and call it...
www.ethicalmanufacturers.com
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Greenie on 8/14/2006 at 2:25 AM
John, is that a sit back and watch attitude or are you honestly asking what are the issues cleaners face everyday, like buying stuff that actually works as advertised, and hoping the industry as whole get's it's integrity back and in the process gains the trust of the cleaners.
Greenie
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By www.gregs-ucs.com on 8/14/2006 at 2:38 AM
Why a bb? Why not something to compete with the iicrc? With it's own bb
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By John Mason on 8/14/2006 at 3:30 AM
Greenie, this industry has put meat on the dinner table and has helped put a roof over my family. I think it was an honest and caring question with no strings attached. It's just the way my mind works.
How do you shape an industry?
J
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By larry capitoni on 8/14/2006 at 7:57 AM
"How do you shape an industry?"
with your wallet
..L.T.A.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Bright-1 on 8/14/2006 at 10:04 AM
I like the DirtyGrout format... Different areas for different things...
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Noble on 8/14/2006 at 10:27 AM
I like the picture that Lisa posted. I do, I really do.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Greenie on 8/14/2006 at 1:40 PM
Good question John, although Larry hit on it as well, I would say that some simple things very much "shape" an industry.
The modern truckmount, professional education, the internet are all responsible for shaping the industry as we know it today.
There exist a gap between cleaners-distributors-manufacturers, that does not have to exist, there is friction, lack of trust, and really no honest reason for it, there is a better place, maybe together we can find it.
Greenie
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By fred boyle on 8/14/2006 at 2:54 PM
The only possibility for this new forum concept to be viable is if it is FREE!
Start there, don't waste time 'formulating' a break even or any other financial jargon.
There is far to much free information out there.
Carpet cleaners work hard and are too cheap to pay for a forum.
Unless you are looking for a forum of select few.
This of course will defeat the purpose of an effective forum.
You will taint the participating pool and won't attain the desired effect of making money, improving product design and exchanging information and ideas.
Everybody always seems to want to start a new club, just make certain you learn from the BBs that preceaded your new endeavor.
If you charge for it, I guarantee it will fail.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Steve Lillard on 8/14/2006 at 9:49 PM
Why do I want to pay $20 bucks a month for someone to kick me in the a$$!!!!
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By T BREVIK on 8/14/2006 at 10:43 PM
20 bucks for someone to kick you in the butt
what about your vegas trip and you paid ten times that to be whipped.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Dave Rampage on 8/14/2006 at 11:00 PM
The best way to help someone is to have them ride with you for a week. You can go over marketing, real life cleaning and really point someone in the right direction. You can even learn something from these ride alongs and build great friendships.
I have done many of these in the last year and a half. If really makes you feel good when you see people becoming successful because of you.
There are many guys in all areas of the country that can offer this and it would be way more helpful than a board. More people can be trained and they could be within driving distance to the company teaching. Just my thoughts.
My last ride along, Chris Augusto got a bad deal because that's when my truck broke from the veggie oil, I felt bad for that.
Dave
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Steve Lillard on 8/15/2006 at 9:06 PM
Last time I went to Vegas I won 35K that was some a$$ kicking trip!
And there you go!
Mike will be arriving shortly, for now I will be posting the pre-asked questions and answers for you to read:
Those living outside California may not know Miller's Carpet Care, but those in California know it well as a large notorious bait and switch outfit. I know your first carpet cleaning job was with Miller's before moving on to Coit later. Tell us what you observed in your time at Miller's, how long you lasted there, what kind of equipment you had and what you learned, if anything, good or bad while you were there?
I was 21 years old and working in a health food restaurant for minimum wage. I cooked and cleaned all night and peddled my Roadbike all day. After learning that my wife was pregnant I had to become the breadwinner. Paula found an ad in the paper for Millers stating that if I had a clean DMV I could earn up to $1000 a week. Too good to be true for a guy who was making $150 a week.
I received a weeks worth of “training” by various guys who used me to dump and fill their Uncle Sam Portables and showed me how to use the home owner’s hair shampoos as a detergent.
You can’t imagine what a shady operation this was. I think out of the 200 or so guys I saw go through there in my year and a half there only about 3 had any sort of ethics.
