Good time to start a business?

The Yellow Pages may give the impression that the market is saturated with cleaning firms. But less than 30 % of all installed carpet is ever professionally cleaned. Here's another statistic to think about. More than 80% of the cleaners listed in the yellow pages use voice mail to answer their calls and of those who advertise elsewhere, a majority use cheap room pricing.

These are definite advantages to anyone who advertises prudently and answers their phone. Indeed, it is a great time to start a carpet, hard floor and furniture cleaning business for another reason, too. Traditionally, this business improves during recessionary periods and according to the media we are in one of those now.

A cleaning service can be a successful, profitable endeavor no matter when you start it if you do your homework first. Get a head start by spending three days at Bane-Clene Institute to learn from people who have been in the cleaning business for forty-seven years.

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Celebrate Independence Day

Wave a flag tomorrow. Let your neighbors know you're proud to be an American and that you appreciate this country. With all of the political distractions it's sometimes difficult to remember that this is the greatest and most powerful nation on planet earth.

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Did You Know?

Credit bureaus are required to give you a report of any information they may have about you in their credit file. You can find out who has inquired about you, why credit was refused, have missing information added and erroneous information removed from your file. It's all covered by "The Fair Credit Reporting Act" passed by congress.

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Maintain Morale

To maintain morale during difficult economic times, company leaders should spend extra time communicating with employees. Do what you say you will do. Strive for reliability, consistency and predictability. Management at all levels should project a calm confidence and be honest. Don't scare people by describing a potential calamity that may cause them to lose their job.

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On arrival at the job

To put a customer at ease when you arrive at the job site, be sure to wear an identification badge with your certification number and a photograph. This helps instill a sense of security and establishes the fact that you are qualified to do the job. Offering brochures about extra services you offer makes it easier to get plus sales such as furniture cleaning, hard floor care and protectors.

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Selling A Service on the phone

A service is difficult to sell on the telephone because it can't be seen to make it easy to sell. There are 'in-your-face' consultants in our business who offer advice on how to close a sale. Don't try to emulate slick salespeople. Be yourself and sell with sincerity, honesty and integrity.

Offer to mail or hand deliver a brochure about your services as a closing thought in a phone inquiry. Establishing trust is important in making a sale on the telephone. Try this guarantee. "If you're not entirely pleased with our service there will be no charge." That's the strongest assurance a consumer can get and is unbeatable.

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Rewarding work

In this complicated world where workers sometimes never get to see the results of their efforts, our industry stands out as one that can recognize immediate accomplishments. Recently, a service technician said, "I enjoy this job because I can see, right now, what I've done, and I love it when customers rave about my work." That's real job satisfaction!

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Be proud

The great preacher, Norman Vincent Peale, spoke at three Bane-Clene conventions in the '80s. The last time Dr. Peale was with us in 1986, he said, "You people should be proud of what you do for a living. You make things clean and there are not many industries that can make that statement today."

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Whose fault is this?

A technician is asked to clean another room after the hoses are rolled up and he offers a feeble excuse for why he can't do it. The result is a disappointed customer and lost revenue for the company. Management is often guilty of hiring service employees without giving them adequate training and special instructions covering situations like this.

To develop a winning spirit, management must be willing to devote the time and money necessary to train and instill knowledge, job integrity and confidence in new employees. A friendly, caring attitude is indispensable to good customer service and must be sought at the time of hiring and then cultivated through guidance at regular meetings.

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Tough times?

Keep your business thriving by reaching out to customers with whom you've lost contact. Make "special offers" to current and past customers that are not available to new customers. Keep your mailing lists clean and be sure to mail "special introductory offers" to new prospects only. Nothing upsets a current customer like receiving a "special offer" for a newby when they didn't get it the last time you worked for them.

Strive to improve your customer satisfaction quotient. Do the little extra things you are taught at Bane-Clene Institute. Review your marketing program and revive policies that have worked for you in the past. Collect and make testimonials readily available for prospects to see. Make it easy for them to pick your company over the many competitors that are out there.

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Treating Customers Right

Customers can be turned off, not by price, but by apathy, carelessness and discourteous treatment. Every business fears a computer virus, but no business is immune from personnel who deal with the public in a lethargic way. With today's intense competition, greater emphasis must be placed on developing responsive employee attitudes.

Many service companies have failed to take to heart the fundamental policy that quality level at the point-of-sale is crucial to sustained revenue and profit. Lackluster results on balance sheets are usually matched by indifferent attitudes on the phone and by service technicians who are in a hurry to go home. While there are certainly exceptions, grouchy employees are too prevalent to be explained away as random incidents.

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An ode to the customer

You have my personal guarantee that you shall never see,
carpet and furniture more beautiful than that cleaned by me.

I'll move with caution so carefully through your house,
with determination and silence like a tiny church mouse.

I'll take your soil away with me and I'll do it ever so quick and quietly.
My way is environmentally good for you and all the rest of society.

Keeping your family and pets safe is my number one priority.
My tools and cleaning agents are known for their superiority.

My reward for this assignment is your smile as you admire.
An elation to which most cleaning technicians can only aspire.

When I listen to your praise, what more I can say.
I proudly cleaned for you, the Bane Clene Way®.

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Why am I not surprised?

A buyer for a big box store was sentenced to five years in prison for his role in a floorcovering vendor kickback scheme. He will have to pay nearly $1.2 million in restitution that he took in cash and gifts from flooring manufacturers to get their products in his company's stores. There are several more individuals being investigated in the scandal and arrests are likely. This says a lot about the ethics of sales management people and buyers on the take, doesn't it?

Other areas of corruption may soon come under scrutiny, too. Hopefully investigators will get into wide spread fraud and other allegations involving insurance adjusters, water and fire damage contractors, bidding improprieties and supply irregularities in peripheral industries. This is long overdue and could see many more go to jail.

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Double stroking technique

Some equipment makers put a device on a cleaning head to lock the solution valve in the “ON” position so the application is constant during the forward and reverse strokes. Salesmen tout the ease of operation and claim their equipment is so powerful it will allow the double stroking technique and the operator does not need to be constantly turning the valve off and on.

The truth is that this technique causes blotching as a result of over wetting. Solution soaks deeper into the carpet at the end of the back stroke as the direction of the cleaning head is reversed. The excess moisture is not picked up immediately by the vacuum head and is allowed to settle to the base of the carpet fibers causing uneven wetting.

When moisture wicks to the surface seeking air to dry, it evaporates and leaves a trace of any mineral or chemical content. The wet spots dry slower and leave more trace deposits than lightly moistened areas. Discoloration may not occur for weeks or even months after the carpet is cleaned and most times it is blamed on the carpet.

The single stroke technique taught at Bane-Clene Institute ensures that the cleaning solution is applied only on the back stroke. It is essential to learn the cutoff point at the end of the solution application stroke and pass the vacuum head beyond that point. Even wetting and thorough extraction leaves a carpet looking like new.

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Does size of business ensure success?

Planning, determination, firm principles, hard work and good service are the ingredients that have always been necessary to succeed beyond the norm. And bigger isn't necessarily better.

Rao's Restaurant in New York City is a notable example. Reservations must be made at least a year in advance. It is nearly impossible to dine at Rao's unless the owner invites you. Rao's has only ten tables and has been in the same location for 120 years.

When asked why he doesn't expand, the owner says he likes it that way and does not like to change. Perform your service well and continue to do so. You can charge top dollar and expand your client list only as you desire. Big isn't always better!

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Bane-Clene® keeps it simple!

Technicians measure to verify the price, pull in 2 hoses, plug in and clean carpets and furniture. They roll up the hoses, collect and leave! There's no water to hook up, no chemicals to blend and no expensive fuel to buy. Noise and fumes are non-existent and we take the dirty water with us.

No one does it better or for less cost. High quality engineering is backed by the best warranty, marketing and training programs in the business. Call us on the carpet®.

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Advertising

Talking with someone about advertising can be difficult, especially if he says something like, "I've been in business for 10 years and I don't need to advertise. All of my business comes from word of mouth." Ironically, this same man called me later to complain about his business being so bad and he wanted suggestions to improve it. I gave him several.

Later, I asked a 40-year veteran of the advertising business how he makes his case to such a non-believer. He said, "The church I go to has been in business for two thousand years and they still advertise. They have a sign out front, they're in the yellow pages, have an internet web site, publish a weekly bulletin and they ring their bell before every service, too."

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Furniture cleaning

Commercial and residential furniture cleaning can build customer relations by providing service that many cleaning firms do not offer. Profit margins can be greatly improved, especially if upholstery is cleaned during slow times or is scheduled at the same time carpet is being cleaned. Offering both wet and dry service means nearly all upholstery can be cleaned.

Cleaning furniture pays well, too. Large commercial carpet and upholstery cleaning contracts can result f rom cleaning in the homes of executives. Mailing a furniture cleaning brochure to both commercial and residential prospects will help stimulate this bonus business.

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Pricing service

It's easier to maintain a balance of costs, pricing and profits in times of a stable economy. When business opportunities are growing, inflation is minimal, and the cost of borrowing is low and available for equipment, inventory or expansion, pricing procedures are not as crucial.

But, in difficult times when the economy tightens, lending is constricted and inflation is heating up pay attention to business fundamentals. Pricing has to reflect the true cost of labor, material, overhead and profit. If just one of these elements is slighted, trouble will not be far behind.

Profit margins can be greatly increased by adding volume when fixed overhead does not expand. Square footage pricing has proven to be best in relating true costs to the price charged for each job. We have an adjustable price calculator in our catalog that is accurate and efficient if you need help establishing prices.

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Look professional

When making sales calls, dress the part. Wear proper business attire (not a uniform) and have shined shoes and hair neatly trimmed. Be five minutes early for an appointment. Use a firm handshake rather than a limp, cold fish feel, but don't try to put the person down on one knee.

Keep eye contact. Don't talk while looking at the floor or out a window. Be sure to sit up straight and do not slouch. Learn to listen to your prospects for cleaning services. They will tell you what they want if you listen. And don't forget to ask for the order!

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Doorknob Advertising

Some cleaning firms use this way to tell the neighbors that they have worked for a neighbor. Doorknob hangers may seem like a good idea, but before resorting to this type of advertising think seriously about it.

While some don't mind their neighbors knowing what they are doing, there are those who have just the opposite reaction. A survey found that a majority of consumers do not wish to be used as a referral unless they decide to do the referring.

Bane-Clene does not use doorknob hangers except in the event a customer is not at home for a scheduled appointment. A notice is left with information for rescheduling the service. Police say professional burglars watch for signs such as newspapers, doorknob hangers and circulars to tell if a resident is away for an extended period.

Bane-Clene has developed gift service certificates for those customers who offer a referral to others. This method promotes a solid referral business while never risking the chance of offending a customer who may not wish to be used as a reference.

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Abraham Lincoln said...

"You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred. You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence. You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves."

Some compare themselves to Mr. Lincoln, but have any of our so-called representatives in Washington ever read Lincoln's words? He also said, "No foreign power will ever walk the Blue Ridge or take a drink from the Ohio. If ever our nation shall fall, it will come from within."

http://www.hirhome.com/cfr.htm

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More than just advertising

The advertising class at Bane-Clene Institute explores the philosophies of advertising and identifies the market which best responds to the services we offer. The complete advertising and sales promotion program offers direct mail brochures, sales aids, business cards, letterheads, invoices and all the forms necessary to run a successful service company.

The "Referral Network" produces work nationwide through leads generated from the internet, our toll-free phone lines, magazine and radio ads and our many contacts in the carpet industry. There is no charge to join the network nor is there a charge for the referrals. There is a one-time fee of $99 for a link to baneclene.com.

These are not ideas dreamed up by a highly paid consultant. They come from the award winning* Service Division of Bane-Clene Corporation.

*Awards from the Better Business Bureau, Angie's List, consumer advocates and television stations have been presented to the company.

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The Last Bastion

Service people, entering a customer's home, are treading in a special place. It is the last bastion of privacy, serenity and safety in the life of the average consumer. Protect their property, treat them with respect and you'll be invited back again and again. Violate that trust and there will never be another opportunity to enter that sanctuary.

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Big banks, FRB, CFR, IMF,WB, UN,TC, S&B, etc., etc., etc!*

"If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and the corporations which grow up around them will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their father conquered." Thomas Jefferson

*Click on this link to get a history lesson about the alphabet soup in the heading.

http://www.hirhome.com/cfr.htm

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Long & short of advertising

A study examined the purchasing behavior of buyers who were exposed to specific ad campaigns and compared them to like buyers who didn't see the ads. More buyers exposed to the campaign bought the advertised product for nine of the ten products studied.

Sales volume increased for 80% of the products. Overall, sales increased over the short term among buyers exposed to the campaigns for the majority of the products. Long term, nearly everyone agrees advertsing works, but it has some short term impact , too.

Most carpet cleaning services want immediate and measurable gains in the short term and do not think long term. Too often, a business owner will quit just before the long term benefits of an ad campaign come to fruition.

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Don't be upset

Professional carpet cleaners often get upset over the misinformation dispensed by some carpet salespeople. Bad advice includes, but is not limited to; "Cleaning makes it resoil quickly;" or; "You should never get carpet wet," or, "Once you clean it, you'll have to clean it more often."

Arrange a meeting with the owner or manager of a carpet outlet. Offer a free demonstration at their home or place of business. Their reputation is on the line and you have to eliminate any doubt from their mind that you know what you're doing and your process is safe and effective.

Most important, don't forget to ask for the business and their support. Then follow up in a few weeks with another courtesy call. Do not assume that one successful demonstration or one cordial meeting has guaranteed a solid business relationship.

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Show Your Credentials

A consumer television program suggested that service personnel who go into residences should wear uniforms with photo identification badges. Bane-Clene Institute has been teaching this concept and the importance of photo ID badges for more than 30 years.

An identification badge with a current photograph of the technician helps promote a feeling of security for your customers. Professional Cleaners' Association (PCA) and Bane-Clene Certified Technician shoulder patches also help establish credibility and instill consumer confidence.

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Why am I not surprised

A product buyer for a big box store was recently sentenced to five years in prison for his role in a floorcovering vendor kickback scheme. He made about $200,000 a year in his job buying flooring for the chain and will have to pay nearly $1.2 million in restitution that he took in cash and gifts from flooring manufacturers to get their products in his company's stores.

There are several more being investigated in the scandal and other areas may come under scrutiny, too. Hopefully investigators will get into fraud and other allegations about insurance, bidding and supply irregularities in concurrent industries. It's long overdue!

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Soak & suck warning

Before you begin cleaning a carpet, do this simple test in a traffic lane. Kick the carpet with your foot or reach down and lift a few tufts. If the primary is delaminated from the secondary backing it will be easy to spot and may save you embarrassment and replacement of the carpet.

Cheap, inefficient extraction equipment available in most hardware stores is the problem. A carpet that has been soaked several times by one of these machines and then followed by a powerful, high-pressure, hot water unit may be delaminated and you'll get the blame for it.

You can clean this carpet without further problem, but if there is evidence of delamination, you should not proceed until you have the signed approval and confirmation by the customer that the delamination is a pre-existing condition and you are not responsible for it.

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Trickling down

Antron fiber is used by 20 commercial carpet mills and is a very good product for school applications. Invista, the fiber producer, has launched a website, antron.net/recovery/, for school renovations which will utilize funding available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Maybe we'll get to clean some of it.

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CFR

The banking debacle has one common denominator running through the whole sordid mess. The CFR (Council of Foreign Relations) is up to its eyeballs in every phase of this disaster from banking to Wall Street to the SEC. Their fingerprints are all over the government.

CFR members hold key positions in every segment of the calamity including the investigators and supposed regulators. This group, most with Ivy League pedigrees, have infiltrated the financial and political worlds to create the most incestuous financial disaster ever recorded.

Their strategy is to have one-world government (globalism) and one currency (not the dollar) which they can control. They have ignored the basic law of nature that in-breeding creates idiots and consequently the inmates are running the asylum.

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Clean Trucks

One of the best scenarios a carpet cleaner can hope for, is to have their service vehicle seen in someone's driveway. This is not only advertising, it is a testimonial that the resident is using the company's service. Neighbors and passers-by are exposed to this information.

A sparkling clean service truck says a great deal about the caliber of the service being offered by the cleaning company. People tend to judge others by outward appearances. Rightly or wrongly, that's the way it's done in our society.

A clean, well-lettered service truck translates to a high-quality service to many consumers. Conversely, a battered, dirty service vehicle may not even get a second look, much less a job. Keep those trucks clean!

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Can CRI/CSP solve carpet's dilemma?

The CRI/CSP (Certified Service Provider) program may be valuable if it were widely advertised by local carpet cleaners around the nation. But only 595 of the estimated 44,532 professional cleaning firms have signed up. Logistically, the numbers are not there to be successful.

