The IICRC is finally listening.
- Thread starter Mikey P
- Start date
A concern of mine is I have probably 30 zip codes within 20 miles and I only get two? There was something in the last paper work that I recieved that said that there was a $50.00 charge for every 3 zips after 2. I might be reading it wrong so here it is:
If we aren't getting jobs off what there was in the past why would we sink money into extra zips?
If we aren't getting jobs off what there was in the past why would we sink money into extra zips?
The Great Oz
Member
Differentiate marketing the IICRC from marketing the Certified Firm Marketing Program.
If we're talking about marketing the IICRC, the things already being done to sell the IICRC to the public are cost effective, good PR, and along the lines of what other associations do. If marketing to cleaners, the best marketing is just like ours: go for repeats and referrals. The only thing the marketing department needs to do is make sure the quality control is good and that new 'requirements' are assessed (by people outside the room where they were thought up) for their potential PR damage before announcing and then having to explain and enforce them.
If we're talking about marketing the Certified Firm Marketing Program, that also begins with some PR scrutiny. Threaten with sharp objects anyone that tries to pull another GreenSeal-like forced enrollment program like the Shaw/CF warranty requirement deal. Forced enrollment does a great job of pulling in the weak cleaner that is fearful of losing business, but angers the more established firm owner. When the program falls apart due to questions about it's legality you then lose everyone that realizes they have no reason to be afraid. You end up with more short-term churn and fewer stable long-term enrollees.
Given the budget constraints of the program, I also agree that only a web-based program will have any mass effect. Putting some marketing material together for individuals to use could be beneficial for some firms, as long as there is plenty of honest information about what might make the firm special. (Just being enrolled in the CF marketing program doesn't count.) The problem with using the material as a group ad is that while there may be some areas where there are no crappy Certified Firms, typically the better firms will never be partners with poorer cleaners in a group marketing campaign that would pretend that anyone that pays to be part of the program is their equal.
Maybe the best thing to do would be to not oversell the program. If anyone is losing sleep over how effective the CF marketing program is, either sell your equipment immediately and go to work for a businessman, or invest your advertising money in moonvertising. Just like taking a two-day class doesn't make you a great tech, no one should delude themselves into thinking they run a better cleaning firm because they paid to be part of a marketing program.
Lee is exactly right about it taking both the IICRC and the individual firm to make the program worthwhile. The individual firm owner should be using enrollment in the program to market his or her business, and if the customer is interested you can tell them where you got your training. The IICRC benefits peripherally, and you don't waste your time selling something that could get Ms. Piff a list of your "equals" when she visits the CF website.
No offense intended with any of these quibbles, no offense will be taken with any points made in return.
If we're talking about marketing the IICRC, the things already being done to sell the IICRC to the public are cost effective, good PR, and along the lines of what other associations do. If marketing to cleaners, the best marketing is just like ours: go for repeats and referrals. The only thing the marketing department needs to do is make sure the quality control is good and that new 'requirements' are assessed (by people outside the room where they were thought up) for their potential PR damage before announcing and then having to explain and enforce them.
If we're talking about marketing the Certified Firm Marketing Program, that also begins with some PR scrutiny. Threaten with sharp objects anyone that tries to pull another GreenSeal-like forced enrollment program like the Shaw/CF warranty requirement deal. Forced enrollment does a great job of pulling in the weak cleaner that is fearful of losing business, but angers the more established firm owner. When the program falls apart due to questions about it's legality you then lose everyone that realizes they have no reason to be afraid. You end up with more short-term churn and fewer stable long-term enrollees.
Given the budget constraints of the program, I also agree that only a web-based program will have any mass effect. Putting some marketing material together for individuals to use could be beneficial for some firms, as long as there is plenty of honest information about what might make the firm special. (Just being enrolled in the CF marketing program doesn't count.) The problem with using the material as a group ad is that while there may be some areas where there are no crappy Certified Firms, typically the better firms will never be partners with poorer cleaners in a group marketing campaign that would pretend that anyone that pays to be part of the program is their equal.
