Zerorez Coming to town. What have you seen in your market?

[Steve Toburen]

Imagine what it would do for me if my clone were to show up tomorrow?

So you are saying someone just like you? Then I would reply, "No effect whatsoever!"

Now if a sharp and dialed in business owner comes into Prattville you better run for the hills!

Steve

PS Sorry, Marty. that was a softball I couldn't ignore. But seriously...

Isn't it amazing how a new threat will make us focus?

Competition really does make us great. (Even though this is tough to see at the time.)

 

[hogjowl]

Sigh ... seriously Tom.

Would you ban Island Boy?

 

[The Great Oz]

ZR Seattle came into town with a lot of radio, including paying the warm and fuzzy old-time talk hosts to personally endorse their service and use their negative marketing verbiage in their testimony. The marketing relies heavily on pushing "empowered water" and claiming they don't use "toxic chemicals and sticky soaps like other carpet cleaners do" so is similar to a lot of the old ChemDry marketing.

Expect a lot of calls from your customers telling you that the ZR rep said that (insert the name of your company here) uses harmful products while ZR uses only empowered water. Some angry customers actually called to tell us they were going to use ZR to remove the build-up of crap we'd put in the carpet over the years. Have polite and businesslike responses ready.


PS: I talked with one of those talk radio hosts, who was and still is a customer of ours, about his "testimony." He said it was up to him to sell ads for his show, and ZR paid for a lot of airtime. Shrugged. Just his job... and why don't you guys buy some airtime?

 

[TomKing]

Because Marty only he can say things to you that the rest of us would have to be banned if we spoke our mind.

Marty
I know you have been in this business for a long time.

Sometimes your comments I fear keep newer professionals who are lurking from joining in the conversation here at MB.

I know that was the case for me. I lurked for a long time before I interacted. To bad I waited so long. I have met a lot of great people on this board. One this rooms name sake Ken Snow.

Sigh ... seriously Tom.

Would you ban Island Boy?

 

[TomKing]

Bryan
I can't wait to hear that!

Here is what I have prepared.
1. No national organization that certifies carpet cleaners is teaching this to certified cleaners.
2. The Carpet and Rug Institute the industries professional organization connecting carpet Mills with Professional Cleaners does not endorse that thought.
3. The truck mounts they use are manufactured by Hydramaster the same truck mounts we have.
4. They attach a water treatment system and change the Ph. to call it empowered water.
5. They are creating confusion in our industry rather than promoting the national standards of the IICRC.
We are one of only 15 certified IICRC companies in the city and recommended by Shaw and Mohawk carpet mills. The nations 2 largest carpet mills.

So Mrs. Jones there is no reason for you to worry about getting a nationally certified carpet cleaning from our company. No reason at all.
What can we clean for you today. We guarantee our work just as we always have.

I am happy to have a quality competitor join us in our market.
It chaps my ass when someone is even vaguely miss leading. I sure hope that is not what we will experience here.

I had a drug I promoted for osteoporosis years ago. Merck pharmaceuticals launched the first drug in the market called Fosomax. They created a sales message that taught doctors that BMD or bone marrow density was the end all in determining efficacy for treating Osteoporosis. The real fact that during later research and new drug research was that fracture risk reduction or how often someone broke a bone was the true measure of efficacy. It took 10 years to undo what one competitor had programed the medical community with.

How sad we see it everywhere. If this empowered water was the next thing in our industry guys like Scott W, Tom F and Paul L would be sprinting to get in line. If indeed any of those guys could sprint.

We need to work hard together to increase the professionalism and strong science in our industry.

ZR Seattle came into town with a lot of radio, including paying the warm and fuzzy old-time talk hosts to personally endorse their service and use their negative marketing verbiage in their testimony. The marketing relies heavily on pushing "empowered water" and claiming they don't use "toxic chemicals and sticky soaps like other carpet cleaners do" so is similar to a lot of the old ChemDry marketing.

Expect a lot of calls from your customers telling you that the ZR rep said that (insert the name of your company here) uses harmful products while ZR uses only empowered water. Some angry customers actually called to tell us they were going to use ZR to remove the build-up of crap we'd put in the carpet over the years. Have polite and businesslike responses ready.


PS: I talked with one of those talk radio hosts, who was and still is a customer of ours, about his "testimony." He said it was up to him to sell ads for his show, and ZR paid for a lot of airtime. Shrugged. Just his job... and why don't you guys buy some airtime?

 

[hogjowl]

You've been here what ... a month ... and you already have a chip on your shoulder?

You're going to need an antidepressant in a month.

