Could you imagine a plumber putting on a show like a CCer?

[Bob Foster]

"Look at this fine plumbers wrench ma'am and we don't mark your pipes like those other unscrupulous plumbers do either."
"We put on booties, I bet you never seen that before."
"Wow Mr. Plumber, what a nice truck you have" "Yes ma'am its the worlds most powerful plumbers truck"

"Mr Plumber can you tell me what method you use?"

"Mr Plumber are you certified?"

"Ma'am would like to purchase our sink polish?"

"Ma'am would you like to have my web address and to subscribe to my blog?"










Why do so many people believe they have to try so hard?
They just want their fricken carpets cleaned and cleaned well and MOST don't want the show or the drama or the sell.

 

[Mike Draper]

Why do plumbers feel the need to show their crack?

 

[Nate The Great]

Why do plumbers feel the need to show their crack?

Because it makes them have less competition. Job security.

 

[handdi]

bob some of our plumbers in sc are putting on booties
believe it or not

 

[Bob Foster]

Hey Nate, just think of it. What other service industries come into a residence with such fanfare as us rug suckers.

12 step processes. Could you imagine a plumber talking on the phone about their 12 step hot water heater replacement service?
Nicest graphics in the service business except for maybe Priscilla's Dog Walking Service
Reminder cards like a dentist
Up sells like a car dealership sells undercoating

And who gets as much price questioning and pressure like a carpet cleaner? Not the plumber or electrician. They just go to work with a ball park figure and if they end up 30% out of the ball park the customer just shrugs their shoulders and pays the bill. Does he have to have a fancy wrapped van? Nnnooooo!


I know a girl who started a dog walking service and no shit she is making almost 100K a year with no overhead except dog briskets and doo doo bags.

 

[ACE]

We have to work harder on marketing than any other trade to stay alive. Thank you Howard Partridge! I don’t think anything will change unless the industry starts to regulate and standardize itself more. If Certification was required by law for carpet cleaners and they were required to perform work to a high standard or risk having there cert pulled by a board. CC would demand a little more respect and wouldn’t have to work so hard to impress our customers.

 

[Bob Foster]

Mike I would agree with you in part but I sure would not invite the government any farther into our businesses than they already are. I also believe somewhat the opposite of formula driven marketing as it is really starting to show in our industry.

The HP and JP disciples of our industry are very obvious and are as much a part of the problem of our public perception as they are the solution to those who are confused about how best to represent themselves to better their business results. In other words, the marketing gurus suggestions on how to market our businesses have left a lot of the same tired and I believe outdated messages out there and have promoted these formulas because in the past they had shown to give results. This marketing collateral is both outdated and boring. Look in you phone books and websites and tell me you can't very quickly determine if it was HP or JP influenced.

"If you are not absolutely thrilled your blah bla blah is blah blah"
"Beware of the blah blah blah"
"12 step blah blah process"

So the challenge is how do we leave a good impression without appearing to try too hard to be their best friend, best cleaner and best value and permanently impressed that you are God's gift to clean carpet and not look like every other cleaner who is doing the same thing.

Here is something outlandish to say. It's not about us, its about them. Put every effort into doing a high quality job, with a minimum of self promotion and let your polite well spoken (but not too many words) well groomed person or staff see to it that our customer is 100% satisfied with the job and that they are impressed on that alone. And do so without all the self-promotion about how good you are, how big your truck is or how many of this or that you think you are. It's called quiet elegance not noisy self promotion.

Building a relationship with a customer is based on the quality of work we do more than anything else. That means going over a spot three times till its right or getting that small stain out is more important than making sure she gets a fridge magnet.

Let others compete for who can make the most impressionable marketing "noise" and go through the middle of this noise with very high quality work and you will continue to get their business and their referrals.

Ask yourself this. Do you know anyone in this industry who has been around for more than 5 years that truly does very high quality work that isn't reasonably busy?

