[robert meldrum]

ALL marketing needs a cynical edge, it's how to grab the prospects attention . In politics it's known as SPIN.

[John Kelly]

Colin, I'm afraid as far as a lot of commercial cleaning is concerned you soon won't have a choice as environmentally friendly chemicals will be a requirement.
Also the EU are a 3rd of the way through testing every chemical in everyday use and already quite a few have been banned due to them being classed as hazardous. It is likely over the full 10 years of the scheme quite a few more will also be banned. This is already forcing manufacturers to change their product range.

[Derek_Walker]

The main concerns my customers have with chemicals are to do with are they safe with children and pets etc, saving the planet is an extra benefit that comes with it.
Eco friendly gets mixed up with safe to use as far as the customer is concerned.
Having to work with these cleaning agents all the time I know which ones I would rather use.

[JandS]

Spot on Colin.
Not one person, domestic wise, asked if I was eco friendly last year.
Got the odd one asked if it was safe for the babies to crawl on it or their pets to walk on it afterwards.
Commercial wise not one company asked about eco friendly.
Only one asked for a risk assessment.
Me personally I couldn't give a sh*t, after all 95% of climate change is naturally occurring according to the stats.
Brings back memories of the millenium bug con.

John

[Colin finney]

I try to do my bit for the environment and reduce my dreaded carbon footprint. i turn lights and appliances off and drive my van a little slower to save fuel and therefore emmisions but unless i thought it a good idea to market eco friendly green carpet cleaning then i wouldn't give it  second thought purely as an environmental issue because it isn't one, its just been made one by those seeking to profit from other people's concerns about the environment. The truth is that even if you use a supposedly eco friendly chem to clean the carpet your still burning fuel travelling to the job and running your tm so what is the planets nett gain from being eco friendly? sod all in my opinion. But if it gets you a few jobs does that make it ok to be duping people, I'm not sure about that.
Col

[spindle]

colin

i understand what you are saying...........both of my recycling bins are full every week ,i have energy efficient bulbs,i wear my underpants for a week an so on and so on

but i thought that the idea of  business.............was to make as much money as possible whilst spending as little as possible???

 if by offering a "eco-service" you gain more customers then surely it has to be worth it......even if it means using plain water!!

how can you be duping customers if they ask for it!
like you i have never been asked for a eco clean....but if asked i will provide at extra cost as i dont use m/s or eco products and i would have to buy them for that particular job!  so why shouldnt i charge accordingly?
 i have never ripped anyone off. 

[derek west]

if i wanted and eco clean, i wouldn't ask colin or john or spindle if they used eco friendly solutions. i'd search for an eco cleaner.
its not hard to work out why you guys (and me) don't get asked.
you wouldn't ring a ford dealer and ask for a brand new vauxhall!
just because you don't get asked, doesn't mean theres not a demand for it.
derek
ps... i hate eco, its just another tax burden. but like jk says, we'll all have to use eco solutions soon enough. tut.
sandals, yes, grow my hair long! impossible!

[Joe H]

There is a demand and I have been asked in the last 12 months and even in the last month.
I have had calls from people who have seen my website so know I offer it.
The fluids cost no more then detergents so why charge more?
I have a range of fluids in my arsenal - something to suit most ocurences I come across.

Members of families may be asmatic or allergic to various fluids - there the ones that ask for and want something friendly for their family.
I remember a discussion on a forum in the last 12 months (maybe this forum) where a certain fluid affecting the breathing of the carpet cleaners.

A client I cleaned for in December had a particular allergy and did her own search on the internet for a product that could be used and not affect her condition.
She rang me and asked would I use this product.
When I asked what it was I said I already have that product and use it.
I got the job.

Stick your heads in the sand if you want to, but you miss whats going on around you.

