7 Mistakes To Avoid When Choosing A Carpet Cleaner

7 Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing a Carpet Cleaner

Mistake #1: Choosing a cleaner based on equipment alone.

Well, no question. A $20,000-$30,000 brand new truck-mount with lots of promises in pretty

lettering on the side looks very impressive. The fact remains, I'll be using the same  machine that

came with my business when I purchased it in 1982  to restore the carpet they wreck with it. (Unless I

break down and buy a shiny new one just to improve my image.)

Mistake #2: Choosing a carpet cleaner based on low price.

This can be a problem in at least three ways:

1) Low price is the bait that gets you to call. Once in the home, you

are pressured into a more expensive job.

2) Low price could be for single-process (regular) cleaning. Once

explained, the customer is pressured to purchase the more

expensive "dual-process" (Illegal "bait-and-switch").

3) Often, especially in the cases above, the cleaner is inexperienced,

has cheap equipment, is untrained and lacks skill, or just doesn't

know what it costs to acquire the things that will get results,

referrals, and enable his business to stand the test of time.

Mistake #3: Choosing a carpet cleaner based on one phone call.

Instead, invite the person into your home to give you a firm, written quotation. Then you'll know

exactly what the cleaner recommends - and you won't be the victim of high pressure tactics when the

technician steps into your living room. (Some owners pay their technicians on commission

and don't even know how their customers are being pressured - or they encourage it.)

Mistake #4: Choosing a carpet cleaner who does not offer a 100% money-back guarantee.

Inexperienced cleaners have all kinds of reasons why they would never offer a guarantee: "What if t

the carpet is 20 years old and has permanent stains? - I'll lose my shirt

Experienced cleaners know that consumers aren't unreasonable, generally. They have a pretty good i

idea which of their stains are permanent and they

don't expect a 20-year-old carpet that 4 kids and 10 pets were raised on

will look like brand new because it was cleaned. They also know that a

company that doesn't offer a 100 % satisfaction guarantee is not very

confident of their ability to delight their clients with good old fashioned

skill and service. Ask him if he offers a written guarantee and make sure

it is included on the written quotation.

Mistake #5: Choosing a carpet cleaner without getting comments from his other clients.

Make sure you ask for references or are able to read comments from

current clients so you can depend on him and his work.

 

Mistake #6: Choosing a carpet cleaner who isn't certified.

I shudder to think what some of these guys are doing to people's carpets

by going out there with no formal training and trying to operate a truckmount

that puts out 3 gallons of 200-degree water per minute at 500 psi.

Even worse, trying to get a carpet clean with a portable that

doesn't have any power. (I see the results every day.)

Though seeing your operator's certification (not his boss's) doesn't

guarantee he will do a good job, not seeing it can mean just about

anything. (Ask me for a sampling of my horror stories.)

Mistake #7: Choosing a cleaner who is not a member of Angie's List.

https://www.angieslist.com is a website where you can find Find Top Rated Professionals - (Carpet Cleaners)

This website dedicated to:

1) honest, ethical business practices

2) staying current on carpet construction, fiber developments, and

the chemistry and procedures for caring for them

3) the highest level of customer service

You make a wise decision when you check  to https://www.angieslist.com

see if your cleaner is listed there in good standing.