Harry Myers
Member
Wow That is good to know.
Need help
- Thread starter GaryUK
- Start date
Mikey P
Administrator
This job is done, most soils come off and the grease spots as well, costumer is happy with the results.
thanks guys again
Is that an alarm clock?
dgardner
Moderator
It's one of those new tiny airmovers.....
rhyde
Member
Mikey P
Administrator
Define "wash"..
rhyde
Member
Define extraction cleaning/ does the owner of the rug know they are getting exactly the same as in home but it's just moved off site
Mikey P
Administrator
Do they know...
The Seattle C0it does just that. Backs don't even get vacuumed, yet they clean hundreds a month.
Had a lady with "a $5000, 8x10, very thick asian rug", call yesterday refusing to pay what the Washers were asking in town. No matter how hard I sold her on how important it was for her precious textile to be washed very carefully in a plant they was no way in hell she was going to pay more than $200 to get the cat spots out.
I refused and I'm sure she went to D in the phone book or the next guy down on Yelp in search of somebody as clueless as herself
My point?
Most rug owners just dont give a damn.
If I was a struggling rug fag, I'd be wise to offer a lick and a spit " top extraction" alternative..
The Seattle C0it does just that. Backs don't even get vacuumed, yet they clean hundreds a month.
Had a lady with "a $5000, 8x10, very thick asian rug", call yesterday refusing to pay what the Washers were asking in town. No matter how hard I sold her on how important it was for her precious textile to be washed very carefully in a plant they was no way in hell she was going to pay more than $200 to get the cat spots out.
I refused and I'm sure she went to D in the phone book or the next guy down on Yelp in search of somebody as clueless as herself
My point?
Most rug owners just dont give a damn.
If I was a struggling rug fag, I'd be wise to offer a lick and a spit " top extraction" alternative..
Last edited:
PrimaDonna
Megatron
Yes. We tell them that it is the same exact cleaning.
We actually prefer to do it at their house. Then it's less travel/back and forth for us. But if they really want it done off site, knowing it's the same, we charge an additional .50 sq. ft. for us picking up, delivering and re-lay. Some people just want them out because that's what they think or heard is supposed to be done. Some we have to bring to the shop if there is pet damage and we need to get to the back side of the rug in addition to the front.
Mikey P
Administrator
hogjowl
Idiot™
Oh stop acting like you've never done it!
Mikey P
Administrator
Back in my Millers days I use to tell them that the portable was the same machine those other guys were too lazy to take out of their trucks...
but no, I would not tell a fine rug owner that wanding is the same as pit "washing"..
Meg will be undoubtedly be spending her eternal afterlife at 600o rpms a minute in one of Clark's twirlers.
PrimaDonna
Megatron
Mike, The question was. " does the owner of the rug know they are getting exactly the same as in home but it's just moved off site"
I meant we tell them it's the same exact cleaning if we do it at their house or in our shop. OUR method is the same, whether we clean at their hose or our shop.
Cause people ask is there is any advantage to us taking them. I tell them no, it's the same exact cleaning.
Never do we imply that what we do is the same as pit washing.
Can't believe you would think that we would......
Whew... Glad I cleared that up. Not going to hell!!!
I meant we tell them it's the same exact cleaning if we do it at their house or in our shop. OUR method is the same, whether we clean at their hose or our shop.
Cause people ask is there is any advantage to us taking them. I tell them no, it's the same exact cleaning.
Never do we imply that what we do is the same as pit washing.
Can't believe you would think that we would......
Whew... Glad I cleared that up. Not going to hell!!!
Mikey P
Administrator
rhyde
Member
Thats because you don't know the rug cleaning market your rug spa didn't last very long now did it?
True some customers don't care...I've lost some and had some come back after a while. Usually they come back because they can't stand how fooken dirty the rugs after 2 or 3 yearly suck moppings or the smell of the rug pickled in deodorizer or the cleaner bleed the rug or couldn't get the stains out or messed up the knap or texture or all the above. We see it all the time Coit is a 5 minute drive from my shop. We have people find us in desperation that paid in some cases had 8.00 sq ft range for a suck mop that still reek of piss & deodorizer and can't stand it anymore that the owner finds out we would have taken care of for 3.75
We toyed with that lick and spit & suck mop when we had the V and the worst thing i've ever done for my business. What I found is that those that want cheap cleaning are usually the one's
with the nastiest rugs, rugs quality itself, soil load, and are the biggest PITA....you can have them!
I find it hard to believe the price savvy lady shopping for the cheapest price would be ok with you charging your WW carpet clean but substantially more in home for doing the same thing to her oriental rug. Many cleaners that take rugs off site and extract at home or garage are giving the customer the illusion of a real washing not telling customers it's the same.
The Great Oz
Member
During the depths of the most recent depression we found that even affluent customers caught the frugal disease. They saw carpet cleaners advertising on-location rug cleaning and gave it a try to save a couple bucks.
