Need a good response for my crews

[Joe Appleby]

Much of Appleby's new business comes from flooring stores and designers.

We are seeing more polyesters, faux silk blends, faux silk insets and soft yarns. How would you suggest our crews explain the limited cleaning results and possible texture distortion to customers with these fairly new carpets, while not damaging the flooring store who sold it and referred us?


We think the mills are setting the carpet industry up for some challenging times.

 

[hogjowl]

Make a copy of the material differences as explained in the basic carpet cleaning class and distribute them as needed. I know I have seen this explained in printed form and is probably available through CRI or the IICRC. Somebody has them. I know I saw a discussion of this in Floor Covering Weekly last month.

 

[The Great Oz]

Some of the fibers in your rug are care-sensitive and require a cleaning method that may not be as effective as what we normally use on wool or nylon. Some discoloration from soil can't be removed without risking damage to the fiber.

If you're concerned about your referral sources you should be calling them to let them know this stuff is going to come back to bite them and that you're doing all you can to keep customers from being angry with them. (One call to a local retialer got him to pull his entire "Tibetan hand-knotted hemp" line) Then ask the retailer what your answer should be when a customer asks you, "Why would anyone sell something that can't be cleaned." They might have the best answer.

If you want to let someone else be the bad guy, use an assumed name and write an article about the problem, post it on the web somewhere, and then refer to it.

 

[Joe Appleby]

Some of the fibers in your rug are care-sensitive and require a cleaning method that may not be as effective as what we normally use on wool or nylon. Some discoloration from soil can't be removed without risking damage to the fiber.

If you're concerned about your referral sources you should be calling them to let them know this stuff is going to come back to bite them and that you're doing all you can to keep customers from being angry with them. (One call to a local retialer got him to pull his entire "Tibetan hand-knotted hemp" line) Then ask the retailer what your answer should be when a customer asks you, "Why would anyone sell something that can't be cleaned." They might have the best answer.

If you want to let someone else be the bad guy, use an assumed name and write an article about the problem, post it on the web somewhere, and then refer to it.

The "these carpets don't clean well" calls have been made. I just hope I haven't shot myself in the foot (see below).

"Why would anyone sell something that can't be cleaned" is an age old question. The problem is, they have and will continue to do so. Mohawk, in particular is pushing these carpets on their retailers. The warranties compound the problem. Customer calls retailer with "carpet is performing poorly". Retailer refers carpet cleaner. Cleaner can't get satisfactory results. Customer calls retailer and complains carpet doesn't clean well using the retailer's recommended cleaner. Retailer gets left holding the bag unless the mill takes the problem (which rarely happens as most retailers will tell you).

I've lost one large account over this same senario. The retailer felt they were taking on too much liability by referring us due to the warranty. He said, "We're now in the warranty business, not just the floor covering business". Here's the line of thought. Let the customer find their own cleaner and place the blame there.

I like your last idea Bryan. Can I use your name?

 

[Mikey P]

good timing


We went out for the 4th time in two years to a job today where the retailer sent us out to clean a traffic lane for a customer who felt her 6 month old carpet was soiling prematurly..


New black top along with a cheap poly was the culprit..

She calls us every five months saying our cleaning didn't work and the spots are all back..

Today she had obviously new drips as well as a dragged in slurry as well as some pretty bad pooling...

I know she'll be calling back but this time I finally just had to tell her she picked a shitty carpet and to think about replacing it.




Joe, how adept are your Mongs at the Queens English?

 

[Joe Appleby]

"You picked a shitty carpet and to think about replacing it."

Exactly the response I was looking for. THX

 

[cu]

"You picked a shitty carpet and to think about replacing it."

Exactly the response I was looking for. THX

drop the word shity...use crapy, seems like it does not hurt the feelings as mush as the word SHITTY

 

[ruff]

"You picked a shitty carpet and to think about replacing it."

Exactly the response I was looking for. THX

Joe,
And while you mention the above, you may also tell the retailer that you are considering getting into the retail side of the business.
That way, you can eliminate both sources of income in one fell swoop.

 

[rick imby]

Joe,
And while you mention the above, you may also tell the retailer that you are considering getting into the retail side of the business.
That way, you can eliminate both sources of income in one fell swoop.

Great point however I don't understand why the carpet stores even think about selling some of this stuff.


********
But then what do I know?

Edit: Link removed.

 

[ruff]

Most of them do.
And Joe's is a real dilemma. I've had the same questions asked by clients. If you tell the client the truth and they go to the retailer asking why they sold them that product, you may never get a referral from them again. I lost one.

So you are left with the choice, do I tell the client the truth, or massage it.
Bryan's advise is a good one.

I once emailed a client a discussion on Mikey's board regarding a certain fiber. That way I did not need to be the bad guy and the client heard professional responses.

 

[The Great Oz]

We think the mills are setting the carpet industry up for some challenging times.

And they know it. I went to Surfaces specifically to get more information about polyester carpet. The nice thing about face-to-face conversations is that some people, sometimes, will be honest with you. I asked a mill exec if they were seeing any problems with the "new" poly. He said they were seeing much the same problems as when they last pushed it, He figured that in two to three years they would have to address the problems, but right now the most critical thing for them was to sell something or they'd be out of business. Poly is selling really well and at a higher profit margin than nylon, so the mills have accepted the higher dissatisfaction with their product as the cost of staying alive.

I got a round table discussion going with retailers in the WFCA reception area. They all said that poly was selling well, and at a higher profit margin for them as well as the mill. They all said they warned about potential concerns and tried to get customers to buy nylon. One said he made all poly buyers write out a statement saying they had been informed and understood the limitations of polyester carpet. One retailer said he liked the idea of having the "frugal" customer learn their lesson and have to come back and buy better carpet in a few years.

The mills know what they're doing, and the retailers know what they're selling, so if poor performing poly is the only issue you probably aren't going to hurt anyone's feelings by letting the customer know they got what they paid for.

Designers, unfortunately, often know color and texture and not much else, and often have no margin for eating their mistakes. They also can often be swayed by marketing hooey just as easily as anyone else, so you have to be more careful with them.

 

[Joe Appleby]

Many of my retailers are becoming hip to the limitations of the polys. What's scares me are the new faux silks and "silk" inset wall to wall carpets. Just take a walk through their new lines of carpet they'll be selling.
Its not just the cleaning limitations, but the possibie Permanent distortion your crews can make if not correctly identified.

 

[Vivers]

Some of the fibers in your rug are care-sensitive and require a cleaning method that may not be as effective as what we normally use on wool or nylon. Some discoloration from soil can't be removed without risking damage to the fiber.

If you're concerned about your referral sources you should be calling them to let them know this stuff is going to come back to bite them and that you're doing all you can to keep customers from being angry with them. (One call to a local retialer got him to pull his entire "Tibetan hand-knotted hemp" line) Then ask the retailer what your answer should be when a customer asks you, "Why would anyone sell something that can't be cleaned." They might have the best answer.

If you want to let someone else be the bad guy, use an assumed name and write an article about the problem, post it on the web somewhere, and then refer to it.

Genius! This is great advice