The CRI testing program has caused confusion about the real root of consumer discontent with carpet. Most carpet complaints are not about professional cleaners. Nearly all professionals (not just Bane-Clene®) use good products in our services. Otherwise, we do not survive.

Complaints on the internet show that installation woes are still number one with consumers, followed by ill-informed carpet sales types, scheduling snafus and product substitution. There are even cases of retailers in bankruptcy taking deposits and not delivering the carpet.

Complaints about professional cleaners are not about chemicals or equipment. Overwhelmingly, they concern bait and switch ads and rude behavior. I've worked with TV personalities, BBBs and Angies' List exposing some of these. Nearly all other cleaning complaints originate from Do It Yourself, janitorial and in-house operators who use cheap products and unskilled labor.

The original CRI/SOA program for professional cleaners emphasized training, especially in customer relations, and placed the responsibility on industry schools. Certifying cleaning firms through these schools again would bring sorely needed numbers to the CSP program.

I have no suggestions for CRI about the DIY problem or for janitorial services and in-house operations which skimp on product quality and service frequency. They turn over their help too quickly to properly train them. But my answer to the headline question is a resounding, NO!

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Understanding the Stimulus Bill

A college student asked his economics professor to explain the stimulus bill. The professor said, "Come over to the swimming pool and I'll explain it." The professor gave the student a bucket and said, "Go to the deep end and fill the bucket, then go to the shallow end and pour it in."

After a number of trips from one end of the pool to the other, the confused student asked, "But why are we doing this?" The professor explained that he was trying to make the shallow end of the pool much deeper.

The student said, "But all we're doing is wasting our time and effort. When this process is over, both ends will be the same." The professor replied with a smile, "Congratulations my boy. Now you're beginning to understand the stimulus bill."

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Respect on the telephone

Begin by answering the phone promptly and giving your undivided attention to the caller. Use the caller's name whenever possible and use phrases like, "Thank you for calling." and "May I put you on hold?" Smile, too! A smile lights up your voice and I believe it can be detected.

Be positive! If you were the customer, how would you like to hear someone on the phone tell you bluntly, "No! We don't work Sunday!" Wouldn't it be much friendlier to say, "I'm so sorry, Mrs. (Name), but our technicians are off duty on Sunday."

Quoting company rules doesn't go over well with a prospect or a customer. Everyone knows there are rules, but if you relay them softly instead of calling the play like a baseball umpire, chances are their perception and reception of the rules will be more favorable.

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Tough time for business

In October of 2000, I wrote an article for a magazine about why cleaning companies fail. Most failures are caused by one or more of these reasons; under capitalization, poor planning, low cash flow, ignoring customers, procrastination, ineffective marketing, and having a closed mind.

This was written before the 9/11 catastrophe, the war on terror, skyrocketing oil prices and the current economic debacle. In retrospect, this has been a terrible decade, but surprisingly most of the people I know in our business are still in our business in spite of all that's happened.

Profits may be down a little and we may have to work a little harder bringing in business, but we're still here. Think about this when you watch the negative nightly news with its litany of troubles. I'd rather be in our business than a lot of others I can think of, wouldn't you?

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Who are they kidding?

A bait and switch cleaner who advertises $6.00 a room ran a help wanted ad that said their best man had earned $975.00 the prior week. He would have had to clean 162.5 rooms just to cover his pay. What about advertising, telephone, office help, insurance and truck expenses?

The next week another bait and switch advertiser had an ad for help in the same newspaper. It stated that a hard worker could earn $1,000.00 a week. Which only proves that the first liar doesn’t stand a chance.

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Insurance woes

Everyone is talking about bailouts, bonuses, foreign payments of our tax money and buck passing. Was the housing bubble started by congress? Did AIG get bailed out because they underwrite congressional pensions? Who in congress got campaign contributions from AIG?

But the most egregious legislation the corrupt politicians in Washington have ever proposed would make veterans use their own insurance for treatment at a VA hospital. That's one more way our inept congress has of saying, "Thank you for your service to our country."

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Food for thought

Wools of New Zealand has made its annual color forecast. They predict these colors for 2010 that sound good enough to eat. Whoever wrote this release must have been hungry at the time.

• Sumptuous tones of coffee, caramel, cocoa and melted chocolate blend with soft, warm, natural colors.
• Romantic hues of faded rose and mulberry intersperse with rich shades of wild berries, plums and violet.
• Fresh vegetable greens blend into herbal shades of olive.
• Mellowed golds diffuse into warm aromatic spice tones of cinnamon and burnt orange.
• Cool grays complement warm soft neutrals, ecological greens and rich, dark tones.
• Barely there pastels, frozen naturals and powdered minerals morph into meteorological inspired tones of stormy grays, teals and midnight blues.

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What would Thomas Paine say?

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What would Thomas Paine* say about the present state of affairs in America?
Click on the link below and scroll down to the video, then click on it to start.

http://rightsoup.com/and now a message from thomas paine/

* He was known as the father of the revolutionary war and I have always considered him to be one of the founding fathers even though there were many who did not appreciate his common sense approach to government. We need some of that in Washington today.

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Call it anything else

Polyester has such a bad reputation that Mohawk and DuPont petitioned the Federal Trade Commission to establish a new fiber subclass within the classification of polyester. Retailers were having trouble selling the new PTT fiber that is technically in the polyester family.

The application was made in 2006, and FTC has agreed to grant another fiber designation for the new product called Triexta. Mohawk SmartStrand, with DuPont's Sorona fiber should benefit from the change in regulation. Now they don't have to call it polyester.

The word is that the new fiber is better than polyester, but no information has been shared with the cleaning industry, that I know of, regarding the cleaning, maintenance or performance of the new fiber. But we'll find out, won't we?

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Now that's "American"

Tom Rennie, the well-known Scottish carpet consultant, was interviewed by Floor Focus magazine. He predicted the economy for the carpet industry would start a turn around in the second quarter of 2009. That sounds great and I hope he's right, but that remains to be seen!

He also said lower oil prices have made Nylon competitive with Polyester again which is certainly good news for carpet cleaners. There is a great deal of animosity by folks in the business about Polyester. Don Terry covers the cleaning of it thoroughly at our school.

But the most interesting thing he said is that carpet, unlike other floor covering, is a truly "American" product. Carpets, fibers, backings and adhesives are all made in America, by Americans, and are sold by Americans.

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Understanding the Stimulus Bill

A college student asked his economics professor to explain the stimulus bill. The professor said, "Come over to the swimming pool and I'll explain it." The professor gave the student a bucket and said, "Go to the deep end and fill the bucket then go to the shallow end and pour it in."

After a number of trips from one end of the pool to the other, the confused student asked, "But why are we doing this?" The professor explained, "We're trying to make the shallow end of the pool much deeper. Just keep dipping at the deep end and pouring at the shallow end."

The student said, "But all we're doing is wasting time and effort. When this process is over, everything will be at the same level. All we've done is waste our time." The professor replied with a smile, "Congratulations. Now you understand the stimulus bill."

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Gasoline under $2...WOW!

The mentality of consumers continues to amaze me. Maybe P. T. Barnum was right! Forget all those conservation promises. Stop thinking about independence from foreign oil. Quit talking about off-shore drilling. Get that old SUV out of mothballs. "Happy days are here again." *

Race from one traffic light to the next. In this down economy when no one has any spare cash, mash that gas pedal and burn that rubber off those tires. If your family owns two cars, be sure to drive 'em both. Don't plan an itinerary so two or more can ride together. That would save fuel.

Think about this. The drop in oil prices resulted from just talking about reducing our reliance on foreign oil during the presidential campaign. Imagine how low the price of oil would go if we actually put a drill in the ground and had the guts to do the things we talk about, like conserving energy, building new refineries and nuclear power plants. Oh! And driving sensibly.

* The theme song of the "Great Depression."

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Difference of opinion

A survey showed a huge difference of opinion between carpet cleaners and customers who changed services. Eighty percent of the dissatisfied customers gave one or more of these reasons for quitting; misleading advertising, failure to come back on complaints, rude treatment, tardiness, unkempt appearance or poor telephone manners.

When business owners were asked why they thought they lost the job, only 10% blamed their business practices, behavior of their employees or the quality of their service. The other 90% said that demanding or fickle customers, unethical price competition and changing demographics were the reasons they lost the business.

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Pure BS (Bait & Switch)

Bait and switch hurts the carpet industry more than poor quality workmanship by professional cleaners. Here's a link to the most recent example of the affliction that strikes our business every week in some part of the nation. Help stomp this out and you'll immediately see an improvement in the consumers' perception of carpet.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com:80/lanow/2009/03/santa monica wa.html

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Respect your caller

Whether taking an order for service or answering a complaint, show respect on the phone. Good or bad news should be treated equally and politely. Listening is the key to good customer relations. Lead the caller by asking fact finding questions and be sure to listen to their answers.

Respect the caller's intelligence, too. Using technical jargon is a cardinal sin. The average consumer does not wish to become an expert in the cleaning field. But, don't assume they know nothing about the business. They could have had experiences with other cleaning firms and know enough to ask relevant questions.

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Jimmie sez: "Happy St. Patrick's day!"

People often ask about the origin of our little leprechaun. In 1969, my wife and I were on vacation in Florida and sent a St. Patrick's Day card featuring a leprechaun to her folks in Philadelphia. When we arrived back in Indianapolis, the exact card was in our mailbox.

At first we thought her folks had sent the card back to us that we had sent to them. It was the identical card but it was addressed, signed and postmarked in Philadelphia the very same day that we had mailed their card from Florida.

We'd been looking for a cartoon type character for our new residential carpet cleaning business and this seemed to be a good omen. A commercial artist sketched a leprechaun, we liked it and named him "Jimmie" after Elizabeth's father. Jimmie's been mighty good to us all these years.

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The customer is (still) always right

That old adage is truer today than ever! Difficult economic times make it even more demanding on those who provide services to the public. People are spending less money and becoming more particular with whom they spend it.

A scruffy appearance, jeans with holes in the knees, rude T shirts and crude behavior may be hip in television commercials but consumers looking for high quality furniture and carpet cleaning services want clean, courteous people to do the work for them.

Don't be misled by cleaners on internet chat rooms who brag about "FIRING" customers. You better not fire your boss. Don't fall for degenerate ideas from self-proclaimed marketing gurus who prescribe brash, in your face advertising and sales tactics that don't work in our business.

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Competition

Truck mounted carpet cleaning units that use gasoline can do a good job, but they're expensive to operate. Noise, maintenance costs, dead batteries, danger of fire or explosion, excessive down time for repairs and not being able to hook up to water in extremely cold weather are problems.

Some portable machines can do a good job, too. But they cost valuable time in setting up, taking down and stopping to fill and empty the clean water and recovery tanks. Blowing fuses, choking a vacuum system with foam build up and diminishing recovery are all common problems.

Professional cleaners make a profit when the cleaning head is moving across the carpet or the hard floor. Bane-Clene equipment has been developed over many years with these goals; high quality cleaning results, ease of operation, dependability and profit for the operator!

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Focus on sales

Professional athletes are able to project a laser-like focus on their game. Sales people sometimes have a hard time focusing on closing a sale. Cleaning technicians are often so busy cleaning they can’t focus on anything but going home.

The cleaning industry relies on sales. The person who books the job must be a salesperson. Technicians are salespeople that the company relies on for "plus sales." These often represent the degree of profit a company will realize.

Management must stress the importance of everyone selling the benefits of doing business with the firm. Showing pride in our appearance, our work environment and our equipment helps project a positive image that will help everyone in the company focus on success.

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What's wrong with this picture?

As a veteran of WWII, I remember talking with buddies about buying our own homes after the war. Basic freedoms, especially property rights, were in serious jeopardy because Hitler, Mussolini and Tojo wanted to dominate the world. WWII was a good cause.

It was a different enemy when I served in the Korean War. The domineering Communist state owned everything under those totalitarian regimes and deprived people of basic freedoms such as property rights. That war had a good cause although some had their doubts.

So much for two wars and ideology. I don't know how it is where you live, but I have homes in Indiana and Florida and those two states own everything. We're only caretakers. We pay exorbitant property taxes and the better we care for the property, the more we pay the state.

Instead of a dream to retire in a home without making payments, we're saddled with ever increasing property taxes. If you think the state doesn't own the home you live in, don't make your tax payment. You will be evicted from the state's property! King George wasn't that bad.

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Do you want people to like you?

You can help influence the way they feel about you by:

• Becoming genuinely interested in them.
• Smiling at them.
• Calling customers by their names.
• Becoming a good listener.
• Encouraging others to talk about themselves.
• Talking about their interests.
• Making them feel important, and doing it sincerely.

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Interesting article

The Wall Street Journal had an article on cleaning furniture during hard economic times. It explains why cleaning services are busy while many other industries are slowing down.

Between 2004 and 2008*, the number of inquiries to the Better Business Bureau about carpet and rug cleaners (many of which do upholstery) roughly doubled to 313,039, putting it in the top 1% of industries ranked. Yellow Pages ranks Carpet and Rug Cleaners 22nd out of more than 4,000 headings. That category had more than 88 million references last year.

This is the link to the journal article:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123499809059416999.html?mod=todays_us_personal_journal

* I think the country has been in a period of economic hard times that can be traced back to the 9/11 catastrophe. The '04 to '08 increase in BBB inquiries seems to support that theory. In my opinion the wild growth of the past few years has been artificially induced and was bound to come to a harsh ending.

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Pardon me for tootin' our horn

Bane-Clene’s service company in Indianapolis has again been given Angie’s List "Super Service Award." It is presented to those who consistently maintain a superior service rating. Fewer than 5% of the businesses rated on Angie’s List are eligible for this award, and even fewer than that actually receive it.

Angie’s List is the fastest growing consumer organization in the world. More than 500,000 members in 124 major cities submit more than 20,000 reports each month. They describe their project and grade the company’s response time, prices and quality of workmanship.

The management and employees of Bane Clene are extremely proud and grateful for this prestigious award and extend our sincere appreciation along with our pledge to continue to earn the trust of Angie’s List and its many loyal patrons.

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Keep on Truckin'

Check out a driver's record before you hand the keys to your truck over to a new employee. Every state has a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) which can generate a Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) on anyone with a driver's license. Most work in conjunction with other states so you can often obtain a report even on someone who has just moved to your locale from another state.

After ensuring their legality, check their credibility by riding with the new employee. In about five minutes you can tell if they are proficient and polite behind the wheel. If not, don't trust them with your company vehicle and the concurrent liabilities.

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Freedom

There are people in government who think the words "under God" should not be on our money and the Ten Commandments should not be on government property. That is their right as an American, so be it. But, they should not participate in holidays which honor God.

If atheists work for the post office, they should deliver the mail on Christmas and Easter and every Sunday. If they are in the Senate or House of Representatives, they should not go home for Christmas and should work every Sunday to try to make up for some of the waste in Washington.

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Handling mistakes

Mistakes have brought giant corporations to their knees. A cleaning service can be destroyed by employee (or owner) mistakes. Anyone who does anything worthwhile makes mistakes. The secret is to make fewer mistakes than everyone else.

Handling mistakes is critical. A “blow up” may lose an employee. An employee may bristle and get even for the chewing out. There may be ramifications from others who thought the errant employee was over penalized or was let off the hook too easily.

Punishment is the least used technique in dealing with mistakes today. More often, a supervisor just chews a little, stews a little and then tries to forget the matter. Meanwhile, the error producer sometimes doesn't even know the extent of the damage that resulted.

Three times when you should not say anything of importance to another person are when they are tired, angry or have just made a mistake. In baseball, a good manager hardly ever says anything to a player after an error is made. In fact, he won't say anything until a day or two later and then only in a constructive way.

Chewing a person out in front of others is a sure way to lose their confidence. Embarrassment can injure the self assurance of the person to a degree that they never recover from the experience. Think about the last time someone really chewed on you. No fun, was it?

Talk with the “guilty” party, a day or two after a mistake and define the way to do it right. You've cooled down by that time, and the initial embarrassment of the employee has waned. Handle the matter professionally, coolly and constructively. And above all never discuss the mistake, as a matter of gossip, with other people in the company.

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Sell The Sizzle

Elmer Wheeler made a fortune with the slogan, "Don't sell the steak; sell the sizzle." He told a manufacturer of drill bits that selling a 'round hole' was the key to more sales. Customers are motivated by different things. If you want to make friends with a horse, give him an apple. Give a dog meat, but it won't work the other way around.

Customers are interested in clean floors, carpets and furniture. In your sales presentation, make sure to mention "external extraction"® and tell the prospect about the benefits of removing soil, waste water and foul smelling air from the building or home.