 

[floorguy]

1st off...

do you really have people that ask about certs, and who give a diddly damn about the CRI, or the IIRC???

if you do....well then what %??

and if its a higher % then i am thinking...then you go guy....

other wise....WAYYYY over thinking it....

custy...."hey Doug...so uh whats this deal with the zero rez thing?" "well...its basically a marketing gimmick...I dont care who you are, you still have to use some sort of a, lets call it chem...wether it be soap, detergent, etc, to break some of those soils loose.....now me....I rinse with water.....blah blah"

in the end i tell them "asking how deep they want to go" that the dilution ratios, by the time we are done is very small.....and that truly, "resoiling issues" are probably from walking on it with dirty feet....as the carpet is juts like a wet rag waiting to wipe your feet...

anyone who has called and asked.....i have not lost the sale....

 

[Mikey P]

Tom

Please do us all a favor and keep count of how many times you get a "ZeroRez" Cal between now and Xmas, would ya?



I think I'll take a week off Full Circle and see how and if the times are a changing..

 

[Able 1]

if you are busy trying to figure out what someone else is doing.....then you will only be watching their ass.....

basically,worry about yourself 1st...(yes i know you have a good biz model)

granted you better pay attention to things...but not get to caught up in it.....

i dunno, i guess (no, i KNOW) i am different then most people out there when it comes to being affected by "salesmen" wether it be radio, tv, or the guy at the store....you try to "sell" me on something...i tune out...

my "sell" when a custy calls me is...well honesty and education...i have come straight out and told someone, they should call x,y,z due to different things....yes cost being one (me more expensive).....and yet they still have me do it.... because they liked that i was honest and didnt try to sell them

Not so sure I agree with this.. You always have to know what your competition is doing, not to to point of freak out,but you should know how they are selling.. I lost a big one this year by freaking out, but the other props and the same group told him to take a hike.. I saw him drive by 4 times while cleaning and just smiled.

 

[floorguy]

yea pay attention for sure...and like you said dont freak...

i do it on the service side...while/when we are cleaning...i treat it as if i could loose it at any time...thus it keeps you focused....

if they decide to change...there really isnt anyway to change that....

i had 1 manager get mad at me because i asked about a competitor that was there doing work...(granted she told me later she was having a bad day when i asked)

point is....she was having them do something completely different (it was a janitorial company, i had just lost some other theaters to, due to an "in") anyway it was some deep cleaning on screens or something....

I just told her..."i worry about it all the time...otherwise you loose your edge"

 

[TomKing]

Doug
Customers only know what you tell them. You missed my medical illustration.

It's not about them asking it's about you educating your customer how to think about your service and our industry.

The point of having a good list of F.A.Q's is to not get caught off balance.

You miss the point of the national organizations they are a tool to use in your marketing.

My customers think they are important because I tell them it is.

I try to separate the industry politics from what can help me sell.

Mike We will be keeping track. With 4 trucks I expect to hear some noise on the radio and in print.

Doug I just had lunch with a owner of a 40 truck service company today. He coaches others in his industry and he would say the same thing you need to have scripts for your techs.

1st off...

do you really have people that ask about certs, and who give a diddly damn about the CRI, or the IIRC???

if you do....well then what %??

and if its a higher % then i am thinking...then you go guy....

other wise....WAYYYY over thinking it....

custy...."hey Doug...so uh whats this deal with the zero rez thing?" "well...its basically a marketing gimmick...I dont care who you are, you still have to use some sort of a, lets call it chem...wether it be soap, detergent, etc, to break some of those soils loose.....now me....I rinse with water.....blah blah"

in the end i tell them "asking how deep they want to go" that the dilution ratios, by the time we are done is very small.....and that truly, "resoiling issues" are probably from walking on it with dirty feet....as the carpet is juts like a wet rag waiting to wipe your feet...

anyone who has called and asked.....i have not lost the sale....

 

[ruff]

Here is what I have prepared.
1. No national organization that certifies carpet cleaners is teaching this to certified cleaners.
2. The Carpet and Rug Institute the industries professional organization connecting carpet Mills with Professional Cleaners does not endorse that thought.
3. The truck mounts they use are manufactured by Hydramaster the same truck mounts we have.
4. They attach a water treatment system and change the Ph. to call it empowered water.
5. They are creating confusion in our industry rather than promoting the national standards of the IICRC.
We are one of only 15 certified IICRC companies in the city and recommended by Shaw and Mohawk carpet mills. The nations 2 largest carpet mills.

So Mrs. Jones there is no reason for you to worry about getting a nationally certified carpet cleaning from our company. No reason at all.
What can we clean for you today. We guarantee our work just as we always have.

I understand your concern Tom and being ready with good answers is always good. Ignoring your potential competition, may prove to be a big mistake. So it's good that you're getting ready.

Your answers however, seem to be long, technical and frankly reactive.You seem to be missing the point of "what's in it for me." Me, being your client. Don't bore them to death. What are they gaining by using your company? What's in it for them?

