[stevegunn]

Just dropped my woolsafe membership have I done the right thing?

[Geoff Jewkes]

Badges mean nothing, its you that the customer employs, not your fancy logo`s

[David_Annable]

Hi Steve

How many custard know what woolsafe is?

How many carpet cleaners know what woolsafe is?

Dave

[*paul_moss]

What is wool ?

[Geoff Jewkes]

Baaaa 

[Ian Rochester]

When I first started looking at the woolsafe approval system, I thought that the fact that you had to have 5 years experience was ridiculous.  I decided there and then that I was not interested in getting woolsafe approval if they dictated membership on how long you had been doing the job, not how good you were at it.

I remember an old boss of mine said on employing good staff:

"Never pay for age, never pay for length of service and never ever pay for sex!"

He was a mackem!

Yes, Steve, I think you have done the right thing

[Bob Robertson]

Lionheart's spot on Steve,as I said  to you in Harrogate going for a curry, why wait till you have 5 years experience and let people on the loose on wool carpets just doesnt make sense . Why not teach people from the start as everyone advises to get training from the NCCA ect. If it is good enough for the NCCA  and IICRC why not Woolsafe?. Do they approve of people going out untrained on wool for 5 years and doing damage , to me thats not being very woolsafe  . They wont be getting my money after 5 years in the business.

tihson

[Len Gribble]

Steve

Would your bank balance be more heather than before then YES!

Corgi registered doesn’t make you a plumber.

Paul

Something you Blitz meteorically speaking trashed is trashed customer know this hopefully!

Len

[Derek]

In a great many cases (certainly not all) it is the newcomer to the industry who has undergone some form of professional training who tends to be more careful and follow the basic rules... its after a while the bad habits begin to creap in. Those who do not take any sort of initial training tend not to be around for too long

I can see where Woolsafe are coming from and if you look at some of the posts on the various forums you too, if you are honest with yourself, will also able to see why.

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Steve,

Back to your original question, how much work did you get from being Woolsafe approved ?

If as I suspect it was zero,  then financially a good move.

However some like to be part of organisations as it gives confidence, although you don't seem to lack this 

Corgi is about the only trade organisation which seems to have any meaningful public profile and this is only because it is compulsory for gas , you do not need it for general plumbing.

Cheers

Doug

[carpetguy]

You can use the manufacturer for guidance on what is, or is'nt safe to use on wool and it's not just products that carry the logo...................eg, Alltec's excellent powder was granted woolsafe status, but they decided the ongoing, annual cost from woolsafe was, a rip off and decided to discontinue registration..............the product, however, remained the same product and is obviously safe to be used on wool.

I made the mistake " many years ago "of adding woolsafe to an advert, which was picked up by a local competitor. What I failed to realise, at the time, was, although I was using woolsafe products you had to have personal registration, also.

I've always felt such memberships to be more of a cost / restraint, than a benefit.

So..................how can you get a "safe to use this company " message accross to the public....

You need a memorable logo, simple message, low cost, but qualified membership.

 

[vangaurd]

paul dont be sheepish!

[mark_roberts]

From a cost saving point of view good move, if it didnt provide any direct work.

From a marketing point of view bad move, if you rely heavily upon marketing for your work.

I make membership of these types of organisations work for me not the other way round.

Im not a member of woolsafe although i tell my customers the products I use are woolsafe and have been passed by the woolsafe organisation.

Mark

[Len Gribble]

Derek

Did consider joining till I called up their web site, can’t see Julie of chemspec listed on their approved list of cleaning agents.  Is it only about training if so Chris (aka spindle2k) needs help wand technique other wise he will be an old man very soon.



Mark

What products are they?

Len

[Derek]

Len

I was a member of Woolsafe in the early days in fact I went on their session to become a Woolsafe Trainer as did a few other people...Julie at Chemspec took up the Woolsafe training and ran with it...still does

Although not a member these days, like Mark, I do use chemicals that certainly fall within the Woolsafe criteria...most are Woolsafe approved

I hope you are keeping well by the way 

[stevegunn]

Woolsafe never brought me any work but like Mark says its a good marketing tool but I feel you are just paying to display a logo which means nothing to joe public.

I did not receive monthly newsletters just quarterly ones printed on A4 paper not professionally done like the NCCA ones.

[Len Gribble]

Derek

Very well thanks (some times not enough hours in the day/night) hope all is well with you and family

Is it all about low ph or low temp, think quality of co2 plays an important roll.

