Percentage of calls from customers just looking for upholstery cleaning

[Cleanworks]

Shorty, you sound like an upholstery specialist. Your custies are lucky to have you.

 

[Shorty]

Thank you for the kind words.

Delia would like me to stop before I turn 75.

 

[The Great Oz]

There's a small percentage, maybe 5-6% that want only upholstery cleaning, but upholstery is done on about 25% of our on-location cleaning jobs. If furniture cleaning isn't profitable you either need training to work more efficiently or need to raise prices. It should be more profitable than carpet cleaning.

 

[Brian H]

Brian, is your average upholstery only cleaning job, such as a sectional sofa, extremely dirty or is it more of a nice piece of furniture with maybe some light to medium dirt. Most of our jobs they are extremely dirty and I am wondering if everyone gets that or are we the "lucky" ones.

Anybody else who wants to chime in on this please do.

Good question and I don't know that I have ever looked at it that way. With the trend towards more hard surface flooring, I imagine we get both. Those customers who understand the need for periodic cleaning and those who wait until the furniture is ready for the garbage.

We used to run furniture only crews 25 years ago using Kleenrites. We found though that there often was carpet that also needed to be cleaned so an additional crew would go out to do that. This made it inconvenient for our customers as well wasting our time with 2 crews. With better training of our carpet cleaning crews, we were able to get both done at the same time. It also opened up the possibility of adding on floor cleaning on "furniture only" jobs.

Over the years we have had several local carpet cleaning companies recommend us for cleaning upholstery. We make sure on those jobs that we convert them into regular customers for ALL their cleaning needs!!

 

[J Scott W]

SHorty, I also liked to see the Grime Reaper Brush in your photo. Great tool for removing pet hair and lint from fabric.

 

[Cleanworks]

Good question and I don't know that I have ever looked at it that way. With the trend towards more hard surface flooring, I imagine we get both. Those customers who understand the need for periodic cleaning and those who wait until the furniture is ready for the garbage.

We used to run furniture only crews 25 years ago using Kleenrites. We found though that there often was carpet that also needed to be cleaned so an additional crew would go out to do that. This made it inconvenient for our customers as well wasting our time with 2 crews. With better training of our carpet cleaning crews, we were able to get both done at the same time. It also opened up the possibility of adding on floor cleaning on "furniture only" jobs.

Over the years we have had several local carpet cleaning companies recommend us for cleaning upholstery. We make sure on those jobs that we convert them into regular customers for ALL their cleaning needs!!

So in other words, you steal their customers. Those local carpet cleaning companies are going to stop referring you. We also get referrals from other companies. On those jobs, we are careful not to steal work the referring company does. For example, I have a local company who refers me to his customers for rug cleaning. I get asked if I do in home cleaning or other things and I just let the customer know that they can use the referring company for those services. If I started stealing their jobs, I'm sure that I would never get another rug from them. I also do relief work for another company when he goes on vacation. Although, I do better work than he does, I don't leave my card or anything else.

 

[Sam5599]

You could make a good business out of that. I used to subcontract upholstery from a large company who's cleaners would damage from lack of knowledge. I would go around treating water stains from overwetting, dye bleeds on jacquard weaves, steam and stretch skirts, etc. A nice tool for someone who wants to specialize in upholstery is the Von Schrader upholstery machine. You foam with the large rotating brush and vacuum. Fabric dries quickly and you can use Haitian shampoo for raw cottons and other sensitive fabrics. Haitian will damage and fade colors so be careful. You can also use foam solvents and fast dry shampooes.

Was that VS machine any good at cleaning heavy soil couches, chairs, etc?

 

[SamIam]

I mostly see microfibers couches pre spray with a sudsy ammonia upholstery pre spray hand scrub rinse I have a citrus degreaser in a bottle. I'll use that on heavier soiled areas. A little bottle of stain solv by cobbs for ink.

I get $140 for a sofa and love takes me about an hour or less.

It really is about developing routine.

 

[Brian H]

So in other words, you steal their customers. Those local carpet cleaning companies are going to stop referring you. We also get referrals from other companies. On those jobs, we are careful not to steal work the referring company does. For example, I have a local company who refers me to his customers for rug cleaning. I get asked if I do in home cleaning or other things and I just let the customer know that they can use the referring company for those services. If I started stealing their jobs, I'm sure that I would never get another rug from them. I also do relief work for another company when he goes on vacation. Although, I do better work than he does, I don't leave my card or anything else.