Now, I certainly do not know what is your other marketing messages and how you positioned your company, so I may be barking up the wrong tree. But your well formulated points, in my opinion, are long, technical of not much interest or importance to Ms. Jones. And they seem to miss an essential engaging element.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I think I'd say something like "Mrs ....I've heard the commercials too and the premise of no residue is a good idea but it just doesn't work in the real world. Soil just isn't removed that easily or all cleaners would clean that way. It would be much like washing your car or doing your laundry without detergents. You'll remove some soil but it's just not going to be effective enough to do a thorough job.

Let me assure you the products we use will not only be effective at cleaning but will also leave your carpet in a neutral state with no resoiling issues. When can we put you down in the schedule? "

 

[dealtimeman]

Richard when was the last time you closed a job over the phone?

You gots skill, you should man the phones a couple of hours a day and fill that cleaning schedule up.

 

[ruff]

Yep.
The company of Chavez restoration should not let Sir Richard get even close to a computer. We all know what he's gonna do! Which is our gain.

Will somebody at Chavez Resto take away his computer rights.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Will somebody at Chavez Resto take away his computer rights.

I still have my sMarty phone!

 

[floorguy]

just heard another blurp yesterday....

no rez, we dont use soaps, surfactants blah blah.....

$32 a room includes......wait for it.......PRE TREAT, clean and SANITIZE.....

last i checked pre-treat uses SOMETHING, and if you truly "sanitize" thats leaving something to...

where is the truth in advertizing police on this????



also if i had techs...sure i would come up with something, or pay somebody to, and then adjust it accordingly...

but i dont...

what i have for the most part, is people who want it done, done well, by someone they can trust...who IS NOT going to line them up with a load of ....

I am FULLY aware there are PLENTY of holes in my "plan, or job (as the case may be)" BUT

it has worked for and fed my family for the last almost 19 yrs.....no I have no multi truck biz, and on some levels, i dont care to....on others...yes it would be nice

but there are other factors in my business decisions that come into play.....

and Ofer makes a good point...there is a reason for the KISS mantra....

 

[Shane Deubell]

I wouldn't become stuck in the mud on Tom's specific bullet points, he can change them whenever he chooses. The point is having a dedicated script/message the techs in the field can repeat over and over again instead of them winging it. This is what the franchises do so well, to often us independents are well tooo independent and fly by the seat of our pants on a daily basis.

Didn't see where tom was going at first either until he explained it more, great thread.

 

[TomKing]

Thanks Shane you are right the point is having a script.

Doug I am glad you have fulfilled you dreams. There are still others on the board who are trying to add that extra truck. It is having systems and not winging it that will get you that truck. If I were on the truck by myself all day why worry. I can out sell almost anyone. If owners want to get off the truck they had better start writing scripts for themselves and using them so they can teach others. Scripts and systems is the only way off the truck. We were writing systems and company policy when it was just me and my 1st tech. We had a CSR manual before we ever hired a CSR.

My favorite manager ever once told me "start leading, working and communicating like the next job you want to have". I would say the same for us cleaners " Start running your company today like the company you want to be 5 years from now".

If you enjoy being on the truck more power to you. I for one am too old and motivated by other things in my business to be on the truck. I am best in my pickup out making sales calls 3-4 days a week. I am not a help to my company on the truck.

I wouldn't become stuck in the mud on Tom's specific bullet points, he can change them whenever he chooses. The point is having a dedicated script/message the techs in the field can repeat over and over again instead of them winging it. This is what the franchises do so well, to often us independents are well tooo independent and fly by the seat of our pants on a daily basis.

Didn't see where tom was going at first either until he explained it more, great thread.

 

[TomKing]

I understand your concern Tom and being ready with good answers is always good. Ignoring your potential competition, may prove to be a big mistake. So it's good that you're getting ready.

Your answers however, seem to be long, technical and frankly reactive.You seem to be missing the point of "what's in it for me." Me, being your client. Don't bore them to death. What are they gaining by using your company? What's in it for them?

Now, I certainly do not know what is your other marketing messages and how you positioned your company, so I may be barking up the wrong tree. But your well formulated points, in my opinion, are long, technical of not much interest or importance to Ms. Jones. And they seem to miss an essential engaging element.

Ofer
My point with these is not to use all of them but to chose one and in a none threatened way give a response and then get back to selling. I want my techs to lean forward and with swagger answer areas of concern. Practice and scripts gets you there. I agree you need WIFM's. This is what motivates people to buy.

 

[Russ T.]

ZR Seattle came into town with a lot of radio, including paying the warm and fuzzy old-time talk hosts to personally endorse their service and use their negative marketing verbiage in their testimony. The marketing relies heavily on pushing "empowered water" and claiming they don't use "toxic chemicals and sticky soaps like other carpet cleaners do" so is similar to a lot of the old ChemDry marketing.

