Interested In Advertising? | Contact Us Here
Warning!

 

Welcome to Clean It Up; the UK`s largest cleaning forum with over 34,000 members

 

Please login or register to post and reply to topics.      

 

Forgot your password? Click here

kellie

  • Posts: 9
please help
« on: February 29, 2008, 03:54:54 pm »
hi my partner has recently started carpet cleaning using a comanche cleaner and prochem products. its all been going very well with happy customers until a few days ago he was asked to clean a gym reception to which he did will alot of effort, the owner now is saying hes still not hAPPY as the carpet still looks dirty. my partner done the best he possibly could including getting lots of spots and stains off the guy is comparing the carpet to a patch to which he had a rug which is obviously alot cleaner. the capet is a dark cream colour and very very cheap (not sure if this could be the reason why?) i would be grateful on any suggestions or advice
kellie
fourseasonscleaning@msn.com

Kev Loomes

  • Posts: 1353
Re: please help
« Reply #1 on: February 29, 2008, 08:38:07 pm »
Sorry to hear its gone a bit pear shape, we all get them  ::)

Did he do a survey at the quotation or before cleaning? Its always best to go through everything, verbally tell them all concerns/issues - aswell as written confirmation. This way your covered and he should fully understand any problems and the expected outcome of the clean. A good idea would be to do a survey (carbon copy) get custy to sign it agreeing to the quote with the terms on the back  ;)

The different colour underneath a rug is a classic example and simply informing the custy prior to cleaning would have avoided any problem. It sounds like your partner quite obviously realised this, but presuming the custy does too is a mistake - the best policy is to imagine all custys as stupid as this way it forces you to go through everything with them. Dont forget you will also get one or two who will try it on with a view to getting it for free, so you need to protect yourself.

If your partner hasnt done any training I would recommend he goes onto NCCA or IICRC.

Hope this helps

Kev

kellie

  • Posts: 9
Re: please help
« Reply #2 on: March 01, 2008, 08:34:07 am »
thanks kev for all your information im really grateful x it was just a verbal agreement the man has paid for the work and i no the money is of importance in order to live but i feel starting out this early word of mouth is essential in order to get that monney in and i dont want to *iss anybody off. we were deperatly interested in going on the training course with prochem but the only one their holding this year is 200 miles away from us any chance you could give me some more info on the ones you suggested please. alos maybe a suggestion on how to move forwrd with this current problem do we go back and do the job again? as i spoke to my partner about it and he thinks this would be a waste of time due to the fact he done all he possible could the first time round. alos where do you get your carbon copys from is it just a local printer and imply your own t&cs?



Kev Loomes

  • Posts: 1353
Re: please help
« Reply #3 on: March 01, 2008, 09:20:56 am »
Hi Kellie, glad to help.

Give me half an hour/hour and I'll get back to you - just gotta pick up some rugs.

Kev

Kev Loomes

  • Posts: 1353
Re: please help
« Reply #4 on: March 01, 2008, 10:29:32 am »
Hi Kellie (and partner).

Having the word of mouth is essential and your right you dont want to annoy anyone, however it is quite critical to cover yourself for all eventualities and this should overide any feelings of custys poss getting annoyed.

But to be honest, you wont annoy anyone! once explained they will fully understand and will actually give you more respect if you quote correctly. You will appear more professional, and with more knowledge gained can charge accordingly.

The courses are: http://www.iicrc.co.uk & http://www.ncca.co.uk. The ncca is slightly more hands on whereas the iicrc is a bit more technical. Both very good. When we did ours for instance we went to Royston in Cambridgeshire, but they do them in lots of places.

With regard to the problem clean, I wouldnt re-do it if your partner felt that he did everything posiible, it would just be wasting time and effort. I would certainly go and see the chap though and explain that it is unreasonable to expect that the colour from under a rug to be the same as elsewhere. Tell him that there is no wear and no UV light getting under the rug - as it has done everywhere else. Wear and light will fade colours and these cannot be put back! I would try and explain this in a very polite manner! If I had surveyed this I would have mentioned that inground soil is sometimes impossible to remove and that we couldnt guarantee to remove all soil or stains, and further that we could improve the appearance only - and not get it to a brand new looking carpet.

With the printing we got hold of a printing company: http://www.admiralprinters.com/print/techforms.htm  we designed our own forms (survey) and the terms for the back (the ones I sent you).

Please please try and stress to your partner that carrying out a survey really will save him a lot of hassle in the future! Dont forget, some insurance companies wont pay out if you have a problem - unless you can prove that you have done a pre-survey with the custy's signature.

Hope this helps

Kev

kellie

  • Posts: 9
Re: please help
« Reply #5 on: March 02, 2008, 08:38:50 am »
thanks kev you have been really helpful. ;D

Doug Holloway

  • Posts: 3917
Re: please help
« Reply #6 on: March 02, 2008, 10:28:22 am »
Hi Kellie

To add to Kev's excellent answer, managing customers expectations is very much part of the job and a lesson we all have to learn.

In the beginning when inexperienced it is better to undersell , i.e we will be able to make a big improvement but cannot get the carpet back to its original colour due to UV damage and wear.Thisw way the custy will have lower expectations and almost certainly be pleased with yourr work.

Keep looking in to the forum , there are some very good CC's on here.

Cheers

Doug


sherco

  • Posts: 1041
Re: please help
« Reply #7 on: March 02, 2008, 12:48:29 pm »
Hi Kellie, I'm just about to start carpet cleaning, i did the prochem two day carpet cleaning, one day hard floor cleaning and I'm doing the upholstery course on Wednesday. Its a really good course and i would recommend it to everybody, there is a travel lodge really close which i stayed in. Good luck and i hope it goes well for you and your partner.
Natural stone floor restoration service.
Natural stone fixing and repairs.
www.poshstonefloors.co.uk

Steve Chapman

  • Posts: 1743
Re: please help
« Reply #8 on: March 02, 2008, 04:41:47 pm »
Kellie

It maybe more advantageous as a goodwill gesture to go back and clean the carpet again.

even if it doesn't look any better its reassuirng to the customer that you've done all you can and they will remember you for doing your best, sometimes customers need convincing this way.

Lots of carpet cleaners advertise the fact if there not satisfied then, they will clean again, it's worth thinking about if you want a good reputation,

always give good customer service, that old adage about the customer always being right still holds true ! (even when they are not ;))

regards
steve

prodry

Re: please help
« Reply #9 on: March 02, 2008, 07:05:52 pm »
If its a cheap cream carpet, then there's a good chance that it's a polyprop carpet.

Does your partner know what it is?

If a polyprop carpet did he use Prochem ultrapac Renovate on it?
 
Michael

Joe H

Re: please help
« Reply #10 on: March 03, 2008, 07:13:33 am »
Hi Kellie

The NCCA traing courses are usually at Leicester - I did the course Dec07

Max of 24 on the course, currently Fri/Sat

The next course is sometime in April but check their website for details.

kellie

  • Posts: 9
Re: please help
« Reply #11 on: March 03, 2008, 05:15:17 pm »
  i will def get my partner to look into one of the courses asap. answer 2 michaels quest no my partner does not no what this type of carpet is and no he didnt rotavate it he just cleaned it using the carpet cleaner. (comanche and prochem products) im glad this has arisin so early on though cause it has now promted him to go on the course and get some proper training. its also really reasuring to no their are so many helpful people on here(sometimes cleaning is sooo lonely :( ) if you have a problem im so grateful for all the help and advice from you all :)