Just a story for the people coming on here wanting advice on starting up in the cleaning industry. A few years ago i had a phone call from another cleaning franchise (when i was a franchisee now freelance) out of the blue. I didn't know this gentleman from Adam and he was talking to me like i was a long lost friend. To cut a lengthy phone call down he had cleaned a cotton suite. The customer had phoned the following day and wasn't happy with the end result, so he had gone back to see what he could do. As the covers still looked grubby he said he would take the covers back to his office and give them special treatment. Having the covers in his van he headed for the nearest dry cleaners and left them there for 2 days. On picking them up he noticed they were pink, the problem been when he dropped them off they were cream!! On confronting the shop assistant she pointed out the signs around the shop stating no liability for colour run. Hence the phone call to me offering £200 if i said i had done the damage and claimed off my insurance, on reply i suggested he contact his own insurance company. Lo an behold no insurance, costing the gentleman £2000 for a new suite. So make sure you get insured as there are still a lot of cleaners out there not insured.. A good company i found was the N.F.U. covering all aspects of my insurance needs. Touch wood after 14 years i have not needed it but you never know.......... Anybody else got any true stories they would like to share.
Steve