 

[-JB-]

They just want their fricken carpets cleaned and cleaned well and MOST don't want the show or the drama or the sell.

Amen.

I think the "industry" (us) are our own worst enemy.

Also ironically they somehow manage to find a way to charge service charges, and "we" can't... go figure?

 

[Ron Lippold]

if fricking gas prices go up much more I will be implementing a gas sur charge per hr and also a service charge.

 

[Ed]

We charge a $5 gas surcharge on every invoice for carpet cleaning. Bob, you make some excellent points and the big secret is that many of the cleaners who use these marketing tactics are average or below in their service level. Our guys wear booties, we don't sell it, we just do it. We take cloth runners to put down in entry ways so we don't bring a mess in to our customer's (not client) home when it's rainy or snowing out. We don't advertise that either, we just do it. You are right that many sell themselves as seperate and above from the average cleaner, then don't do anything different and often less, so it does lend to the used car sales image of our industry. We do our job, do it right and if our customer has an issue with the service, we correct it no matter what.

We still offer carpet cleaning, but we don't have to. I contemplate dropping every week because it drains too many resources from my restoration business, but I hate to walk away from the cash flow it provides. If I could find a manager to run the carpet cleaning division, it wouldn't trouble me so, but I don't have the time to market it and manage it. There are just so many shuck and jivers out there diluting the gene pool.

 

[Guest]

Ask yourself this. Do you know anyone in this industry who has been around for more than 5 years that truly does very high quality work that isn't reasonably busy?[/quote]


Other than the "high quality" part,in about a year and a half,I would have to go with Barb Foster :wink: (if he hasnt fallen over by then)

 

[Walt]

I takes years to become a licensed plumber in Oregon. - Apprentice ship and school. And finally a test.

Can you imagine if they did that to the carpet cleaning industry?

And after all that, some would be unhappy to only make 80 bucks an hour.

 

[-JB-]

we don't sell it, we just do it.

amen bother.

 

[ACE]

I takes years to become a licensed plumber in Oregon. - Apprentice ship and school. And finally a test.

Can you imagine if they did that to the carpet cleaning industry?

And after all that, some would be unhappy to only make 80 bucks an hour.

Yes, I can Imagine and it would be great. I personally think that the work we do is at least as important as plumbers. If licensing / certification where required and the industry was brought up to high standards here is how our industry would work:

1. No more hacks.

2 Everyone makes about the same money per man hour. If you’re a master cleaner you make more and get more work. If you run a big company you make more. If you run your company well you make more but you would not see bids between $.10 and $.60 per sq ft. There would be less competition based on price.

3 Everyone in the industry is accepted as a professional. This means less allot less marketing and higher profitability.


I’m not saying we should ask the government to regulate us. I’m saying we need to tell government we are going to regulate our own industry. I don’t think it would take much effort by a group like the IICRC to get this type of legislation passed on a local or state wide level. Ask a plumber if the make any money in an area that does not require licensing or have building codes.

 

[Mike Draper]

I takes years to become a licensed plumber in Oregon. - Apprentice ship and school. And finally a test.

Can you imagine if they did that to the carpet cleaning industry?

And after all that, some would be unhappy to only make 80 bucks an hour.

Yes, I can Imagine and it would be great. I personally think that the work we do is at least as important as plumbers. If licensing / certification where required and the industry was brought up to high standards here is how our industry would work:

1. No more hacks.

2 Everyone makes about the same money per man hour. If you’re a master cleaner you make more and get more work. If you run a big company you make more. If you run your company well you make more but you would not see bids between $.10 and $.60 per sq ft. There would be less competition based on price.

3 Everyone in the industry is accepted as a professional. This means less allot less marketing and higher profitability.


I’m not saying we should ask the government to regulate us. I’m saying we need to tell government we are going to regulate our own industry. I don’t think it would take much effort by a group like the IICRC to get this type of legislation passed on a local or state wide level. Ask a plumber if the make any money in an area that does not require licensing or have building codes.