It didn’t take long for me to figure out (on my own) that if I wanted to up sell over the 6.95 a room offer I would have to offer more then an additional wand pass. So I borrowed some money from my dad to buy a 175 rotary. Now I had a tool to actually “Pre Condition” the carpet with for an extra .30 a foot instead of just dumping more Clean Green into the tank.
I knew absolutely nothing about cleaning chemistry back then. I cant tell you how many carpets I ruined figuring it out. I had no one to go to for answer, as everyone back at the office was as clueless or worse, just plain legitimate idiots. Occasionally they would hire a guy with some experience and I would pick the guy’s brain to no end. Over time I became a pretty decent half assed POG who could sell on just about every job. They valued me and gave me raises. This was at the time when every other sofa you saw was Haitian Cotton. After I ruined a few I found a guy who had them down and I learned some pretty good tricks from him. So I usually got most of the upholstery jobs there.
After about three months I became the official “Trainer” for this branch. Lol! Boy did I set up some people for failure… where was the IICRC or ICS when I need them???? But I was the best they had.
I can still remember the first time I saw a truckmount. It was probably a year after I got started. The guy who owned it (who for some reason wanted to work for Millers) had to be trained by me for two days before he got to go out on his own. He was really pissed that young ignert like me had power over him. He had many years in the biz and just couldn’t believe the shit I was trying to teach him.. He just about quit when he saw me deal with a difficult customer who didn’t want to pay for pre scrubbing. When I used the official Miller term “Commercial Saturation” to convey that I was going to pre spray the room with my wand for half the price of a 175 pre scrub he lost it. When we got back to the office he quit. I never got to try his truck out
Anyways, I have 100’s of stories like this but to answer your question, all I really learned at Millers was how to use a Thomas Brothers and to sell my ass off if I wanted to eat the next day.
Tell us a little about Coit, your next employer in the carpet cleaning world, how was the training process there? What were the best and worst things about working for a large franchise like Coit, and what made you leave?
Coit wasn’t much better. Looking back now, the guys they had training me for the first month were clueless. No pre vacuuming, no pre spray, just heavy detergent rinses. Again it was all about upselling.
I was sent out on my own with a truckmount that I knew just about nothing about, and a beat up POS ford van that would break down on a weekly basis.
We were given 6 to 7 jobs a day, six days a week. We were also expected to cover huge geographical areas. I had many days a week where just to drive my route it would take four hours. Add in seven homes and you can imagine the length of the average workday.
We had a manager there by the name of KC O’Hanolan ( who is now a regular lurker here) who really knew his stuff. Unfortunately he was a operations manager and not really in the position to spend the time training the hundreds of chimps that went through there. I did manage to learn some stuff from him on occasion though. KC was responsible for getting Aaron Groseclose to teach in house IICRC CCT and Upholstery classes.
That was a big step for me to say the least.
Over time I became a decent cleaner and a darn good upseller. Coit had a lot more things to sell compared to Millers so I took full advantage of it. By the time I left I was making over 70 grand a year with decent benefits. They learned to appreciate me and my work ethic and rewarded me with a brand new van about every 10 months and I got first dibs on any new equipment that showed up. I believe I got one of the very first Hydro Forces ever made.
The customer loved me and I had lots of requests. When you were asked for by name you got a higher percentage so I learned to charm Mrs. Piftleton and her friends real well. No body got more requests than I did.
I think it was about 3 years before I left that we had a streak of managers who actually new how to clean. I got along with them well and learned a ton. One of them, Louis Brasher, had a monumental effect on my life. Louis was the guy who first gave me a Sanitaire Vacuum to play with. He wanted to rock things at Coit. He had all kinds of ideas to better the company He had the crazy notion that the “Worlds Largest Cleaning Company” should try actually CLEANING the carpets for once. So he bought a Vacuum and had me test the effects of Pre Vacuuming.
What an eye opener that was.
It was at that very moment that I became a cleaning nerd, hence the Vacuum logo/Tattoo.
I think it was a few days later that he turned me on to the ICS bulletin board.
If you want a good laugh do a search for “Coit Guy” on ICS. You wont recognize me.