Expect a lot of calls from your customers telling you that the ZR rep said that (insert the name of your company here) uses harmful products while ZR uses only empowered water. Some angry customers actually called to tell us they were going to use ZR to remove the build-up of crap we'd put in the carpet over the years. Have polite and businesslike responses ready.


PS: I talked with one of those talk radio hosts, who was and still is a customer of ours, about his "testimony." He said it was up to him to sell ads for his show, and ZR paid for a lot of airtime. Shrugged. Just his job... and why don't you guys buy some airtime?

This is EXACTLY what has been going on in the Des Moines, IA area. VERY radio heavy advertising. We have dabbled in radio too but don't have the capital they do. I try to draw a personal connection, without being a creeper, in every situation. Here in the Midwest, with our clients, that's our best asset. Stanley Steemer has begun countering their ads by downplaying their "empowered water" shtick. The education I've gotten here, coupled with thousands invested in new equipment this past year, has made me believe in my product more than ever before.

Russ

Russ

Russ

 

[Desk Jockey]

Tom what about taking a proactive approach to protect your current clients base?


I was thinking you can mail them a letter or email them a letter explaining that there is a new player entering the market place that uses pseudoscience to promote their services. Explain to them it’s a new twist but that actually you’ve provided no residue all along and soil attracting residue is just not a problem with your cleaning.


You could also put together a simple flyer using the same language as the letter and leave it on all the carpet jobs you process from here on out. I don’t think I’d use their name but once they get started on the radio your clients will know who you are talking about.

If you don’t think it a conflict you could off a special of some sort in the letter. It could be timely with the holidays quickly upon us.

 

[ruff]

I would not do the mail or email that Richard suggests. Proactive? Yes. Not that letter. But than I am a poor BDCC O/O

I would emphasize what makes him special have the client re-connect (remind of) what they liked about his company (trust, quality, honest, non-toxic, hard work............whatever !) to begin with.

Not only that he shouldn't name the competitor, he shouldn't even bring up any of their 'claims". It will be a dis-service to his company and plant a doubt in the clients' mind.

Stay positive, emphasize what you do well and why the liked you to begin with.

 

[Vivers]

What have I noticed in my area?

I barely see them and have done numerous jobs after them and have heard nothing but complaints about the cleaning quality and the extremely high prices also

 

[hogjowl]

Seriously? You've seriously heard complaints about their prices?

I ask because I never hear complaints, or even any mention regarding prices. Mine, or my competitors.

I did get a funny look today from a customer about my price, but she never actually said anything.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I would not do the mail or email that Richard suggests. Proactive? Yes. Not that letter. But than I am a poor BDCC O/O

I would emphasize what makes him special have the client re-connect (remind of) what they liked about his company (trust, quality, honest, non-toxic, hard work............whatever !) to begin with.

Not only that he shouldn't name the competitor, he shouldn't even bring up any of their 'claims". It will be a dis-service to his company and plant a doubt in the clients' mind.

Stay positive, emphasize what you do well and why the liked you to begin with.

you must be related to my wife, she never likes my ideas either! Its ok I still like you both even though you're both wrong!

 

[Royal Man]

No way richard about you letter. It would just bring more attention to zerorez. Just maintain active reationship with clients.remembercthey don't live and breath carpet cleaning. They and bombarded by thousands of marketing meaasages everyday.it just becomes background noise.

 

[Hoody]

Tom what about taking a proactive approach to protect your current clients base?


I was thinking you can mail them a letter or email them a letter explaining that there is a new player entering the market place that uses pseudoscience to promote their services. Explain to them it’s a new twist but that actually you’ve provided no residue all along and soil attracting residue is just not a problem with your cleaning.


You could also put together a simple flyer using the same language as the letter and leave it on all the carpet jobs you process from here on out. I don’t think I’d use their name but once they get started on the radio your clients will know who you are talking about.

If you don’t think it a conflict you could off a special of some sort in the letter. It could be timely with the holidays quickly upon us.

No way. I may go as far as to put no residue on my marketing materials.. but I wouldnt draw attention to them. Why market for them ?

 

[Out of Character - 0]

In our market they are higher priced than the other franchises. They seem to do lots of radio marketing in waves from what I have noticed. I have only seen the cleaning techs doing the estimates in their AT's so I don't think they have a sales team on the ground here even though they've been around for years. I've not seen more than one tech per truck either.

I haven't heard any complaints about their cleaning. The only negative statements I've heard have been related to price with exception to a local municipality claiming they have taken more than a month to provide a bid for the facilities.

From what I understand the "no chemicals" claim is reference to their rinse water and sanitizer although they certainly don't make that clear if that is true. I believe they use a traditional "chemical" pre-treatment like most of us.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Draw more attention? They are going to light up the airwaves, the only way they won't be noticed by your customers is if your clientele are cellar dwellers.