Point out that your process leaves the carpet soft and residue free so it will not attract and hold dirt. Mention that you do not bring heavy, cumbersome equipment into the home where it may damage paint, wallpaper and furnishings.

And don't forget to stress safety. You don't generate carbon monoxide and you use gentle, safe pressures and temperatures. If a prospect has questions you can't answer, invite them to visit www.baneclene.com/.

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Tips for managing money*

• Control spending. In a "Keep up with the Jones" society it is easy to get carried away and spend more than we can afford.
• Finalize budgets for an entire year. Establish a budget you can afford and stick with it!
• Limit Credit. Be wary of offers of 6 months to a year (same as cash) transactions. If accounts are not paid in full, interest rates can exceed 24% (retroactive to day one of the transaction)!
• Pay Bills on Time. This is the first priority of a business. When there is a surplus we can buy those little extras that make life more pleasant.
• Keep Debt to Income Ratio at 20% or less. This is the most difficult factor to achieve but also the most important.

* Too late for the feds.

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Be Competitive

Some think being competitive means working for a low price. That's wrong! We need to charge enough to make a net profit of 10 to 20 percent of our gross income. Being competitive means making very few mistakes while providing a level of service that will encourage customers to recommend us to their friends.

This strategy places us in a select market that is recession proof and takes us out of the realm of the pure price shopper. Bane Clene operators enjoy the rewards of lower operating costs, easier working conditions and virtually fool proof operation. That's a pretty good head start.

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Sapientia Romana

"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest the government become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance." Cicero 55 BC

And so it was and so it has always been. The Roman empire collapsed even with this ominous warning. Watching the Super Bowl and seeing the refused PETA commercials that got free exposure on all the news channels, reminds me of a story about the decadent Romans. They had replicas of genitals for door knockers as the Empire stood on the doorstep of oblivion.

Is there a lesson for the U. S.A. here?

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Kevin Stark on Floor Radio

This link will take you to one of the best interviews I've heard in a long time. Dave Foster on WBLJ radio interviewed Kevin Stark. Click on the link below for some really good information that will be interesting to people in the cleaning business and especially to carpet retailers.

www.talkfloor.com/uploads/interviews01 09/kevinstark 0127 9 4531.mp3

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An interesting day

There's an old story about a sailor renting a rowboat while on shore leave! On February 4th, I was on vacation, but I spent the day looking at carpet with Eddie Flicker. He's legend in an industry that has become anti-carpet. He's with Pasco County schools in Florida and is proud of his carpet care program. And he should be proud. His properties looked great.

Several people had asked me to visit Eddie to see how he promotes and cares for carpet. All of those folks share a common goal of making carpet "THE" floor covering of choice. A sad testimonial is that some asked to remain nameless for fear of industry politics and reprisals.

Eddie does his own testing on products he uses and in a note of full disclosure, none of them come from my company. I didn't agree with the HWE portion which was poorly represented by the equipment chosen, but his testing protocol was simple and flawless.

Eddie Flicker is a proponent of good training and a staunch believer in communicating with his staff. Isn't that a novel approach to getting the job done right? I met several of his employees and saw a thread that obviously starts at the top. They all want nice looking carpet.

In a high school I saw sixteen year old carpet that had been flooded by a leaking air conditioner and it looked good after service. We went to a kindergarten where five year old children were sitting on six year old roll goods on the class room floor. That carpet looked like new.

It may be prudent for CRI to take a hard look at this project and forget their complicated and costly equipment testing program. Approving cleaning industry schools, which was the backbone of the original SOA program, would be a breath of fresh air in a stagnant industry.

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Advertising Costs

It may cost six times more for a business to acquire a new customer than to keep one it already has. Always remember that others are trying to win their business. A brochure mailed to your customer list periodically is a good way to let them know you are thinking of them.

Rotate three or more good quality brochures so the same one is not mailed two times in succession. Mail your customer list at least three times each year. A special offer which is not made to the general public is a good public relations gesture. Do this once each year.

The quality of the mailing piece is important, too. A cheap flyer may subconsciously be perceived by the customer as the image of your company. High quality, full color mailing pieces are most effective.

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Thank you

Today is a very special day for my family. Forty seven years ago the four Banes (Elizabeth, Bill Jr., Don and myself followed the "American Dream." We went on the very first job for our new little company and all these years later, the four of us are still working together. What a blessing!

We've been blessed with good health, terrific employees and great vendors for which we're so grateful. But most special to us are our customers. Without you we would have no business.

Thank you!

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* Follow the money!

"It began in 1921 as a front organization for J. P. Morgan & Co. By WWII it had acquired unrivaled influence on American foreign policy. Hundreds of U. S. government administrators have been drawn from its ranks, regardless of which party occupied the White House. But what does the Council of Foreign Relations stand for? Why do the major media avoid discussing it? What has been its impact on America's past and what is it planning for the future?" James Perloff

* In 1988 James Perloff wrote, The Shadows of Power. Read it for some shocking answers to today's political and economic mess. The book is still in print. If you understand why this is happening, it will help you devise a plan for the future.

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My competitors

My competitors do more for me than my friends do.
My friends are too polite to point out my weaknesses, but my competitors will go to great expense to tell of them.
My competitors are efficient, diligent, hard working and attentive.
They make me search for ways to improve my products and my services.
My competitors would take my business from me if they could.
This keeps me alert to hold on to what I have.
If I had no competitors, I'd be lazy...incompetent...inattentive.
I need this discipline they enforce upon me.
I salute my competitors, they've been good to me.
God bless them all !

Author unknown.

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Advertising Tip

Do you want to commit advertising suicide? Then try telephone solicitation, computer dialing devices, e mail selling, door to door canvassing, flyers on windshields at church and mall parking lots, door knob hangers or junk fax as a way to reach prospects!

Most consumers say they consider these an obnoxious intrusion into their private lives or surroundings. This kind of promotion will probably offend rather than impress prospective clients. Don't take that chance!

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ServiceMaster® Coup

ServiceMaster has signed an agreement to be the official sponsor of the yellow flag caution period during races at sixty Speedway Motorsports Incorporated (SMI) races across the nation. The ServiceMaster yellow trucks will clean up the track whenever there is a mishap or accident. Congratulations to ServiceMaster on this marketing coup.

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A Positive Attitude

If you work with an irritable person, don't let his or her attitude rub off on you.

• Control your actions - don't overreact.
• Stay calm. Grumpy needs some one to irritate.
• Relax the tension. Don't let grumpy make you stressed.
• Break the tension with humor. A little harmless joke can lift spirits.

Have a talk with grumpy. One on one try to find out what's wrong and offer your help. The grump must be told that problems need to be kept out of the workplace. Practice what you preach. Keep your attitude upbeat and encourage others to act in a positive manner.

Don't try any of the above on a grumpy customer.

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Friend or Foe?

Recently I spoke with a carpet cleaner who was concerned about doing business with a carpet retailer. He feared the retailer might get into the cleaning business. Although I understood his reservations, I explained the potential business there may be through referrals from the retailer.

Not all carpet retailers are interested in being in the cleaning business. Most are simply looking for a competent cleaner to take care of their customers. Stop by your local carpet retailer, introduce yourself and offer a demonstration to their sales staff on the importance of cleaning.

Demonstrations for local retailers and their sales staff have had these results. They were happy to know there was someone who could take care of their customers and answer cleaning questions. Some cleaners even have access to the retailer’s customer list and offer cleaning as an in house warranty when customers buy carpet.

Friend or foe? You make the call.

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Tough decisions

In difficult times companies make substantial reductions in staff. Wall street and the media congratulate CEOs for making "tough decisions" and they're usually rewarded with generous bonuses. The government and the media agree that these are tough times so how about cutting some of the 150 million earmarked for the inauguration ceremonies..

Government, which is bankrupt, and the politicians who use it as their playground, should make some tough decisions. They could reduce House members from 435 to 300, Senators from 100 to 50 and reduce the remaining staffs by 25%. Smaller committees would mean more efficient resolution of issues and it would be easier to keep track of our representatives.

Sadly, those eliminated wouldn't even be missed. Congress went on vacation for the holidays when the nation had the well-publicized economic problems. At least three senators have not been on the job for more than two years. While they were on the campaign trail they drew full pay, full benefits and probably slipped in a few travel vouchers.

The approximate savings (with all the attendant reduction in pork) could be more than $3 trillion per year (maybe more) and might help the country get back on better fiscal footing.

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Blame the Carpet

Blotching is often treated as a mystery spot or a carpet defect and is seldom blamed on the cleaning process. One of the secrets of success in extraction cleaning is the even wetting of the carpet surface. Double stroking causes uneven wetting. This is but one of many subtle differences in the various methods used in the extraction process.

Double stroking is the lazy way to clean. It causes blotching and usually over wets the carpet, which results in lengthy drying times. Single stroking is a mark of care and good workmanship. Craftsmanship is an important part of any successful cleaning operation.

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Cell Phones

There may be a temptation to use a cell phone to run a business. Be careful before committing to doing away with wired phone service. Dropped calls, garbled transmissions and overriding interference in high use areas are the downside of this wonderful tool. Any one of these annoyances could cost you a customer and customers are very expensive to obtain.

The use of a cell phone to communicate between office and employees is excellent and is far better than the old permanently mounted radios. But, don't try to book jobs on a cell phone. One job lost is far too costly.

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Welcome to 2009

In the mid '80s, there was a flurry of Kawasaki syndrome fear and generally carpet and carpet shampoo were identified as possible causes. To help debunk this myth, I interviewed several pediatricians. One was Wendell Brown, who had been our boy's doctor. Dr. Brown said, "The only time I have seen Kawasaki syndrome is in my pro bono work at a free clinic. The people I saw probably never owned a carpet and if they did, certainly never had it cleaned."

As if things are not tough enough, John Travolta's 16 year old son has died and Kawasaki syndrome is given as a possible cause. In the early '90s, Travolta told Larry King this about his son. "I was obsessive about cleaning, so we constantly had the carpets cleaned. And I think, between him, the fumes and walking around, maybe picking up pieces or something, he got Kawasaki syndrome."

The hungry press is on this like stink on a skunk, so be ready.

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Thoughts on bid work

For two years back in the mid '60s, I had a large janitorial account at a truck terminal that required service 365/24/7. There were three full time and seven part time employees assigned to the job. I even hired a very short person to sweep the space under the trucks at the loading docks because the 100 bays were very seldom unoccupied.

When renewal time rolled around, McLean Truck Line's local manager, Harold Butler, called me to his office. He explained that he really liked my service, but that his management manual required him to put the job out for bid every other year. It also instructed him that the price must be less each time he awarded the contract.

I told Mr. Butler that I didn't want a bid form because I intended to raise the price in order to maintain the quality level of the service and I didn't get the contract. But, the next year my company profit margin increased slightly and Wm. F. Bane Co., is still in business today. McLean Truck Lines is not. There's probably a moral in here somewhere!

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Customer Service

A quick and effective resolution of any conflict with a customer can actually increase their loyalty to your company. A majority of customers will continue doing business with you if they feel you have corrected the problem that instigated the complaint.

Empathize with a customer's emotions. Listen carefully and get as many "specifics" as possible and then clearly restate the problem. Confirm that both parties agree, offer as many alternatives as possible and then allow the customer to decide on which alternative to use.

Most important....fix the problem.

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Collecting Past Due Accounts

Tough times bring on slow pay with some of your accounts receivable. The first rule is to not let them lie too long. If a reminder is ignored, a second reminder will likely get the same treatment. At this point, a telephone call is in order to see if there is a problem on your part that may be the reason the account has not been paid.

If the delay is the result of a complaint, make the necessary corrections as soon as possible, then bill the account again. If there is not a problem with the service, try to get a commitment as to when the customer intends to pay the account.

Calls should be courteous and as short as possible. Repeated calls at off hours may be interpreted as harassment. When it is apparent that the customer does not intend to pay (90 days would be a good rule of thumb), the matter should be turned over to a collection agency and a mechanic's lien might be appropriate.

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Happy New Year

May you and your family have a blessed, happy and prosperous new year.

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The Cleaner's Creed...I will:

Respect my profession, my reputation and myself
Be honest and fair with my customers and my employees
Act as a custodian of the cleaning industry's good name
Be a person whose word carries weight with my fellow cleaners
Be a booster, not a knocker; a pusher, not a kicker; a motor, not a clog
Base my expectations of reward on a solid foundation of service rendered
Be willing to pay the price in honest effort
Look upon my work as opportunity, not as drudgery to be reluctantly endured
Remember that success lies in my abilities, ambition, courage and determination
Expect difficulties and force my way through them
Convert hard experience into capital for future struggles
Believe in my profession heart and soul
Carry an air of optimism into the presence of possible customers
Make every hour bring dividends in fees, knowledge, or healthful recreation
Learn to save money as well as earn it
Cut out expensive amusements until I can afford them
Get a grip on the joys of life; play the game with honor; fight against my own weaknesses; and endeavor to grow as an individual every single day.

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Merry Christmas

May you and your family have a very joyous and blessed Christmas.

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Everyone gains by a positive attitude!

Positive and negative attitudes seem to perpetuate themselves, and are infectious. Everyone we come in contact with is affected by our attitude and vice versa. A positive attitude projects confidence; a negative attitude projects failure.

Attitude is something we can control. To project a positive attitude, we should have a smile on our face when we greet someone or talk to a prospect or customer on the telephone. Not only will we feel better, but those we work with and our customers will be more relaxed and confident.

If we’re in a bad mood, we need to take a break and get our emotions under control. Personal problems should never be discussed with a customer. Even fellow employees will shy away from someone who complains all the time.

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Phone management

Make phone calls in bunches. This applies to both returning calls and making planned calls. Make rough notes about points you want to make in each call and try not to waste time in idle conversation beyond being polite.

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Thieves at work

Trucks parked outdoors are an open invitation to thieves. Tires, batteries and equipment may be stolen, and sometimes even the truck itself may disappear. An alarm system is a good investment on a service vehicle loaded with equipment.

Never leave a truck with the engine running while on the job. Besides being an invitation to thieves, it is also against the law in many municipalities.

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Take time to think

If you are the owner of a "one-truck" carpet cleaning company, you are hard pressed to find the time to think constructively. Besides doing all of the work, you are the manager, accountant, sales rep, advertising agent, technician and public relations department along with the many other chores that are part of owning a service business.

When you come in from a full day's schedule of cleaning, you probably don't have the time or feel like making courtesy calls on customers, sales calls on prospects, writing letters that are important in business or thinking ahead to the next seasonal promotion you need to be planning right now. Usually it's this planning that is completely lost in the day to day activities of a busy owner/operator.

To help with this problem, schedule time to do nothing but "think." By spending some time in thinking ahead, you'll be able to plan work loads, have more steady work lined up, raise your profit level and in general, you won't be running in circles as much as you once did.

Take a few days to attend classes at Bane Clene Institute. It will help you manage your business better. You will return refreshed and ready to tackle the problems that lay ahead.

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Phone quotes

A web site offering consumer advice for selecting a carpet cleaner doesn't do a favor for anyone in the cleaning business. They make arranging for service sound like a major ordeal by suggesting multiple interviews and even demanding to sign a contract. The worst advice they give is telling consumers they should never accept a price quotation on the telephone.

Two prominent expenses in a service business are time and transportation. One trip instead of two means significant savings in labor costs. Petroleum prices make an extra trip prohibitive, too. Besides payroll savings, less travel means reduced oil consumption and traffic congestion. Fewer trips can also give a much needed assist to the environment.

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What a job!

A young man saw a want ad for a carpet cleaner in his local paper. He told his wife this was the job he'd been looking for all his life. It offers quick, monetary promotions and he told her that in just two years he'd be rich.

Here's what the want ad said: "Wanted Man to learn carpet cleaning business. 35K to start - 401K after the first year. Call 555 XXXX for interview."

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New school program

Bane Clene Institute has been revamped to meet the ever changing needs and wishes of our customers. There are courses in wood, stone and tile floor maintenance scheduled on weeks with our regular three day school on carpet care and business management.

You can come for any of the events or stay the whole week for the three-day school, too. Call 800 428 9512 for registration, for available dates or for more information.

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Sunday is a special day

"Remember Pearl Harbor?" That was the battle cry of WWII. President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, "Sunday, December 7, 1941, a day that will live in infamy..." Not many are alive who remember that fateful Sunday morning when the dastardly attack took place on our Pacific Fleet. Those who were, will never forget.

"Remember the Alamo" and "Remember the Maine" are slogans that would never be forgotten...but now they are relegated to the pages of tattered history books that are routinely ignored by many teachers. "Remember September 11" is the latest of infamous events that unfortunately will soon be just a faded memory.

Thank God for the brave troops who protect our freedom and for the first responders who protect us in this land of plenty. With all of our problems, people still want to come here legally or illegally. But, freedom is not free!