Now that the depression has been over for a few months the customers that experimented with cheap are back, and they now have an education in the differences in service and quality. They don't even ask price anymore.
hogjowl
Idiot™
I knew what you were saying, and so did he. He just thought he could take over my board buttwad position. He's highly underqualified.
I have a fair amount of folks who call in here wanting their rugs cleaned. I spend a considerable amount of time trying to educate them on the proper way and the shortcomings of the way I will have to do it. I can hear the -___- look on their faces and eventually end up hacking it out at their place
Wondering all along why I bothered trying to educate them?
Mikey P
Administrator
I never gave her a price, as it was a rug I knew needed to go to one of the two washers in town.. Once I hear "thick and piss" in the same sentence, the conversation is usually over.
In most non pet situations for rugs that don't get abused, we will joyfully top clean in the home with a recommendation that the rug be sent out for a full wash at least every five years.
Bleeders, shrinkers, flat weavers and filthy fringers are all rejected.
Desk Jockey
Member
Educate them but sell them what they want if they full understand what they are purchasing. That is provided it can be done safely for both the rug and the home (hardwoods).
I hate cleaning onsite but some clients want it their way, we're not the rug cleaning Police.
Its their rug and as long as they know the shortcomings of on location cleaning of an area rug, we will grudgingly oblige them.
I hate cleaning onsite but some clients want it their way, we're not the rug cleaning Police.
Its their rug and as long as they know the shortcomings of on location cleaning of an area rug, we will grudgingly oblige them.
Last edited by a moderator:
rhyde
Member
Look I get it.
A few years back I referred Steve Fraiser to one of my customers for carpet cleaning. This customer has a 30K rug in her living room in desperate need of cleaning lots of dog piss. The cost to clean is around 1K which she didn't want to pay. Steve called me concerned they lady wanted him to extract the rug in on location in her front room. The cold hard reality... if she isn't going to call us to do it then suck mop it is I told him to take the money. I've cleaned other rugs for this customer for years she has been to our shop and knows exactly what we do and the time and labor involved she wants to do it cheap and she knows the difference.
What I see in some of these situations is the consumer not knowing or understanding what they are getting. "mama we can clean it here on location for a 1. sqft vs. or take it to our "wash plant"(home garage) for a wash @ 4.00 sq ft when in reality they do the same in their garage and simply charge 400% more.
Desk Jockey
Member
That's a bait and switch if they claim its washed when it really isn't. As far as it coming in plant if its going to be cleaned better than capable in a home then its should be more. But as much as pit washing, no. It shouldn't be that much since its not getting that level of cleaning.
hogjowl
Idiot™
Yes, and I warn the people who call me that if they elect to have the rug cleaned properly to be careful, because even those who claim to pit wash actually steam clean it on their sidewalk. I once, years ago, had an oriental sales business in town that would ship their rugs off to Dallas to have them washed in their home operation. So, I started sending my customers rugs to them. UNTIL, years later, the owner was in town and made the mistake of showing me their "home operation". My customers were paying $4.50 a s.f. to have their rugs shipped to Dallas and cleaned with a portable on the back loading ramp.
Desk Jockey
Member
There is a big name rug retailer that would clean them with Woolite using a deck brush and garden hose. They are the so called Oriental Rug experts because they retailed them.
dgardner
Moderator
There is a big name rug retailer that would clean them with Woolite using a deck brush and garden hose. They are the so called Oriental Rug experts because they retailed them.
That's bad?
Desk Jockey
Member
naww!
Ron K
Member
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2009
- Messages
- 2,371
There is a big name rug retailer that would clean them with Woolite using a deck brush and garden hose. They are the so called Oriental Rug experts because they retailed them.
They probably do a better job then most at least they're washing. I believe Lisa W tells stories of her younger days washing rugs just that way!
Desk Jockey
Member
Dan has a friend that cleaned them at another oriental rug retailer in KC that washed them in the back drive of the business. They were pretty sharp people too. Did reweaving and repairs he had spent decades cleaning that way before he became a school teacher. They used their own secret solutions for cleaning (probably woolite too?).
People trust them because they are middle eastern and sell them but their cleaning isn't exactly impressive.
People trust them because they are middle eastern and sell them but their cleaning isn't exactly impressive.
rhyde
Member
Perception can be a powerful thing. I have know retail rug dealers that could barely tell the difference between a handmade
and machine made rugs their referrals were golden. " So and so said you're the only place to clean my rug and since they sell them they
know best"
and machine made rugs their referrals were golden. " So and so said you're the only place to clean my rug and since they sell them they
know best"
Desk Jockey
Member
That's it Randy.
I'm not saying they weren't doing a good job but the perception is that no one else can do as good a job since they are the retailer.
I'm not saying they weren't doing a good job but the perception is that no one else can do as good a job since they are the retailer.