[derek west]

ken
how do you recycle your plastic containers, my wife says there not allowed in the plastic recycling bin cos theyve had chems in, please tell me she's wrong, there everywhere.
derek

[spencer davies]

The majority of my customers are asking for non toxic cleaning (no b/s) most of them live in Brighton, Hove and Lewes, all of them are pretty well read on this subject and fortunately for us, they like the info on our sites.

They are concerned about their own personal indoor environment, particularly the 'chemical exposure' issue. We have nearly three weeks worth of work, which considering the economy is good, I wonder how this compares with others?

There will always be people knocking others that make the effort (however small) which tends to make my conversion rate stronger... cheers!



S

[craigp]

Well said Spencer

Some people cant open their mind.

If customers want it why not listen to them? its a selling point.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

As I said at the top of the thread Eco cleaning means to Joe Public no chemicals in their home.

Eco cleaning is a selling point just like the most thorough cleaning or it's free or dry in 60 minutes, providing it does what it says wouldn't you say it's for the customer to decide?

Shaun

[Ken Wainwright]

Col

There are various reasons why some of us offer eco cleaning. My own personal reasons have been well discussed here so I wont go into them again. As mentioned above by Roger (?) I don't feel that global warming is an issue for my business to be involved with. Global warming was happening before the industrial revolution began less than 300 years ago.

You are unlikely to have Jo and Josephine Bloggs ask for green cleaning, but you are in business to SELL them your service. If you have a USP, then use it/them. This can assist you to achieve a premium price for your service and, if someone is in a situation to make a choice between two similar quotes, the one offering more "bangs for their bucks" has a better chance of winning.

Derek

I only put 1 or 2 at most containers into recycling at a time. I rinse and flatten them first. No problem YET.  They've even taken unflattened 25 litre containers! I can also take them to the local tip.  Mind you, I do pay my council taxes on time

Safe and happy Eco Cleaning
Ken

[Shaun_Ashmore]

"The Most thorough and eco green quick drying no chemical free rinsing cleaning you have seen or it's free!"

I think that's covered it I think.

Shaun

[Colin finney]

Spencer, no disrespect my friend but that is a load of boll_x. You seem to be the only person in the country claiming:
The majority of my customers are asking for non toxic cleaning (no b/s) most of them live in Brighton, Hove and Lewes, all of them are pretty well read on this subject and fortunately for us, they like the info on our sites.
What a load of tosh Customers well read on the subject of non toxic carpet cleaning, yeah right!
If it were true then why aren’t your competitors offering Eco-cleaning. Greens  of Brighton don’t, Apollo Cleaning Services don’t, Scrub don’t,  Emmenel Cleaning don’t, but there’s this big demand  in Brighton for Eco-cleaning is there? rubbish : You may have marketed to people who other wise may not have known about eco carpet cleaning but that is totally different to you suggesting that there are all these well read people searching desperately for an eco cleaner when in fact there can’t be because none of your competitors seem to be moved to go down the eco route but manage to stay in business. The fact is there wouldn’t be an Eco carpet cleaning side of this business unless it were started by carpet cleaners seeking to exploit peoples concerns about the environment but to suggest you are all doing it to save the planet is a joke

[Len Gribble]

Is there a certification type body here in the UK? Or do we trust what is on the label or told.   Leaving a footprint is one thing, chemicals another.

Advertising Eco is good for business but! Be prepared to support your claim if asked.

Len 

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I guess that Eco carpet cleaning does work then if Spencer is getting work on the strength of it just like Chris Straker but it is a strong selling point it's all of the other words that go with it that make the sale. A bit like Eric Morcambe when he said he could play a tune on the piano but not necacarily in the right order

Shaun

[Joe H]

but you advertise eco friendly cleaning Shaun, do you get calls from your website for it?

[derek west]

A bit like Eric Morcambe when he said he could play a tune on the piano but not necacarily in the right order

Shaun

now theres a classic,
or better still....
police car goes past his bedroom window at full speed and he turns to earnie and says?
derek

[Mike Halliday]

"he won't sell many ice creams going that fast"