Bane-Clene® News and Views: February 2019

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Mistakes Carpet Cleaners Make

It’s only human to make mistakes - but most mistakes are avoidable!

One common mistake is forgetting to do the “little extras” which can endear your customers to you. Do you leave a small bottle of spotter with a customer who has problems with kids’ messes? If there are pets that shed, do you sell them a Handi Groom Groomer Brush^®, the Handi-Brush™ or better yet the Grime Reaper Upholstery Pet Hair Brush to take care of the pet hairs? Do you use Per-Scent^® in our cleaning solution to leave the room smelling fresh? Do you leave traffic lane paper to prevent tracking of freshly cleaned areas? Do you rake after cleaning?

Do you fail to use Wet Floors Warning Caution Pads, especially at the bottom of steps or where someone might step from a wet carpet onto a hard surface? A fall can be hazardous to your billfold!

Do you make the mistake of being afraid to add services to your business?

Some technicians don’t bother to warn customers to be careful of falling, that the carpet might be stiff for a while after protector application, that the great big coffee spill might wick back up but you will be glad to come back if it does. If the carpet has been mistreated with bonnet cleaning or shampooing for years, do you warn them that it may take several cleanings to get all the junk out or do you assume they’ll call you if there’s a problem? Most customers don’t call to complain - they just never use you again!

If you see evidence of a pet, do you check to see if your customer uses a powdered deodorizer? Do you call back to be sure the job was satisfactory?

Do you rake in the carpet protector with a Grandi-Brush^®? Fluorocarbons tend to leave the carpets stiff for a few days. Raking reduces this and ensures even application.

Another serious error some of our customers make is not keeping up to date. Bane-Clene has the most generous education packages in the industry from our training classes in Indianapolis covering management, carpet cleaning and care, upholstery, stone and wood floors to video training programs on DVD. If you’ve not been to school in more than two years, you are missing out on some good information. If you’ve not been in five years, you are probably making many mistakes and missing opportunities! Associated with this is the mistake of not training technicians. Untrained technicians can be hazardous to your business!

Another serious mistake is not pre-inspecting the job before proceeding. If the sofa is badly frayed or torn, wouldn’t it be wise to get a release? Are there bleached out spots? Are there stains on the sofa? Is the carpet loose which might cause rippling? Are the seams coming apart? Do you see evidence of delamination? Along this same line is the mistake of not pretesting for dye stability, especially oriental rugs and upholstery.

Have you made the mistake of trying to help a customer with a problem that is really the mill’s problem or the retailer’s problem and then getting into the middle of the litigation yourself? If there is a defect, the mill or retailer should be contacted first, and you should follow their directions so that the responsibility remains where it belongs - with the retailer or the manufacturer.

Do you make the mistake of not being prepared? Do you have your spotting kit fully stocked and ready to cure those tough stains? When you walk into the home or office carrying the Pro’s Choice Spot and Stain Removal Kit, the customer know that the “expert” has arrived!

These are just a few of the mistakes I run into, but avoiding them will really help your business.

by Donald W. Terry, Sr.

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Copyright: Bane-Clene^® Corp.

Author: Donald W. Terry, Sr. - Bane-Clene’s Chemist

Originally Published in the Winter 1998 Bane-Clene Cleaning Digest

Date Modified: February 20, 2019

Friday, February 22, 2019

LOSING SALES?

Are you losing sales to new customers? Are your repeat customers not calling you back?

The availability of information on the internet has made our customers more knowledgeable. They have become more sophisticated and in some cases harder to convince.

As a result, we need to know our Carpet Cleaning Service and what our company has to offer from A to Z. We have to be prepared to answer all relative questions quickly and thoroughly. You should be able to recognize the obvious problems the customer is having and be able to offer solutions.

You must also know your competition and what they have to offer in case your customer mentions one of them. Avoid being negative and derogatory about your competition; you need to focus on the features and benefits of your company. Tell your customer about the equipment you use, the fact that your chemicals are safe to them and their family and pets (if applicable). Mention without being boastful any training, schools, seminars, etc. you have attended. Point to any industry related organizations you may belong to. All of these selling points will help you avoid losing sales and further enhance the credibility of you and your Company.

Thorough knowledge of your service is the greatest confidence builder for you and your customer. You know you can help your customer. It won’t be long before they know it too. You know you have given them valuable advice and solutions for their problems. You are earning the right to ask for their business.

In any business, “knowledge is power” - use this power to keep you from losing sales.