I was cleaning in the closet for 13 years at this point and all of a sudden I had the whole world at my fingertips. My days at Coit were numbered. With all my newly learned skills I was cleaning slower and slower and yet charging more and more. I was now down from seven jobs a day to four or less. With the resources that ICS provided it became clear to me that I could do very well on my own.
I gave Coit a chance to keep me by suggesting a huge pay raise but they balked. So I walked….
And I took my custom length four jet Ti wand with me.
I hear you have family that still works for Coit. Do you ever encourage them to go independent like you did?
My oldest brother is a salesman for the division in Seattle. I wish O’Halick would find him a job at DA Burns.
After leaving Coit and starting your own business, how long was it before you knew you'd made the right decision? Were you immediately successful or did you struggle for a period of time? Did Paula and the rest of your family support the move?
Paula was all for it and was my partner in crime from day one. We live in a small town so word got out fast that I was on my own. I also had a neighbor who worked for Legget and Platt (carpet cushion) who hooked me up with some local carpet retailers. That helped tremendously. We did some direct mail pieces and lots and lots of door to door. I even got my kids out there placing flyers and door hangers. We started in April 01 and I think we made 140K that year. We over spent so much on supplies and marketing that we got a $23,000 tax return. From what I’ve seen on the Boards that was a pretty good first year.
What was the most humorous situation you've ever encountered in the carpet cleaning trade?
Spending a weekend with Curt Johnson and Waldo.
What fuels your passion for perfection in this industry? You hold others to a higher standard and people rise to your expectations. This is an exceptional quality. Can you give others especially the educators, distributors and suppliers, an insight into how you instill that in those you come in contact with?
I stumbled over this question for almost two hours. With out going on for hours and in 47 different directions all I can say is that it pays off to be the very best.
What inspired you to become a vegetarian?
I just love cute fuzzy animals.
Would you like to see your children take the business over at some point?
I think my son could do wonders with it. He got my great looks but Paula’s brains.
At this point he would rather go to college and work elsewhere.
How did you meet Paula? Did she know what she was getting into back then?
We met while working in a health food market/sandwich joint. I was a lean, mean punk rock cycling machine at the time but I think it was my sense of humor that sucked her in. I imagine she knew from our first date that I am a high maintenance pita but you’ll have to ask her if it’s all worth it.
Where do you see this industry in 5 years? 20 years?
With the power of the Internet I can only hope we all become better cleaners and business people. Hopefully more unified in our pricing. At some point our industry has to realize its not 1970 anymore.
I could speculate that with a dwindling fuel supply we’ll all be VLMing but I would guess that we’ll alll be running around in turd powered vehicles with truckmounts that are much quieter and leave the carpet dry in seconds. There is no escaping the fact that soils needs to be flushed, not now nor in the future.
Now that you've attended and given us your opinion on SFS, what specific actions will you take to increase your business in the next 6 months?
I want to get my current tech ready to go out on his own. I immediately put him in charge of protector sales. It will be good for him to have more face time with our customers and he needed a raise as well. Paula will get tighter with our books for sure. We will probably implement a Stay Beautiful program for our regulars. I need to market our company to Tile and Stone resources more as well.
As a very successful one truck operation, when do you envision yourself either getting off the truck or duplicating yourself to increase you daily production numbers?
Working on that right now actually. I am not close to being ready to sit behind a desk all day but I would like to work a bit less. I am a workaholick unfortunately .
In what ways do you feel you have benefited from previously working for a large multi-truck operation?
“Mrs Smith, I am sure glad we Protected your carpet the last time we cleaned. I don’t think that dog stain would have came out so well if you hadn’t.”
Assuming that the motivation for attending SFS were to develop an expansion strategy, what personality traits pose the greatest threat to your plan.
I am not patient at all so it will be (and is) a challenge for me to deal with employees.
Who do you most admire in this industry and why?
Scott Rendal because he is such a go getter and is constantly trying something new business wise. A very clear thinker and it impresses me how he gets so much done. That boy has a lot going on.
Jim Pemberton and Steve Toburen. I can lump together as two guys who really care for our industry and go way out of their ways to improve it.
