Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: David Rogers on July 30, 2010, 10:49:37 pm
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Guys n Gals,
Just wanted to say I apologise if I have upset anyone personally tonight. It's been a very long day work-wise and also, let's not forget that we all have other things and problems in our lives, as well as whether to use prespray gold or wool-x. ;D My best mate's mother died last night and ...well... it's been a rough day.
So yep, I over-reacted on some posts, but you know what, people here should still treat relatively new people with a bit more respect (at least until they know them well enough to abuse them!). That's just my view.
I'm going to bow out from the forum but I just wanted to say that I enjoyed meeting many of you, especially people who clearly have the knowledge, experience and the integrity, like Joe.
Keep those carpets clean and good luck y'all!
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That's your fault Simon ;D
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Dont go david start a fresh tmor mate as we all get involved when we first join the forum..
As steve said its like a pub and some we get on with and some we dont like life i supose.
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Steve,
You told him to stop posting, so it's your fault. ;D
I'm sure he's a really nice guy, he just needs to chill out a bit. 8)
Simon
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Seemed like a nice guy, just very good at digging really deep holes ::)
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come on guys stop hogging it, some of it was my fault. ;D
just a bit blinkered if you ask me. he'll be back. god bless him.
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It was actually all your fault mate - we were just taking some of the heat for you ;D
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Il second that its your fault derek ;D
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dya think it was my dry sense of humour that did it. ;D
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Erm no oops yes maybe waaay ;D
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dya think it was my dry sense of humour that did it. ;D
More low moisture ;D
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It was my fault!! ;D ::) :-X ??? This is much better than Corrie! :P
Dont think he'd of lasted 2 seconds on a building site!
......And i still dont know who Zero Dry Time are! :-\
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David reminds me of a certain Mr West, who when he first arrived on the scene was a bit full of himself, but I have to say that Derek has turned out to be a classic example of someone who set out with all the right equipment, the right attitude and a mountain of determination to succeed and very quickly built himself a really successful business, so well done Derek.
Simon
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some people who come on these forums ( and I'm not say Dave in particular) asking advice don't really want advice, they want confirmation that the decision they have already made is the right one and any answer not telling them what they want to hear is seen as sour grapes or a blinkered point of view
its the same with questions like what do you think of my new website they don't want an honest answer they want telling how marvelous it looks. they think its the best website on the web (that's why they posted it here) but they can't say " look at my website is'nt it brilliant" because that sounds bigheaded ;) so they ask for our 'opinion'
Dave will rejoin under another name, anyone who announces the are leaving always come back. He will be desperate to read what people had said about him leaving
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......And i still dont know who Zero Dry Time are! :-\
Quiet easy to find out - just google it
http://www.zerodrytimefranchise.com/
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some people who come on these forums ( and I'm not say Dave in particular) asking advice don't really want advice, they want confirmation that the decision they have already made is the right one and any answer not telling them what they want to hear is seen as sour grapes or a blinkered point of view
its the same with questions like what do you think of my new website they don't want an honest answer they want telling how marvelous it looks. they think its the best website on the web (that's why they posted it here) but they can't say " look at my website is'nt it brilliant" because that sounds bigheaded ;) so they ask for our 'opinion'
Dave will rejoin under another name, anyone who announces the are leaving always come back. He will be desperate to read what people had said about him leaving
A very good post ^^^^, You see it all the time on forums where people dont like to be told they are wrong or dont appreciate different views :)
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some people who come on these forums ( and I'm not say Dave in particular) asking advice don't really want advice, they want confirmation that the decision they have already made is the right one and any answer not telling them what they want to hear is seen as sour grapes or a blinkered point of view
its the same with questions like what do you think of my new website they don't want an honest answer they want telling how marvelous it looks. they think its the best website on the web (that's why they posted it here) but they can't say " look at my website is'nt it brilliant" because that sounds bigheaded ;) so they ask for our 'opinion'
Dave will rejoin under another name, anyone who announces the are leaving always come back. He will be desperate to read what people had said about him leaving
second that, bang on the button mike.
simon
i think ive built the foundations of what could be a successful business, but ive still got a long way to go. double barrel richards the one thats the success story. take my hat off to that guy.
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The problem with forums like this is that it is populated with people with vastly different levels of skill and experience, ranging from newbies, to those who have just got establish and those like me who have been in the business for 35 years.
It's not that the experienced ones are arrogant or bragging about their longevity and success, it's the fact that in such a diverse group their will be those who will read something you have said and then lay their own interpretation on it. 'Oh, he's just bragging. Who does he think he is. He's an arrogant so and so,' and others that will see it as it was intended, to be helpful to people who might benefit from their own mistakes and experiences.
Being in business for yourself is a tough game, anyone can start a business, it's staying in business that is the true test. And in order to become successful you will have to learn some pretty tough lessons and the quicker you learn them the less mistakes you will make and the greater your chance of staying in business for the long term.
No one likes to be told they are wrong - but what if the person who told you that you might be wrong, told you it in good faith and if nothing else had the balls to tell you what you don't want to hear. Is that arrogance? Or is it the true spirit of what a forum like this is supposed to be about - the sharing of views and experiences for the good of all who wish to share them?
