With respect to this product no was rip off and if it has failed then it was collective failure.
this product need very cleaver marketing. how can you say to someone that they have allergens in carpets etc and not expect that to reinforce the Asthma UK message to rip up carpets.
pressure needs to be put onto organisations like asthma UK to change their message. you have to ask yourself why do they and asthma nurses, not promote prevention? its just like most things today its the "special interest Groups" that run things. that means groups with the largest pockets wins.
my personal problem with this the approach to marketing. solution wanted to sell it to everyone and i still believe that yes it has benefits for that market but marketing is about answering problems. and this in my view is asthma prevention. there is a market for prevention. just check how many people Google "asthma attack prevention" each month
I still believe that its day will come. it was over sold to some and expectations where high. but as always its about results.
if you think about other types of services you would expect that if it was possible to remove move than just dirt from carpets then it would be a standard thing just like stain protection, and not a add on.
how many cleaners say they give a top end clean when there are tools around to take that level of clean higher. in another post price has been a subject and how much you can get. how about what you can give in return? how do you think a customer would feel if one cleaner goes in after someone else and gives them stain protection and a clean that is hygienic for the same price?
the customer does not know about the amazing range of products we have available to us.
my customers get information on dvd and other media that educates them on these things, and i know the fast track guys do it as well.
the only way to sell these types of service is to educate people about them. if things do change and people start to go back to carpets then they will have a idea about dust and that one benefit of a carpet is its filter affect. and then the job of marketing these type of products will be easier.
how many people do audits? this toll helps sell these services. just by asking if the home has any asthma sufferers allows you to talk about the benefits of regular cleans and these products.
you have to remember that we are lucky to see a client once a year. and many don't use newsletters so messages get forgotten.
how would you feel about say NCCA if you did not get a newsletter? would you pay you fee?
i for one still promote this product, i don't use the brand name just asthma prevention. take a look at my pink leaflet.
http://cleanersnetwork.wordpress.com/respect
Ian Harper
