SEVEN MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN CHOOSING A CARPET CLEANER

MISTAKE #1: Choosing a carpet cleaner based on equipment alone. No question, your carpet cleaner needs first-rate equipment. But they also need something else. They need technicians who are skilled at operating the equipment. Many companies own hot-water extractors, but very few companies teach their employees how to use them properly. The best way to know that the carpet cleaner’s employees have been properly trained is to make sure the cleaner has been certified by the Institute of  Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC). Before you choose a carpet cleaner, ask to see written proof of their IICRC certification.

MISTAKE #2: Choosing a carpet cleaner based on low price. Low price could be a problem in three ways: (1) Low price can be the bait that attracts your phone call. But once the cleaner gets into your home, they pressure you into a much more expensive job. (2) Low price can be for single-process cleaning. Rarely does the consumer know what this means and, when told, asks for dual-process cleaning  instead, which costs much more. (3) Low price means the carpet cleaner has cheap equipment, which will not effectively clean your carpet. Look for cleaners, who package their services, you’ll always get a better deal.

MISTAKE #3: Choosing a carpet cleaner based on a single telephone call. Instead, invite them to your home and ask for a specific price quotation. Then you’ll know exactly what the carpet cleaner recommends–and you won’t be the victim of high-pressure sales tactics when the technician steps into your living room.

MISTAKE #4: Choosing a carpet cleaner who doesn’t offer a money-back guarantee. In my view, every carpet cleaning company should be fully accountable for their work. And if you aren’t pleased with the job, you shouldn’t have to pay for it. Period! Not all carpet cleaners offer a guarantee. Or, if they do, the guarantee may be “limited.” Ask the carpet cleaner if they offer a complete money-back guarantee.

MISTAKE #5: Choosing a carpet cleaner without getting comments from other clients. Any carpet cleaner can say anything about his past jobs. And, sadly, some of what they say may not be true. Make sure you ask for references or read testimonials from current customers so you can depend on the carpet cleaner and their work. Any carpet cleaner that does quality work should be able to provide you with comments from their clients.

MISTAKE #6: Choosing a carpet cleaner who isn’t certified by the Institute of  Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC). If your carpet cleaner isn’t a close friend, you may not know whether they have the knowledge or experience to clean your carpet well. If you want to be sure you’re hiring a competent professional, make sure they are IICRC certified. The carpet cleaner must earn that certification through study, experience, and the successful completion of formal, written examinations. In effect, cleaners who are certified by the IICRC have earned a college degree in carpet cleaning.

MISTAKE #7: Choosing a carpet cleaner who doesn’t use a truck-mounted, hot water extraction system. Portable hot water systems are good, but they’re nowhere as powerful as a system mounted into a truck for several good reasons. 1) Suction power. Truck mounted system use state of the art technology to extract the moisture used during cleaning from your carpet allowing for fast and speedy drying times. 2) Truck mounted systems produce constant high heat, and higher pressure to help blast the pollutants from your carpet, so you get a much better job done, hands down!

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If you’re thinking about having your carpets cleaned, I encourage you to follow these 4 Steps:

4 Steps To A Fresh, Clean, Healthy Carpet

Step # 1: Make a commitment to yourself to get your carpets cleaned. The longer they  remain dirty, the sooner they’ll wear out.  Plus you have to breathe all the pollens, fungus, chemicals, and dust mites that live in your carpet.

Step # 2: List your objectives.  Do you want only the dirt removed,  something you could do with a rented machine?  Or do you want the bacteria, fungus and chemicals removed, which will required a hot water truck mounted cleaner, like us?  Do you want to work with an honest, reputable company-or are you willing to risk working with the company that offers you the lowest price-knowing that company might not be in business tomorrow?

Step # 3:   Ask questions.  The way you learn about a company is to ask   specific questions and listen carefully to the answers.  Here are questions I suggest you ask:

1.      What method of carpet cleaning do you recommend?

2.      What type of equipment do you use to clean carpet?

3.      What does your equipment remove from my carpet?

4.      How often should I get my carpet cleaned?

5.      What training have you had in cleaning carpets?

6.       Are you a member of any trade associations and, if so, which ones?

7.       Are you certified by IICRC and will you show me your certificate?

Step # 4: Once you’re satisfied that you’re working with an honest, competent professional, invite him into your home and ask for a specific quotation in writing.  A written quotation gives you the assurance that you know exactly what your job will cost- no  surprises.

By following these four recommendations, you’ll gain all the information you need to make an informed, intelligent decision.  If you want a quick, cheap carpet cleaning job, many  companies in the phone book can help you,  or you can rent a shampooer and do the job yourself.