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Call 'Us' On The Carpet®

Real, live, helpful people answer our telephones at Bane-Clene and you will hardly ever be put on hold or into voice mail during business hours. You can talk to anyone from the shipping department to the service company, and the president, two vice presidents, managers and everyone in between are on call. Just ask!

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Achieving a goal

Instead of being annoyed when you hold a door for a stranger or let a vehicle merge in front of you.... and you do not receive an acknowledgement of appreciation, remember that you accomplished your goal. It shouldn’t really matter if you were thanked or not.

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Carpet retailers are prospects

Carpet cleaners should introduce themselves to prominent local carpet retailers who get calls from their customers asking about cleaning and maintenance. These stores can be tremendous resources of new business!

Information from carpet mills indicate conditions are changing to encourage a closer retailer/carpet cleaner relationship. Some mills and fiber producers suggest that a store selling their products should ensure that cleaning be done by a professional.

Most retailers no longer ignore cleaning and some have even added carpet cleaning to their menu of services. Most, however, do not want to be in the cleaning business. Don't let your competitor get to these stores first! Offering a demonstration of your services in the home of the owner or manager is a good entré.

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Happy Thanksgiving

May you and yours have a blessed and enjoyable Thanksgiving day tomorrow. We have so much to be thankful for in this country and in our businesses. Even though we sometimes get down on it, we're living and working in the best country in the world.

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Do you think you can?

If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you'd like to win but think you can't,
It's almost a cinch that you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you've already lost.
For out in the world we find,
success begins with a person's will.
It's all in your state of mind.

Life's rewards don't always go,
to the stronger or faster man.
But sooner or later, the man who wins,
is the man who thinks he can. (women, too!)

Author unknown

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Sheriff's gone to dogs...saves $15 million

There's more to know about the cantankerous Sheriff Joe Arpaio, of Maricopa County in Arizona. The county was spending $18 million a year on stray animals. He offered to take the department over, and the animal shelters are now staffed and operated by prisoners.

They feed and care for strays. Every animal walked twice daily. Prisoners are experts in animal nutrition and behavior and give classes for anyone who adopts an animal. He has taken strays off the street, given them to the care of prisoners, and his budget is under $3 million.

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Good internet problem

The internet is the biggest success story of the past ten years. Bane Clene's web site, www.baneclene.com was accessed more than 8 million times last year. Most of the visitors were consumers seeking a reliable cleaning service. We know this because when they can't find a cleaning firm with a link they call our toll free number for the referral.

Bane-Clene operators with a link to our web site help relieve heavy use of the watts lines which often times are overloaded with consumer calls. If you are part of the referral network, please contact Don Terry to arrange a direct link for you.

Thanks for your help in solving this "GOOD" problem!

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A Love Affair

“You say you love me, but sometimes you don’t show it. In the beginning you couldn't do enough for me. Now you seem to take me for granted. Some days I wonder if I mean anything at all to you.

“Maybe when I’m gone you’ll appreciate me and all the things I do for you. I’m responsible for the food on your table, the clothes you wear, the welfare of your home and for the thousand and one things you want and need. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have the car you drive or the house you live in.

“I've kept quiet and waited to see how long it would take for you to realize how much you really need me. Cherish me...take good care of me...and I’ll take good care of you. “I’M YOUR JOB!”

Anonymous

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Employee gripes

What do you think is one of the basic gripes employees have today? If you said "lack of appreciation," you're right. Most people don't mind doing a day's work, but they want to be recognized for their efforts. If appreciation is not forthcoming, the average employee soon becomes discouraged and may seek employment elsewhere.

Many employers say, "They're getting paid, aren't they? Nobody pats me on the back when I do my job!" Employer/employee relations in business today takes more effort than in years past. The world of business is more complicated than ever before.

A meeting between management and staff may confront small gripes before they become big problems. Have regular meetings for new ideas, to air grievances, seek solutions to problems and especially to compliment people for a job well done.

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Professional drivers

Reckless driving and careless maintenance are signs that drivers really don't care about their profession or the safety of others. A good driver is courteous, cautious, obeys speed limits and is always watchful for others who may not be driving that way.

The good professional driver checks gasoline, oil, water and tires before leaving the garage because that vehicle is responsible for all of the income that will be earned that day.

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Happy 233rd Birthday

On this day in 1775 a small group got together at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia to found the United States Marine Corps. Following is the resolution adopted by the Continental Congress:

"Resolved, That two Battalions of Marines be raised, consisting of one Colonel, two Lieutenant Colonels, two Majors, and other officers as usual in other regiments; and that they consist of an equal number of Privates with other Battalions; that particular care be taken, that no persons be appointed to office, or enlisted into said Battalions, but such as are good seamen, or so acquainted with maritime affairs as to be able to serve to advantage by sea when required: that they be enlisted and commissioned to serve for and during the present war between Great Britain and the Colonies, unless dismissed by order of Congress: that they be distinguished by the names of the First and Second Battalions of American Marines, and that they be considered part of the number which the Continental Army before Boston is ordered to consist of."

From that humble beginning of two battalions, the Corps grew to six divisions during WWII. I was proud to serve in the 4th Division which was disbanded after the war. Today there are only three divisions but these battle-ready forces with new weaponry and rapid transport are the equivalent of six divisions during the big war.

From one old Jarhead to all who have served and to all you modern-day warriors ...."Semper Fi and happy birthday!"

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Carpeting Cuts Fuel

Kansas State University did a fuel consumption comparison with two buildings and determined that the carpeted building saved 13.4% on heating costs. The advisory on ways to conserve fuel and energy said to put carpet on hard floors, weather strip windows, insulate attics, close off unused rooms and even put carpet in finished attics, basements and the crawl space under a home. According to Kansas State University, the insulating qualities of carpet help in the summer time, too, when the building is being cooled.

Does this sound like something recently published because of high fuel and home heating costs? These excerpts were taken from a column called "Your money's worth" which was published in newspapers across the land. It was written by Sylvia Porter, February 14, 1976.

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Workaholic or time waster?

Are you a workaholic because you work 70 or more hours a week or is that long work week a result of poor organization? Delegation and self discipline will help shorten a workweek to more manageable hours.

The use of professional accountants, lawyers, advertising people and business consultants will help with tasks that may be out of the scope of your capabilities. If you are working that many hours, maybe a refresher course at Bane-Clene Institute or one of the many industry schools may be the answer to shortening your work schedule.

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They've done it again

For several years Stanley Steemer has led our industry in advertising with a catchy jingle and very positive television commercials. Their latest has a cute child in the lead-in and is without a doubt the most appealing of all of their ads.

Stanley Steemer is doing our industry a tremendous service with these classy and clever commercials. They sure beat the typical bash type ads that are so prominent in the business.

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Strategy Pays Off

The majority of the cleaning industry goes after the largest market which is the price shopper. It is estimated that about 75% of those who purchase carpet and upholstery cleaning service look for the cheapest price. The other 25% are concerned with quality, safety and performance.

This 25% of the market is suggested to those who attend Bane Clene Institute. The success of this strategy is more evident in a period of recession than any other time. The high end market remains stable and fertile while the price market has lessened considerably.

Working for the high end market, those who consider cleaning a necessity not a luxury, doesn't necessarily mean that Bane-Clene operators are the highest in price either. In fact, many of the so called "price" operators charge considerably more because of the hard up sell after the low come on price in their advertising.

Many victims of 'bait and switch,' advertisers eventually become customers of the company that shows stability, sensibility and credibility in their advertising approach.

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Rude Drivers?

Is a well lettered vehicle an asset in advertising? Not always! How many prospective customers do you think will be attracted by a driver jockeying in and out of traffic with the company name readable a block away? But the worst is the driver who won’t let a motorist out of a parking lot into a busy traffic lane.

The results of rude driving practices are guaranteed. Those who are denied an entrance to a traffic lane, or may be abruptly cut off, or frightened out of their wits, will certainly remember the nice truck with the slogan “Call ‘Us’ On The Carpet®.” But they won’t do it!

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"Happy days are here again"

"Drill baby drill." The price of gasoline topped $4 and that chant resonated through political campaigns. It looked for a little while like we might actually utilize some of our country's natural resources. Boone Pickens was on TV as much as the candidates touting CNG and wind power.

The economy has gone to pot, people started to conserve a little and the oil producing folks saw the trend. Gasoline prices miraculously dropped, and now everyone is saying, "Whew, what a relief." Drilling will go by the wayside since congress didn't want to do it anyway and we'll start buying those big pickups and SUV's again. How dumb can we get?

For you young folks, "Happy days are here again" was the theme song of the great depression.

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Common carpet complaints

Common carpet complaints 10/24/08

One internet complaint site has 120 grievances about carpet installation, far more than any other category including carpet sales and carpet cleaning. Most installation complaints involved big box stores and high volume television merchants. Other sites had similar complaints with about the same percentage being installation related.

Maybe carpet makers should re evaluate to whom they sell their carpet. Does volume supersede everything else? Apparently it does! Support for small carpet retailers who care more about consumer satisfaction than volume might correct the dramatic decline in demand for carpet.

Psst CRI... there were NO complaints about cleaning equipment or chemical products. The few carpet cleaners mentioned were bait & switch types. Now if the same effort and money spent on a lackluster testing program were re-directed to fighting bait and switch advertisers .... WOW!

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Marketing Strategy

Many companies spend most of their ad budget on 'missionary' advertising designed to reach new customers. This can be an unconscious snub to current customers. They may not feel good about paying you for a service and then seeing a special promotion offering new customers something extra or for less money than they paid.

When your customer base has been built to a respectable level, spend more of your ad budget on your clients than on getting new customers. Present customers know you and your service. They can be your best promoters and they work free.

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Tips for selling on the phone

The telephone brings most of our customers to us the first time in the cleaning business. That's their first impression of us! A smile is contagious, and a smile can be transmitted through telephone wires. Greet customers with a smile in your voice, and you can be certain you're making a good first impression.

Be sincere when talking with customers. Confidence in your service is conveyed through your sincerity. Be polite! Don't forget simple phrases such as, "How may I help you?" "Is there anything else I can do to help you today?" And be sure to say, "Thank you for calling," or "Thank you for your order."

Try to avoid saying "no" to a customer. If asked to do something unusual, let them know that you will try! This positive approach doesn't promise anything, but reassures them of your desire to help. Remember, the customer is our boss! They may not sign our pay check, but without them, we won't have a pay check.

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Too Busy To Clean?

Establish priorities in your business. Exactly where is your income derived? We only make money when we are cleaning carpets, furniture, hard floors or other items on our menu of services. Everything else is a drag on our time and our profit.

Some people in the cleaning business get so wrapped up in writing advertising copy, doing their own taxes, writing their own employment contract, blending their own chemicals or programming their own computers, that they lose sight of where their income really originates.

For success in the cleaning business, all we need to know is how to satisfy our customers. If we practice this philosophy, delight those customers and leave all other aspects of the business to the professionals in their fields, we'll enjoy life much more.

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Some closing points in selling

In your sales presentation, be sure to mention "external extraction"® and tell the prospect about the benefits of removing soil, waste water and foul smelling air from the building or home. This is a good one.

Point out that your process leaves the carpet soft and residue free so it will not attract and hold dirt. Mention that you do not bring heavy, cumbersome equipment into the home where it may damage paint, wallpaper and furnishings.

And don't forget to stress safety. You don't generate carbon monoxide and you use gentle, safe pressures and temperatures. If a prospect has questions you can't answer, invite them to visit www.baneclene.com.

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Advertising tip

If you use the Bane-Clene hose bordered ad in the Yellow Pages, use it in your newspaper and circular advertising, too. It ties all of your advertising together and provides continuity, which is one of the keys to advertising success.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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10 Cannots

You cannot:

• bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
• help small men by tearing down big men.
• strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
• lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
• help the poor man by destroying the rich.
• keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.
• further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
• establish security on borrowed money.
• build character and courage by taking away man's initiative and independence.
• help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Community Reinvestment Act

The acronym is CRA. It was implemented by congress during the Carter Administration in 1977 and has been responsible for much of the turmoil in the housing market. If you have trouble remembering the name, just add a "P" to the acronym for Google purposes.

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Exposure to risk

A company vehicle, driven by an employee, puts the company at a potential liability risk should an accident occur. Employers are responsible for exercising reasonable care to ensure that conditions are met to minimize the potential of accidents occurring.

Businesses are seen as having "deep pockets" which often results in litigation from an accident that is not the fault of a company driver. Following are suggestions that may help minimize potential liability:

• Perform motor vehicle record checks on every employee before hiring and routinely check their records during employment.
• Ensure that company vehicles are properly maintained, regularly inspected and be sure to keep complete maintenance and repair records.
• Create safety programs for drivers to help reduce the potential for accidents. Most accidents are the result of driver inattention, disregard for signs and signals, failure to yield the right of way, and tailgating.
• Do not allow a cell phone to be used while the vehicle is in motion. This should be a written rule and posted conspicuously on the dashboard of each vehicle.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Training Source

With all the emphasis on training in the cleaning industry, it's important to consider the source of knowledge of those doing the training. Many instructors are not even in the cleaning business. Many are sales oriented or represent various equipment and chemical manufacturers.

Even schools such as Bane-Clene® Institute, only partially train people. The reality is that most knowledge comes from actual on-the-job experience. Nearly all acquired skills are a result of actually doing the job, and much of the input comes from another technician.

The fact that a good technician can be diverted from the proper way to do the job is a strong reason for management to continually update training programs. Constant supervision and ongoing company education are the only defenses against diminishing job quality.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Customers

Customers are probably the most important people with whom we communicate, either in person, by mail, the internet or by telephone! They bring us their wants and it is our job to handle those wants efficiently and profitably. The success of our business will be measured by the service we give them!

• Customers are not dependent on us. We are dependent on them.
• Customers are not an interruption to our work; they are the purpose of it.
• We don't do customers a favor. They do us a favor by letting us work for them.
• Customers are not cold statistics. They are human beings with feelings.
• Nobody ever won an argument with a customer!

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Dirty Word

"Delegate" is a dirty word to some business owners, especially those who own and operate a small cleaning business. When the owner actually does the cleaning, there is a belief that only they can satisfy the customer and the very idea of turning the client over to an employee can be worrisome.

Delegating is a prerequisite to growth. Look for people who are better than you are at doing the job. Swallow your ego and admit that they can do it better than you, and your help problems are on their way to being over.

Where do you find this good help? Recruiting is the answer. Bane-Clene Institute has a class on how to recruit, but more importantly, how to retain good employees.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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How Busy Are You?

When you spend the first fifteen minutes of a service call telling your customer how busy you are and why you were late, they probably begin to doubt your abilities, especially in time management. They're probably thinking that if you didn't talk so much you might just be on time.

Customers of the gentle persuasion who are guided by extremely good manners will tolerate these long winded explanations.

They may even listen to the blow by blow account of your recent divorce, or maybe they'll let you discuss the abortion issue and politics while you're in their home. People who work in the service field sometimes find themselves with a captive audience. Some use it to preach religion. A few preach hatred. Many just talk too much. Truly busy people don't have time to talk about how busy they really are and never have to explain why they are late... simply because they are not late in the first place.

If your company is not getting a reasonably good amount of repeat and referral business, it may pay to take a hard look at what subjects are discussed in a customer's home. If they don't like what was said, they probably went somewhere else for service the next time.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Cost of Keeping Customers

Keeping a customer is important. If you are ever tempted to not give a customer a refund or lower the price in a complaint situation, just remember what it costs to get a new customer.

Getting a new customer costs more than ten times the cost of keeping one. Advertising and sales promotion costs have accelerated in recent years while the price for services has not kept pace.

Satisfied customers will become unpaid advocates and will greatly reduce the cost of promoting a business. No paid sales representative will ever generate as much business for you as a satisfied customer. Sometimes the satisfied customer is the result of a complaint. Do everything in your power to keep those customers happy.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Employee gripes

What do you think is one of the most common gripes employees have about their job? Not enough money? Poor working conditions? If you said "lack of appreciation," you're spot on. Most people today don't mind a hard day's work, but they want to be recognized for their efforts. If appreciation is not forthcoming, the average employee soon becomes discouraged and may seek employment elsewhere.

Many employers say, "They're getting paid, aren't they? Nobody pats me on the back when I do my job!" Regular meetings to look for new ideas, air grievances, seek solutions to mutual problems and to compliment people for a job well done will pay handsome dividends.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Smart Purchasing

Purchasing plays a major role in the success of a company and definitely affects the bottom line. Just getting a good price is not enough. Vendors should offer additional perks for giving them your business such as advertising help, instruction and technical assistance.