I also admire the Broke Dicks who work their ass’s off day and night to support their families. We have so many honorable guys on the board. I look up to guys like the Beckers, Martys, meAts, and Curt Johnsons who bust their butts every day. While some of us were not built to run a multi truck company we still have created a incredible income for ourselves while remaining respectful in our communities.
Where do you envision your board and it's role in this industry in the future? What role did you see it filling when you started?
I can only hope it continues to grow at this pace. I get letters all the time from guys who are just now finding the Boards ad the testimonials are great. I love that it has an impact on their businesses. I love that.
The membership could turn into an Association of sorts I’m hoping. It would be nice to have a voice when it comes to dealing with the mills and the IICRC.
I think most members love the freedom on MikeysBoard. It’s funny but when you take away the heavy rules they get along better. Also the modern format makes it so much better then the competition.
What is the hardest part of running a bulletin board? What is the most enjoyable aspect?
The daily request for lost passwords is a pain. Dealing with the issues of lame servers and the porn companies that try and sign up gets old too. There are a couple of members whom I wouldn’t mind tossing but I have to hold my tongue and play nice to keep up the integrity of the board.
How does Paula feel about your bulletin board addiction? I heard she lost her heart to Island Boy when she was at SFS.
She hates it and would marry Steve in a heartbeat if Sioux and I were to fade away. I think she would be disappointed to find out that IB is online almost as much as I am.
There were A LOT of people who said your board would never get off the ground, or never last, or never rival ICS but it has, what would you like to say to the doubters now?
In the words of my buddy Jimmy Ladwinks…. KMA!
In honor of the board's one year anniversary I pulled up this thread from ICS where the idea of this board was discussed for the first time. Interesting to say the least…
Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Lisa Smith-Lydon on 8/13/2006 at 4:25 PM
My Idea For Mikey's Forum
Posted by Lisa Smith-Lydon on August 13, 2006 - 04:08 PM
A forum where manufacturers and distributors are free to talk about and even promote their products as much as they care to.....HOWEVER in exchange for that ability they must agree to spend ONE DAY PER MONTH on "the hot seat" where they are the featured company and they MUST answer praise, criticisms, questions, challenges, suggestions etc. from the members of the forum, both end users and competitors, etc.
The forum itself shall accept no advertising (ie: on banner ads, no sponsorship, etc.). The sole means of income shall be a monthly subscription paid by all forum members. I would suggest $20/mo. to compensate the administrator/moderator for their time and bandwidth.
Those manuf/dist. who choose not to participate in such a forum because they don't want to face the possible criticism are sending a message loud and clear which says "we don't care what you think". Those who do take their place on the hotseat and actively listen and discuss the merits/problems with their products also send us a message "We care what you think".
A board like this would be a great place for manufacturers and distributors to get ideas on how to improve their existing products and develop future products. The membership would be able to provide valuable input on functionality, design, improvements, etc.
When faced with a product criticism, does a manufacturer take input on possible ways to fix the problem or do they just make excuses and pass blame....or leave the forum altogether? All of these things will help the consumer decide where and with whom they choose to spen their hard earned money.
One day a month, that's all we ask.
I would call the forum "The Next Level of Clean - the cutting edge of cleaning".
Would you pay a monthly fee to tell your TM/porty manuf. the weakness of their system, and how you feel it needs to be improved? Would you like to have your input in the direction of the industry?
I think the subscription would help weed out the bogus posters and those there just to heckle...and we could have some really great discussion, debate and ultimately a better, more responsive industry as a whole.
Manufacturers, distributors and cleaners all stand to win with a forum like this IF they are willing to listen.
Take care,
Lisa
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Eddie on 8/13/2006 at 4:37 PM
Is this Mikey as in Mikey P? The same Mikey P who has repeatedly shown that he does not play well with others? The same Mikey P who is a powder keg looking for someone to explode on?
Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Joey Johnston on 8/13/2006 at 4:42 PM
Sounds ok, but are we not allowed to discuss merits/problems with distributors and manufacturers here? I am not sure I see what the cleaners would gain in this forum, other than having a bunch of posts specifically promoting certain products. I do like the idea of companies responding to individuals concerns about their products, but not sure how much participation you would get. After all it is well documented that not all that many cleaners in the grand scheme of things actually frequent these boards.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Dale Dodson on 8/13/2006 at 5:01 PM
Would YOUR customers pay $20 a month for the opportunity to help improve YOUR cleaning services?
There must be some cannabis fields on fire in CA.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Lisa Smith-Lydon on 8/13/2006 at 5:13 PM
This post was pasted over from the Blue Board on a thread started by Mikey P discussing ideas for new forums, hence his name in the title of that thread.
Just like forms of govenment, there is no perfect forum... but I believe that the subscription would help weed out the blow hards and hecklers and get down to the real meat....or brocolli in Mike's case.
If someone out and out lied there would be enough evidence to the contrary from other users...or lack of specifics from the liar, to illustrate the discrepancies between truths, half-truths, conjecture and outright lies. If it becomes apparent that someone is out to get someone else personally...barraging that manufacturer, distributor or end user with false accusations or complaints then that member should be removed from the forum. However I believe that it should need to be shown that there is not a factual basis to their rants. At that point it leaves the realm of constructive criticism, or even frustrated complaint to slander.
Dale, there is plenty of benefit from the end user...think of it like Consumer Reports for carpet cleaners. get the real scoop from other users, hear about the newest equipment, tools, techniques, methods and chemicals, get answers to your problems and questions with specific products.
For example, let's say you buy new chemical X from your local distributor CleanSuff Guy, made by manufacturer StuffMaker. You use the product and it doesn't work well for you. You can post about it when manufacturer StuffMaker or distributor CleanStuff Guy come onto the hotseat. Maybe you are not using the product correctly....they can help you use it right and now know that they may need to makle their instructions more clear...or maybe 20 other guys come on with the same complaint and it becomes obvious that chemical X is just a failed chemical. Manufacturer Stuffmaker can pull the product and work on reformulation before they lose credibility. Win/win if you ask me, no matter how it goes....IF the manuf/dist is willing to really listen and not just get defensive.
Take care,
Lisa
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By DPS on 8/13/2006 at 5:39 PM
I would subscribe to that forum for a reasonable fee, but only if Mikey P was the administrator, called all the shots and could not be fired. Only then would we be guaranteed free speech amongst our selves. Little girly men with hurt feelings would have no mommy to cry to.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Fred Homan on 8/13/2006 at 5:48 PM
Good point Eddie....He does not play well with others!
Modified By Fred Homan on 8/13/2006 at 5:49 PM
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Gary R. Heacock on 8/13/2006 at 6:00 PM
I would read and perhaps contribute things from time to time, but a temporary trial at no charge might be the way to get it off the ground, say 30 or 60 days at no charge, then once it becomes viable start to charge folks.
One caveat- no politics, no religion, no foul language, no beating up on people you disagree with, it must be civil at all times.
Gary
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Jeff J on 8/13/2006 at 6:02 PM
"Those manuf/dist. who choose not to participate in such a forum because they don't want to face the possible criticism are sending a message loud and clear which says "we don't care what you think"."
I never took you or Greenie for using that type of "tactic" when trying to solicit business, I'd suggest you tame it down a bit ... this coming from someone who has NOTHING to sell, but thinks your assumption is unfair.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Steve Lillard on 8/13/2006 at 6:12 PM
A administrator must be a example, not blasting, bad mounthing or insulating everyone! You dont see Evan doing that on this board.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Lisa Smith-Lydon on 8/13/2006 at 6:21 PM
Jeff,
I don't understand what you mean by this:
"I never took you or Greenie for using that type of "tactic" when trying to solicit business, I'd suggest you tame it down a bit ... this coming from someone who has NOTHING to sell, but thinks your assumption is unfair."
What assumption am I making and what tactic?....you have me confused, perhaps we misunderstand each other.
Take care,
Lisa
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Fred Homan on 8/13/2006 at 6:35 PM
Good point Steve....