But if you want your carpeting to be completely and thoroughly cleaned-removing the   bacteria, fungus, chemicals, pollens, and tobacco products-then I invite you to call us.

We’ll be happy to answer your questions and come into your home and give you a free demonstration and Carpet Evaluation-without obligation of any kind, naturally.

To reach us today call 832-1524

Or, if you prefer, just leave your name and telephone number and we’ll glad to return your call.

You could even shoot me an email, maxcare@flooringam.com

Brett Brodie

PS: Here’s one last point: We know that many consumers are skeptical about carpet cleaning  companies.  Before getting into the business, I was skeptical too.  So in addition to dedicating our business to consumer education, we do one more thing as well.

We stronglyguarantee our work.  That’s right.  We fully guarantee every carpet-cleaning job we do.  If you aren’t happy with our work, we’ll re-clean the area for free.  And if you still aren’t pleased, you can have your money back. What could be more fair?

As a matter of fact, add this question to the list.

Question #8 is “Do you guarantee your work?” Not all companies do -and it’s    important that you have this information before you make your decision. Satisfaction guarantees don’t count either. We’ve heard some incredible stories about how cleaners have weaseled their way out of refunds on satisfaction guarantees. Get a copy of the company’s guarantee up front.

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Misconception # 4   Having the right equipment is all a company needs to clean your carpets properly.

Not true.  Many companies own hot- water cleaners-but have a large number of employees who don’t know how to use them. You probably know someone who bought the newest computer on the market-but didn’t learn how to use it for a year or more.  The same is true with carpet cleaning machines.  The company may own good equipment, but the employees may not know how to use it correctly.  This is why it’s important that you choose your carpet cleaner carefully.

The best carpet cleaning companies are those that have been certified by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification, known as the IICRC.  A carpet cleaning company cannot buy this certification.  The carpet cleaner must earn the certification through study, experience and the successful completion of formal, written examinations.  Cleaners who are certified by the IICRC have, in effect, earned a degree in carpet cleaning and other special services available.

The IICRC provides written credentials to the companies it certifies.  So before you choose a carpet cleaner, ask to see written proof of the company’s IICRC Certification.

Misconception # 5  The company that offers the lowest price is the company you should hire.

Maybe-but not always.  Here are two important points to consider.

POINT # 1:  The price you see offered may not be for the service you want performed.  Before you select a company, decide what you want to accomplish. If you want the carpet cleaner to remove only some dirt, you can choose from hundreds of companies that use small shampooers or other cleaning methods.  Or, you can rent a machine at a grocery store and do the job yourself.

On the other hand, if want your carpet thoroughly cleaned-if you want to remove the harmful dirt, bacteria, pollens, chemicals and tobacco residues-then you need to hire a company that uses a truck-mounted hot water cleaning method.  This is the only way a assure that your carpet remains healthy and free from dirt, disease-causing bacteria, and harmful chemicals.

So remember that the price you see offered may not be for the services you want performed.

POINT # 2:  The price you see advertised may not be the price you pay.

Many homeowners have learned that the low prices they saw advertised was not the amount they were charged.

And if you’ve ever hired a carpet cleaner, you too may have been the victim of false or misleading advertising.  You probably learned the hard way that some carpet cleaners offer a cheap price-usually between $9.95 and $20.00 per room or entire house for $150.00-and then pressure you into paying a lot more once they get into your home.  Some of them may even break the law by using illegal bait and switch tactics.

As in all business and professions, the carpet cleaning industry has its share of bad apples.  I take no pleasure in telling you this, but some are unethical-and, sadly, a few are dishonest.  By their misleading advertising and false promises, they cast a dark shadow on our entire industry.

Then you’ll find a few other companies-professionals like us who work hard to earn your trust and respect and are focused on education and keeping abreast of the changes and latest technology in our industry.

As a way of improving our profession, we’ve dedicated our business to educating the public.  The only way you can make an intelligent decision is to have all the facts you need.  This is why we have provided this information.

Misconception # 6   Any honest carpet cleaning company should be able to give you an exact price quote over the telephone.

I wish this were true, but it isn’t. Consumers often think that if they want to clean four rooms and the price is $6 per room, the price will be $24.  But this isn’t always true.

First, honest reputable carpet cleaning companies usually price cleaning by the square foot. So if you’d like us to tell you exact cost of cleaning you carpet, we need to know the exact number of square feet that you want cleaned.  To get an accurate measurement, we have measuring wheels to use to calculate the exact size of the area.

