[maxcarpets]

Hi All,

This is my theory on Fast Track. I beleive that by convincing people and keep drumming it into them that they are living with these evil dust mites and deposits it is driving people away from carpets and onto wood flooring. I have a cc friend in Florida and he has noticed a growing trend in marble effect staircases because people are now frightened stiff of allergies! If they keep filling peoples heads that carpets are unhealthy this will soon happen here. Why can't they educate people on how warm and cosy a room is with nice fresh carpet instead of making them feel it is not safe to go into their own homes. I do agree that it is a good selling point to a certain extent because many people will always choose carpets regardless, howver I think they should also focus more on the benifits to a home in having carpets.

Just my thoughts, maybe it's just me!

[spickandspan]

Here here well said that man.

[Ian Hare]

Max,
use the search facility button above.
Type in Dust Mites. Lots of info for you.
Your assumption that hard-floors are healthier than carpet is incorrect.
Regards Ian.

[A+CleaningService]

He did not say that Ian

[gwrightson]

an example for you

[maxcarpets]

OK, Fast track should make a point of informing people of this, instead of making it seem like carpets are a health hazard. For many, many years I never had a customer mention dustmites, now they are becoming aware I think they will go away from carpets to avoid dustmites, not have regular carpets clean has fast track would make us believe.

[Neil Grainger]

I dont think you need to worry about the hard floor vs carpet problem because people love one or the other and it will always be like this.

I have had loads of customers that have hard floors and want to go back to carpets, look good for a while but just dont look or feel the same as a good quality carpet.

Hard floor cleaning is growing fast so maybe a good idea to try that.

I dont think that many of the Fast trak guys push the dustmite problem anyway because they adapt their literature to meet their own needs, remember fast trak is a way of marketing so you can add and take out the things you dont need or like.

Most of the stuff that comes out of Alltec with Fast trak needs re-writing anyway to make it make sence.

[maxcarpets]

Point taken. I only say this as we have 3 lots of different leaflets coming through regular from 3 dif cc with huge pictures of dustmites on. I think this approach could cause problems

[maxcarpets]

We do offer hard floor cleaning, but not laminate floors, which is what most people replace carpets with

[Ian Hare]

The fast-track system doesn't, nor does anyone else for that matter, as far as I know, make a point of frightening people regards dust mites.
If individuals take it upon themselves to do this, it is their responsibility.

The fast-track system doesn't make out that carpet is a health hazard either. Quite the opposite in fact.

Dust mites are primarily found in mattresses, then upholstered furniture, with very few by comparison in carpet. Wool carpet especially is too harsh for them, and most carpet is exposed to far too much light for their comfort. They prefer to burrow deep into darkened areas.

[maxcarpets]

Thats great news, this should be made clear on leaflets. I'm only saying in my opinion sometimes two much is pushed with regards to dustmites and not enough facts about the advanteges of carpets.

[mark_roberts]

At a recent course a leading trainer told us that less that 50% of homes will have dustmites anywhere in them.

Mark

[maxcarpets]

So their is no need to focus on the bad, just concentrate on the good, right?

[Ian Hare]

Scare tactics are the responsibility of the Laminate producers who would like everyone to believe that carpet is an 'evil harbour' of dangerous meanaces of all sorts.

They fail to tell potential buyers that carpet is far healthier, ignoring the science and logic which proves this.

[maxcarpets]

I agree, but I also feel that the fast track leaflet with the big dustmite picture and all the info does'nt do much to promote carpets.

[Doug Holloway]

Max,

I fully agree, on sales courses I attended it was always stressed to avoid negativity, and massively magnified pictures of monster looking creatures certainly creates negativity.

I believe a customer is far more likely to remove the carpets than allow us to spray chemicals into them to kill/denature the hairy mites and their droppings.

Cheers

Doug

[Ian Hare]

Agree entirely Doug.
That's where individual common sense prevails when using any promotional material, either bought in or self generated.

[COLIN BRIGHT]

if you are a member of fasttrack but don't like the info they give you about dustmites , then don't use that particular info.
if you do have an issue, talk to Robert Saunders about it.

[maxcarpets]

Just my opinion, but in the long run we all suffer or benifit from info fed to customers.

[Ian Gourlay]

Are they still using the big Dust mite?


I thought I heard it said when I went to a Discovery Day about two years ago that they were moving away from the scare em big dust mite approach