[craignozza]

On facebook earlier today a friend asked if anyone knew any carpet cleaners and another mutual friend put forward my name whilst many others recommended this guy https://www.facebook.com/HalesCarpetCleaningServices/photos_stream
He is cheap and has been doing commercials and domestics with a rug doctor and a vax..... doesnt do any spotting either by the looks of it. Worrying thing is everyone seems more than happy to pay peanuts for his services. I was shocked by some of the photos - I wouldnt get away with leaving custies carpets like that and def wouldnt get paid. The before and after of the pub toilets amused me as well....

Stuff like this hasn't really bothered me before but for some reason this has irritated me, wonder how long it will be before Im called to clean up his mess, or not as he has put people off carpet cleaners.

I know everyone has to start somewhere but he is banging on about being a professional when I cant see any evidence of training or knowledge 

[Paul Moss]

Lol, i love the pic of the dirty water in the sink.

[John Kelly]

Don't worry about it. He's cheap and he gets all the crap jobs by the looks of it. There are thousands of them out there. Set yourself apart from them and fly.

[Carpet Dawg]

Some of his facebook messages:

"Shoe polish in a carpet ! NO PROBLEM ! That's why we're professionals". <<< wow, where do you start!

"We are the cheapest in the area at the moment. I cleaned some carpets for a client yesterday and beat the cheapest quote by £70 !!!" <<< well done ya donkey! 

Those pub toilet pictures made me sick!! totally disgusting before and after!

He seems to put a lot of effort into his fb marketing though, I'll give him that. And must be very hard graft with the crap equipment he has. But that's why he's professionals!! 

[Steve Chapman]

If his customers are happy and he's getting the prices he wants cant really see the problem. Looks like he's doing ok.
You can see the difference in the before and after photos and he's had the sense to post them on facebook, so he's obviously doing something right.

Dont think its fair to post about dodgy carpet cleaners when you dont know anything about them, he's just doing his thing and getting happy customers.

If you're that worried why not phone him and advise him on some decent kit 


Steve

[craignozza]

Steve I'm not worried just think its a shame that we lose out on business because of people like this who are not trained or insured and are using inferior equipment in which could potentially damage the carpets and in turn give carpet cleaners a bad name . Also I see what you mean about good before and after photos the shoe polish one is a good example  .. Actually a Bit shocked your defending this guy maybe it reminds you of your rug doctor days 

[Steve Chapman]

Actually I've always secretly wanted a rug doctor 

[craignozza]

 

[G O Cleaning]

On facebook earlier today a friend asked if anyone knew any carpet cleaners and another mutual friend put forward my name whilst many others recommended this guy https://www.facebook.com/HalesCarpetCleaningServices/photos_stream
He is cheap and has been doing commercials and domestics with a rug doctor and a vax..... doesnt do any spotting either by the looks of it. Worrying thing is everyone seems more than happy to pay peanuts for his services. I was shocked by some of the photos - I wouldnt get away with leaving custies carpets like that and def wouldnt get paid. The before and after of the pub toilets amused me as well....

Stuff like this hasn't really bothered me before but for some reason this has irritated me, wonder how long it will be before Im called to clean up his mess, or not as he has put people off carpet cleaners.

I know everyone has to start somewhere but he is banging on about being a professional when I cant see any evidence of training or knowledge 

it's ok just sent MSG to this guy via face book so that he can respond

[garyhumphreys]

Looks right he's running a proper business so "dodgy" is not a word I would use just because he undercuts you and uses inferior kit.
I like you wouldn't want to clean carpets for the prices he charges but its not fair criticism IMO.

[craignozza]

Moderators please delete this thread ... As apparently it's me who's got it wrong ! 

[CleanXtreme]

I understand your concerns regarding this competitor within your market area, however if his customers are happy with the standard of work provided and the results are to the clients satisfaction! I cannot see too much of a problem.
However his photos are a poor example of professionalism and do require better marketing! as they do portray his company as 2nd rate, therefore I do see your point of view.
If he does make mistakes and provides the customer with bad results he will get a bad name and he will soon fade away and disappear.
My advice would be to concentrate on your business and keep doing what your good at try not to worry about other competitors.

Kevin

[craignozza]

Delete thread

[Richard Meads]

Hey Craignozza, chill man!  To me using a RugDr and a Vax, and then marketing yourself as a professional is dodgy. and his customers deserve better, but, they are not your customers! Your customers want their carpets cleaned by someone who knows what he is doing, and who has the right equipment. Let the guy carry on working for the price shoppers, while you work for the ones who know what true value is.

