This is not new, it’s been happening for decades within C&U Cleaning. The last one I remember was, and I hope I'm right.... HomeCare in the North of England. Note - I COULD BE WRONG WITH NAME.
I worked as an engineer at the time for a food production factory. We had a new starter who joined us on the engineering team as a mechanical setter. I can remember him telling me how his last job was carpet and upholstery cleaning for a dodgy company.
He told me he was used on a 'self employed basis' and had to provide his own machine, transport and chemicals and took a small percentage from each job completed. He told me that he was expected to significantly up sell the service when in the home and charge massively for stain removal, stain protection, conditioning etc.
The higher the job ticket the less percentage the company would take. For example,, If he did a job for £40.00 the company would take 85% leaving him with £6.00!!!. If he managed to do the same job for £300.00 they would take 50% leaving him with £150.
They got him into a position where he could do nothing but rip people off in order to make a living for himself, they also told him that if he tried to leave for another job they would give him a terrible reference and would accuse him of being a thief. If a customer rang head office to complain they would simply tell them that the staff are self employed and the issue should be taken up with them!!! They were advertising living rooms for £3.00.
What was sadder was the fact that he had lost his wife to cancer and had to bring up his two small children on his own, whilest the owners of this scam were driving round in brand new leased BMW'S and Mercs.
Luckily he got out and got a job with us on engineering and continued cleaning carpets for himself part time and took good money, which got me into it. He went onto become a fully qualified engineer at another company and lives a nice comfortable lifestyle now. Spawney git.
Pete