YES.....Then we could all join a union and the business would be perfect!

 

[Ken Snow]

Come on Mike- Give us a break, we are talking carpet cleaning for gosh sakes. Plus we already have the IICRC/CRI nazi's, last thing we need imo is more interference in business by a governmental entitiy. I could see if you were talking about water damage and mold restoration, but carpet cleaning can literally be taught in a few days (see Steve T's fast track program), where even if concentrated a plumbers traing program would take a year or two. No comparison I thinks.

 

[nickreal]

Plumbers have been using shoe covers and putting on a presentation for decades. Look at "George Brazil" or "Mike Diamond" these plumbers will make most carpet cleaners look dirty. Plumbers also sell what process their going to use, cabling, jetting, chemicals, or replacement are just a few of the options for clearing a drain.

Some people just always think the grass is greener on the other side of the hill. One of the main advantages cleaners have is, people like to have their carpets cleaned. They are happy when you show up and happy to pay when you're done. Nobody ever says. I hope my faucet starts dripping today or maybe my water heater will start to leak tomorrow.

Just an opinion of someone who's worn both hats...

Rick N.

 

[ACE]

Keep it up Ken and Mike you’re going to get blacklisted.

Okay, maybe mandating licensing is not a realistic / good idea. I guess the industry is slowly improving on its own. Still, I have never seen and industry so full of BS. Maybe bob is right all you can do is be professional and give great service without the BS.

 

[Ron Werner]

One thing is that people don't look at carpet cleaning as they do plumbing. With plumbing its a mechanical thing, if it works great, if it leaks, or no hot water, call someone in to fix it. More like a mechanic.
With carpet cleaning, most still look at it as "cleaning", and most people think they can "clean", think of it as a commodity ie one cleaner is the same as another.
Plumbers don't need to educate people that they need plumbing.
We need to educate people to clean more frequently, and that there IS a difference in how its cleaned.
SO its not so much the "show" we have to provide, but a short class, when we walk in the door. The "showy" parts just distinguish us from the others.

 

[-JB-]

most still look at it as "cleaning", and most people think they can "clean", think of it as a commodity ie one cleaner is the same as another.
Plumbers don't need to educate people that they need plumbing.
We need to educate people to clean more frequently, and that there IS a difference in how its cleaned.

very good point. :wink:

 

[Wayne Miller]

Good point, Bob. The basics really are that simple. Have a good bedside manner. Do a decent job, be honest and fair and people have all the reason they need to like you and trust you and invite you back again and again.

 

[Ken Snow]

There you have it :-)

 

[Bob Foster]

I think that potential customers have a perception of our industry as "over embelished" and hard sell or they are indiferrent to why or how something should be cleaned. They simply want it cleaned. All the other noise is the embellishment foisted on customers by carpet cleaners who are earnestly trying to make their business financially healthy because they believe they must do this or else they won't succeed.

This frontal attack (read hard sell, scare sell, educated sell, health sell, dust mites sell, soaking wet sell) has either pissed customers off or numbed them to the over used and tired marketing messages just like motorists have been numbed to flashing amber lights on our highways. The guru's answers often is to lay it on thicker or differently and that just makes us look more car salesmen like not less.

If you took a SFS model of the holistic approach to a carpet cleaning business they put the required importance of business operations, cash flow, and those aspects of running the business into their education. I believe in a toned down version of all the chutzpa of marketing collateral and concentrating on doing Very Very good work.

As far as I am concerned if you sent out a reminder card more than once to a residential customer beyond their usual cleaning pattern you're pissing them off and will appear in their eyes to be trying too hard. If I were to choose another means of imprinting your company and mostly yourself in a positive light it might be to send out a Christmas or holiday greetings card.

A good website is a must and in my opinion it should sell but very respectfully and not hard sell. It's about them - not us.

Hoping all of you success whatever way you get there.