You’ll be glad to know that the carpeted areas to be cleaned are not nearly as great as most people think.  For example, if you want you entire home cleaned and your home is 2000 square feet, the amount of carpeting to be cleaned might be only 1200 square feet.  This is because most home measurements are outdoor measurements.  Plus I deduct the area taken up by walls, room dividers and the like.  The result is that the actual area to be cleaned is usually only about 60% of the square footage of the home.

So even though I can’t give you an exact quote over the telephone, here are things we consider when quoting a price.

First, the type of carpet. Certain types of carpet are harder to clean than others.  So before we can give you a quote, we need to know the type of carpet you want cleaned.

Second, the amount of soiling.  Carpet that hasn’t been cleaned for ten years will take longer to clean than carpet that was cleaned within the last six months.

Third, the amount of furniture that has to be moved. If we have to move your furniture, the bid must include that labor.  But if you move your furniture, you’ll save money.

To recap, we consider the type of carpet, the amount of soiling, and the amount of furniture that has to be moved.  So, as you can now imagine, every quotation is different.

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Misconception # 1   You should wait as long as possible before cleaning your carpet.

No.  Dirt is an abrasive- like sandpaper.  Every time you step on the carpet, you grind dirt into your carpet fibers.  This cuts your carpet, just as if you had used a knife, causing it to wear out faster.  A dirty carpet will not last nearly as long as a clean carpet.  And while vacuuming helps by itself, it’s simply not enough.  Then longer you wait to have your   carpet cleaned, the more damage you do to your carpet and the faster it wears out.

Misconception # 2   The only reason to clean carpets is to get out the dirt.

Incorrect.  As you probably know, outdoor air contains pollens, fungus, bacteria, air      pollution, cigarette smoke, car exhaust - - and hundreds of other chemicals.  When you and your   family members come into your home you carry those pollens, bacteria and      chemicals in on your shoes, hair, your skin, clothing, etc.  Not surprisingly, all those    chemicals, pollens and bacteria wind up - - where? - - you guessed it - - in your carpet!

If you have allergies, asthma, emphysema, or other breathing problems - - one major source of your problem could be the pollens, fungus, and chemicals in your carpet.

In addition, as you may know tobacco smoke contains over 4000 different chemical compounds, 43 of which cause cancer.  And even if you don’t smoke, those chemicals get on your shoes, you track them in to your home and leave them in your carpet.

If you’re sensitive to cigarette smoke, you might find that you’ll breath easier after you hire a company to get those harmful chemicals out of your carpet.

So, in addition to getting rid of dirt, another important reason to clean your carpet is to get rid of pollen, fungus, bacteria, chemicals and the tar and residue from tobacco smoke. Not to mention a reduction in dust mites, their feces and a reduction in allergies, asthma and respiratory challenges.

Misconception # 3  One method of carpet cleaning is a good as another.

Not true.  You can choose from two primary cleaning methods:  Dry cleaning or hot water extraction. First, I’ll explain the three different methods of dry cleaning.  Many people  believe that dry cleaning your carpet is like dry cleaning your clothing.  This is not true.  All carpet cleaning methods use water in one form or another.  Here are the three methods of dry cleaning carpet.

When a carpet cleaner uses the dry foam method, a shampoo is applied to your carpet,  allowed to dry, and then extracted with a vacuum.  Can you imagine applying shampoo to your hair, allowing it to dry and then removing the shampoo from your head with a vacuum?  This method can leave residues in your carpet, which is one reason dry foam is not  very effective.

…to be continued!

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HOW TO AVOID 4 CARPET CLEANING RIP-OFFS

RIP-OFF #1: UNBELIEVABLY LOW PRICE. To some degree, all of us are attracted by low price because we want to work within a budget. But some carpet cleaners use price as the bait for their false and misleading advertising. They offer a cheap price–usually between $3.95 and $9.95 per room–and then, once they’re in your home, they pressure you into buying “extras.” It’s as if you were buying a car and found that the dealer was charging you extra for the tires and steering wheel. Carpet cleaning is not as cheap as some unethical carpet cleaners would like you to believe.

RIP-OFF #2: BAIT AND SWITCH. Dual process carpet cleaning describes the process of shampooing or heavy preconditioning, followed with hot water extraction cleaning. Unfortunately, unethical carpet cleaners often use dual process as a bait and switch technique. Here’s how it’s done: First they “bait” you with a basic cleaning (single process) at an unbelievably low price. Then, when you call, they try to “switch” you to the more expensive dual-process cleaning. If you don’t fall for their switch and choose their basic service, you’ll likely receive poor workmanship using little or no chemicals, and they will not guarantee their work.