Just recruited a financial adviser/expert, quoted some names reply WHO, that cost me £100, word of advise to newbie’s run it by wife/girlfriend even your mother.

Len   

[Cloverleaf]

I have never had a customer ask me if the process I use is woolsafe.

On the other hand, I have had custy's say, this is a very expensive carpet. This is when you step in and say....the process I use is safe and kind for wool.

I think that, as long as you have a professional image and they are confident about you, there will not be a problem.

With all the info available ont tinternet these days and my working experience, I would never consider a Woolsafe cource myself.

That said, if your a newby and want reasurance, theres no harm in going on any coarse.
John

[The WoolSafe Organisation]


Hi everyone,

WoolSafe, and its approved carpet maintenance products, training, membership and promotion, has been discussed in this Forum in the last couple of months. Allow me, as founder and MD of The WoolSafe Organisation, to put the record straight about these issues.

1. WoolSafe Approved products

There are more than 50 WoolSafe chemical licensees worldwide, including 14 in the UK. Many manufacturers have been with WoolSafe since it (officially) started in 1991; others have joined and then dropped out for a variety of reasons.

It does NOT cost “10’s of £1000’s” for a manufacturer to get accreditation on a product. In fact, with the license (£300), testing (aver. £500) and initial registration/listing (£105) this amounts to £905 for one and £2115 for 3 products. Annual re-registration for 3 products costs only £1110. Peanuts compared to, say, one advert in a trade magazine.

Manufacturers constantly have to adjust the formulations of their products because of government legislation, raw material supply issues, improved performance, more attractive fragrances and so on. Some changes can have a marked, and unforeseen, effect on the overall performance of the chemical, as WoolSafe have found several times in the past. Past accreditation says nothing about the product now.

There are currently well over 200 WoolSafe-approved carpet care products in 14 product categories, covering almost all the types of product a professional carpet cleaner is ever likely to need. All products are checked once a year to ensure that they continue to meet WoolSafe’s standards (as set out in WS 1001). These standards are based on years of research of the real-life requirements of wool carpets and rugs, and the best way they are cleaned, maintained, protected, etc. They cover both product safety AND performance (see www.woolsafe.org).

One more thing: just because a manufacturer says a product is safe to use on wool does not necessarily mean this is the case. A chemical manufacturer who wants to have its products tested for WoolSafe approval is given all the information they need regarding tests and performance requirements. Despite this more than 20% of products submitted fail to meet the standards!

If you want to know more about why a product with a pH of 7 can be unsuitable for wool, and one with a pH of 10 can be WoolSafe approved, ask us or, by attending a WoolSafe training course, learn this and much, much more! And it only costs £120 (£60 for additional members of same company).

2. WoolSafe Certified Operators

To become a Cert Op carpet cleaning companies have to meet the following requirements:
   have received professional training by one of the recognized organisations in carpet and upholstery cleaning;
   are  members of a recognised professional or trade association related to the cleaning industry;
   have been a carpet & upholstery cleaner for at least 5 years;
   have attended a WOOLSAFE training course and passed the exam;
   meet other requirements relating to their business and professional associations;
   use WOOLSAFE-approved products whenever they clean or maintain wool or wool-rich carpeting.

For us this covers all the bases. However, we DO have some members with less than 5 years experience. They were accepted as Probationary Members on the basis of their obvious expertise, professionalism and enthusiasm for the job. None have disappointed so far.

Annual WoolSafe membership is only £120, plus a one-off £60 registration and listing fee. Many pay less because we have a loyalty bonus scheme.

3. WoolSafe promotion

We are in the middle of a massive effort to promote the WoolSafe Mark, Certified Operators and Registered Inspectors to both commercial/industrial customers and clients and consumers. Since October 2005 articles featuring WoolSafe have appeared in 70 trade and consumer magazines nationwide. We know from the enquiries we receive in our office and from contact with industry and carpet cleaners at trade shows, that the message is getting home.

4. Green carpet cleaning

WoolSafe is addressing that too. We are working with two specialist organisations, Green Seal and EcoLogo, to encourage our chemical partners to ‘green’ their chemicals. A number have already responded (Host and Chemspec in the UK, many more in the US) and more are sure to follow.

Regards,

Paul Bakker



   

[Mike Halliday]

straight from the horses mouth

I love it when we get good answers like that it cuts out all the BS and answers all the posts which are just peoples  opinions but are posted as though they are facts.

Mike