Spreading purchases around does not develop loyalty from suppliers who may be able to help you in the future. Buying a little here and a little there eliminates the chance of any meaningful discounts. Pick a dependable supplier and give them all of your business.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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The Sheriff from Hell...another story

There's more to know about Sheriff Joe Arpaio, of Maricopa County in Arizona. Temperatures are above 100 degrees much of the year. About 2,000 Inmates living in a tent encampment surrounded by barbed wire were given permission to strip down to their government issued pink boxer shorts on a particularly hot day.

Hundreds of men wearing pink boxers were curled up on their bunk beds or chatted in the tents, which reached above 130 degrees. Many were also swathed in wet, pink towels. "It Feels like we're in a furnace," said an inmate who had lived in the tents for a year. "It's Inhumane."

The tough guy sheriff who created the tent city and long ago started making his prisoners wear pink, and eat bologna sandwiches, wasn't sympathetic. He told all of the inmates: "It's 120 in Iraq and our soldiers are living in tents, and they have to wear full battle gear. They didn't commit any crimes either, so shut your mouths!

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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The 'eyes' have it

The most important part of a cleaning job is seeing the dirt. Have a regular optometric checkup to be sure you can see the job you are doing. Good vision is necessary to do a good job. Eye safety is important, too.

If eyes are irritated from dust, resist the urge to rub them. You could scratch the cornea. If you wear contacts, remove them. If a dust particle is over the colored part of your eye, try flushing it out with water. If that doesn't work, seek medical attention. If the particle is over the white of your eye or inside the lower lid, use a dampened tissue to gently remove it.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Why customers quit

More customers quit because of a perception that the company doesn’t care than as a result of poor service. Listen carefully to every complaint, no matter how small it may seem. Be sympathetic to a complaining customer. Sincerely empathize with them as if the problem had happened to you. Then fix it as soon as you can.

And don't forget... you have to ask for a complaint. The majority of displeased customers don't complain....they just go somewhere else the next time.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Time Is Money

People who call for service are usually busy people. If they get information in a concise, professional way, make an appointment with a minimum of effort and the service is delivered in a timely, efficient manner, you will gain the majority of high end business in your market.

If no one answers the phone, or if someone is not prepared to answer questions, the caller's time is wasted and the company's advertising money is wasted. Pay special attention to your telephone procedures and only use voice mail after regular business hours.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Who are they kidding?

A cleaning firm known for bait and switch tactics ran a help wanted ad that said their best man had earned $975.00 the prior week. They advertise $6.00 a room, so the technician would have cleaned 1,625 rooms in order to make $975.00 a week. If he worked a six day week, that’s 270 rooms a day. Figuring in a ten hour day, he would have cleaned 27 rooms an hour. And that's just to pay him...what about company expenses?

A few days later another bait and switch advertiser ran an ad that said a hard worker could earn $1,000.00 a week. Which proves that the first liar doesn’t stand a chance.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Remembering 9/ 11/01 in this election year

Apparently the majority of Americans are unhappy with President Bush, a Republican, because he took us to war in Afghanistan and Iraq which critics say had not attacked us. Anti-war zealots point out that more than 4,000 Americans have died in five years of combat.

I'm not one of the president's most ardent fans, but his first year in office saw a cowardly attack by Islamic terrorists that killed nearly 3,000 on September 11, 2001. They have debilitated our economy and usurped many of our freedoms.

I've been around a long time and served in two wars under two Commanders in chief, both Democrats. In this year filled with election rhetoric, take a hard look at the recent history of war and under whose watch they took place before deciding how to vote:

• President Wilson, a Democrat, led us into World War I in 1917. Germany had not attacked us. 117,000 Americans were killed in less than two years.
• President Roosevelt, a Democrat, led us into World War II and asked congress to declare war on Germany which had not attacked us. Japan did attack us and there is evidence that politicians who wanted us in that war withheld warnings that could have prevented Pearl Harbor. From 1941 to 1945, 450,000 American lives were lost.
• President Truman, a Democrat, took us into the Korean War. North Korea had not attacked us. From 1950 to 1953, 55,000 American lives were lost. Political interference with collaboration by the United Nations caused the first loss of a war by our military.
• President Kennedy, a Democrat, put 12,000 advisors into Vietnam in 1962. North Vietnam had not attacked us. He approved the invasion of Cuba, which did not attack us. It failed when he withdrew support for the Bay of Pigs fiasco which resulted in the deaths of many thousands of Cuban patriots.
• President Johnson, a Democrat, turned the Vietnam war into a quagmire of political interference. From 1965 1975, 58,000 American lives were lost. The entertainment industry with programs like M*A*S*H 4077, joined a biased media to sway public opinion against the war, and shared the responsibility for losing that war.
• President Carter, a Democrat, allowed 52 U. S. Citizens to be held hostage for 444 days in Iran. Then his ill-equipped military failed to rescue them. Today he's traveling around the world telling everyone who will listen about America's failings.
• President Clinton, a Democrat, went to war in Bosnia. Bosnia never attacked us. After the first attack on the World Trade Center in '93, Clinton was offered Osama bin Laden three times by Sudan and did nothing. He sent military to Somalia that never attacked us. Remember Black Hawk down?

Do you see a trend here? We had a Democratic congress for more than 40 years until 1994 and it looks like we're in for another long run of them after the Republicans failed to keep their contract with America. Congress has nearly bankrupt our country. Wait till the other shoe drops on the Fannie/Freddie bail outs. There will be much pain and misery in the land.

George "W" has let a democratic congress spend like drunken sailors. Monetarily, the recent Wall Street fiascos, near collapse of the financial system and the housing market bubble bursting will affect us far longer than producing war goods which will slow down soon.

Ike, a Republican, ended the Korean war and Nixon, a Republican, stopped the carnage in Viet Nam. Two so-called Republican presidents, the Bushes, are another story. Remember "Watch my lips, no new taxes?" Old Bush cowtowed to a Democratic congress and stopped Stormin' Norman in the Gulf war or there would have been no Iraq war.

We've yet to see a nuclear war and I'd hate to think that it may come. But according to these hard facts, the odds are it is more likely to happen if a Democrat is elected to the White house.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Phone Manners

Be sure to ask for permission before placing a caller on hold. "May I put you on hold for a few moments, Mrs. (use their name)?" People like to be called by name. Don't place a caller on hold until they agree and be sure to use the hold button. Don't just lay the telephone receiver down. Background noise or adjacent conversations, which may be overheard by the caller, could be distracting and even embarrassing.

Have a mirror on your desk and look in the mirror and smile when talking on the phone. The smile will come across the wire just as will a grimace or a frown. If you have ever watched a professional disc jockey in a mobile studio, you saw a constant smile on the DJ's face. Listeners actually can feel that smile. So can yours!

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Your Truck: Asset or Liability?

Your Truck: Asset or Liability? 9/9/08

Your truck, clean and well-lettered, is the best advertising asset you have. When seen in a customer’s driveway with the hose reaching into the house, it's more than just advertising it's a testimonial and a subliminal message to neighbors and passers by.

This rolling billboard can also be a liability. Cutting off a motorist in traffic may cost your company a customer. Likewise, a courtesy shown to another driver may be responsible for gaining a customer. Have body and fender work done when dents occur and wash company vehicles on a regular schedule. A cleaning company with a dirty truck is appalling.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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What are you worth?

Do you ever run into price objections? A veteran carpet cleaner says that people sometimes hesitate to hire him because his fee seems higher than some others. A prospective client might say, "Gosh, "Splash and Dash" cleaners only charge $5.95 a room. Why is your price so high?"

When that happens, the wily old carpet cleaner has a standard answer: "Well, I guess they know what they're worth! Keep me in mind if you're not satisfied with their service."

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Women Workers

By the end of this decade it is estimated that about 60% of women in the United States will be working. With more women leaving the home front, outside maintenance is even more necessary and attractive. Maid services, window cleaning firms, and of course, carpet, upholstery and hard floor maintenance companies will benefit greatly in the transition of more homemakers to working women.

This change in the makeup of the national work force is an indication that cleaning service companies should look toward hiring more women. They have proven to be excellent cleaners, especially of upholstery and most can easily do carpet cleaning if properly equipped and trained.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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New Customers

Every service company needs new customers to replace those who are lost by natural attrition.

Did you know that about 15 % of your customer base will erode every year? They move, die or quit for some reason. A steady program to replace these lost customers is important.

But, too often all of a small company's marketing efforts are expended in the search for new customers. Try marketing to your "old" customers. Offer them special inducements to use your services again. Just reminding them that it's time to clean again sometimes is not enough. Regular mailings to your customer base will promote business much better than "cold" mailings.

By doing something for old customers and treating them nice, it is amazing how many new customers are gained through old customers' recommendations and referrals to relatives, friends and neighbors.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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What did it cost?

The Turkish rug weaving association claims it's the world's largest rug and will display it in Istanbul before sending it to a palace in Kuwait. Two tons of wool were taken from more than 3,000 sheep and the hand-weaving was done by six women.

There was no mention of price in the news release, but money should be no object to the folks in the middle east.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Advertising

A downturn in the economy usually results in cutting back on advertising. Marketers who abruptly reduce their advertising investment don’t really cut expenses, they actually increase selling costs. The fact is, you can’t afford NOT to advertise.

There is a link between the cost of selling and the level of advertising investment. Advertisers who maintain reasonable advertising frequency can reduce selling costs while the selling costs of non advertisers whose prospects are exposed to a competitor’s advertising program may increase.

When a service company reduces advertising, it relies on repeat and referral business and this is not practical unless you have been in business more than twenty years. It is not an advisable policy for young companies.

The good news is that advertising discounts are usually available during an economic downturn that you can’t get otherwise. The bad news is that politicians are spending like (well drunken politicians) to artificially sustain ad rates.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Surviving a Heart Attack

In men, the symptoms are a pain in the chest, neck or left arm and may include nausea. Women are more likely to have shortness of breath, fatigue, sweating, racing heart and a burning sensation in the stomach.

Call 911 for an ambulance. Don’t be embarrassed if it turns out to be something minor. Chew two full strength aspirin. Tell ambulance and hospital staff that you think you are having a heart attack. Initial tests may show no evidence of a heart attack but hours later tests may reveal a minor heart attack occurred.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Truck Lettering Idea

How about the top of your service van? As it drives through business and even residential areas anyone on the second floor or above may see your name, phone number and what you do if painted on the top of your truck.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Good advertising?

A carpet cleaner had trouble saying no to anyone who approached him with an advertising scheme. When an advertising company offered to put his name on supermarket shopping carts he agreed to do it. Months went by before he got a call that could be traced to the placards.

"Are you the carpet cleaner with your name on the supermarket carts?" the caller asked. "That's right, may I help you?" the excited carpet cleaner said. "Yes!" replied the caller. "One of your carts is in my yard, come and get it."

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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The Real Thing

The high price of gasoline has caused a burst of popularity for Bane Clene® systems. Out of the many hundreds of machines listed for sale on the internet hardly any are Bane Clene. A carpet cleaner found one on E Bay that was advertised as less than 3 years old. He bought it and had problems with wet carpet and blown circuits so he called to ask for help.

The serial number revealed the unit was really 26 years old. The seller had cannibalized the Sutorbilt vacuum pump and substituted a cheap, 3 stage fan vac which is notorious for losing efficiency due to motor brush wear. These do not move the necessary volume of air.

The solution system had been replaced with an aluminum pump which doesn't hold up under normal wear and tear in the cleaning business. Water pressure was not adequate because the nozzles had been replaced with the wrong size which caused streaking.

Original brass and stainless steel parts had been replaced with plastic and the connector hose under the system leaked causing a vacuum loss. Even the electrical system had been modified with light gauge wire that could not handle the load. Blown circuits resulted.

The decal said Bane Clene®, but if you buy a used machine, make sure it has not been cannibalized or modified. The 'real' thing works 'real' good!

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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In Memory of Charles William Bentley, 1925 - 2008

Charlie Bentley, of Louisville, Kentucky, who passed away August 18, 2008, was a war hero, star football player, teacher, coach and later in life a carpet cleaner. He was a veteran of World War II and the recipient of the Purple Heart for wounds received in battle.

After the war he attended and graduated from the University of Kentucky where he played football for Bear Bryant and played in the 1950 Orange Bowl game. As head football coach at DuPont Manual High School, he lead them to the 1966 state championship and was named Coach of the Year.

He is survived by his son, Charles Gregory Bentley (Brenda); sisters, Mary Jewell Bentley and Doris Ann Wiggington; grandchildren, Karisa Collins and Eric Bentley; and a great grandchild, Sydney Collins. Greg has been in charge of the business since 2000.

Charlie has been a friend and valued customer of Bane-Clene since 1975 and we all shall miss him. It was an honor to be in the presence of such a great man. He attended Bane-Clene Institute and many of our conventions over the years. On behalf of all of us at Bane-Clene, our thoughts and prayers are with Charlie's family in their time of sorrow.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Motivation Tip

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. It overcomes discouragement and gets things done. It’s almost a magic quality, and the most remarkable thing about enthusiasm is that it is contagious.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Quality, Not Quantity

When assessing the worth of a service crew, look deeper than just the volume of work that is accomplished. Investigate the number of complaints registered. Read customer reply cards to discover comments about the crew's demeanor.

The same formula applies to the people who answer the telephones. Closing sales is important of course, but having customers who feel they have been treated properly and have had all their questions answered is even more important.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Commercial work is very profitable

The commercial market for carpet cleaning service has literally exploded in the past ten years. Building managers recognize the advantages of carpet. It's quiet, safe to walk on and adds to the aesthetic qualities of a place of business. Carpet has become much more expensive in recent years and there is concern about protecting this larger investment. We've cleaned everything from the Indianapolis Colts artificial grass in the RCA Dome to the NCAA's new headquarters building in Indy.

With all the doom and gloom about mold and mildew in recent years, I've got to admit I get a little squeamish when we clean for two large law firms. But lawyers are just like any other consumer....if we do a good job they will refer us to their friends.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Justify your price

Be prepared to justify the price you charge for your service. A good quality service costs a little more because it costs more to do it right. Service can't be built on a production line, stored in a warehouse, and put on sale. Good service has to be built one at a time, and after the order is taken.

You need to know how to explain a competitor's cheap price if asked,"Why is your price so much higher?". Your prospect may not know how bait and switch people operate or that the service will likely cost much more than the advertised low price. In fact, the customer will probably pay more than your regular price for the “cheap” service.

Bane Clene® Institute has a class on Pricing and Selling Service. If you haven’t been to school in a while, this would be a good time to come back. Besides changes in advertising, a good dose of optimism, selling techniques, and camaraderie will do wonders for your profit margin.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Article in Cleaning Digest® in 1994*

The Clean Air Act will cause the price of gasoline to rise more than ten cents per gallon in cities that have smog. The new federal law requires the use of oxygenated blending. It takes effect on January 1, 1995. Some municipalities and state governments had been adding fuel taxes while the price of oil was in a downward trend. Oil prices are going up.

In Rockford, Illinois, a subscriber to this magazine says he paid $1.49.9 for a gallon of regular Shell gasoline in September. While the government is reporting low fuel prices and inflation that is holding steady, spot checks around the nation say the opposite is true. Inflation is greater than reported. Oil prices are going up

China has an economy which is growing about six percent a year. Worldwide oil consumption is expected to increase three percent each year through the end of the century. Industry experts anticipate an oil shortage developing, either through increased demand or by production manipulation. Oil prices are going up.

Service company operators who depend on petroleum products must be sure to figure the added fuel costs into pricing schedules. Oil prices are going up.

* It should have been titled "Oil prices are going up..... HIGH!!!"

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Would you believe some gas pumps are rigged?

When pumping gasoline, stop at exactly 10 gallons to see if the pump is accurate. Ten times the price per gallon is easy to calculate. If it matches, go ahead and fill up. If it does not, call the manager of the station to see the price variance, demand a refund and report the station and pump number to the Weights & Measures department of your state government.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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25, 75, 50 Rule

Did you know that in just a few short years, 25% of the population in the United States will control 75% of all assets and be responsible for 50% of all discretionary spending? While this may sound daunting in some respects, it points out the importance of "Target Marketing."

If you haven't been back to school in a few years, much has changed in advertising. Bane Clene Institute has a class about reaching a specific audience with minimal expense and maximum benefit to your company.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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"No Steaming, No Soaking, No Shrinking!"

For more than 30 years, consumers have been blasted with advertising that screams about the negative aspect of hot water extraction cleaning. I first became aware of these ads in 1973. The truth is some of it is true. Some carpet cleaners actually do use live steam (above 212 degrees Fahrenheit). The “run and gun” guys using inferior equipment and techniques do soak carpets. The shrinking part is no longer true since jute faded from the backing scene.

So the first challenge is to sort out the good guys from the rest of the pack. When selling safe, warm water, extraction service, sell the positive aspects and remind the buyer of the benefits of your service including quick drying time. And try to do it without making derogatory remarks about your competitors.

