Certainly CRI should have a voice in the cleaning industry, but that's where it should end. Instead they, who know nothing about cleaning carpets, want to tell professionals how to do their job, certify them, and even specify the equipment and chemicals that they use. The worst part is they even want to charge carpet cleaners and their suppliers for the privilege of working.
In the '30s, extortion like this was called the "protection racket." I haven't seen any strong arm tactics .... yet! But rumors about people and companies that oppose CRI are starting to surface. For example: A CRI maintenance committee member told a carpet retailer that a company unfriendly to their program was insolvent. This is outright defamation because it's not true.
It is also rumored that CRI is threatening to ban anyone from their program who doesn't have nice things to say about them. What ever happened to the part of our Constitution that protects free speech? Not only is CRI flirting with restraint of trade and warranty collusion, they're risking liable or slander charges. It's going to get worse....stay tuned!
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