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Ricky Thurman on 8/13/2006 at 7:09 PM
I agree with Dale. My customers don't pay me to let them tell me how to do better. Likewise, I won't pay to tell distributors how to do things better. Especially when I can pick up a phone and call 90% of them toll free, talk to them directly, and get the problem solved. Any good distributor will make good on their products if you are not satisfied. If they don't, then I don't use them. I think the forum format is a great idea, but I don't like the subscription. If there has to be a subscription, let the distributors and manufacturers pay for it....as a service to the cleaners they serve.
Re: Lisa
Posted By Jeff J on 8/13/2006 at 7:25 PM
I took it as you saying that a distributor who was not willing to participate in the board MUST not care what people think or they are afraid of the possible criticisms, when perhaps they just simply might not like the board or the idea itself.
It seems to me you are making a pretty broad assumption that people MUST have something to hide or not be on the up and up if they don't participate.
For example, a respected participant on the boards now sells GREAT chemicals and shares his wealth of knowledge in this industry; however, he has been criticized (even by himself) several times for not being very good at returning emails. Some people simply choose to run their businesses their way, not the way others have decided is "right".
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By larry capitoni on 8/13/2006 at 7:35 PM
"no beating up on people you disagree with, it must be civil at all times."
LOL, Gary!
we're talking about a Mikey P board!
Unless he intends to be the phoney corp suck up he started out as on the V board, it will be Mike in all his no holds barred glory
...L.T.A.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Mike Charles on 8/13/2006 at 7:38 PM
"It's the same Old Story, a Grab for Money and Glory....As Time Goes By...."
Sounds like some late nite phone calls with lots of wishin and what ifs....
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Lisa Smith-Lydon on 8/13/2006 at 7:47 PM
I think I get what you mean Jeff. That is why I said one day per month minimum. All would be free to participate more, but at least once a month is reasonable to ask.
It need not be the same person from that company every time either, but should be someone knowledgable enough to handle most questions...ie the CEO, the person in charge of R&D or new products, the head mechanic or lead salesperson all would be excellent choices and each bring their own insight into a situation.
It would not be designed to be a time burden on anyone....and quite possibly SAVE time in the long run, because situations could be handled on the forum, freeing them up to handle issues that otherwise might have had to be addressed repetitively via email or phone.
Also, it could be a huge cost savings to manufacturers and end users alike. Manuf. could save money by not pursuing a project which was an ultimate flop, investing their money more efficiently into developing projects which showed a genuine need, and cleaners could save money by not buying the newest machine/tool/chem/class just to find out it didn't work and having it gather dust in their garage. It would also help more quickly identify when something is truly a failure or when it is being used improperly or in the wrong application. Everyone who participated would (or could) win if they wanted to.
Take care,
Lisa
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Lisa Smith-Lydon on 8/13/2006 at 7:51 PM
How so Mike (Charles)? It seems to me more along the lines of Consumer Reports....only better.
Take care,
Lisa
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Kris on 8/13/2006 at 7:58 PM
I think that it is an excellent idea; however, I think that $20 is a little expensive for something like this. Why not put a $10 per year membership fee on it... Allow advertising to cover costs and let the rest fall where it does.
$10 a year is enough to keep the so called 'blow hards' out and the advertising should be enough to cover any costs.
If it was changed to something like that....sure....I am all in. But there is no way that I would spend $240 a year to watch people cut eachothers throats.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Lisa Smith-Lydon on 8/13/2006 at 8:09 PM
The price was an arbitrary number...True price would need to be set depending on costs and time involved.
The idea is to NOT need to accept money from advertisers....along the lines of Concumer reports, so that the forum is not forced to be biased to protect their income from large advertisers. Too much of this industry is swayed by deep pockets and advertising as it is, the cleaners and end users need to have more direct input.
Take care,
Lisa
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By larry capitoni on 8/13/2006 at 8:29 PM
"It seems to me more along the lines of Consumer Reports....only better"
Lisa, that idea has merrit.
You know i love vEEgs and consider him a friend.
BUT...as long as he's the main attraction on the board
(and he will be if he's the moderator)
he'll put off a LOT of peeps with his style.
Most won't have the chutzpa or the inclination to jump into that fire unless they happen to be on his "A" list.