To learn how to effectively sell against that kind of negative advertising, come to Bane Clene® Institute. Call 800 428 9512 to register.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Just a reminder...

Cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketers (kind word for rude intruders into our privacy). To prevent receiving calls that you will pay for, call the national DO NOT CALL LIST at 888 382 1222 to block calls for the next five years. You have to use the phone you want to have blocked in making the call.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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The price of oil

Capitalists hate communists, right? Wrong! After the revolution in 1917, John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil of New Jersey bought oil fields in Russia, built vast refineries and sold the petroleum products throughout Europe. In the '20s, Rockefeller's Chase Bank helped fund Soviet exports and sell communist Russian bonds in America.

In the 70's, David Rockefeller's Chase Manhattan Bank financed a factory in Russia that built trucks used in the war in Afghanistan. It is reported that they also financed part of North Vietnam's war costs. David Rockefeller once wrote, "Competition is a sin," which is contrary to the hypothesis of free enterprise. Since both communism and socialism control competition, it makes me wonder about Rockefeller's true stripes.

Think about this. If a third world country defaults on a loan from the Export-Import bank, the manufacturer of the product collects for the goods and taxpayers pick up the tab for the bad loan. Are the Robber Barons all dead and gone? Google "CFR" for some eye-opening reading.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Drycleaning accident

More than 200 years ago, two French bakers were taking a break sitting at a table with a checkered cloth marred by grease stains. When one reached across the table he accidentally knocked over a lamp and spilled kerosene on the tablecloth. The multiple grease spots disappeared as if by magic. Drycleaning has come a long way since that accidental discovery. Kerosene, has been replaced by more sophisticated solvents. But there still is a touch of magic in the way stains, spots and soil disappear. Spot removal technology in the carpet cleaning business owes a debt of gratitude to these two inadvertent inventors. ©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008 Reprinting or electronically publishing this article is strictly prohibited without permission from Bane-Clene Corp.

Cell Phones

Hands-free cell phones are no safer than regular cell phones when driving. Drivers talking on cell phones were four times more likely to be involved in a serious vehicular crash - whether or not they were using a hands-free device. It is the act of talking and thinking of something other than driving hazards, not holding the cell phone, that distracts drivers and results in accidents. Some cleaning firms use cell phones as their office phone. When making a call from the van or if a call comes in, pull over to the side of the road to make it or take it. Don't become a statistic that may cause cancellation of your insurance coverage or even more serious problems. ©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008 Reprinting or electronically publishing this article is strictly prohibited without permission from Bane-Clene Corp.

Why Are You In Business?

The owner of an advertising agency did a survey to determine better ways to serve his clients. He polled businesses from small service companies to large department stores. The simple question for the owner or manager of each company was; "Why are you in business?" It was remarkable how many answered, "To make money." Without exception, the most successful firms surveyed were headed by people who answered that question, "To be the best in our business." A by-product of being best is that you make more money and enjoy it more over a longer period of time than those who are in the business simply "to make money." ©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008 Reprinting or electronically publishing this article is strictly prohibited without permission from Bane-Clene Corp.

Want to make 'em mad?

A cleaning industry marketing "Guru" advocates making special offers applicable only to new customers. In the real world, if you want to irritate a customer, just offer a sale to new customers only. If you advertise any special offer, don't limit it to "NEW" customers. Your "OLD" customers will not appreciate it. ©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008 Reprinting or electronically publishing this article is strictly prohibited without permission from Bane-Clene Corp.

Wow! Oil Prices down ... gasoline under $4

The mentality of consumers continues to amaze me. Maybe P. T. Barnum was right! Forget all those dumb conservation promises. Stop thinking about independence from foreign oil. Quit talking about off-shore drilling and get that old SUV out of mothballs. Happy days are here again. The drop in oil prices occured from only talking about slowing our reliance on foreign oil. Imagine how low the price would go if we actually put a drill in the ground and had the guts to do the things we talk about, like conserving energy. ©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008 Reprinting or electronically publishing this article is strictly prohibited without permission from Bane-Clene Corp.

Do you know where your money is?

Did you know that the Federal Reserve Board is not a branch of the federal government? The Fed is authorized to print money which causes inflation, is privately owned, is not subject to meaningful audit and sets its own policies. Federal Reserve Board members are selected from the banks that make up the system and they serve 14 year terms.

The Fed was organized in 1913, the same year President Wilson's (temporary) income tax law was thrust upon the public. The terrible bust of October 1929 was preceded by the Fed expanding the money supply regularly every year after 1923. (Does this sound familiar?) Easy credit along with the help of the establishment controlled media created an artificial bubble that led to the economic disaster known as "The great depression."

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Recipe For Success

Take any recipe from any cookbook, follow it to the letter and the result will usually be a tasty treat. But if you leave out just one ingredient or substitute another for it, and the treat is likely to be less than satisfactory.

Bane Clene's "Course to Success" includes a 15 part formula. Many of those who have graduated from the Institute use the proven formula and are very successful. Others have chosen to substitute an ingredient or leave one out altogether and are often less than successful.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Profiling customers

It might be politically incorrect for police to profile certain types of people. But for a carpet cleaning business it's essential to identify the prime market for high quality carpet and upholstery cleaning service. There is a perfect profile to target with your advertising.

About 76 million Americans are in that potential market. That's more than the total number of Americans that were alive one hundred years ago. Life expectancy has nearly doubled since 1900, when a child could expect to live to be about 47. A child born today can expect to live more than 76 years.

Be certain that your marketing net is cast in the right direction. Bane-Clene Institute has a class devoted to reaching a specific market and the best media combination to do it.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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See what I mean

Remember the blog I posted week before last about cheap carpet. A national carpet franchise ran a TV commercial that same week advertising carpet at 49 cents a square foot. Now that's cheaper than some charge to clean it. Could it be BS advertising?

A trip to a big box store demonstrates "How not to sell carpet." If a store clerk shows up at the carpet department to answer questions, they have little or no product knowledge. For DIY carpet shoppers, they don't mention a power stretcher nor its importance to a satisfactory job. These big stores push cheap, DIY cleaning equipment and cleaning agents, too.

Is it any wonder carpet sales are suffering? Carpet makers should not sell carpet to these mass marketers since most complaints about carpet originate with them.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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THANK YOU AMERICA!

A friend sent this to me and I think it's worth publishing.

We are at war with you and you are so arrogant you don't recognize it. You have the missiles, bombs, and technology, but we fight you with the only weapon we have, our oil. We're extracting $700 billion a year from you and breeding chaos in your economy.

Thank you for not developing your supply of oil that would create millions of jobs and keep your wealth at home instead of sending it to us to finance our war against you. We love it when you over regulate your economy and delay, by decades, the development of alternate fuel technologies. Limiting drilling off your coasts, in Alaska, and anywhere there is a bug, bird, fish, or plant that might be inconvenienced is good for us.

We appreciate you letting us fleece you by accumulating shares in your banks, real estate, and publicly held companies. We finance a good portion of your debt and help manipulate your markets, currency, and economies to our benefit.

Praise Allah and your congress for the sham program of Ethanol! We never would have thought of this one! It's better than paying your farmers not to grow a crop. Have them use more energy to create less energy, and simultaneously drive food prices higher which will further harm your economy. If you don't do it yourself we will destroy you!

From OPEC with love

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Prudent advertising

Advertising messages must be seen a minimum of three times before they register with a consumer and an average of seven times before a purchase may be made. Most people must feel comfortable about a company before they will do business.

In the carpet cleaning business, the winners are those who plan and budget an advertising campaign. Those who lose the marketing game give their product a big shot in the beginning, spend the entire budget in a few efforts, and then sit back and wait for the phone to ring.

Bane-Clene Institute has a special class about marketing in today's harsh economy. If you haven’t been back to school in the past two years, you should plan to attend again. Much has changed.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Show your credentials!

Bane-Clene Institute has taught the importance of wearing a photo ID for more than 30 years. The identification badge, along with Professional Cleaners' Association (PCA) and Bane Clene Certified Technician shoulder patches, help establish credibility and consumer confidence. A PCA logo on the service vehicle is also a valuable point of credibility and shows that the company cares enough to belong to an international trade group.

A Bane Clene identification badge with a current photograph of the technician promotes a feeling of security for customers and is very professional looking. It is a must when dealing with security work. The Bane Clene I.D. badge is only available to technicians who have successfully passed the Technician Certification Test to meet the requirements of the "Operator Certification Program" or have graduated from the Bane Clene Institute Management Class.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Worth Repeating!

"As government printing presses and central banks inundate the marketplace with ever expanding supplies of money and credit, the tragic consequences are becoming much easier to see. It is increasingly difficult for politicians to explain away the economic upheaval, social disorder and general erosion of the moral and social fabric attendant on their policies."

This quote is from a book titled, Age of Inflation, and it was written in 1979. It should be required reading for everyone, especially those in government. The writing is on the wall!

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Wrong number?

Many years ago my wife, Elizabeth, answered the phone, “Thank you for calling Bane on the carpet,” and the caller didn't say anything. “May I help you?” said Elizabeth. There was still silence. She repeated the offer to help two more times with an understanding voice and was ready to hang up when finally the caller said, “I’m sorry. I must have the wrong number.”

Elizabeth said, “That’s quite alright. If you ever have the need for carpet cleaning service, please remember this phone number and call us. We’d love to work for you.” A few minutes later, after answering several questions, she booked 875 square feet of carpet cleaning service for the elderly lady who had dialed wrong.

Opportunity comes disguised as many things. In this case it was a wrong number.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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And the beat goes on...

I just read an article in a national business magazine about two new vacuum cleaners. Vacuum cleaner hucksters are right behind bait and switch carpet cleaners when it comes to degrading carpet and making it look bad. The article called attention to all of the bacteria, parasites, dust mites, flea eggs, pollen and allergy-causing dander in carpets. Carpet sounds real healthy, doesn't it? No wonder people are buying hard floors.

By the way, neither of the vacuums mentioned in the article had CRI approval, so I took a trip through two big box stores and a department store last week and guess what? None of the vacuums for sale said anything about CRI. I guess that's why CRI is picking on poor ol' carpet cleaners who don't have much lobbying power and blaming us for all of their troubles.

Let's leave killing carpet to vacuum hucksters and those in the carpet industry who are trying to blame us for their problems. Try to say positive things about carpet. Avoid calling attention to the filth that hides there. The consumer knows it's dirty and will call us when they're ready.

Talk about your professionalism and that we're equipped to do any cleaning job and we're prepared to do it right. Forget about dust mites, fleas, pollen and dander.

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Our pledge

In every industry there is usually one company that stands out as a symbol of superior quality. In the cleaning industry we are determined to be that company. We pledge that every effort will be made to provide you with the equipment, materials, and knowledge needed for the highest quality in your cleaning service. You have my word on it!

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Be kind

Owners and managers should respect the feeling of importance that nearly everyone has. Asking about an employee's children or a particular problem they may be having will demonstrate interest in their welfare. Make time in your schedule to say something nice to those with whom you work. Fellow employees feel better if they believe you care about them.

A kind word can make all the difference in feelings between two individuals. And the winner is the company. When people feel good they do their best work, and this includes everyone from the chairman of the board to the newest employee in the firm.

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When to quit

Earl Nightingale, speaking at a Bane Clene Convention said, “You can spend five minutes making a sale and ten minutes buying it back.” Incoming calls are the lifeblood of a service. Enthusiastic telephone receptionists sometimes tell the caller more than they want to hear.

Tell prospects what they want to hear. Answer their questions and then ask for the order. Sometimes the less you say is the best. If you do not get the order, offer a little more information along with an incentive to buy and then ask for the order again.

If you ask the caller a question, make it simple and wait for them to answer. The savvy telephone specialist develops a knack for knowing when to quit talking, when to offer more information and when to ask for the order.

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Wow! What a week

What a great class at Bane-Clene Institute this week! This morning, a standing-room-only crowd will see the latest technology and techniques in spot and stain removal presented by Craig Jasper, a 30 year veteran of the business. After lunch there will be an anti-allergen presentation.

Tomorrow I'll give an hour-long presentation on some things I've learned since 1962 that I consider important to success in our business. Kevin Stark, who has been with us since 1972, follows with a course on proper equipment maintenance. Dan Willis, manager of our service company, will share his 22 years of experience with the students.

Thursday Don Terry, chief chemist and technical director, has a class on understanding the chemistry of cleaning, proper chemical usage, carpet construction and spot and stain removal. Dan Willis will supervise a hands-on class where students can practice what they have learned and actually clean carpeting.

On Friday, I'll discuss advertising, sales promotion, the economy, hiring, goal setting and pricing of services. Oka Negley will advise the class on staying legal, and Bill Bane Jr., will have a session on general business procedures followed by a supervised 250 question examination.

If carpet people (retailers, manufacturers, distributors, technical and claims) want to know what the real world of carpet cleaning is like, you're welcome to attend for an eye opening experience. As a professional courtesy we'll waive the $199 non-owner tuition charge.*

* There is a nominal fee for class materials. Please call 800 428 9512 to register.

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BS (Not the usual connotation)

Bad installations, unkept sales promises, product substitution and shoddy carpet designed for cheap price shoppers have all contributed to the current problems in the carpet industry. But, significant damage has also been done by BS advertising in the carpet cleaning trade.

In my opinion Bait and Switch carpet cleaners have damaged the reputation of carpet far more than inferior cleaning equipment, bad chemical products or untrained operators. With the new SOA testing program, the hound dogs are baying at the hole where the fox does not reside.

Reputable cleaners include everything necessary for normal cleaning in the quoted or advertised price. Odor control treatments, carpet protectors and difficult spot removal services are usually done for an extra charge and are fully explained to the customer prior to the service.

"Foot-in-the-door" operators charge extra for deep cleaning, vacuuming, pre spotting treatments and they advertise color brighteners that cost extra. The last time I looked most carpet makers outlawed color brighteners. Some of these bandits even charge extra for detergent and moving furniture. Leaving the carpet dirty adds insult to injury.

The price of gasoline precludes driving anywhere and doing anything for $5.95 a room. Falling for that ad may cost the consumer many hundreds of dollars and these charlatans can be very intimidating, too. BS tactics and especially the intimidation factor leaves a mighty sour taste. The cleaning industry is teeming with these crooks and carpet sales have suffered as a result.

Hellooooooo CRI! BS carpet cleaners should be your target.

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The big "SHOW."

They have good reason to call it a "SHOW." If you think politicians are the worst at talking about nothing, tune in to any cable news channel. They go non-stop 24-hour a day with the same few stories. And they all have discussion panels with adversaries who yell and scream at one another. Then they smile and glad hand each other at the end of the "show."

Two notable examples of show business are Mary Matalin and James Carvel who often appear on the same "show." They are married to each other in real life and with their extreme political views could not exist under the same roof unless it was all a big act.

Watching a "show" on a business channel is entertaining, too. A panel of experts extol the virtues of a stock that can make money for you. I can just picture the guppies listening to the discussion, calling their broker, buying a hot stock and thinking they were the only one in the whole world who tuned in to that "show."

They have good reason to call it a "SHOW!"

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Character traits of a good carpet cleaning technician

• Ability to do repetitive tasks and do the last one as good as the first
• Motivation to do chores considered mundane by others
• Determination to be the best they can be at their job
• Willingness to satisfy customers
• Courteous, cheerful and helpful personality
• Character traits of dependability & promptness
• Put serving the customer ahead of everything else

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Be positive

Starting a conversation with a negative statement may offend a customer or a prospect for your service. A good example is to promise to be there as soon as possible, instead of saying “There's no way I can take care of you for at least a week.”

Slang or technical terms they may not appreciate or understand can cause the customer to feel uncomfortable. And don't forget, they don't want to hear about your divorce, illness or other troubles. They have plenty of their own.

Hearing a cheerful voice and receiving definite, positive information regarding their wishes, sets the tone for a good business relationship.

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Bait and Switch ads hurt carpet's reputation

During the past twenty years, consumer advocates and television personalities have been our best allies in fighting this scourge. Linda Carmody, president of the Central Indiana BBB calls me periodically to help on an investigation. I've worked with Brea Walker in California, Joe Ducey in Tampa, Carl Monday in Cleveland, RoseAnn Colletti in New York and a dozen other television personalities and investigative reporters.

These folks use hidden cameras along with interviews of victims and ex-employees to nail the bad guys. The worst case I can remember involved an 85 year old widow who hired a $5.95 a room guy to clean her 5 room house. Instead of the $29.75 that was advertised, she paid $1200.00 to that crook before he left.