Easy there Ron. The customers call us directly, not the cleaner. In most cases, the customer never even mentions who the actual company was that suggested they call us. We are pretty well known in our area for doing all kinds of cleaning, so who do you think the customer will call when they have other cleaning needs.

We also do work for a lot of other companies, notably in our Rug Care Spa. Some use us and tell their customers that they took the rugs to Hagopian. Others just make like they did the cleaning themselves. It's okay with us either way and we don't do anything to harm that relationship.

 

[Cleanworks]

If that's the case and the cleaners don't care, that's a different situation. I'm just relating what you said to some of the relationships I've developed with other carpet cleaning companies over the years. We have built up a certain level of trust but it is always fragile. Carpet cleaners are a suspicious lot and it doesn't take much to damage it. The type of referrals I get usually go "so and so from abc company said you do this". So I always know who is referring me and treat them accordingly.

 

[Brian H]

"so and so from abc company said you do this"

What do you do when the customer asks you to clean up a room while you are there cleaning their furniture?

Do you refer them back to abc company when they call you in 6 months to have their carpet cleaned since you did such a nice job on the upholstery?

I don't leave my card or anything else.

I assume you leave a receipt that also has your phone number on it.

We never badmouth other cleaners, we just try not to give them any reason to use anyone else.

 

[Cleanworks]

What do you do when the customer asks you to clean up a room while you are there cleaning their furniture?

Do you refer them back to abc company when they call you in 6 months to have their carpet cleaned since you did such a nice job on the upholstery?


I assume you leave a receipt that also has your phone number on it.

We never badmouth other cleaners, we just try not to give them any reason to use anyone else.

Actually, yes. I refer them back to the original company in most cases. I have one that gives me a lot of work and the ones that are too far from his preferred territory, I can do what ever I want. His good customers, I leave alone. I do leave an invoice with my phone number but when I am on the job site I am quick to praise the original company from where the job came from. I have been doing this for years and have built a reputation for being to solve difficult problems for other cleaning companies without stealing their customers. I have confidence in a few that I know that in a pinch, I could have them do a customer for me if I wasn't available. Some times we will invoice the customer through the referral company, especially if it is a commercial job.

 

[SamIam]

I actually used to do some jobs starting out, now I really don't want anyone else's work.

If they want to give me the customer fine but their name my name liability blah blah blah.

I'm not working my tail off to give any other company a 5 star review. Earn those on your own.

But I respect a business model that does.

Especially where business is seasonal.

 

[Cleanworks]

It's a delicate dance and easy to step on somebody's toes but it works for us. The people that we work with, we don't view them as competitors but as fellow carpet cleaners who sometimes need a hand. I do a lot of rugs for a major franchise and I hold my tongue and don't say anything bad about them, even though I could, and the rugs keep still keep coming in

 

[Papa John]

I actually used to do some jobs starting out, now I really don't want anyone else's work.

If they want to give me the customer fine but their name my name liability blah blah blah.

I'm not working my tail off to give any other company a 5 star review. Earn those on your own.

But I respect a business model that does.

Especially where business is seasonal.

The best way to get rid of an Enemy/competitor Is to make them your Friend. Which means both work towards a solution that provides a mutual benefit.
I could get political here-- But I'll put that Other personality back in the box

 

[Brian H]

It's a delicate dance and easy to step on somebody's toes but it works for us. The people that we work with, we don't view them as competitors but as fellow carpet cleaners who sometimes need a hand. I do a lot of rugs for a major franchise and I hold my tongue and don't say anything bad about them, even though I could, and the rugs keep still keep coming in

Ron, It sounds like it is working for you!! Good for you!!

 

[Cleanworks]

Not meaning to criticize you Brian, you obviously have a very successful company and one to be envied. There seems like there's not much that you can't do, from in home to rugs. I'm always trying to promote cooperation between companies rather than competition. Both are healthy for the industry as a whole.

 

[Cleanworks]

Was that VS machine any good at cleaning heavy soil couches, chairs, etc?

It was as good as anything else. There are several different formulations you can use for different soil conditions. Having that rotary scrub brush really agitates well. I haven't used their new machine (esprit) but if their old one was good, you would thnk the new one should be better. Depending on the fabric, you can also prespray difficult areas, let dwell, then scrub with the foamer. I really liked my old machine and I wore it out. I would buy another if I was doing more upholstery. They are expensive but you can find them on craigslist sometimes.