What Class Had the Least Value for You?

[Jim Pemberton]

No names here (ok, use mine if you want, but no one else's).

What class was the least useful to you and why? It can be for certification or outside of the certification venue.

Was it a service you later chose not to offer?

Was the class not what it was sold to be, or what you expected?

Was it just badly taught (no names, remember?), and a later class on the same subject was more meaningful?

 

[Bob Foster]

Odor control

 

[Jim Pemberton]

Details Bob.

Did you not need the subject, or was what you were taught not practical in the real world?

What should you have been taught that was skipped?

 

[Bjorn]

double your money class

problem is the dude has no class

 

[Mike Hogan]

Tile and grout cleaning.....rushed with no hands on

 

[Jeremy]

I'd have to say gym class... I was already an athlete.

 

[RickL]

I'm with Bob "Odor Control" . Even though I got my certification I don't consider myself qualified at all.
REASONS;
The class was 1 day to short.
Little to no hands on
Basically went through the book
Couldn't really apply it to "real world" situations

 

[Mikey P]

Tile and grout cleaning.....rushed with no hands on

Same here.

Far too much in the book that went uncovered yet showed up on the test.
Very little real world problem solving.

 

[truckmount girl]

Hmmm...Toss up, odor control because it was too short and no hands on....OR Repair and Reinstallation because the instructor sucked and also little to no hands on.

Take care,
Lisa

 

[Jim Pemberton]

Let me focus on those two for a bit if I could:

Would a "pet odor/organic odor class" (I can't think of a better term) have done more good, with hands on application for injection, subsurface extraction, disengaging carpet, sealing surfaces, etc have done more good than one that had to also cover smoke, tear gas, etc?


Tile and Grout: More hands on and less geology?

 

[Mikey P]

Less geology and way more disaster prevention.

How too look for topical coatings, how to look for weak or damaged grout, loose tiles, MDF base boards.

Spend time on grout repair and color sealing too.

 

[XTREME1]

double your money class

the abslutely worst class I have ever wasted my money on. One giant sales pitch the whole time. I was actually pissed I traveled for it

 

[ACE]

Upholstery cleaning and odor control was a close second. Too much time spent on theory manufacturing process and chemistry. No time spent on how to actually perform these services efficiently. Efficiently is something the IICRC has no concept of.

 

[harryhides]

What class was the least useful to you and why?

I took color repair 3 times and it was a two day class with more hands-on than many classes but the way it was taught was very boring, many of the test questions were repeats ( just given in different ways ) and often not relevant.
The class itself did little to prepare you for a real life profitable color repair business. eg, Bleach spots come in many sizes ( often larger than the 1" circle we were taught to do ) and only on single colored Nylon carpet.

Was it a service you later chose not to offer?

No but only because I developed and learned different and faster techniques and tools ( than eye-droppers and powdered dyes ) from that which was taught in the class.

Was the class not what it was sold to be, or what you expected?

No because I expected to be able to go out and offer this service after completing the course. But in reality, I could only offer it in rental units ( where standards are low ) and only on small spots.

Was it just badly taught (no names, remember?), and a later class on the same subject was more meaningful?

Yes, there was a lot of room for improvement and only when this subject was taught to me later by Ray Morgan did I realize how much more there was that could have been presented far better.

Ask any distributor how much dye or color repair supplies are ever sold to students after the class and you will have your anwsers on this course.

 

[The Great Oz]

I have to agree with Tony on color repair. I took a half-day class from Ernie David many years ago, then more recently sat through the two-day IICRC class. I can't recall that much more information was presented, it just took two days, which made keeping eyes open the most difficult part of the class.

Never offered the service for generating income, just used the knowledge to repair problems. In many cases surgery is a better option, and it takes good color vision and patience to perform the service, a rare combination in cleaning technicians.

Maybe color repair could become part of "repair" and leave installation for those that want a back-breaking job that has nothing to do with cleaning?

 

[Jim Pemberton]

For those that want "Master Cleaner" status, would having alternatives to Color Repair, such as:

Leather
Rug Cleaning
Water Damage Restoration

seem more fair/workable for you?

