Mikey P
Administrator
- Joined
- Oct 6, 2006
- Messages
- 117,021
I had two conversations today with two different men, but it could have been the same person. If you’ve been in this trade long enough, you know this profile: the "Analog Kings" of the carpet cleaning world.Almost always 50 or older, they don't do "digital." They don’t want a portal; they want to pick up the phone and hear a voice, and the don't do pay Pal or Venmo. Mailing a check would be preferred if I were game.
When these guys call me, I try to drop what I'm doing. I have to focus, I can't multi-task, and I want to enjoy the moment. These aren't five-minute orders; they are hour-long masterclasses. They can be shy at first—men of few words who are used to being misunderstood by a world that just wants "cheap and fast." But because I speak the language, and because they hear my genuine appreciation for their tinkering, they open up. I try not to ask too many questions, but I can't help myself.
I’m fascinated by how their minds work—how they saw a factory flaw and spent a weekend in the garage "correcting" it. They're appreciative to hear my familiarity and concerns as no one else cares, certainly not their wives.
These are "read, touch, and experiment" learners. They get tired of factory equipment, so they build their own. They’ll plumb a custom heat exchanger into a PTO drive they engineered themselves. They strip out the safety sensors because they don’t need a bell to tell them their tank is full—they hear the pitch of the blower change.
Step into their shop and you’ll see rows of professionally polished or anodized wands, each one custom-plumbed. They are the backbone of the GreenGlides community because they recognize precision. They don't let a glide wear out; they have three fresh ones on the shelf "just in case."
They aren't the most animated conversationalists with the customer, yet their clients are the most loyal in the world. Homeowners don’t hire them for a chemical or USP; they hire them for Predictability and Safety. If these guys get sick, their clients won't call a competitor. They will wait months on a waiting list just to have "their guy" back. They are the USP.
They are the musicians or former engineers who found freedom in the driver’s seat. They remind me that in a world of automated replies, the person who truly knows their machine and their craft is still King.
It’s an honor to be the one they call when they’re ready to talk shop.
They may be the last to embrace a website, but they are the first to defend the truth of the craft. I’m building The Cleaning Standard for them—to ensure that when they finally hang up the wand, their 'Unicorn' level of expertise isn't lost, but is instead passed down as the blueprint for the next generation
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