 

[Steve Toburen]

If you took a SFS model of the holistic approach to a carpet cleaning business they put the required importance of business operations, cash flow, and those aspects of running the business into their education. I believe in a toned down version of all the chutzpa of marketing collateral and concentrating on doing Very Very good work.

It's about them - not us.

Hoping all of you success whatever way you get there.

Lots of good points above and interestingly from all sides of the spectrum. The best analysis I ever heard of the "residential services industry" (which both plumbers and carpet cleaners are a part of) came from, oddly enough, a plumber! (I forget his name.) He said, "People will pay for two things- 1) a solution to their problem and 2) good feelings." I say put the two together and you will be a guaranteed success. Now HOW you do that is what we are arguing about above! That is what is so great about this business- so many different roads to success.

Note to Bob: That is an interesting way to describe our approach: "holistic". I've always called it "developing a Business Infrastructure". This is where lots of marketing programs fall down. They may get the phone to ring but then what? Many businesses go broke while being super busy. Maybe that is why we only give Big Billy Yeadon one day out of five for his marketing concepts! (However, it is a very full day!)

Steve "Island Boy" Toburen
www.StrategiesForSuccess.com

PS The topic of HOW you get repeat referral business has been cropping up fairly frequently in my new "Dear Abby" type column for carpet cleaners called Steve's "Bleeding Hearts Club". For example, here is one question I recently received. Check it out here:

http://www.strategiesforsuccess.com/43/ ... heerleader

While you are at it check out the entire SFS site. It is brand new and available to everyone. I would appreciate your ideas and observations.

 

[Wayne Miller]

"As far as I am concerned if you sent out a reminder card more than once to a residential customer beyond their usual cleaning pattern you're pissing them off and will appear in their eyes to be trying too hard."

I used to think anything we did to contact people would tick them off. Much to my surprise we did finally learn, more often than not, they were grateful for regular contact.

 

[Steve Toburen]

"I used to think anything we did to contact people would tick them off. Much to my surprise we did finally learn, more often than not, they were grateful for regular contact.

The hardest thing I ever learned (finally) was to quit viewing things as a curmudgeonly carpet cleaner and accept the idea that MAYBE I was not my customer. Once I started thinking outside the narrow and semi-resentful mental box I had placed myself in my business exploded. Seriously ...

Steve "Island Boy" Toburen
www.StrategiesForSuccess.com

PS One painful thing I learned is that I was not near as important to my customer's as I thought I was. Therefore the need for constant but discreet reminders of what their carpet cleaner's name was!

 

[Ron Lippold]

Well the biggest problem I see is this. Plumbers have to do things by code which puts them in a different league than us. The biggest problem with carpet cleaners like auto mech is that we are not going to let anyone tell us how to run our business. Thats why we have to try so hard.

Im not saying we need to clean by code. Cleaning carpet is like living in the wild west. Usually the big gun wins. Weather marketing equipment or the dog and pony show. It's what we have chosen. Dont make it so hard.

 

[billyeadon]

Bob,

I think the issue is not so much that you need to continually tell consumers what you are doing but that you as the Island Boy would say "providing unspoken answers to unspoken questions." Customers won't always ask you embarrassing questions but you can answer them by your systematic processes in the home.

Remember that your customer is most likely a woman and she is very detail oriented. She is watching all the nonverbal clues.

And yes she could care less about your truck.

 

[Brian R]

If I wasn't so busy right now, I believe I would be all over this. I love this kind of thread.

It actually sucks AND is very cool that I have no time lately.

Whatyagonnado?


And my new campaign hits on the 11th. Ugh...I can't wait.

 

[Ken Snow]

Re-read Steve's and Big Billy's posts again. The cusotmer is most often a woman and she doesn't care about how big our "package" is and she is looking for all those verbal and non-verbal cues to judge how we are doing.

Steve nailed it on head that we are not the most important thing to our clients and we had better do everything we can to make the experince positive and minimally distruptive to their lives.

Ken