A study by Debbie Lema of Racine Industries indicates that CRI's testing program is seriously flawed. We all know that tests can be made to arrive at any conclusion the test conductor wishes, just like the survey CRI used to justify the new SOA program. It claims that carpet cleaning is responsible for most carpet-related complaints. That simply is not true!
Installation is the most common complaint about carpet. Peaking seams and rippling caused by failure to use a power stretcher top the list. Shoddy sales practices, defective carpet, late deliveries, broken promises and product substitution run a close second in complaints about carpet. Retailers have taken deposits while in bankruptcy and never delivered the carpet. Carpet cleaning complaints are a distant third and insignificant by monetary or moral comparison.
I've monitored complaint sites on the internet since 1995. Carpet-related complaints that I have reviewed and cataloged during the past year were: Installation 314, Sales 253, Cleaning 131. Most cleaning related complaints were from consumers who clean their own carpets. They complained about poor results, watered down chemical products and cheap, poorly maintained rental equipment. Other cleaning-related complaints were about poorly or untrained in-house staff using walk-behind or riding equipment and cheap portable machines.
Professional cleaners' complaints were nearly all about bait and switch advertisers, failure to return phone calls and rude technicians. Consumer complaints about professional cleaning equipment, chemicals or methods are virtually non existent. It's time for CRI and Professional Testing Laboratories to stop extorting money from professional cleaners and their suppliers through their bogus and flawed SOA program.
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