Maybe the best thing to do would be to not oversell the program. If anyone is losing sleep over how effective the CF marketing program is, either sell your equipment immediately and go to work for a businessman, or invest your advertising money in moonvertising. Just like taking a two-day class doesn't make you a great tech, no one should delude themselves into thinking they run a better cleaning firm because they paid to be part of a marketing program.
Lee is exactly right about it taking both the IICRC and the individual firm to make the program worthwhile. The individual firm owner should be using enrollment in the program to market his or her business, and if the customer is interested you can tell them where you got your training. The IICRC benefits peripherally, and you don't waste your time selling something that could get Ms. Piff a list of your "equals" when she visits the CF website.
No offense intended with any of these quibbles, no offense will be taken with any points made in return.
cu
Supportive Member
so why is the iicrc coming here now...last year we had the guy from cri here on the h/s ...and after that we all did sign up ...did we not....
it aint a club ...so we are not going to meet up and have a iicrc fest are we
they cant tell me the where,what or when i do my work or equipment i buy or chems i use
they have instructors that put on classes for everybody (pro,hack...a drunk who wants to get off the street and out of the rain)and at the end tell you if you want to take a test it,s $$$$$............so whats in it for me other then another bill i get to pay
the first job i ever had in carpet cleaning i paid 10 bucks for a polo shirt with the iicrc logo on it ,that was with a bait/switch company..i was fired within the first week
can you tell me why i should not think this is just a ploy by iicrc to get people back
if you really want change please stop with the "i will make sure that the COMMITTEES that they do concern will get the information " what a crock of s%$#
thats the type of bs the goverment tells us
and the "tom hill will call mr segreti when he gets back in the office".... mr hill does have a cell phone im sure and knows your here trying to FIX the way carpet cleaners see the iicrc....ask mr hill and the rest of the gang to get on the same page as you
i think you all need to take the sfs class, on how to get customers and build a business... (ya all might be taken serious then..... as marty would say)
it aint a club ...so we are not going to meet up and have a iicrc fest are we
they cant tell me the where,what or when i do my work or equipment i buy or chems i use
they have instructors that put on classes for everybody (pro,hack...a drunk who wants to get off the street and out of the rain)and at the end tell you if you want to take a test it,s $$$$$............so whats in it for me other then another bill i get to pay
the first job i ever had in carpet cleaning i paid 10 bucks for a polo shirt with the iicrc logo on it ,that was with a bait/switch company..i was fired within the first week
can you tell me why i should not think this is just a ploy by iicrc to get people back
if you really want change please stop with the "i will make sure that the COMMITTEES that they do concern will get the information " what a crock of s%$#
thats the type of bs the goverment tells us
and the "tom hill will call mr segreti when he gets back in the office".... mr hill does have a cell phone im sure and knows your here trying to FIX the way carpet cleaners see the iicrc....ask mr hill and the rest of the gang to get on the same page as you
i think you all need to take the sfs class, on how to get customers and build a business... (ya all might be taken serious then..... as marty would say)
Eric Valentine
Member
You have to pay 50 bucks per zip code over the first two. And then you can only get 3 additional zip codes. That would suck for anyone that lives in an area that has about 100 zip codes within 25 miles (Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, and Henderson Nevada).Able 1 said:A concern of mine is I have probably 30 zip codes within 20 miles and I only get two? There was something in the last paper work that I recieved that said that there was a $50.00 charge for every 3 zips after 2. I might be reading it wrong so here it is:
If we aren't getting jobs off what there was in the past why would we sink money into extra zips?
ascrubabove
Member
I just Looked at the zip code map and I work in over 9 zip codes! and I'm a 1 truck guy unless you count my wife with the spot extractor!
The IICRC could get with carpet makers, HVAC makers, tile makers, and all the other makers that have stuff in the customers homes, hotels, resterants and make a 4 or 5 part series on The Learning Channel, or Discovery Channel about why it is important to have Cert. Techs service thier stuff. With the combind effort the budget should be huge! Maybe get Mike Rowe to host it.......