I looked at your website, you say that for the price of hiring a machine they could get a professional to do the job, I wonder if you need to put your prices up. Who is the best cleaner in your area? Who is the most expensive?

[bennymon]

He may struggle for repeat business when his customers wander round B&Q and see great deals to hire that wonderful machine      but to be fair he can have them customers I'm not cleaning mingers  for sod all  del

[dan paton]

Maybe it's me but i find most mingers take roughly the same time as most others

[Steve Chapman]

When I first started out I used a small numatic machine and gradually upgraded over the years to finally a truckmount, I still do some of the original customers & there perception is I do the same good job as I've always done, except I'm maybe a bit quicker !

The moral is dont presume the customers are being short changed because of kit etc most are blissfully unaware, it's the results that count !

In those early days I would've done whatever it took to get a clean carpet even if I was there all day, i didn't have a lot of experience or decent machine but wouldn't say I was dodgy in any way, just learning & trying my best.

Steve

[Richard Meads]

Craignozza points out that he is not trained or insured. Surely not having insurance is taking an undue risk with the clients property.

Really though we don't know the guy and he can't speak up for himself on here.

[dan paton]

Craig how do you know the guy is uninsured?

[John Kelly]

Unfortunately a lot of cleaners aren't insured. They may have public liability but that doesn't cover you for damaging items being worked on.
Even if you have treatment risk read the small print. A lot of insurers will want to see your training certificates before paying out.

[*Hector*]

Oh dear Craig..... this thread didn't quite go as you expected it to, did it??




never mind You will be back with a different name before long..

 

[*Hector*]

I agree John..., treatment risk is something that you have to ask for, and search out.. I would estimate that quite a lot of carpet cleaners only have the insurance for damage to things they don't work on. 

The insurance company would have a job getting my training certificate, I got it over 25 years ago, and lost it about 23 years ago..... However as I have had my insurance with the same company for all that time, they do know that I have some experience 

[JandS]

Same here haven't a clue where my certificate is...got it in 1997.

[Simon Gerrard]

I can't see what the problem is, the people your competitor is serving probably aren't your target customer. We've had zillions of customers over the years that have had it done by other, less professional companies and they thought it was as good as carpet cleaning gets - until they got it done properly and once these people have found you they tend to stick with you. All that guy is doing is lining up your future customers, so let him get on with it IMO.

Simon

[Simon Gerrard]

 It is also a bad idea to become too involved in what your competitors are doing. You should concentrate on what you are doing and keep finding ways to make what you do today, better still tomorrow. Competition is not about price, it is about quality!!!

[*Hector*]

Competition is not about price, it is about quality!!!

Don't believe I'm saying this but.......................

Simon is right.. 

You should NEVER compete on price unless you are the cheapest, and can maintain that.......

then again why would you want to compete on price??

I was low priced for a very long time, as I thought that poor people needed their carpets cleaned too..... however the people taking advantage of the low prices were all the doctors, solicitors, famous singers etc... ie all people who had more money than most....

So I upped my price... by a lot... and make more money each year, and do less work..

win win 

[Simon Gerrard]

Correction.....

I was low priced for a very long time, as I thought that poor people needed the dirt in their carpets rearranged 

[*Hector*]

Yes true Simon....

I was HWE cleaning at the time 

 

[Carpet Dawg]

Why did Craig leave? come back Craig!

Why are people on here so sensitive? One argument or what ever and they leave!! Its happened a few times on here. I've had my fair share of running's and I'm still here 

But on another note, its funny how a lot of people are defending johnny foreigner rug doctor man. What happened to oh you need a truckmount!!! you need at least 130psi porty with two vacs!, you need to be part of an organization, you NEED TRAINING!! YOU NEED TO BE INSURED!! etc etc . This guy clearly has none of that! defiantly not good equipment, probably using crap chems (i.e. rug doctor/vax chems i.e. high foaming, high PH hell!). I doubt he has expensive insurance with those cheap prices and name a training course that teaches the use of vax and rug Drs?

Sorry but people like this need to stop trading!

I agree with Craig.

[John Kelly]

Unfortunately these guys have allways been and allways will be around. A lot of them last a short time and pack up and move on to something else, a few survive and eek out a living.
But as has been said annoying as they are its best just to get on running your own enterprise and work hard to make it as succesfull as possible. This is a good business if done correctly and there are plenty out there who prove that.