RIP-OFF#3: UNSUPPORTED CLAIMS,”THIS CLEANING METHOD IS THE BEST.” You’ll read this in almost every ad and hear this from virtually every carpet cleaner. But remember this; the method that’s best for you is the method that achieves your goals. So before you choose a carpet cleaner, identify your objectives. Then select the method that best reaches those objectives. It also pays to read your carpet warranty!

RIP-OFF #4: OUTDATED BELIEFS, “HOT WATER DAMAGES YOUR CARPET.” Years ago many people believed this was true because their carpets were damaged by “technicians” who didn’t know how to clean properly using hot water. But today, we know it’s false. By washing and then rinsing your carpet with hot water, your carpet is thoroughly cleaned—in the same way that a person who showers and then rinses off the dirt and soap will be much cleaner than the person who takes only a sponge bath. Obviously, each carpet cleaner will be biased toward their own cleaning method. And each method does have advantages. So I suggest that you look at what the manufacturers have to say. Shaw Industries, the largest carpet manufacturer in the world, recommends hot water extraction for cleaning carpets. Many other carpet manufacturers are now making the same recommendation. See what the warranty for your particular carpeting requires in order to keep the warranty in effect.

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200% Iron-Clad No-Risk Money Back Guarantee!

“I’m obsessed with giving YOU, the consumer, the Most Amazing experience you’ve ever had with any service company. In fact, if you’re not ABSOLUTELY THRILLED with our professional quality service, we’ll return and re-clean any areas of concern, and if I still have not met your expectations; you don’t pay, it’s that easy! Then, I will gladly pay (up to 100% of my original work order) for another IICRC certified (www.iicrc.org) company to come out to your home and clean your carpets. Plus, I will make a $50.00 donation to the Charitable foundation of your choice. Nothing is more important than your complete and total satisfaction!”

Notice To Our Clients:

As Members of the Ethical Services™ Program, we recognize our professional and personal obligations to our clients, to our company employees, to our industry, and to this association. We also recognize that through a rock solid commitment to a high level of ethical and professional standards, we not only better our industry, but everyone who comes into contact with our company. Therefore, as a Member of the Ethical Services™ association, we pledge to support and uphold the Ethical Services™ exemplary standards and principles of professional conduct as presented below in our Member Code of Ethics.

Member Code Of Ethics

· Members will perform their services in accordance with the laws of the city and state that they operate in.

· Members will protect client interests by providing valuable consumer information they need in making wise service decisions.

· Members will not misrepresent services to a client or infer that additional services must be purchased for an extra cost once a firm quote has already been presented.

· Members will not utilize “Bait-and Switch” business practices of advertising low-price offers that they have no intention of honoring.

· Members will not exercise commission-only hiring practices which compels employees to exercise unethical hard-sell tactics solely for the purpose of creating a livable wage at the expense of clients’ true service needs.

· Members will not misrepresent facts about warranties or quality of service.

· Members will strongly guarantee their work.

· Members will be ethical and honest in all of their business and professional relationships.

Again, these are our promises to you, not just some made up garbage to impress you.

Thank You,

Brett Brodie and the MaxCARE Team

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Your carpeting isn’t just floor covering.  It’s a long–term investment in comfort, style and durability.  I offer you this series, THE CONSUMER’S INSIDE GUIDE TO CARPET CLEANING to help you get the highest return from your carpeting investment. We’ve been in the  carpet cleaning business long enough to know that carpet cleaning is the subject of much confusion. In fact, people have so many misconceptions about carpet cleaning that we decided to offer this consumer education so when you select a professional carpet cleaning company, you will be able to make an informed, intelligent decision.
If you want to have your carpeting cleaned and be provided with the most thorough cleaning ever, we invite you to call us.  As a  Certified Firm and a member of the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration  Certification, and proud member of the ethical services community,  we have provided thousands of carpet owners with the highest levels of quality work and personal service.  After you read this guide please call us and we’ll be happy to answer any further questions you might have.
In addition, we offer OUR PERSONAL PROMISE TO YOU: Our goal is to WOW every single client.  Any cleaning service we do will be done with the highest level of knowledge, skill, judgment and expertise. If anything isn’t done to your complete and total satisfaction, please call it to our attention immediately.  We offer our exclusive 200% guarantee to ensure that you’ll be delighted with our work.  No ifs, ands or buts.
Don’t let your dirty carpet create an unhealthy atmosphere in your home or office. Call us today and we’ll explain how we can make your carpeting look (almost) as good as new.
Sincerely,
Brett Brodie

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