A Louisville television station has just completed an investigation that led to the arrest of two Southern Indiana men accused of charging elderly customers hundreds of dollars more than they quoted for carpet cleaning. These two embarrassments to our industry are awaiting trial. I've drawn criticism from many in our business for calling attention to it. But since many in our business subscribe to these tactics it is not surprising they don't like me.

Anyone ripped off by this kind can grow to hate their carpet. Bait and switch operators should be the target of all honest folks in any branch of the carpet business. Instead of a testing program, CRI should work through cleaning associations and training facilities and encourage them to teach and preach ethics, honesty, and dependability. These were the transcending purposes of the original Seal of Approval program. Too bad they killed it.

He's baaaaaaaaak

An Icon of the industry has returned to active duty. I met Fritz Rench at a CRI conference in the mid '80s. In 1996 we had the opportunity to work together on the original CRI Seal of Approval program for Ron VanGelderen. Not long after that Fritz dropped off the radar screen and his brother Quin took the helm of Racine Industries.

Fritz sent me an e-mail in June that said he was back from a ten year hiatus and he wanted to see me. Within a week Fritz was in my office and we began the excursion of catching up on old times and even older acquaintances. An agenda of current events and the future of our industry turned what would have been a very short encounter into a day long event. After all this time that old war horse is still "Gung Ho" which probably doesn't mean what you think it means.

The first time I heard "Gung Ho" was on Tinian in 1945. This Chinese expression was often used by my Platoon Sergeant who had served in China in the '30s. Sgt. Charlie King had made it through the Guadalcanal, Pelelieu and Okinawa campaigns and was teaching a raw bunch of 18 year olds to be "Gung Ho" for our survival. "Gung Ho" simply means "Work together!"

"Gung Ho" Fritz!

July 4th

We celebrate our freedom on this day. I hope there isn't another travesty like the one that occurred last month. The Indianapolis Star picked June 6 (D Day) to publish a letter from JoAnne Lingle which protested the Marine Corps using Indianapolis as a training site. The Star also ran a negative article about the 26th Marine Expeditionary Force that probably made the 2,300 Jarheads from Camp LeJeune, NC, feel unwelcome in Indy.

D Day in 1944 was the turning point in the war. Americans could have easily been Heiling Hitler's protégé or bowing to an emperor today without the sacrifices of WWII. That war ensured freedom of the press which is used so flippantly. I wonder how the men who died on D Day would feel about the pitiful treatment of our military by those who have all that freedom?

From the Revolutionary War to Iraq, The United States Marine Corps has fought to protect our rights and defend our country. I was a proud member of the Corps in WWII and the Korean War. To say I'm upset that this idiotic woman would protest any military personnel from training anywhere in this nation is an understatement and the editors of the Star should be ashamed.

A WWII buddy of mine wished a curse upon Ms. Lingle. "May her Perrier Water be bottled in Mexico," he said. I don't think that's strong enough. I think she should be sent to one of those countries where women wear veils and keep their mouths shut. I'd gladly pay her way.

PS... To Ms. Lingle: Those Marines you didn't want in our state took part in emergency rescue operations in the terrible flooding in southern Indiana the weekend of June 7 to 9. Semper Fi!

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Rules and realities for hard times

• Nothing happens until you make the sale. Sharpen your advertising program and target the market that is buying now. Get out of the office to call on commercial accounts.
  
• Satisfy the customer and they will sell for you. There is no better emissary than a third party who recommends you to their friends and relatives. Give that extra effort.
  
• Listen to your employees and customers. They will tell you what is happening even though it may not be what you want to hear. Fix anything that is broken.
  
• Resolve complaints as soon as possible. The most loyal of all customers are those who have had a problem quickly and efficiently resolved. Do it ASAP.
  
• Don't be afraid of change. Change is inevitable. You need to be aware of changes that affect your business. Be alert! But, don't change just for the sake of change.
  
• Don't make business decisions after reading the newspaper or watching the news on television. It is always depressing

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Phone Inquiry Closes

One of the surest ways to close the sale for a service on the telephone is to convince the prospect that you offer more value for the price you quote. Make specific points about your service and why it is so good. Above all, talk about convenience. That is the most sought after amenity today.

If you guarantee your work tell your prospect specifically how you guarantee it and give examples. It is very important to the public that you accept charge cards. Charge cards offer a form of guarantee since the card company will mediate a complaint.

If you offer a Yellow Pages coupon don't wait for the caller to discover it. Use it as a closer after you have given the quote. Mail a brochure describing your service or offer to hand deliver it if there seems to be urgency expressed by the prospect.

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Why?

A student at Bane Clene Institute asked, "Why do you spend so much time and money on this school? Wouldn't it be easier and cheaper for you to just have us attend schools we have to pay for like most other manufacturers do?"

Bane Clene management considers education an investment in its own future. Aside from the usual curriculum, which includes the "how to's" of equipment, cleaning agents and techniques, Bane Clene Institute enhances the level of success by teaching students how to hire help, manage their business and especially how to direct advertising assets. Advertising strategy helps establish a strong future that is virtually recession proof.

More than 95% of the students attending Bane Clene Institute since it was founded in 1978, who graduate with a test score of 80% or above, are successful. Growing companies require more equipment and use more supplies. It's that simple. Your Success Is Our Success!

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The 3 'P's & 3 'R's of carpet sales

Price, Perception and Performance... Price is often the hook in advertising. For years carpet ads have stressed price instead of quality. There is a certain Perception of value anticipated by the buyer regardless of what they pay for their carpet. Performance does not always meet their expectations. The 3 'P's are followed by the 3 'R's.

Results, Regrets and Retaliation... Results such as bad installation, especially when there is seam peaking, take time to show up. Slow delivery or product substitution cause immediate Regrets. Next time around the disappointed consumer will buy from another store or worse yet, they will buy hard floors.

I believe there is a whole lot of pent up Retaliation in the dose of bitter medicine the CRI calls "de-selection." They say the carpet cleaning community is at fault, not shoddy carpet sales practices, faulty installation or manufacturing defects. That probably makes the folks in northwest Georgia feel better even if it's not true.

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Ingredients for success in the carpet cleaning business

• Implement a good marketing and advertising plan
• Use safe, dependable equipment and cleaning agents
• Take advantage of the best training available
• Have adequate financing
• Find and hire good help
• Good communication skills
• A CPA to file your tax returns
• Answer your telephone

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They do talk

Most customers who have a problem are not likely to report it to the business. Sadly, most of these silent individuals who do not issue a formal complaint will simply take their business elsewhere next time.

But the worst part is this. Dissatisfied customers typically tell their friends and relatives about an unsatisfactory experience. Negative information has twice the impact of positive information. Word of mouth testimonials or complaints are important factors that influence a buying decision. Third party recommendations almost always mean sure sales. It costs twenty times more to win a new customer than it does to retain an existing one who has a complaint. Take care of it!

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Chemicals can harm equipment

A study of orders placed with Bane Clene for equipment parts reveals some interesting statistics. Bane Clene System owners who use Bane Clene chemicals exclusively, order very few parts. Machines with thousands of hours have required no replacements parts at all. Owners who do not use Bane Clene chemicals exclusively, order many more spare parts. These parts include pressure regulators, sprayer parts, nozzle tips, pumps and quick coupler connectors.

Some chemical products and cleaning agents do not contain lubricating components, while others actually contain abrasives used as filler which can cause excessive wear. Fillers are used to enhance profit margins. Be careful what you run through your equipment. A cheap product may be very costly in the long run.

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Area rugs soil, too!

The market for cleaning area rugs has been exploding ever since decorating magazines began featuring hardwood floors. Cleaning oriental carpets and area rugs is not a problem, except for some which are not colorfast. Testing for colorfast qualities is a must in cleaning area rugs.

Offering pickup and delivery service is a definite advantage for cleaning firms which specialize in on location cleaning. With certain precautions, area rugs may be cleaned at the customers' location which saves transportation and is more economical for the customer.

Cleaning area rugs will more than offset any loss of business due to the popularity of hard floors. And by the way, stone, tile and wood floors get dirty, too. Bane-Clene Institute has classes in all of these services.

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CFR update

Remember that blog I posted here about the CFR (Council of Foreign Relations)? Well they're still hard at it. China Flooring Holding Co., has received $100 million from Morgan Stanley and the International Finance Corp. The IFC is part of the World Bank. Goldman Sachs, Citigroup Carlyle Group and others have joined in the Chinese program. Aren't some of these companies in deep financial trouble? Oh! And wasn't old Morgan himself one of the founders of CFR?

Don't you wish an American company could get that kind of help? If a country defaults on a loan who loses? Yep! You're right! It's us, since the good old USA props up the IFC, the WB and the UN. But the CFR is more interested in world trade, one-world government and financial security for the investment community than they are in sovereignty for America.

Now the Fed is going to oversee investment bankers. Sound good? Did you know the Fed is not a federal agency? Google "CFR" for some real enlightenment.

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Success

Success does not mean the same thing to everyone. What one person may consider success would be failure in the eyes of another. The first requisite to success is to define the word to your own satisfaction, then set definite goals and work toward them. False starts and stops only delay the process. Your picture of success will materialize somewhere along the line if you don't give up.

Take the advice from get-rich-quick "experts" with a grain of salt, especially those who know nothing about your business. The same ingredients are necessary to succeed today as they were a hundred years ago. Success is the result of hard work, determination and perseverance. But most of all, it comes from knowing what we want and what we deem to be success.

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Truth in advertising

A 'doctor' of something or other, spread it on pretty thick in a television commercial for a golf teaching aid. He said he just took up the game and was able to shoot par in less than two weeks. Since I have been honing my skills in the game for many years and can't shoot anywhere near par this hurt more than other commercials that stretch the truth.

Stay truthful in your advertising. Too much hyperbole can create expectations that are unattainable. It's better to under-promise and then over-deliver.

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Setting Goals

Goals don’t have to be big or elaborate! Set aside ten minutes every morning to ask yourself what you want to accomplish that day. Write these thoughts down and at the end of the day check to see if you are meeting your own expectations.

For example: Set definite, simple goals in marketing and customer relations. You'll be amazed at how your business will grow in a few short years. Some suggestions for a one-truck operation :

• Commit to sending out at least 10 mailers every week to commercial accounts.
• Mail at least 10 residential brochures every single day.
• Mail a 'thank you' and 'report card' promptly to every customer you service.
• Follow up by mailing brochures to that customer at least twice a year.

For multiple truck operations the numbers should be increased appropriately.

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Jokes

There are a multitude of jokes about an entity which doesn't manufacture or sell anything, yet has become the nation's largest employer. In hundreds of thousands of government facilities people are paid top wages to sit in lavishly furnished offices at the latest and most expensive computers communicating with one another.

Bureaucrats have wonderful health care programs, generous vacation schedules and great retirement plans. Many of them are provided new cars with gasoline furnished and travel on airlines to posh watering holes for seminars on "How to govern." These sessions are AKA, "How to fleece the taxpayer."

Property taxes have allowed government to become the nation's landlord. They own everything. If you don't believe that, don't pay your property taxes and see how quickly you're evicted. We're just caretakers and pay rent to them for the property we occupy. If we do a good job maintaining the property, they charge us more than those who let their property run down.

Unlike any other business, the government is assured a profit. Whenever there is a slowdown in business (tax revenue stream), they simply raise taxes and/or print more money. When they do either or both, inflation is the result. Nearly everything we buy has suffered big price increases recently, but government says inflation is really only 3%. Put your own pencil to that.

The joke is on us. Think of this as you vote for every level of government in November.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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"Carpet it just feels better"

Remember that ill-fated advertising campaign by the CRI? It was the best thing to come out of northwest Georgia since the invention of the tufting machine. Unfortunately the "BIG" players in the carpet business decided not to support it much the same way they chose to abandon the original CRI Seal of Approval program.

Well, here's some exciting news. Carpet firms in the United Kingdom are joining together to spend £4 million ($8 million) on billboards and television. The message is "have fun on the floor." The ads feature a scantily-clad woman reclining on carpet and children playing on a shag rug. They intend to make people fall in love with carpet again.

Brockway Carpets, a manufacturer at Kidderminster, is taking part in the campaign. Their managing director said: "We believe people with hard flooring have decided to move back to carpets. Carpets are warm, comfortable, safe, quiet and not slippery like laminate flooring."

Three cheers for the Brits. I hope they're not as short sighted as the American carpet industry!

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Show your credentials

In a news story on television, it was suggested that service personnel wear photo ID badges to inculcate a sense of security with customers. Bane-Clene Institute has taught this concept for more than 35 years. An identification badge with a current photograph of the technician promotes a feeling of security for customers and looks professional.

Wearing PCA and Bane-Clene Certified Technician shoulder patches also helps establish credibility and increases consumer confidence. Display a PCA decal on all sides of your service vehicles as a valuable point of credibility and to show that your company cares enough to belong to an international trade group.

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IT

The acronym IT (information technology) is used in business articles that say regardless of what business you are in, your IT infrastructure must be rock solid. If your information is unavailable, you will soon be out of business. As high-tech as IT sounds, let's not lose sight of what IT means to us in the service business.

Our most important IT is still the telephone and knowledgeable people to provide information requested by customers and prospects. Next is the internet which can provide unlimited information about you and your company. I've found that most callers to our service company have been on our web site but still call us on the old fashioned telephone.

The tech talk about "new paradigms" sounds nice, but don't forget that a fundamental policy that puts customers first is what makes a service company prosper. And don't forget to answer the telephone when it rings. When I say answer your phone, I don't mean with voice mail either. IT means business even though they may have gotten the information on the internet.

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How important are they?

Even though there are not many who would admit it publicly, most people think they are pretty important. A survey asked respondents about "above average" people. The consensus was that only 10% of the population is above average.

But another question in the survey asked how the respondents thought they rated and 90% of them said they were in the top 10%. This should give us some insight into how people feel about themselves, especially customers. Treat customers as if they were all in that top 10% and you're a sure winner.

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Back room deals

A veteran claims guy in the carpet industry has a theory he shared with me. He said, "I think the long term strategy of a few carpet makers that also sell hard floors, is to drive down consumer confidence in carpet and sell everyone hard floors. When the mills that only make carpet are all out of business, the conspirators would then sell carpet to cover all those hard floors."

That cruel theory may not make sense and I hope it isn't true, but I guess financial people and politicians are not the only ones who make back room deals. Big business is famous for driving out the competition, by hook or by crook. There are some big carpet makers that sell hard floors so he may have something there.

If his theory is true, the carpet industry will suffer for awhile, but we cleaners should be OK! We can take care of those hard floors, too. But I'd much rather work on a nice comfortable carpet, wouldn't you? I hope he's wrong!

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Danger lurks

When you drive a service truck onto private property, especially in nice weather, use extra care watching for children and pets. Never drive on a lawn or run over personal belongings left in the driveway. Toys in a yard or driveway are a sure sign that children may be close by. Even if there are no outward signs, look out for little tykes at play.

Truck doors should be closed and keys must be removed from the ignition. Never leave a truck engine running while unattended. Chemical containers should be secured in the truck, not left on the ground outside. Safety panels on the sides of the cleaning power unit should always be in place. After the job is done, check the vehicle for stowaways. Pets have been known to take a ride with an unsuspecting cleaning crew.

With two technicians on a crew, one should always be stationed behind the vehicle when backing in or out of the driveway to watch for children or to help guide the driver safely into traffic. Employees are the life blood of the cleaning business. Most of us use vans with forward seating which is like sitting at the front end of a dangerous projectile. Wear seat belts and keep a safe distance behind the vehicle ahead. If someone cuts in, fall back and stay safe. Don't tailgate!

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The fundamentals

A friend took me to see the Rays play the Yankees in St. Petersburg recently. I was impressed with the young Rays team and how well they did the little things that really count. They won three of the four game series. Every aspect of baseball is covered by fundamental guidelines. On offense the rule is; get 'em on, get 'em over, get 'em in! The teams that follow fundamental rules of the game usually win.

Business has fundamental rules too, and every once in awhile owners and managers should take a step back and be sure their team is executing the basic rules that make a winner. Take a few days off and come back to school to recharge your batteries and see what's new in our business.

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"Plus sales" nearly all profit

A service vehicle should generate a reasonable profit by doing the basic work it was designed to do. "Plus sales" made by that same service unit will make the difference between a mediocre company and a highly profitable one.

In the twenty years we worked for a major Midwestern department store, we reported to Salvatore R. (Sol) Petruzzi. We did carpet and furniture cleaning for L.S. Ayres’ customers in the State of Indiana. Sol loved the term “plus sales.” He said it sounded much softer than “add-on.” Technicians, he believed, must practice ethics in selling extra services and he had two rules:

• Plus sales should be made only to customers who have a need for the product or the service.
• Be sure the customer can afford to buy the product or service.

Fee structures should cover expenses and allow a small profit for cleaning carpets. This will keep your basic rates very competitive. Extra profit can come with additional sales which go almost entirely to the bottom line since the expense of going to and from the job is covered.

