[Gary Longley]

I'm a carpet cleaner which is, well, just a cleaner (sorry to burst any egos out there). I don't call this a trade as it's just, well, cleaning. You can set up within a day and off you go. Whether you have the latest t/m or porty, this, that or the other, it's simply cleaning. You may be a businessman running your business and you maybe successful, but you are still a cleaner, a carpet cleaner and that's what most member's of the public persieve us to be  

[Jim_77]

That attitude is exactly what separates the guys who earn minimum wage money from those who aim and achieve higher

[Gary Longley]

That attitude is exactly what separates the guys who earn minimum wage money from those who aim and achieve higher

You can have a different attitude and aim to earn high, however, no matter how you look at yourself, you're still a cleaner albeit a carpet cleaner!

Are you embarrassed to say you're cleaner? I'm not. I clean carpets for a living, I offer a service and that's what I do. If you try talking up cleaning as a trade and make carpet cleaning or any cleaning into something technical and grand then people will just laugh behind your back. Get over it, we may be businessmen running our small businessess, but we are just cleaner's at the end of the day. (And now along comes all the suppliers on here saying different to sell their gear) Wait for it......

If you want to have a trade or profession behind you go and become a dentist, doctor, mechanic, electrician etc etc. 

[Neil Williams]

We are businessmen/women running a business and all it entails which is the 'glory' part of it which is no different to any small shop keeper.
There are 'some' elements of the job it that require a certain amount of knowledge above that of let's say.... a road cleaner but at the end of the day our chosen job title is Carpet Cleaner which requires at it's basics no formal training or qualifications.
I have a trade to my name which is Plant Mechanic, that took the best part of 4 years training with exams before I could honestly say I was a fully training Plant Mechanic, and even then I honestly say there was still a lot to learn and experience before being totally competent.
We can be professional in our approach to the job which is different to the actual job as a profession or trade.

[Adam Fearnley]

Carpetpiles is right, the original question was what do OTHER PEOPLE see us as? No matter how professional or good you may be, you/we are just cleaners in the eyes of the public, and even though some here expect and think they deserve to be earning as much per hour as a doctor etc, you do not command the same respect as these professions, all we do is take away dirt from carpets   Just be happy that we can earn as much as we do, for what is really easy work.

[Jim_77]

all we do is take away dirt from carpets

That might be all you do

[peter maybury]

If you have a low opinion of yourself and what you do, how is anybody else going to have a better perception of you ? The truth is that there are a lot of poeple in the industry that do not even realise the amount of knowlege, skills and equipment that you need to be seen as a pofessional.
How many on here will use this forum  as a substitute for putting their hands in their pockets to invest in themselves and their businesses, by getting proffessional training.
Yes there is a lot of information given out on here but there are also a lot of myths and bullpoop spread about by people.
Peter
www.carpetcleanercardiff.com

[Warren Aldridge]

Personally I would like to earn more than a Doctor.

Key thing to remember here is that you are the boss of a business, doesn't matter what role you play in it.
That business can make you fortunes.

I learnt this lesson early on:
4 members of my family are chartered accountants, my uncle is a CFO of a listed company.
His brother (my dad) cant add 2 and 2 but he is an entrepreneur and has always run his own businesses, various kinds...

My dad's business, which are Corporate Bed and Breakfasts earn him more money than my uncle who is a CFO.

My dad and I are the same, carpet cleaning is my business. I earn the same as my siblings who are advertising executives.

I run a carpet cleaning business and my customers talk to me on a same level basis because that is the image I project, I've never had anyone look down at me or perceive me to be just a cleaner, never.

[Gary Longley]

Personally I would like to earn more than a Doctor.

Key thing to remember here is that you are the boss of a business, doesn't matter what role you play in it.
That business can make you fortunes.

I learnt this lesson early on:
4 members of my family are chartered accountants, my uncle is a CFO of a listed company.
His brother (my dad) cant add 2 and 2 but he is an entrepreneur and has always run his own businesses, various kinds...

