40-year employee honored

Woodard Cleaning & Restoration Services of St. Louis, Missouri, was established in 1946. They recently named the company training facility for a cleaning technician whom they hired in 1969. It's called the "Rich Parrott Cleaning & Training Center." Congratulations to Woodards for being among the very few in the industry who have their own training program and for being so thoughtful and appreciative of an employee.

As a note of full disclosure, Woodards is not, nor ever has been, a customer of Bane-Clene®. But that doesn't mean we can't admire and respect a colleague for their fine reputation and their many contributions to our industry.

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Gurus on line

Don Terry and I were discussing so-called "gurus" who post on internet bulletin boards. When they haven't been mentioned for a day or so, a question appears asking about the date or location of their next event. Or someone will ask a question that invites an answer based on their specialty to call attention to the "guru." Some of them even act deviously as their own shills.

We've had calls and e-mails asking why we don't participate in public bulletin boards. There are two reasons. Our staff is very busy taking care of our own loyal customers and we always put them first in anything we do. Secondly, there is so much confusion and distorted information on bulletin boards that we do not wish to be associated with them.

Don told me how many hours he spends on the phone every week answering questions for our customers and talking with technical people from carpet and furniture mills. These contacts generate more business for us and our customers than we could ever hope to produce by having someone post dubious questions and self-serving responses on public forums.

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Call on carpet retailers now!

For more than thirty years, instructors at Bane-Clene® Institute have recommended that students introduce themselves to prominent carpet retailers in their home town. Consumers call retailers asking about cleaning and maintenance of floor covering products. These stores can be a tremendous resource of new business for cleaning firms.

Some retailers have added carpet cleaning and hard floor maintenance to their menu of services. But most of them don't want to be in the cleaning business and choose to align themselves with a local, high-quality professional cleaning firm. Don't let your competitor get there first!

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Imagine

It's 10 AM Tuesday and you drive to a dry cleaner, the door is locked, no hours are posted and you're standing there with your arms full of dirty clothes. If you're like most people, you'll never go back. A carpet cleaning firm's front door is their telephone, and many are guilty of the same customer neglect. The excuse is, "I can't afford to hire someone to answer my phone."

Shoppers only speak with a knowledgeable person about 20 percent of the time when calling a carpet cleaning firm. Most calls are answered by voice mail or ignored altogether. Some cleaners think that if they appear to be too busy to answer the phone, they must be good and people will wait for them to call back. The truth is that most prospects simply call the next cleaner listed in the Yellow Pages or other reference source.

Unless you're the government, a utility or a very large corporation, you'd better have a real, live, intelligent person answer your phone. No cleaning company has ever failed because it couldn't remove a stain, but many have shut their doors because they didn't respond to the opportunity.

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Be ready for spring

It's time to "inspect and re equip" before the big spring rush. Make sure everything is working. Check your stock for parts that wear like the Stator, Stator Support Ring, Cleaning Head Tee Jets, Tee Jet Screens, Series "P" quick couplers for tank supply and return lines, Vacuum hose cuffs, Slip connectors and Drive belts for old pre-'05 machines. Keep these parts in stock to prevent being shut down when you're busy.

BTW... Now is a great time to trade in that old pre- '05 on a brand new 2010 Direct Drive Base Unit. High gas prices have caused the used equipment sites on the internet to be loaded with big, expensive truck mounts. Very few Electric Bane-Clene systems appear, but when they do they're snapped up fast. We get requests for used systems and need them to rebuild and resell.

Our records show there are thousands of Bane-Clene units dating back to the '70s and '80s, still working. Come on! It's time to upgrade that old equipment and come back to school for the latest in marketing strategies. Call 800 428 9512 for a trade-in offer you won't refuse.

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Ice Melt

Inclement weather in the north means ice melt compounds are used on streets, sidewalks and parking lots. Usually, they are salt (sodium chloride), but in below zero weather calcium chloride is used which is exothermic (releases heat when dissolved). It is effective down to -40 degrees Fahrenheit.

When tracked in, calcium chloride absorbs and holds moisture, making carpet, walk-off mats, and hard surface floors wet and slippery. When calcium chloride comes in contact with normal detergents, the alkalinity converts the calcium chloride into calcium hydroxide (lime) which is nearly insoluble in water. When dry, carpet or hard floors will have a dull, white appearance.

To remove calcium chloride from carpet, use Brown Out® instead of normal cleaning agents when extracting. Just follow the simple directions on the container. With equipment other than Bane-Clene, which may be harmed by the acid in Brown Out, spray the carpet with a solution of 8 ounces of Brown Out per each gallon of water and extract with clear water.

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Bell ringer

Back in the '70s, we operated a cleaning plant in the warehouse of a major mid-western department store. Store personnel picked up and delivered area rugs and furniture for us to clean. We'd call their dispatcher to arrange for their trucks to make a stop. Occasionally, we would call a few minutes past 4:30 PM to ask for a pickup or delivery to be scheduled the next day. The answer would be, "Sorry, the bell done rung at 4:30."

This mentality permeated many businesses as well as the department store industry in the '70s when they were the best places to shop. Today, that warehouse is gone, all of their stores have been sold and indeed the entire industry has been brought to its knees by competition working more hours and providing merchandise at better prices. The bell truly did toll for them.

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The competitive edge

Customers expect professionals to have the tools and skills to do the job. But those things are not all that it takes to excel in the cleaning business. Equipment, chemicals and training programs are readily available. But, when all else is equal, these are some of the "people things" that really give you a competitive edge:

• There's a trained person to answer the company phone.
• Technicians arrive in a clean, professionally lettered vehicle.
• They arrive on time.
• They are in uniform with a photo ID and a ready smile.
• They cheerfully answer questions.
• They're careful with the customer's furnishings.
• They dust baseboards and the back of furniture while out from wall.
• They're quiet and complete their work in an efficient manner.
• They leave instructions on the care of carpet.
• They sincerely thank the customer.
• There's a follow up on job performance and customer satisfaction.

These are just a few of the factors that give you the edge over the competition. For many more, come to Bane-Clene Institute, where 48 years of experience guides us and your success is our only agenda.

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Think spring

It's hard to "think spring" in cold, winter weather, but this slower time affords the perfect opportunity to plan for the spring rush. February is a great time to train new help, too. New employees will have time on the truck to learn the ropes before business picks up. This is the impressionable time when the trainer can teach the benefits of a cheerful smile.

Instruction should include setting up hoses, moving furniture, wiping baseboards, raking, and spraying pre-spotters. New employees should never touch a cleaning head until these tasks are understood. Start slow. Let them learn one job at a time. It's a good time to clean up equipment and check your stock, too. Make sure you have everything you need to do the job.

Most important! Don't forget to send a brochure to every one you've cleaned for in the past.

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Proposed Amendment

"The Congress of the United States shall make no law that applies to the citizens that does not apply equally to Senators or Representatives, and Congress shall make no law that applies to Senators or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens."

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48th anniversary in business today

Seems like just the other day I wrote about our 47th anniversary in business and here it is, that time again. February 4, 1962, was a very special day for Elizabeth, Bill Jr., Don and me.

On behalf of my family and all of the folks at Bane-Clene, I’d like to thank our great vendors and especially you, our loyal customers, for all you have done to contribute to our success. Without you, we couldn’t have done it. God bless you all!

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May be a sign of things to come

If you've been in an airport lately, you know that the noise level is about as annoying as the security procedures. Airports have been taking up carpet and installing hard floors. They say carpet is hard to maintain. But, ridiculous as that is, it's another story and perhaps that ugly situation is beginning to turn around.

Brintons Carpet of Kiddeminster, UK, got a contract for enough carpet to cover 24 football fields in a terminal at Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, India. Brintons has long been a supplier of high quality Axminster carpet to airports such as Singapore’s Changi Airport. Their reputation is one of original designs of unrivalled quality and project management skills.

Sales and marketing director, Jon Stone said, “We’re thrilled that we have been chosen and we’re very excited about getting down to work and delivering what I think will be one of the most visually stunning carpets that has ever been installed in an airport." I had the pleasure of touring the Kiddeminster facility in 1982, and was very impressed. Congratulations to Brintons!

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Boycott the "hate America" guys

Citgo is the state owned petroleum company of Venezuela that is ruled by Hugo Chavez. This raving dictator hates America and everything we stand for. Citgo has suffered massive losses in sales as more of us find out who the purchases support. Word is also being circulated that Citgo is in the process of changing its name to "Petro Express" to overcome this boycott.

According to Snopes, the independent companies that own Petro Express stations are changing brands and do not handle Citgo products any longer. Kangaroo is another brand rumored to be connected with Citgo. I don't know if this is true, but any of you patriots boycotting Citgo should keep an eye out and ask questions. God bless America!

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