Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Jamie Pearson on April 01, 2013, 11:12:10 pm

Title: What's the most useful..............
Post by: Jamie Pearson on April 01, 2013, 11:12:10 pm
....piece of technology / gadget / machine / tool / service / training that you have started using/implemented in your business in the last year?

There has been 2 for us.

The first was putting shelves at the sliding doors of our floor sanding van (Merc Vito) facing outwards rather than in with all consumables like sand papers, sealers, lacquers now accessible withoutclimbinginto the back of the van. Keeping it tidier and easier to manage the stock.

The second was hooking everyone up to Evernote allowing us to create a file for every job starting with the initial enquiry, survey pics sizes and notes, the quotation, before and after pictures by guys onsite, paperless customer sign off and copy of invoice. All of this synced and accessible from any Internet connection, smartphone, iPad, pc meaning that all info is available to anyone that needs it about any part the customers experience with us without having to make contact with someone else and request information.

Oh there is a third thing. A rather funky door wedge that can hold open any door using a number of different ways.

what's helped you work smarter? A TM, new sat nav or the latest nano coated hybrid fibre woven boxers with carbon filter?
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: kerrpmiddleton on April 02, 2013, 03:26:54 pm
whats every note sounds good , am not abig IT fan but i do take picturs of most of my jobs ,can you keep i file of client on it , for mail shots ect,my best investment was cimax and encaping big commercial jobs :o , then my air flex  :P, big portbale for humping around , but great bit of kit, 3rd going back to using chemspec chemicals forgoten  how good they are ,  ::)roll
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: Jamie Pearson on April 02, 2013, 03:48:03 pm
Evernote www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pjn6YkCY2yA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pjn6YkCY2yA)
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: Mike Halliday on April 02, 2013, 04:31:08 pm
Although I've only been using it a short time I'm impress with QuickFile on my iPad so I can involce and give receipts on the job as I finish and email it to them instantly.

Funny thing is it was Andrew the TACCA. inquisitor who reccomended it.

Also Been using my Oreck orbital a lot lately, I'd forgotten how good that was
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: Andrew Briscoe on April 02, 2013, 04:36:24 pm
....piece of technology / gadget / machine / tool / service / training that you have started using/implemented in your business in the last year?

There has been 2 for us.

The first was putting shelves at the sliding doors of our floor sanding van (Merc Vito) facing outwards rather than in with all consumables like sand papers, sealers, lacquers now accessible withoutclimbinginto the back of the van. Keeping it tidier and easier to manage the stock.

The second was hooking everyone up to Evernote allowing us to create a file for every job starting with the initial enquiry, survey pics sizes and notes, the quotation, before and after pictures by guys onsite, paperless customer sign off and copy of invoice. All of this synced and accessible from any Internet connection, smartphone, iPad, pc meaning that all info is available to anyone that needs it about any part the customers experience with us without having to make contact with someone else and request information.

Oh there is a third thing. A rather funky door wedge that can hold open any door using a number of different ways.

what's helped you work smarter? A TM, new sat nav or the latest nano coated hybrid fibre woven boxers with carbon filter?

I got some new boxers last week, stay fresh with anti microbial or summat in them.
There great, had them on over a week now and still fresh as day I put them on  :o ;D
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: Chris Straker on April 02, 2013, 05:15:41 pm
Mine would be OP machine plus more recently got a small hand steamer .....great for lifting out hair dye & fake tan marks, that clients 'already tried with a few things'  ::)roll
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: Joe W Brown on April 02, 2013, 05:25:13 pm
Probably my extractor machine or my van. I'd never get anywhere without them.
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: Carpet Dawg on April 02, 2013, 05:32:43 pm
Although I've only been using it a short time I'm impress with QuickFile on my iPad so I can involce and give receipts on the job as I finish and email it to them instantly.

Funny thing is it was Andrew the TACCA. inquisitor who reccomended it.

Also Been using my Oreck orbital a lot lately, I'd forgotten how good that was

For agitating pre-spray Mike? Do you use a bonnet or the scrubbing brush?

thanks
Tony
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus) on April 02, 2013, 05:35:08 pm
WCW battery sprayer has made life easier this year.
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: derek west on April 02, 2013, 05:56:41 pm
Bendy pipe holders, love em. recommended by Geoff i think. and official sliderzzzzzzzzzz. brilliant.
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: Craigp on April 02, 2013, 06:44:14 pm
I fitted a toilet seat to the top of my TM waste tank so I never get caught short, I can even go a dump.

I'm going to fit a toilet roll holder to the side too.
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: Radek Jablonski on April 02, 2013, 06:46:10 pm
I fitted a toilet seat to the top of my TM waste tank so I never get caught short, I can even go a dump.

I'm going to fit a toilet roll holder to the side too.

 ;D
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: Jamie Pearson on April 02, 2013, 07:23:36 pm
I fitted a toilet seat to the top of my TM waste tank so I never get caught short, I can even go a dump.

I'm going to fit a toilet roll holder to the side too.

Does it have soft closing lid?
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: Jamie Pearson on April 02, 2013, 07:24:10 pm
Bendy pipe holders, love em. .

Do you have a link for these Derek?
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: Mike Halliday on April 02, 2013, 07:35:26 pm

[/quote]

For agitating pre-spray Mike? Do you use a bonnet or the scrubbing brush?

thanks
Tony
[/quote]

Been bonneting with it using the  dervsey enhance I posted about.
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: Andrew@Approved Carpet Cleaning on April 02, 2013, 07:45:33 pm
For me, without sounding too much of a brown nose.....the advice , and guidance from a lot of people on here and the other channel.
Also, like Mike, the oreck, although I have to use the brush as it keeps spitting the activa pad out the side.  :)
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: Mike Halliday on April 02, 2013, 07:49:02 pm
Andrew, I'm referring to the big Oreck commercial  not the 12 inch orbitor, which I thinks a bit useless for bonneting
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: Paul Moss on April 02, 2013, 07:57:33 pm
Bendy pipe holders, love em. .

