Sales of Rug Doctor Products Outperform Industry Results

[Guest]

DALLAS, May 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Rug Doctor is riding a wave of record results, with its carpet cleaning solutions topping the category's sales charts through early 2009 and its machine rentals recording the best February and March numbers in the company's history.

Rug Doctor's Oxy-Steam Cleaner products recently claimed the top two sales spots among the more than 1,200 products in the rug, upholstery and fabric treatment category for the 52 weeks ended Feb. 22, 2009, according to data from Information Resources, Inc. (IRI). Sales of Rug Doctor's 96oz. and 48oz. Oxy-Steam Cleaners, the category's top two ranking products respectively, accounted for more than 11 percent of sales in the almost $349 million category. Want the whole story?

This might be good news for us, I'm sure many of those will over wet or overuse the solutions and make the carpets look worse with resoiling issues. What do you guys think?

 

[tmdry]

Nice.

People never read instructions these days, and they will always screw something up thus having to "give up" and call the pros.

 

[Chris A]

I think we'll be seeing a trend toward homeowners farming out most home maintenence services. How many people do you know that still mow their own lawn? Many people probably panicked during the stock market crash, and though "Oh my Jesus, the world's ending, I can't afford to have my carpet cleaned? Now that that's over...

 

[Rafa L]

when the consumer learns that they should prespray the product and just add water to the rugdoc tank to rinse.......we alll wil become like the wooly mammoth.......

 

[boazcan]

60-70% of the search words for "carpet cleaning" are DIY related. Check it out.

Just start renting the truckmount out...................

 

[DevilDog]

I think when you have a whole industry that has focused on equipment rather than the KNOW HOW of carpet cleaning these stats should not be surprising.

After all, most people think it is the equipment, and Rug Doctor does a fairly good job of making people think that anyone can clean carpet.

When we actually start focusing on the cleaner that does the cleaning then maybe those numbers will turn around. I was at Fred Meyers today and during that time (about 20 minutes) I saw three machines from Rug Doctor go out the door. My mom is an auditor at Fred Meyers and she sees the numbers...and is amazed at how many people use the Rug Doctor.

And to be honest, there are so many hack cleaners out there that many people can do just as good of a job themselves as hiring some of these guys.

 

[Chris A]

And to be honest, there are so many hack cleaners out there that many people can do just as good of a job themselves as hiring some of these guys.

Absolutely Right.

 

[Jimmy L]

I agree and am shocked at the low quality that hack cleaners pass off as professional services.

 

[Sticky]

I think when you have a whole industry that has focused on equipment rather than the KNOW HOW of carpet cleaning these stats should not be surprising.

After all, most people think it is the equipment, and Rug Doctor does a fairly good job of making people think that anyone can clean carpet.

When we actually start focusing on the cleaner that does the cleaning then maybe those numbers will turn around. I was at Fred Meyers today and during that time (about 20 minutes) I saw three machines from Rug Doctor go out the door. My mom is an auditor at Fred Meyers and she sees the numbers...and is amazed at how many people use the Rug Doctor.

And to be honest, there are so many hack cleaners out there that many people can do just as good of a job themselves as hiring some of these guys.

How many of those customers that rented the rug doctor were a "professional company"?
I've seen "professional companies" that clean with a rented rug doctor.....I wish you had to be licensed in NY state for carpet cleaning and water restoration....It would give more credibility for the industry and eliminate some of the bad sheep from the flock...
There is really not any regulations for carpet cleaning or water restoration in NY....

 

[Captain Morgan]

You guys mention some excellent points as to the what keeps carpet cleaners as being recognized as professionals in their respective industries.

I wish you had to be licensed in NY state for carpet cleaning and water restoration....It would give more credibility for the industry and eliminate some of the bad sheep from the flock...

This might be one way to go. This definitely be a good start. It would weed out some of the low priced part timer carpet cleaning hobbiests. I'd be afraid of this leading to a rash of higher prices being passed off to he customer as justifiable compensation for licensure. But I think the benefits would out way the negatives.

you have a whole industry that has focused on equipment rather than the KNOW HOW of carpet cleaning

Absolutely right Todd... cleaners are so brain-washed that it's the equipment that 98% of cleaners have pictures of their equipment as the focus of their website homepage, business card, marketing in general. The may be a by-product of cleaners being cleaners and not marketing brainiacs and just copying what they see and think is important to the customer because it's important to them. I think it could also be that our equipment is the only truly tangible item/product we can show or provide to the customer.. again this falls on the heels of having stringent testing, licenses in place would help.

most people think it is the equipment

see above.

When we actually start focusing on the cleaner that does the cleaning then maybe those numbers will turn around.

Until the industry becomes a true profession then our problems will remain. How many times do people dicker with their furnace or oil burner repairman, plumber, electrician or car mechanic? Some of these guys are hacks in the biggest sense of the word, but they do have some standards and licenses to give themselves the appearance of being professionals in their field.

 

[rhino1]

The Rug Doctor and DIY carpet cleaning machine manufacturers do a wonderful job of marketing and selling- they sell the idea that a homeowner can get the same results that a pro can without having to pay for it, without having a stranger come to their home, and without being subject to being pressured into buying something.

What worries me more than that is how many small commercial (1K to 2K s.f.) offices that we cold call say they are cleaning their own carpets this year.

 

[Ron Werner]

"Its the equipment"
I don't agree. If it WAS all about the equipment people would know that the RD is a POS compared to TM. In one sense, its all about the equipment. high heat, flow, glides, 2.5" hose, huge blowers, sticky tabs, sliders, etc etc etc
PLUS its the operator

'the hack cleaners pass themselves off as professionals and they can out clean the hack with a RD'
This is too true and the real problem. RD does all that marketing based on the worst stories out there, just like ChemDirt etc. They "say" they are just as good or better than a "Professional" but compared to actual professionals, the dudes a ripoff artist.

The OxyCleaner is top of sales, RD done record rentals
Well, so much for the SOA! The whole purpose of that farce was to have carpets professionally cleaned and not wrecked ie warrantee issues. Thats gone down the crapper.

Oh, and licensing?
Thats all we need. First the SOA and then the gov't doing a money grab. Bad enough with busn licenses. It doesn't do anything for me, but if I don't pay the municipality the money, they won't let me work. Had that through the Mob, now the gov't.

 

[randy]

The OxyCleaner is top of sales, RD done record rentals
Well, so much for the SOA! The whole purpose of that farce was to have carpets professionally cleaned and not wrecked ie warrantee issues. Thats gone down the crapper.

Personally I still can't believe the number of companies that fell for SOA, what a bunch of idiots.


Oh, and licensing?
Thats all we need. First the SOA and then the gov't doing a money grab. Bad enough with busn licenses. It doesn't do anything for me, but if I don't pay the municipality the money, they won't let me work. Had that through the Mob, now the gov't.[/quote]

I thought the IICRC & the MOB were the same group of thugs.