You have the power

[Art Kelley]

I like things just the way they are. I've grown very comfortable with the veil of confusion that drapes over our industry.

 

[Jim Martin]

I think that the SOA was a small step in the right direction but it was not well thought out and its main concern was MONEY..it was not what we were lead to believe it was going to stand for....I think that if this program was reevaluated and taken more serious and they actually followed threw with it ..it could have a good impact on our industry....SOA was supposed to set standards on equipment and chemicals to make carpet cleaning better for the client as well as the cleaner from what I had understood....the program went down hill very fast.....

 

[hogjowl]

Please don't put the government in my back pocket.

 

[Jim Martin]

Please don't put the government in my back pocket.

your save..I would not hold my breath of any type of standards in our industry.............

 

[Dolly Llama]

I don't pretend a liscense would make things perfect. But I see nothing wrong with enforcable standards. It would reduce the constant flow of start ups that are like a boat anchor on the whole process.

.

you mean like the IICRC or SOA?....:mrgreen:

with gov licensing will come gov regs of what to use and how to use it .
(I already sited the COLD water extraction mandated in some gov buildings)
You want that, eh?

It will have no effect to the industry except to raise the cost of doing biz.
There may even be MORE losers getting into the biz, cause of the gub'mint cheese programs that pay gob'mint cheese eaters to go to school.
(ever seen the ratio of gub'mint cheese folks that attend cosmetology school or other tech schools?)
Slingin' a wand with a used porty in the back of the Pinto might look more attractive to cheese eater than being a production welder for $10 an hour in some dead end shop.



The soakers with still be soaking rugs, only they'll be "licensed" soakers.
Speedy Scrub'n suck will still be injecting soap thru the wand, only it will be "licensed" soap
and the hi-pressure salesmen will still be charging silly prices for a spritz of fabreeze, only he'll be "licensed" to spritz that fabreeze at horribly inflated prices

the gov will get more money and get to create s few more union government jobs


sorry, that just doesn't sound like a "win win" for anyone 'cept the gov


..L.T.A.

 

[Mikey P]

Seriously, if we did not have hacks in our industry and everyone provided the same level of workmanship how would guys with zero personality but incredibly anal cleaning skills ever survive?


Take Marty for example...

 

[hogjowl]

I have a personality.

I just keep it safe from you people!

 

[XTREME1]

I will admit I clean really really good but my cult following comes from kissing ass

 

[hogjowl]

Cult following?

You're talking about danny, aren't you!

 

[XTREME1]

my customers are my cult

 

[harryhides]

I'd require an apprentice program - you cannot work as a Tech until you have worked under a Certified ( which would require a hands on element to obtain ) Technician for 2 yrs.

Tough question as there are potential problems whichever way you go.
How do you legislate a work ethic and honesty, let alone a personality or common sense ?

 

[Guest]

You dont

 

[Ken Snow]

OMFG- are we business owners in the greatest country in the world, or pansy ass frickin socialist dems that want the government to be more involved in our lives and bus decisions?
The marketplace, and our actions in it, determine our success and has proven to be the bst at it time and time again. As soon as the gov gets into something, costs go up and performance & inovation go down.

Re-read Larry's posts for gosh's sake.

Ken
Ps Mikey that was funny.

 

[Jim Martin]

Whats the matter Ken ..you afraid that if certain standards were put in our industry to better it and everyone out there that you would actually have to push a vacuum or what.....

I do not understand where everyone thinks it needs to be government ran just to raise the standards and make our industry a better place for all....

 

[Art Kelley]

The problem is there is no consensus on the proper way to clean a carpet. Can't clean without prevacuuming? Says who? Can't use a rotary? Says who? Can't use high flow, high heat, high pressure? Says who? Can't use VLM? Says who? You get the idea. People do all these methods and more and are successfully running their businesses and satisfying their clients. The way things are now , the market is the ultimate arbiter of our process. It is why steam cleaning replaced shampooing in the 70's, why ChemDry bonnet cleaning became so successful (because of all the poor quality steam cleaners), why ChemDry switched to steam cleaning, etc. etc. We don't need anyone telling us how we have to do our jobs. The market does a fine job doing that.

 

[-JB-]

OMFG- are we business owners in the greatest country in the world, or pansy ass frickin socialist dems that want the government to be more involved in our lives and bus decisions?

Well ken that took ya longer than I suspected it would.