Just a thaught
The IICRC could get with carpet makers, HVAC makers, tile makers, and all the other makers that have stuff in the customers homes, hotels, resterants and make a 4 or 5 part series on The Learning Channel, or Discovery Channel about why it is important to have Cert. Techs service thier stuff. With the combind effort the budget should be huge! Maybe get Mike Rowe to host it.......
Just a thaught
The zipcode search is a program that works on the consumer putting in a zipcode and a search radius. If you work in a dozen zipcodes that are all in a circle 20 miles wide, you would put in two zipcodes ten miles apart (5 miles from the center) and they would cover most searches. (That is simplifying it but you should get the idea) You really only need multiple zipcodes if you have a very large service area or if you have multiple office locations.
Ron Werner
Member
Able 1 said:
Someone skipped out on some math classes
Ron Werner said:
Someone skipped out on some math classes[/quote:1kt338st]
Um, where do they say they say each zip will cover 5 miles.. :roll: I was going to pick 2 of the zips closer to my location that I do the most work in...
B&BGaryC
Member
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- Apr 6, 2007
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- Name
- B&BGaryC
DRScrivner said:
I still hear carpet salesman telling people to never clean their carpets because they won't be the same after the first cleaning.
I think some carpet salesmen are afraid to have a good carpet cleaner clean their product because they know they sold Mrs. Phif a hunk of garbage.
Polyester, the miracle fiber. "It's not shag, frieze!"
ugh!
My only suggestion is working with the layperson. The carpet seller, installer, Real estate agent, just like he said.
B&BGaryC
Member
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- Name
- B&BGaryC
I clean carpets 100 miles in all directions.
We do disasters in neighboring states if they are large scale enough.
How will the zip code function work for that? Some of these people have to drive to the next town for water.
We do disasters in neighboring states if they are large scale enough.
How will the zip code function work for that? Some of these people have to drive to the next town for water.
Hi Everybody,
I had a meeting with the IICRC PR firm on Friday. I just wanted you to know that I discussed with them your ideas and laid the ground work to procede with some of the ideas for 2009. I truly want to thank you all for your imput! If you want to talk to me directly anytime, my cell number is 724-494-0234 and my email address is lrz@wpa.net in the future. You can also reach me through this board, as I will still be around. I probably will be more active on the board in the future also.
Thanks again,
Lee
I had a meeting with the IICRC PR firm on Friday. I just wanted you to know that I discussed with them your ideas and laid the ground work to procede with some of the ideas for 2009. I truly want to thank you all for your imput! If you want to talk to me directly anytime, my cell number is 724-494-0234 and my email address is lrz@wpa.net in the future. You can also reach me through this board, as I will still be around. I probably will be more active on the board in the future also.
Thanks again,
Lee
Jim Pemberton
MB Exclusive.
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- Oct 7, 2006
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- 12,488
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- Jim Pemberton
Thanks for the update Lee.
Don't be a stranger here. These guys remind me of a rebel with a heavy beard who was asked tough questions and was generally unpopular with the "powers that be" in his local association 20 some years ago.
He'd have liked this place then. Maybe he still will.
Don't be a stranger here. These guys remind me of a rebel with a heavy beard who was asked tough questions and was generally unpopular with the "powers that be" in his local association 20 some years ago.
He'd have liked this place then. Maybe he still will.
hogjowl
Idiot™
And maybe you'll quit trying to be Nostradomas and tell us wtf you're trying to say.
harryhides
Member
He was tawking aboot a real hillbilly who wears alligator boots and wears a beard like a real mountain man - you wouldn't unerstand ya pussified pencil pushing janitor. Go wax another floor wit ya Vortex.
Ron Werner
Member
So what was the outcome of your discussion Lee?
What are the methods of marketing you are pursuing?
What are the methods of marketing you are pursuing?