My dad's business, which are Corporate Bed and Breakfasts earn him more money than my uncle who is a CFO.

My dad and I are the same, carpet cleaning is my business. I earn the same as my siblings who are advertising executives.

I run a carpet cleaning business and my customers talk to me on a same level basis because that is the image I project, I've never had anyone look down at me or perceive me to be just a cleaner, never.

That's great, BUT, you're still a carpet cleaner!

[Jim_77]

Warren,

Head -----> Brick wall

Let the guy get on with it, he knows best

[Gary Longley]

Warren,

Head -----> Brick wall

Let the guy get on with it, he knows best

Well, I wouldn't say that BUT I think you're trying to be, or wanting to be someone other than just a small business man / carpet cleaner 

Try applying for MI5 or MI6  Now, that's a REAL job!!!!

[Mike Halliday]

My sister tidys the house before she goes out in case she gets burgled while she is  out, this weekend she traveled for 4 hrs in trousers so tight she was complaining all the way, just so a spotty 17yr old receptionist didn't think she looked 'common'  

Her Life is controlled by strangers she has never met because she is so concerned by what over people will think of her.

All These people who are worried that people see them as 'cleaners' need to set themselves free from the chains of  self inflicted worry.

Call me a poopshovellingbumlickingjisumwipingmuckspreader..... I couldn't care less, how is my life effected by what anyone else perceives me to be?

[wynne jones]

I think people are now starting to associate the word 'professional' with making lots of money. They are unconnected.

I bet there are people on here who read a post about padding with a rotary and encap and are making double or triple what some on here who have been on every single course.

Sure you can get certain stains out, you can retuft a carpet, sort out other people's messes but that's not a guaranteed ticket to riches.

[Gary Longley]

My sister tidys the house before she goes out in case she gets burgled while she is  out, this weekend she traveled for 4 hrs in trousers so tight she was complaining all the way, just so a spotty 17yr old receptionist didn't think she looked 'common'  

Her Life is controlled by strangers she has never met because she is so concerned by what over people will think of her.

All These people who are worried that people see them as 'cleaners' need to set themselves free from the chains of  self inflicted worry.

Call me a poopshovellingbumlickingjisumwipingmuckspreader..... I couldn't care less, how is my life effected by what anyone else perceives me to be?

Spot on. The majority of us are one-man-band carpet cleaner's / small businessmen - simples!

Why make out that your someone special?

[Warren Aldridge]

"Spot on. The majority of us are one-man-band carpet cleaner's / small businessmen"

You've made progress, well done.

[Gary Longley]

"Spot on. The majority of us are one-man-band carpet cleaner's / small businessmen"

You've made progress, well done.

  Still a carpet cleaner though (no getting away from it) and the public don't like to pay cleaner's alot do they?

[Warren Aldridge]

My sister tidys the house before she goes out in case she gets burgled while she is  out, this weekend she traveled for 4 hrs in trousers so tight she was complaining all the way, just so a spotty 17yr old receptionist didn't think she looked 'common'  

Her Life is controlled by strangers she has never met because she is so concerned by what over people will think of her.

All These people who are worried that people see them as 'cleaners' need to set themselves free from the chains of  self inflicted worry.

Call me a poopshovellingbumlickingjisumwipingmuckspreader..... I couldn't care less, how is my life effected by what anyone else perceives me to be?

Your sister is concerned about the impression she gives off and so do you. We all do. Impression is everything.

[Kinver_Clean]

""Still a carpet cleaner though (no getting away from it) and the public don't like to pay cleaner's alot do they?""



This is precisely why you should change your idea of yourself.

[Gary Longley]

""Still a carpet cleaner though (no getting away from it) and the public don't like to pay cleaner's alot do they?""



This is precisely why you should change your idea of yourself.

Huh 

[wynne jones]

I'm going to contradict myself here, but anyway.

If you clean something a house cleaner can clean, then you are a cleaner.  If you are cleaning an 18th century tapestry you are a very well paid cleaner and Mrs Mop a poorly paid cleaner.  But you're still a cleaner.