 

[XTREME1]

shouldn't you list the qualifications before asking a question like that?

I looked and thought hmmm well then I realized it is master textile so leather would be appropriate. I think reaching master level is bullshit anyhow. It should be tougher

 

[truckmount girl]

Yes, there should be core requirement classes (CCT, UFT) then you should be rquired to take so many "electives" (commercial cleaning, color repair, R&R, leather, rugs, tile, stone, water damage, crime scene, etc.) they should develop a good business management class as well.

With electives, you could take the classes more geared to your business model and skip those you won't plan on using.

Take care,
Lisa

 

[Bob Foster]

Details Bob.
Did you not need the subject, or was what you were taught not practical in the real world?
What should you have been taught that was skipped?

I found that there wasn't much substance to the class. The outline did not say much either. It was a class tagged on to the end of a IICRC water damage course. I think the instructor, who was good, either ran out of steam or incorporated a lot of what he would have said in the Odor Control class while teaching the WD class.

I did not see much on ozone as I thought I would and it was short on techniques but long on stories. And for some reason there was a lot of focus on psychological odor.

It was practical but not practical enough.

 

[ruff]

The IICRC certification test should not be tied to the class.

The reality is is that too little time is spent on hands on and too much time on the IICRC required stuff (to pass the test) most of which is not that necessary for the experienced cleaner.

What happens is that there is a mix of people. Some do not know much about the given subject (they come to learn and get the certification) and the others do not much benefit from the boring old info.

I'd gladly pay much more for an advanced class that will not try to serve both the novice and the experienced. A class that will actually help me improve my skills.

Very few of these are offered.

 

[Jay D]

Jim, I wish you were there when 'they' PUSHED color repair as a mandate for master status. I had master status and lost it, all because of the color repair mandate. I am color blind and can't even see red stains on carpet and need the lady of the house to point them out. Can't offer color repair service so why would I take the class. Dang I was aaaaaannnnnnnggggggggggrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyy. If they did anything they should have offered a elective like what was suggested. 20% of all Men have some form of color blindness.

 

[harryhides]

Jay, a color blind person CAN pass the color repair class - I know of at least one who did.
Remember that you only need to get 75% to pass.

Of course THAT is part of the problem with this class.

What happens is that there is a mix of people. Some do not know much about the given subject (they come to learn and get the certification) and the others do not much benefit from the boring old info.

I'd gladly pay much more for an advanced class that will not try to serve both the novice and the experienced. A class that will actually help me improve my skills.

Very few of these are offered.

I'd also agree with Ofer.
I have taken 6 or 7 courses that cost from 1k to 3k and were 3-6 days long - they were all easily the best value of all of the classes that I have taken over the years.

 

[XTREME1]

Jim, I wish you were there when 'they' PUSHED color repair as a mandate for master status. I had master status and lost it, all because of the color repair mandate. I am color blind and can't even see red stains on carpet and need the lady of the house to point them out. Can't offer color repair service so why would I take the class. Dang I was aaaaaannnnnnnggggggggggrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyy. If they did anything they should have offered a elective like what was suggested. 20% of all Men have some form of color blindness.

Jay do you think that logic works in the master electricians class? or the bomb defusuion class. Some of us just can't be certain things and you can't be a mstaer textile cleaner if you can't see all the spots. This coming from a colorblind person who can put on a set of glasses that show me proper colors. Go to your eye dr

 

[steve frasier]

Odor Control, the only thing I remember about the class was the instructor talking about the grey area(following the rules) when needing a contractors license to disengage carpet from the floor.

I like your suggestions

I learned more in a US Products Sales Seminar about tile and grout then most of the people I have talked to who attended an IICRC hard floor class

I attended an advanced spot cleaning class and I still learned more tricks of the trade from this BB then I did in one evening of that class

 

[Chris Muetterties]

I took a leather class. Class was ok but the real fact is most don't want leather cleaning they want leather restoration.

 

[Shorty]

Most memorable & costliest.