Simon
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Hi Guys
Whilst some of this is undoubtedly true, I thought Dave made some good posts, was obviously intelligent and certainly made me think.
I have been in business for a long time but am still learning and try to be as open minded as possible because I already know what I know.
I hope he does come back as he has a lot to offer.
Cheers
Doug
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......And i still dont know who Zero Dry Time are! :-\
Quiet easy to find out - just google it
http://www.zerodrytimefranchise.com/
Hi Joe
I was being kinda sarcastic.... But yes, i did google them (i had to as i've never heard of them) to know who they where! David was talking about them like they where a household name! lol
Tony
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I didnt particularly find a problem with what Dave was posting.
Think it was a case of once one of you started having a go, the pack dived in.
I reckon he will carry on and be successful doing the dry if thats what he wants to do.
Think he might struggle on upholstery with "dry" methods, though I am sure he will give it a good go.
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No carpet cleaner has ever gone out of business because of his method used, most because of attitude, service or lack of marketing skills .
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The problem with carpet cleaning customers is that they are very fickle. Even if you do a fantastic job for them, the next time they want their carpet cleaned they still ring around for prices and often go with the lower price, believing that they are getting the same thing this time, only cheaper. If you really did do a fantastic job then they will be disappointed with the outcome of the current job and think it isn't as good as last time and come back to you because they have now learned that you do the better job, albeit for slightly more. That is when they become YOUR customer.
They also don't tell you that they became disappointed when the carpet appeared to become dirty again only a few days / weeks after the clean, what they do do is decide there and then not to use you again and will go elsewhere next time around.
Using an obscure cleaning method like VLM where your chances of getting the carpet thoroughly clean are so much less, that then increases the chances of the customer becoming disappointed only days after and kills any chance of you getting a repeat job which is the life blood of any carpet cleaning business.
Your initial marketing gets you through the door, but it is the quality of what you do when you're in their that decides the future of your business. Every job is an advert and using the least effective cleaning system that leaves a residue and therefore cannot be done repeatedly is going to reduce your chances of building a successful business that is based on repeat and referral work and that in the end is bad marketing. I'm not saying you can't build a business on that basis, but it's going to be really tough going with a perpetual chase for new customers.
It's a bold decision to go down that route and I think that is all people were trying to point out to David.
The art of building a successful carpet cleaning business is to put your customer in a position where they can't get what you do anywhere else.
Simon
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If I soak a cloth in water with an additive to release surface tension then wring out the cloth leaving it damp I can apply that cloth to carpet or upholstery or whatever and by scrubbing I will release soiling from the surface and retain much of it in the cloth.
If I take another cloth which has only been soaked in water and repeat the exercise I will collect the remaining soil in the second cloth.
By rinsing each cloth after each action I can successfully remove the soil from the carpet pile or the upholstery fabric.
If ( as an American company did in the 1940's ) I use a rotary machine with pads made from terry towelling to replicate what I was doing manually I can effectively clean carpets at speed.
If I use the latest technology in terms of machinery and products I can clean carpets as well as any other method and gain a following of very happy customers.
As nothing will ever suit everyone the alternative method of squirting water at the carpet and recovering most of it with an extraction machine could be offered.
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Using an obscure cleaning method like VLM where your chances of getting the carpet thoroughly clean are so much less,
This really made me giggle ;D
I have used this apparently obscure method for almost 7 years and have come across 1 carpet I cannot clean.
I try to stay out of the dry v wet debate slagging match that ensues and if young david does that he will be come a valid member of this forum. I usually just read these threads and stay out because this theme will run on and on.
But you really gave me a laugh on this dull sunday.
Martin 8)
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Hi Guys
Simon's assumtion is that all customers want the best cleaning possible.
Some customers put having dry carpets at the top of their list and this is where dry is very marketable!
Cheers
Doug
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Robert,
Obscure in that the vast majority of carpet cleaners right across the world choose HWE as opposed to VLM.If you're having success with VLM then hats off to you.
Simon
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Doug,
I simply cannot remember when the last person asked us if we do Dry Carpet Cleaning. We do get a lot of people that ask how long the carpet will be wet for, there's no denying that, but that is totally different to suggesting that people will settle for a lower standard of cleaning in exchange for it being dry more quickly.
There are a lot of customers out there who have had a bad carpet cleaning experience, where their carpets were left soaking and when it finally dried looked no better than before, we hear that on a regular basis, but that does not mean they are looking for a dry system, merely that they want their carpet cleaned without experiencing the same problem and most carpet cleaners worth their salt can meet that requirement without resorting to a lower standard of cleaning.
Simon
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Hi Guys
Simon, there are literally thousands of carpets in the City which are cleaned using dry methods.
This is the only system they allow, I have a friend who has made serious money out of it.
TM's are out and with all the electrics involved they just don't like water.
People wanting dry carpet cleaning contact companies offering that service.
Cheers
Doug
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No carpet cleaner has ever gone out of business because of his method used, most because of attitude, service or lack of marketing skills .
I reckon that's right.
It goes to show that we my realise what is best for the custy but in the end it's what they think. For many they see the visable difference and that's good enough for them, the LM guy is off to his next job in half the time and can make twice the money.