There may be a few quality contributers, but most will be Mike wannabes and manufactures/suppliers on the "vEgan approved" list
..L.T.A.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Lisa Smith-Lydon on 8/13/2006 at 8:38 PM
Larry,
Who says Mikey has to moderate it? I don't think it should be a burden for one person anyway.
I think you and Freitas and a few others should do it...
Take care,
Lisa
Modified By Lisa Smith-Lydon on 8/13/2006 at 8:39 PM
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Noble on 8/13/2006 at 8:42 PM
If I thought for a minute it would be a place to pull up, grab a cup of coffee and exchange some cool ideas I'd say yes. I have a feeling it would be rapidly turn into a janitorial biker bar where only a ruff and tuff crowd dominate it.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Ken Levens on 8/13/2006 at 9:04 PM
Sounds like a pay per view version of the blue board, lol
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Lisa Smith-Lydon on 8/13/2006 at 9:06 PM
Noble,
Like this?
I think I see Rawknee in the background....lol.
Take care,
Lisa
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Ken Levens on 8/13/2006 at 9:07 PM
Nice........chaps!
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Chad on 8/13/2006 at 9:25 PM
Quit lookin at my old lady!
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Noble on 8/13/2006 at 9:31 PM
Tell me that's on the agenda for Connections Vegas and Carlos and I are there!
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Mike Hogan on 8/13/2006 at 9:37 PM
Sounds fine in theory. However,once
Mike P.is involved it will turn into
an embarrassment like the blue board.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Lisa Smith-Lydon on 8/13/2006 at 9:50 PM
You know, I was talking to Jim Pemberton on the phone the other day, and he told me he is a Mikey P fan. he said "Mikey has done more to change this industry for the better than he will ever know".
He even likes the bird reports.
Take care,
Lisa
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By larry capitoni on 8/13/2006 at 9:51 PM
"Who says Mikey has to moderate it? I don't think it should be a burden for one person anyway.
I think you and Freitas and a few others should do it"
LOL, thanks for the flowers, Dear.
You know I don't have a problem playing in the "rough hoods".
But many do, and if the intention is to have honest, truthful, candid reveiws, as well as participation by many manufactures/suppiers, there has to be some manners and decorum.
Which means some will have to be muzzled.
Which means censorship.
Which means a lack of honest hard hitting reveiws.
which means just another board.
Without those restrictions, it will be a handfull of the same posters and many of the valued posters won't participate because a no holds barred style just isn't for them
..L.T.A.
Lisa, you asked and he replied...
Posted By Mike Charles on 8/13/2006 at 10:24 PM
"It's the same Old Story, a Grab for Money and Glory....As Time Goes By...."
Sounds like some late nite phone calls with lots of wishin and what ifs....
You asked How So...
And He replied....
RE: Yo vEEgs...regarding your new board
Posted by Mikey P on August 13, 2006 - 10:11 PM
MY board....MY rules...
The five or six red board sissys that cant handle it can go GFT..
If it quacks like a duck, it usually is a duck...
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Dave Rampage on 8/13/2006 at 10:32 PM
I think it would be good if it offered real marketing help as well as technical. If it is the same as the others, I wouldn't waste the money. I am not willing to pay to talk to my peers.
Dave
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Fred Homan on 8/13/2006 at 11:14 PM
It's all about appropriate or inappropriate responses...."GET IT"
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Tony G on 8/13/2006 at 11:17 PM
I love the format of this board but I think that it would be great if when a new post was made to a thread it got bumped to the top.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Jim Lynch on 8/13/2006 at 11:36 PM
Tony G, if you go to "Search" above, and hit the "Search" button again, without adding anything, you will get the last 200 posts in order of posting.
Jim
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By T BREVIK on 8/14/2006 at 12:38 AM
we could have ron curtis moderate
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Greenie on 8/14/2006 at 1:26 AM
You guys are missing the boat, there is indeed incredible potential here.
This talk about calling 800 numbers and getting results isn't typical, we are talking about real change, not the typical "oh, that does sound like a problem, funny you are the first to report that".
On the positive side, it is a chance to really interact with the industry, The better companies are indeed interested in you 1% ers out there, you here on the internet are their "pulse" for the industry, and you actually represent a far larger influence than you think, I promise you that.