Carpet and fabric protectors, furniture cleaning, hard floor care, brushes, spotters, door mats and sundry other items related to the cleaning business are strong profit centers. If your profit margins are not what you think they should be, take a few days off and come to Bane-Clene Institute to learn how to improve your bottom line.

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Some "DO's" in selecting a carpet cleaner

• Call BBB or Angie's List to check on a company. (Both are on-line)
• Ask for a free estimate or quotation of a price before service.
• Ask for references and a certificate of insurance.
• Ask if cleaning technicians are certified by a reputable industry school.
• Insist on identification before letting service personnel into your home.
• Expect the movement of furniture at no charge unless otherwise specified.
• Pay with a check or a credit card. If you are not satisfied, credit card companies offer recourse and you can stop payment on a check. Cash is gone!

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Risk takers

While feeding ducks on the bank of a stream behind my home, it struck me that risk takers get the rewards. As I poured a pile of corn onto the bank, about 25 ducks got excited, quacked, chattered and swam back and forth in the water waiting for me to leave.

A few brave ducks came ashore and charged into the center of the pile of corn and ate most of it while the others stayed offshore and quacked noisily. When the majority saw that I was not going to harm them, they came ashore and picked up the few remaining kernels.

Those who take risks get the rewards. Those who wait until the coast is clear get what's left.

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Way to go, Charlie!

Charley Reese said this: "Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them. If both Democrats and Republicans are against high taxes, why do we have high taxes? If they're all against deficits, why do we have deficits? If all of them are against inflation, why do we have inflation?

"You and I don't propose a federal budget. The President does. You and I don't have the constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does. You and I don't write the tax code or set fiscal policy. Congress does. You and I don't control monetary policy. The Federal Reserve Bank does.

"One President, 100 senators, 435 representatives in congress and nine Supreme Court justices; 545 human beings out of more than 300 million are directly, legally, morally and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country. These 545 people spend most of their time telling us that what they did is not their fault."

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Getting it done

When asked what it takes to succeed, the owner of a prosperous business replied, "The same thing it took to get started; a sense of urgency about getting things done."

Education and intelligence are important, but without a sense of urgency, things just don't get done. The world is full of educated people who failed because they intended to do it tomorrow. Many, with less talent and less education, are successful because of their drive to get it done now.

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Are you glad?

The price of gasoline should make us appreciate our electrically operated Bane-Clene® systems even more. Our competition is paying exorbitant prices for gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene and liquid propane to run their systems. Direct-drive engine maintenance has skyrocketed and parts are scarce thanks to JIT inventory systems causing considerable downtime.

Cleaning machines that drive off the engines of diesel and gasoline trucks are breaking operators with fuel costing more then $4.00 a gallon. These units are flooding the used equipment market because of long term leases and high operating costs. Experienced people are leaving the trade and those that stay have to raise their rates which makes them good competitors.

Many Bane-Clene operators tell me they are delighted, but I'm not so sure its a good thing. The experienced folks leaving the service will be sorely missed. Their replacements will be people who know nothing about the business and who may cause considerable harm while they learn. It may be good for us short term, but long term it won't be good for the industry.

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Why did they switch?

According to a research paper, 60% of the customers who switched service companies said they did so because of poor quality. But when the company that lost the business was asked why, only 20% blamed their quality. The truth is that most people in the service business do not know if, when and why customers leave them.

Do good work and stay in touch with your customers. Follow up after every single job to make sure that the customer is satisfied and take care of any problems that may occur. You won’t have to worry about a customer leaving you.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Remember that "giant sucking sound?"

Ross Perot made it famous in 1992. Since then, millions of jobs have fled the country and twelve million illegal immigrants have taken their place. Announced inflation is about 3%, but nearly everything I buy seems to cost a whole lot more than it did the last time. Property taxes on my home went up more than 40% last year. Truck prices increased more than 800% in the last three decades and gasoline....well! But they say we don't have serious inflation.

In 1988, I read The Shadows of Power* by James Perlof. It was a book about war, banking, politics, greed, influence and especially the CFR (Council of Foreign Relations), a devoted proponent of one-world government. Perlof took a hard look at the history of CFR and supplied references for every allegation he made. He did a detailed expose' on the financiers of the wars of the 20th century. Viet Nam vets may be surprised, maybe even shocked, by the source of some of the financing for the North Vietnamese army.

Today there is the fading economy, financial turmoil, the housing bubble, antics of the Federal Reserve Board, illegal immigration, high fuel prices and tax rebates for people who don't pay taxes. Add corporate welfare, China, India, Iraq and the general situation in the middle east and they all seem to say Mr. Perlof was spot on in his assessment of the "Establishment" (CFR) and their role in world turmoil.

This book was never very popular because most people don't like the truth. It's not an easy read and can even be a little depressing. But, if you really want to understand why politics, the economy and our society are all heading in the direction they are, then this is a must read.

*Published by Western Islands, Appleton, Wisconsin ISBN 0-88279-134-6. The book is available, new and used, on Amazon.com. and through most book stores.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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“Homes For Our Troops”

Politicians talking about the “War against terror” are reaching a new level of disgust thanks to election year rhetoric. This must hurt those who were disabled in combat and listen to the nightly news. It will only get worse as the 2008 election debates heat up. Vietnam veterans can certainly relate. They came home to a media and entertainment industry that openly reviled that war and caused the defeat of American armed forces.

Gary Jordan, a Bane-Clene operator in Plymouth, Massachusetts asked for help with a charitable project called, “Homes For Our Troops,” which builds specially adapted housing for disabled returning veterans. He suggested that anyone in the cleaning industry could offer cleaning services to this worthwhile organization. We have published the request in the Cleaning Digest and the Clene Times and I thought it might be of some help to post it here.

Gary said, “Some of our troops are coming home missing arms and legs. Some are blinded and totally disabled. It would be a small sacrifice on our part to offer this service, considering what they have sacrificed for us.”

Major supporters of the program are The PGA Birdies for the Brave program, sponsored by Phil and Amy Mickelson, Calloway Golf, Bearing Point, Moen, Dixie Pacific, Hy-Lite Products, Simonton Windows and The Avon Foundation.

To offer services to this worthy cause, call Tom Benoit, toll free at 866 7 Troops or e-mail him at info@www.homesforourtroops.org. His address is Homes For Our Troops, 1 Taunton Green, Taunton, MA 02780.

Noisy neighbors

A UK survey says that Scots are the noisiest neighbors, and that uncarpeted laminate flooring may be the reason. People in Scotland say footsteps on bare floorboards are considered a nuisance and they are regularly disturbed by the sound of their neighbors' footsteps.

Christine Schoeck, of the Edinburgh Community Mediation Service, said, "In cities like Edinburgh and Glasgow, half our cases are connected to noisy neighbors. Laminate flooring is the main culprit. There is a case for legislation saying that you must have carpets, especially if you live above someone."

Aha! Maybe things are starting to turn around.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Some "DONT's" for selecting a carpet cleaner

• Don't schedule an appointment with anyone who calls you on the telephone
• Don't schedule with anyone who canvases your neighborhood door to door.
• Don't allow anyone in your home without proper identification.
• Don't do business with anyone who insists on being paid in cash.
• Don't be pressured into buying extra services you don't want or didn't order.
• Don't allow dumping of dirty water on your lawn, driveway or storm sewer.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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More thoughts on CRI testing program

"The top issue raised by customers who don’t buy carpet is that it is hard to clean," said Werner Braun, president of the Carpet and Rug Institute. "Keeping carpet looking good has nothing to do with the quality of the carpet and everything to do with the quality of maintenance." This statement in the Dalton Daily Citizen is an insult to professional carpet cleaners.

The testing of carpet cleaning equipment and chemicals by the CRI will only help convince consumers that carpet is really very hard to clean. I don't believe that's true. Cleaning is a simple function and the carpet made today is the easiest to clean that I've seen in forty six years in the business. CRI fails to understand that DIY and professional cleaning are not the same.

Maybe professional carpet cleaners should rate the carpets we work on for quality and evaluate members of the CRI on their understanding of the cleaning business. That would make about as much sense as CRI testing the products that we professionals use in our trade.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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New heights for prevarication

Politicians and sports stars have taken the lie to a new level of disgust. But is there any difference between telling a lie and perjury? The antithesis of both is truth. Should it make any difference to whom a lie is told? Is telling a lie under oath any worse than just a plain lie? Is congress or a grand jury any better than a wife, husband, customer, boss or employee?

With today's computer generated graphics in TV commercials, not much is real and there is very little truth in advertising. Cars climb mountains, run under water and travel at dangerous speeds to demonstrate handling. "Hip" ads are really stupid and invite unreal expectations. The result is a numbing of reality and often dangerous imitation.

No wonder this generation is so confused. It's gotten so bad that when a youngster heard a politician admit that he had lied, the boy reportedly said, "I don't believe him. He must have another reason for saying that."

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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When to speed up

May in Indy means racing. A. J. Foyt won the Indianapolis 500 mile race four times. When asked how he reacted when there was a wreck or other problem on the track, Foyt's response was, "I speed up because everybody else slows down."

Real estate is in decline, the economy is in the dumps and there is recession talk. Should we batten down the hatches and prepare for a bad year? When the economy heads south, most carpet cleaners make the mistake of cutting back in an area they should be expanding ... advertising.

The broad market for our services may slow considerably in an economic downturn, but the entire market does not stop spending. Target marketing will reach those who consider cleaning a necessity, not a luxury. These folks take a few less vacations during tough times, stay home more, dirty the nest more and we clean more for them.

Promote cleaning as an alternative to replacing carpet in the commercial sector of the market which remains strong. Residentially, gear advertising to those who are most likely to use your services. Opportunities are there for those who take positive steps. An advertising class at Bane-Clene Institute defines the market that is strong and specifies how to reach it economically.

Take A. J. Foyt’s advice and speed up your targeted advertising when everyone else is slowing down. This strategy will carry you through the down cycle and put you far ahead of the pack when the recovery begins.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Customer Service

A quick and effective resolution of a conflict with a customer can actually increase their loyalty to your company. A majority of complaining customers will continue doing business with you if they feel the problem they encountered has been corrected to their satisfaction.

Empathize with their emotions, listen and let them blow off anger or frustration. Get as many "specifics" as possible and then carefully restate the problem. Confirm that both parties agree on the details, then offer as many alternatives as possible and, if possible, allow the customer to decide on which alternative to use. Try to do more than promised and do it right away!

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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$5.95 a room to clean carpet

Does anyone actually believe those ads? Sadly they must. The fine art of upselling has reached new levels with this foot-in-the-door type advertising, AKA Bait and Switch. It has spread like a cancer in the cleaning business.

The BBB in central Indiana has taken a strong stand against it. The Professional Cleaners' Association has had Bait and Switch advertising as its main target since 1980. Angie's List members have filed reports about it. But until the CRI and the many cleaning industry associations take it seriously, Bait and Switch advertising will continue to degrade the consumers' opinion of carpet.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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CRI's testing program - another opinion

Before forming an opinion, I asked some prominent industry people that I trust about their thoughts. Last week I published what one of my friends from the manufacturing sector had to say. This is what a veteran of 30 years in the cleaning industry told me:

"The market will dictate the success of a product. I jumped through hoops for the Masterseries program which was a flop. CRI has been touting the Green Label program for vacuum cleaners, but you probably won't find a CRI label on a vacuum in any store. The big CRI advertising campaign, "Carpet, it just feels better," lasted less than one year. The original Seal of Approval program took six years to develop and was killed in less than two years after I paid my money. CRI never follows through with anything."

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Is bigger really better?

In the good old days I could call the neighborhood grocery and a boy with a giant basket on the front of his bicycle would deliver the order within an hour. Everything was right and there was no charge for delivery. Contrast that with a recent trip to a big box grocery where I walked for nearly an hour, couldn't find some things I was looking for and had an inquiry to an employee answered in a language I did not understand. After waiting in a long line to check out with rude people, I had to traverse a dangerous parking lot with my purchases.

Another 'big' operation that really offended me was Sun Trust Mastercard. Two bogus amounts of $29.80 were charged to my account so I called the 800 number on the statement. After listening to computer voices recite menus and punching in account numbers and other information, I finally was connected to customer service and put on hold for ten minutes. Then a computer voice informed me that my call could not be completed and instructed me to hang up and dial again. I left a message, though I'm sure no one was listening, and cut up the credit card.

I'm convinced bigger is not better. This is one of the reasons mom and pop cleaning services will thrive as long as they answer their telephone, show up on time, give good service and treat their customers with respect.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Buying used Bane-Clene equipment?

We've seen fraud and deception in used equipment sales. New owners buying on the open market bring equipment to us that has been cannibalized of OEM components. Cheap and inferior replacements sometimes make it inoperable in a short time.

Following are some suggestions that will help if you are buying equipment from someone you do not know:

• Require a clean bill of sale and be sure equipment is not encumbered by a lease, financing agreement or a lien of any kind.
• Require the serial number and model number of the unit. If the serial number has been removed or altered, the unit is probably stolen.
• Require the seller to demonstrate the equipment to be sure it is in working order and meets your expectations.
• Require the seller to demonstrate equipment maintenance, locate filters and explain the gauges. If the gauges are not operable, require the seller to replace them. Working gauges are critical in assessing equipment performance.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Scandals and bad press hurt everyone!

This is a truism! If a consumer is dissatisfied with carpet for any reason, they probably won't buy carpet from the same store and may never even buy carpet again. This hurts carpet retailers, installers, manufacturers and the cleaning community, too.

There have been scandals involving carpet retailers who took deposits while in bankruptcy and many cases of product substitution have come to light. You know....show them 40 oz ...deliver 30. Bad installation jobs continue to plague the industry and make headlines on consumer complaint sites on the internet.

In the cleaning business, there are numerous reports of truck mount operators being fined for illegally dumping dirty water. In addition to an outlandish number of bait and switch advertisers, cleaners in Florida and Oklahoma are involved in litigation over violations of the "no-call" laws.

A carpet cleaner who was featured on Dateline. NBC contacted me because a Bane-Clene equipment owner in Kentucky was victimized to the tune of $20,000.00 for a computer dialing franchise. It was a scam and the swindler was a carpet cleaner from Texas.

Just last week, in Seattle, thirteen people were treated for carbon monoxide poisoning and an entire building was evacuated because a carpet cleaning van fed exhaust fumes into the ventilation system. Hundreds of incidents much worse than this have been reported in the press in recent years.

These are things the entire carpet industry should take seriously. We all need to work together to stop poor business practices and scandals. Politics has enough of those.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Want a business plan?

A company advertised custom designed business plans for the carpet cleaning industry. The ad said it could take up to 200 hours to construct a good plan and that it would be presented in a handsome, leather bound case for the "modest" fee of $100.00 an hour plus expenses.

Before being taken in by such an offer, investigate the custom designed business plans that are available at Bane-Clene Institute. They are based on 46 years of real experience in the industry and include complete operations, marketing, advertising and management plans. They are given to everyone who attends our school and they work. They're free, too!

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Dr. Peale vs Murphy's law

Norman Vincent Peale speaking at a Bane-Clene convention, said, "What you see yourself as, is what you will be. Think of yourself as sick, image yourself as sick, and you can make yourself sick. Think of yourself as limited in ability to achieve and you will form a picture of a level beyond which you simply cannot go. Picture yourself as unlimited in ability and the sky alone is the limit to which you can go."

Comedians play on the negative probabilities of Murphy's Law. One late night comic recently said, "If at first you don't succeed... quit!" Rather than subscribe to their negative messages, listen to Dr. Peale. His speeches at Bane-Clene conventions on positive thinking are available in our catalog. Try to keep a positive attitude, especially toward your family and your customers.

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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Carpet cleaning advice

A popular business periodical had an article by Elizabeth Leamy, an Emmy award-winning television investigative reporter. She warned readers against the popular mailed coupon offering big discounts for carpet cleaning, such as 4 rooms for $ 29.95. This advertising is known as 'bait and switch' and is a blight on the reputation of our industry.

Ms. Leamy said, "Initial low prices with these come-ons are followed by hefty up-charges. Typically, you'll be charged extra for pretreatment solutions, deodorizers, protective spray, and moving furniture. To avoid rip-offs use reputable carpet cleaners who tend to charge by the square foot, not by the room. You may also want to hire a contractor that uses truck-mounted equipment which is more powerful than the self-contained equipment often used by cut-rate carpet cleaners."

©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2008
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CRI's testing program - one opinion

Before forming an opinion on testing, I asked ten prominent industry people that I trust about their thoughts on the matter. This is one of the answers that pretty well sums up consensus:

The technical director of a carpet mill said, "Our focus should be on making carpets. We should seek a rela