Water Damage Restoration, I travelled twentyfour hundred miles to do a WDR course, only to be told when I got there, "Oh, that's been cancelled, but next time you come to ******, we'll put you through it there".

So a few months later, I flew eighteen hundred miles, got to the "supplier", who put me into a room on my own and gave me a WDR manual with the advise, "You already know what's in this, but read it just in case".

At lunchtime, I was sent to a shop to buy my lunch, then back to the "supplier". who took the manual and gave me an exam form.

I filled it out, gave him a check for the exam and left.

I did pass the exam but was not happy, so, consequently, I did two more, two days courses, one I was unable to do the exam due to conjunctivitis in my eyes from the pollution..

The second one, I stayed in air con; rooms, had a hire car with air con; and kept the blight at bay for a few days. & I passed.


Next most memorable was a "commercial carpet cleaning" course in Melbourne.

This was a BIG W.O.F.T.A.M.

The "instructor" took us to the LARGEST CASINO in the southern hemisphere to quote on the cleaning. :shock: It's also possibly one of the largest buildings as such in the southern hemisphere.

http://www.crowncasino.com.au/


After that, he took us to the most prestigious building in Melbourne, again to quote on the carpet cleaning of the entire building. :shock: :shock:

http://www.collinsstreet.com.au/index.p ... &Itemid=65

If you never seen a guy out of his depth, it was this bloke from the bush with all these snobs that didn't even look at you, let alone say g'day, even though I did to them. shiteatinggrin



Thirdly would be a spotting seminar in Vegas which was very basic & only went for a very short time before it was taken over by marketer, then a loud mouthed carpet destroying idiot.

'nuff said ther, I get agro every time I think about it. Ivebeensold :x


Best by far have been a leather restoration in Vegas, carpet repair in Minneapolis and leather garment cleaning in Joliet.

Each of these instructors knew what they were about, took time to explain why, and made sure I knew what I was doing and why.

Ironically, I did not sit an exam with any of them.

Ooroo,

:roll:

 

[klewis4]

Odor Control. At the time, I enjoyed the class. But I don't use much of what was taught in the class. Most of the best techniques I've learned for Odor Control have come from the posts by members of this board.

 

[Dale]

Hi Jim:

The IICRC has it’s place, but it doesn’t seem to know where it is.

Like most of you, I spent most of my years in the cleaning field, although I began in hardwood flooring. When I was made Technical Director for a huge company, the boss offered me to go to inspections school. I called one IICRC school who promptly told me that “one of they’re teachers was Tim Smith the best inspector in the industry”. What this did was talk me out of taking his class, and I took Tim Smiths (non IICRC) directly.

Over the years I’ve taken a gazillion inspection classes, by every school out there (see http://www.flooringspector.com under CV). Then one day I decided I would take an IICRC inspectors class, so I took Sub floor Inspections. I must say that had it not been for the Concrete PhD who was not with IICRC, the class who have been a waste.

Now, for example the IICRC offers wood floor inspections. Why would I want to go to it when, I can (and did) take it from the wood floor sources NWFA, and the now defunct NOFMA? If the IICRC stuck to what they are best @, Carpet/Upholstery Cleaning, and some Restoration, and possible Carpet Inspections, instead of just wanting to be HUGE they would have a lot more respect. Certifcations should help award at least a little respect.

Sincerely,
Dale

 

[RickL]

Let me focus on those two for a bit if I could:

Would a "pet odor/organic odor class" (I can't think of a better term) have done more good, with hands on application for injection, subsurface extraction, disengaging carpet, sealing surfaces, etc have done more good than one that had to also cover smoke, tear gas, etc?


Tile and Grout: More hands on and less geology?

"pet odor/organic odor class"
Yes to identify a particular (common) problem and see it through woud be a lot more helpful
covering all the different issues odor ,stain, odor ,stains ,cats ,dogs. Problems that can arise during treatment,etc

Tile and Grout:instead of jumping from thing to thing. Teach how to test grout for topicals , identify problems, SET CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS,what to avoid. etc

 

[Walrus Gumboot]

color repair.
I would rather fight Brock Lessner than go to thru that again.



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