Everyone who is anyone visits these forums form time to time, you can take that to the bank, they watch, they read, they learn the same as you do.
How many times have you received an email or a phone call after posting something here?
I know most of our Distributors read here, and many have some great experience and information to share, but for various reasons don't, and that is just a shame.
You could be responsible for shaping this industry in the next decade, or you can just be an idle sit and watch and get what you get type, but at least you have an opportunity.
Try and get past the thin skinned nambly pambly stuff and get to the core issues.
Greenie
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By John Mason on 8/14/2006 at 1:48 AM
Please, just to be enlightened, what are some of the core issues? Just list Five important issues which could change this industry.
I can't help to think!!!
???????
J
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Chuck Robbins on 8/14/2006 at 2:03 AM
Those manuf/dist. who choose not to participate in such a forum because they don't want to face the possible criticism are sending a message loud and clear which says "we don't care what you think".
JoeyP could set it up, and call it...
www.ethicalmanufacturers.com
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Greenie on 8/14/2006 at 2:25 AM
John, is that a sit back and watch attitude or are you honestly asking what are the issues cleaners face everyday, like buying stuff that actually works as advertised, and hoping the industry as whole get's it's integrity back and in the process gains the trust of the cleaners.
Greenie
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By www.gregs-ucs.com on 8/14/2006 at 2:38 AM
Why a bb? Why not something to compete with the iicrc? With it's own bb
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By John Mason on 8/14/2006 at 3:30 AM
Greenie, this industry has put meat on the dinner table and has helped put a roof over my family. I think it was an honest and caring question with no strings attached. It's just the way my mind works.
How do you shape an industry?
J
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By larry capitoni on 8/14/2006 at 7:57 AM
"How do you shape an industry?"
with your wallet
..L.T.A.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Bright-1 on 8/14/2006 at 10:04 AM
I like the DirtyGrout format... Different areas for different things...
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Noble on 8/14/2006 at 10:27 AM
I like the picture that Lisa posted. I do, I really do.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Greenie on 8/14/2006 at 1:40 PM
Good question John, although Larry hit on it as well, I would say that some simple things very much "shape" an industry.
The modern truckmount, professional education, the internet are all responsible for shaping the industry as we know it today.
There exist a gap between cleaners-distributors-manufacturers, that does not have to exist, there is friction, lack of trust, and really no honest reason for it, there is a better place, maybe together we can find it.
Greenie
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By fred boyle on 8/14/2006 at 2:54 PM
The only possibility for this new forum concept to be viable is if it is FREE!
Start there, don't waste time 'formulating' a break even or any other financial jargon.
There is far to much free information out there.
Carpet cleaners work hard and are too cheap to pay for a forum.
Unless you are looking for a forum of select few.
This of course will defeat the purpose of an effective forum.
You will taint the participating pool and won't attain the desired effect of making money, improving product design and exchanging information and ideas.
Everybody always seems to want to start a new club, just make certain you learn from the BBs that preceaded your new endeavor.
If you charge for it, I guarantee it will fail.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Steve Lillard on 8/14/2006 at 9:49 PM
Why do I want to pay $20 bucks a month for someone to kick me in the a$$!!!!
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By T BREVIK on 8/14/2006 at 10:43 PM
20 bucks for someone to kick you in the butt
what about your vegas trip and you paid ten times that to be whipped.
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Dave Rampage on 8/14/2006 at 11:00 PM
The best way to help someone is to have them ride with you for a week. You can go over marketing, real life cleaning and really point someone in the right direction. You can even learn something from these ride alongs and build great friendships.
I have done many of these in the last year and a half. If really makes you feel good when you see people becoming successful because of you.
There are many guys in all areas of the country that can offer this and it would be way more helpful than a board. More people can be trained and they could be within driving distance to the company teaching. Just my thoughts.
My last ride along, Chris Augusto got a bad deal because that's when my truck broke from the veggie oil, I felt bad for that.
Dave
Re: Idea for a new forum...your input?
Posted By Steve Lillard on 8/15/2006 at 9:06 PM
Last time I went to Vegas I won 35K that was some a$$ kicking trip!
And there you go!