Do you have a link for these Derek?

Just go on ebay Jamie, there are loads of them. And as Derek says they are fab for things like hooking up your vac and solution line. I also use mine on the van for hooking the wands up to the ceiling.
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: Andrew@Approved Carpet Cleaning on April 02, 2013, 08:01:36 pm
Andrew, I'm referring to the big Oreck commercial  not the 12 inch orbitor, which I thinks a bit useless for bonneting

Ah, that explains it!!!
Mike, was it you who "modified" the orange brush for the baby oreck?
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: derek west on April 02, 2013, 08:06:44 pm
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-LONG-30-SOFT-FOAM-IRON-WIRE-TWIST-GRIP-Strong-Bendy-Secure-Cable-Tie-Bungee-/310410164756?pt=UK_Car_Accessories_Touring_Travel&hash=item4845e33a14
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: JandS on April 02, 2013, 08:18:29 pm
Last 6 months....Cleanfix Floormac and WCW electric sprayer.
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: Jamie Pearson on April 02, 2013, 09:02:44 pm
Andrew, I'm referring to the big Oreck commercial  not the 12 inch orbitor, which I thinks a bit useless for bonneting

Is it a Low Boy?
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: AshWhite on April 02, 2013, 09:23:03 pm
Andrew, I'm referring to the big Oreck commercial  not the 12 inch orbitor, which I thinks a bit useless for bonneting

Is it a Low Boy?

I'm pretty sure that's what Mike has,if I remember correctly.
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: Mike Halliday on April 02, 2013, 11:10:44 pm
Yep it's a lowboy
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: peter maybury on April 02, 2013, 11:18:21 pm
If you live near a pound shop you can buy the twistie ties there, buy 5 packs  for £5.
As usual going on you tube is a a never a five minute thing for me I followed Jamie's thread and ended up researching something that we have been talking about for a few years, a paper less office.
Our problem has always been the scanning aspect but I think I have found the next thing to make a difference to my life, the fujitsu s1300i scanner is now on the shopping list.

Peter
www.carpetcleanercardiff.com (http://www.carpetcleanercardiff.com)
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: Nigel_W on April 03, 2013, 07:22:16 am
Peter,

Go for it. I did last year using a fujitsu scansap s1500 and Evernote.

The scansnap scanner and software lets you scan straight into Evernote (in seconds) and the document is OCR'd so you can find any document almost instantly on your phone, pad or computer. You can also forward emails to your evernote account to save printing/scanning and then binning paper. i have set up a series of notebooks to mimic our old filing system ( eg purchase invoices/sales invoices, bank statements, client correspondence etc etc). Then each document is saved in the correct notebook with a date related note title eg, 2013-04-02. This means that the notes appear in date order in the notebooks. Works a treat 8)

Don't forget you will need a shredder as well ;D

Happy shredding


Nigel
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: Jamie Pearson on April 03, 2013, 07:42:16 am
I do all my job surveys with an iPad. The latest add in is Penultimate which lets you write on screen like a normal notepad. Adds the note into Evernote. The document content can be searched as normal because Evernote can has handwriting recognition.
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: Jamie Pearson on April 03, 2013, 07:43:17 am
Evernote in iPhone has a function where you can enable OCR and scan the doc using the built in camera then sync to web and all other devices.
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: Allan Simmons on April 03, 2013, 03:48:31 pm
Ours has to be the Cimex and Fiberpads from Jamie, along with the advice, priceless!  Totally revolutionised our commercial thinking.  Looking forward to seeing the Orbot at the TACCA day now.
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: COLIN BRIGHT on April 04, 2013, 10:14:35 pm
to stop calling people who dont book a job, peasants....they dont seem to like it.....the peasants!
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: Mark_Jubb on April 04, 2013, 11:24:04 pm
more recently got a small hand steamer .....great for lifting out hair dye & fake tan marks, that clients 'already tried with a few things'  ::)roll

Which one did you get Chris?  I've been contemplating getting one, but haven't settled on which one. If you say yours is a good one and does the job, then that's good enough for me.  :)
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: Simon@arenaclean on April 05, 2013, 04:22:34 pm
Not sure what steamer Chris uses, but i've had one similar to this for 3 years and they are very handy. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/360614609100?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/360614609100?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649) They all seem very much the same.
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: Paul Moss on April 05, 2013, 04:32:31 pm
Yep that looks like it. I have one and they are great for this type of work. I think Chris has the black one. Steamer that is  ;D
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: Mark_Jubb on April 05, 2013, 09:59:22 pm
Not sure what steamer Chris uses, but i've had one similar to this for 3 years and they are very handy. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/360614609100?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/360614609100?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649) They all seem very much the same.

Thanks for this Simon. Looks to be ideal and also good value.
Should I rush in and buy one quickly before they sell out  ;D
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: Chris Straker on April 05, 2013, 10:00:39 pm
As Paul says, I got the black & grey one ....... to compliment work polo shirts ..... not really a bright yellow person  ::)roll



http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300871576794?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649 ...... nice that it can switch from 900 to 1050w  ;)
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: Simon@arenaclean on April 06, 2013, 12:12:17 am
Quote
Thanks for this Simon. Looks to be ideal and also good value.
Should I rush in and buy one quickly before they sell out 

 ;D
Title: Re: What's the most useful..............
Post by: Alastair Holden on April 06, 2013, 07:34:15 pm
Hos Orbot micro, excellent for upholstery and stairs.