 

[Jim Martin]

The problem is there is no consensus on the proper way to clean a carpet. Can't clean without prevacuuming? Says who? Can't use a rotary? Says who? Can't use high flow, high heat, high pressure? Says who? Can't use VLM? Says who? You get the idea. People do all these methods and more and are successfully running their businesses and satisfying their clients. The way things are now , the market is the ultimate arbiter of our process. It is why steam cleaning replaced shampooing in the 70's, why ChemDry bonnet cleaning became so successful (because of all the poor quality steam cleaners), why ChemDry switched to steam cleaning, etc. etc. We don't need anyone telling us how we have to do our jobs. The market does a fine job doing that.

I understand what you are saying..and it makes perfect since.....lets go at it this direction...I am not trying to say we need a government to step in and tell us what to do...nor am I saying that we need some one to hand us a method and say it is the only way we are allowed to run our business....But I do believe that if you are going to have something like IICRC and SOA programs in place then someone needs to step up to the plate and raise the standards and enforce what they are and what they teach...not just take your money and run...

In other words....IICRC should not be just an option for a carpet cleaner it should be mandatory and more strict...licensed and enforced...this will not stop all the people who don't comply to it but it will help to step the industry up and go in the right direction to make it better for all....

 

[Brian R]

Jim Mahtin Wrote

to raise the standards and gain control over them is a step in the right direction IMO......

Kinda like traffic laws...some will push it and break them and get away....for awhile...but most will abide and follow the laws that are written..

Too many control freaks running things. I don't want them making decisions for me.

Traffic Laws are a way of getting revenue from decent people who make a oops every once in a while. But they base it on keeping people safe from hoodlums. While is does help keep people safe there should be a grey area for people who made an honest mistake or GOD FORBID made an intelligent decision that is was "OK" to go a few miles over the speed limit and still be safe.

 

[Blue Monarch]

I want the crappy companies out there. I feel if we're all regulated and basically on the same playing field, the price cutters will ruin us.

The really crappy companies make us shine even more and allow us to charge our rocket scientist rates.

 

[Rex Tyus]

The only way for standards to be enforceable would be with some type of government regulatory agency. I understand all points raised against more Government. They could all be raised in EVERY SINGLE industry that is regulated now. From Doctors to accountants to pest control to Fn plumbers. Are we less than bug killers? If you say no I understand. I just disagree.

Floor coverning manufacturers and insurance companies could make things better but it is not in their best financial interest. So they will always keep it confusing and vague.

LOVE TO ALL 8)

 

[Dolly Llama]

I do not understand where everyone thinks it needs to be government ran just to raise the standards and make our industry a better place for all....

Jim, I'd suggest you work with/get more involved with the IICRC and/or SOA then.

and raise the standards to what?
requirements to vac, mechanical scrub, extract with a hi-flow wands and TM?
will we allow bonnet cleaning or gawd forbid, scrub'n run encRapoo? :shock:

are we going to make juice makers pay to have their juices tested and approved?

and what about the market segment that doesn't want, need or can afford a full blown dog and pony show 27 step cleaning?
Do we say,

"sorry, anything less than multi-step cleaning has been abolished by the new Governing Body of Standards, you have to go rent a Rug Doctor or buy a Hoover squirt'n suck and do it yourself"

don't get me wrong, I'm all for professionalism, education and ethical biz practices.
various associations have tried to further that goal for years.
Follow the money...do you think another association will be any different?
I don't

I know what your goal is, and i can dig it.
Regs and governing bodies won't do it, IMHO
simply because there's a wide market of prospects that want as little as possible for the best price, to the one who will pay any price for the 27 step, message and dry every individual fiber bundle to the oomph degree


the market will separate the wheat from the chaff and the cream will rise to the top regardless

Unfortunately, i don't ever expect the public at large to see us as "tradesmen"
No more than than they see the lawn care dude, pool guy, painter, seemless gutter installer, carpet installer etc as "tradesmen"

and I'm just against most regulation..period



..L.T.A.

 

[Dolly Llama]

The only way for standards to be enforceable would be with some type of government regulatory agency.

Nancy Pelosi is smiling at you, not with you.... :mrgreen:

Are we less than bug killers?

not in the sense of service provider, but yes there is a large difference IMO
All their chems are poisons designed to kill.
That's their job

Our job is to clean and most of our chems are detergents

LOVE TO ALL 8)

hey, watch that sheet, Boy.....

..L.T.A.

 

[Brian R]

Isn't the free market supposed to regulate this kind of thing on it's own.

their are crappy people in the world, unless they are doing something right, they are getting no where.

 

[-JB-]

Isn't the free market supposed to regulate this kind of thing on it's own.

I love it when something so profound can be put that simply. :wink:

 

[Rex Tyus]

LOVE TO ALL 8)

hey, watch that sheet, Boy.....

..L.T.A.

I thought you might like that. :mrgreen: