I've always thought that carpet cleaning is pretty simple, but today there are a number of seemingly complicated cleaning methods on the market. Some are patented, some are franchised and some have stringent contractual obligations. That last one brings to mind a salesman who wanted me to go into a partnership with him 35 years ago.
He had numerous commercial accounts that bought cleaning agents but he didn't represent an equipment manufacturer so he asked me to be his exclusive supplier. His idea was to give his client a carpet cleaning machine "free" with a contract to buy a specified number of 55 gallon drums of pre-mixed cleaning agents every year to run through the machine.
In effect he was selling expensive drums of water and I laughed at the idea and wouldn't have any part of it. Just recently I read about a company that's doing that very thing. What goes around comes around. It reminds me of the famous old line that has been attributed to P. T. Barnum... about one being born every minute.
©Bane-Clene® Corporation 2011 Reprinting or electronically publishing this article is strictly prohibited without permission from Bane-Clene Corp.
I'd like to hear your comments on this article.
Please e-mail me at wfbane@baneclene.com.
