[Phil Marlor]

Visited & did a quote last night at a house (4 bedrooms H/S/L)

While I was talking to the lady she said that the previous Carpet Cleaners (whose card she lost) took just 40 minutes to complete the same job in July from arriving to driving away

She also said the 2 lads were coming down the stairs within 20 minutes and were using the floor wand to clean the stairs.

They used a small Vax type machine, the carpet was very wet after and gave off a really bad smell.

All this for £55.00

I know you have all probably heard of similar stories, but I still find it hard to believe how some of these companies work and get away with it.

To me its just £55 wasted and a carpet that is in worse condition than before.

By the way I got the job at a much higher price.

Phil

[Doug Holloway]

Phil,

A disgraceful story which does harm the image of the industry
But you do wonder how anyone who can afford a 4 bed house  , thinks they are going to get all the carpets cleaned for £55!

Cheers,

Doug

[stevegunn]

The people with big houses and big cars don't want to part with their hard earned thats probably why they get splash & dash first then realise what a mistake they have made. :

[Ken Wainwright]

Steve

In a weird sort of way, I disagree with you

There are many people, from all income brackets and walks of life, who have no idea whatsoever about the cost and value of carpet cleaning. In the back of their minds, they have been conditioned to the way of thinking that cleaning in general is a low cost, low value job. They will have seen so many leaflets quoting low, low prices, so will come to believe that this is the normal going rate. The jobs done, they pay their money and are then disappointed. Next time they are much wiser. They'll do their research, ask friends, call in local tradesmen for a quote, ask the right questions and try to pick the wheat from the chaff. Exactly as has happened in Phil's case. It's an expensive way for the first time consumer to learn.

Safe and happy cleaning
Ken

[Derek]

Uncle Kenneth

You make a very valid point....lets be absolutely honest what are most peoples perceptions of carpet cleaners?

We are just a reinvented version of the 'old Mrs Mop' image... when you say that you are a cleaner can't you see people looking down their noses at you.... we are, in their eyes, the bottom of the pile.. a necessary evil!!!

Heaven forbid.... I am beginning to sound like the man from Hull   

Derek

[Doug Holloway]

Guys,

Don't sell yourselves short , £55 worth of anyones money is not very much.

People are generally clever enough to have a good idea of what somethings worth.

Cheers,

Doug

[Len Gribble]

Splash and dash are no different to customers who try to remove a stain or go to the local hire shop cheap is good until they screw up then the phone rings how much the say

Len

[Phil Marlor]

Cant really agree with you there Len, most people will try to do jobs themselves, you cant call a CC every time you spill somthing on the carpet.

If the felt blew of your shed this winter you would try replace and pin it back on yourself not call someone in, wouldnt you?

This lady had no idea about the real cost of carpet cleaning or what is involved.

I felt a bit sorry for her, nice house and probably a  light 80/20 carpet full of washing powder.

Steve, I think you will find that even people with 4 bedroom houses are stretched to the limit financialy somtimes, in Stevenage a house this size would cost about £350.000 +

Phil

[rioclean]

Let me know the name of the  company and | Will give them a piece of my mind.

Regards Dave.

[ashplays]

hi guys what do u class as spash and dash ? is it just their low price or is it how yhey clean a carpet ?  if u clean a carpet with a very powerfull truckmount high suck high heat correct chems  and remove all poss dirt and marks but u only charge £30  will that make u a splash and dash person compared to the cleaner that use portable and takes 4 times as long charges 4   times as much ? because surely he is just going over the carpet time and time again just to justify his money he will not get any thing more out that carpert ?  : just my veiws cheers gary 

[Big_Fish]

Hi,

We had a call a few weeks ago from a lady in tears. She had employed a local man, with truck mount to clean her beige, £2000 lounge carpet. He had arrived on the Wednesday conducted no tests, had said "50 quid" as he walked through the door and dragged his pipe in with him.

He was there 20 minutes spreading dirty water over the carpet. The lady said she could see dirty water comimg out of the pipe and he was pushing it around the floor.

He left her with a filthy, stinking carpet.

By the Saturday, it still wasn't properly dry and the house smelt like sewage. She was in tears on the phone.

We went out that afternoon, tested, explained and carried out a professional service that took 2 hours...happy, repeat customer.

Nicky

[Mark@Eco-Powerclean]

Steve, I think you will find that even people with 4 bedroom houses are stretched to the limit financialy somtimes, in Stevenage a house this size would cost about £350.000 +

Phil

Blimey Phil, I think I was done. I recently sold my five bedroomed house in Pin Green for just over £200,000. 

I take it you're talking about the rich ones who live in the new areas around Great Ashby with that wonderful landmark as you enter the place.....that whacking great container yard!

[Phil Marlor]

So you know Stevenage well then.

Great Ashby's 4 bedroom houses are about £350K, this particular house was a new one near Cory's Mill (know it).

You must meet up with me & Mark Betts one day.

Phil

ps. If I new you were selling a 5 bed for £200K I would have bought it, was it falling down.?

[Mark@Eco-Powerclean]

I'd love to meet up Phil, but unfortunately I sold the place to move out of the area, and am now about 85 miles from Stevenage.

Corey's Mill? Used to really enjoy a decent meal at the Beefeater there, although I suspect most people would associate CM with Sainsbury's. I reckon I know where this house is. It must be one of those new ones built next to the Beefeater in that street you can see when driving along Hitchin Road. They're worth £350k? Sheesh! Hardly in the best area being sandwiched between the dual carriageway and the Lister Hospital.

As for the house I sold, don't be too disappointed, Phil. It had five bedrooms, having been massively extended by the previous owners but it wasn't in a great position. It was situated on the council estate in Pin Green, was end terrace with one of those walkways next to it, backing on to the Larwood School playing fields. The kids around there could do, and very often did, whatever they liked to my garden fence and were away in a flash. Quite frankly, I was glad to get well away from it.