I had a local women phone me recently asking the price of a Prochem machine as her husband was about to be made redundant and was going to start a carpet cleaning business. He had been quoted a rediculously low price from a janitorial supplier down South miles away from where he is. I explained that I couldn't match that price but that we didn't sell on price but on customer service and to buy off us he would be also receiving advice on the correct setup and products but also ongoing advice and support which is very important when starting as its possible to waste thousands on the wrong kit and advertising. Anyway after trying to explain all this and still offering a start up package at a very competitiive price she turned round and said "but you can't match that price" NO.

[Richard Meads]

Dead right Carpet Dawg! I started with a little portable, but got training and insurance before starting, you need to make some investment before starting any business. We want the public to be informed, but by using a RugDr they think they can rent a machine and do just as good a job.

Like I said before, Craig may need to put his prices up if this guy is affecting his income and like you say John focus on running his own enterprise and getting a better customer. Just quoted a job where they used a Rug Dr and are not happy with the results  

[*Hector*]

Why did Craig leave? come back Craig!

Why are people on here so sensitive? One argument or what ever and they leave!! Its happened a few times on here. I've had my fair share of running's and I'm still here 

That is because you are a stubborn git 

[wynne jones]

Unfortunately these guys have allways been and allways will be around. A lot of them last a short time and pack up and move on to something else, a few survive and eek out a living.
But as has been said annoying as they are its best just to get on running your own enterprise and work hard to make it as succesfull as possible. This is a good business if done correctly and there are plenty out there who prove that.

I had a local women phone me recently asking the price of a Prochem machine as her husband was about to be made redundant and was going to start a carpet cleaning business. He had been quoted a rediculously low price from a janitorial supplier down South miles away from where he is. I explained that I couldn't match that price but that we didn't sell on price but on customer service and to buy off us he would be also receiving advice on the correct setup and products but also ongoing advice and support which is very important when starting as its possible to waste thousands on the wrong kit and advertising. Anyway after trying to explain all this and still offering a start up package at a very competitiive price she turned round and said "but you can't match that price" NO.

He will be on the phone when he has problems though.

[John Kelly]

Exactly, do you think the company that sold him the machine for nearly cost price are going to help him, not on your nelly.

[Buckland]

I can see where craig is coming from but it is generally not a good policy to criticize your competitors in any business - I have made side swipes at other 'types' of operators but not individuals and criticized the people who later 'starred' on Watchdog and ... you see what happens, where do you stop - it uses up too much nervous energy and you'd be better off using that energy to build your own company - one thing is for sure if a competitor started bad-mouthing me with customers the gloves would be off so craig better hope he is not the vindictive type because this brave new world or totally connected means you dont necessarily have to do a good job you just have to say you do on fb and twit - who knows it could backfire badly if he uses sm better than u do

When I visited a long-standing customer who had one of the 'two rooms for 12 pounds' offers or something like that thru her door and a visiting son (total prick) picked it up and said why was she paying me so much she asked me and I said "Hey that sounds good get them in" - she insisted they did the cheap job when they tried B&S and it was crap - I knew she was a demanding customer and her son never heard the end of it and then she saw the watchdog programme... in some cases its not the competitors that are the problem it is the customers! I wonder if you asked all those fb friends of that other cc in 6 months if they still thought they had a good deal many will probably say no due to re-soiling, soap residue etc

[Max Campbell]

We had a customer who'd used us 3 or 4 times, and referred other business to us, who did a Groupon deal with a well known local general cleaning company that do a bit of CC'ing. We'd previously charged about £140 - groupon guy charged £29 - we're back there in a couple of weeks' time. 

[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

he charges more then we do !!! oh dear guess iam dodgy cleaner !!!!!

[Jason Hedges]

Don't worry about what anyone else is charging. If they're charging less than you then more fool them.

Kind regards,
Jason.

[Steve tracey]

Rug Doctor  I found to be a great little machine used properly cleans well also sold a number to  hotels and start  ups. They have their limitations for instance  big areas, small areas and household jobs great.
The start up I did and do for guys is not right for all carpets, tell them the limitations and that as theg get more experienced then time to  move up.
Havng said all that lets  be honest guys the improvements in technology have been tremendous over the last years, is anyone still going in with a big case full of spotters  no they might be in the van but most jobs nowadays a couple of basics do.