Friday, March 30, 2012

Controlling Odors

There are many reasons you could have odors in your home or office. They could come from things such as cooking, pets, a plumbing leak, smoking, and many more. Getting rid of these odors sometimes can be a challenge. However, there are a couple things to remember when trying to get rid of odors.

The most important rule of odor removal is to first remove the "source" of the odor. For example, I received a call several years ago to clean up some dog poop in a home. On the phone with the customer I was under the impression the "pile" had already been removed. However, when I arrived the pile had not been removed and there was cans of different kinds of cleaners and air freshener around the pile. I was then quickly reminded of the first rule of odor control, to remove the source. Unfortunately, for me though this was a big dog and I needed a shovel. Not something we usually carry on the carpet cleaning truck.

Sometimes removing lingering odors after the source is removed can be tricky, but the best place to start is at the source and go from there.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

How to Choose a Carpet Cleaning Company… without getting ripped off

Do you need your carpet cleaned but you don’t know how to choose a carpet cleaning company? Before you hire a cleaner ask them a series of questions and see how well they fair. They may not be perfect but they should fair pretty well if they are reputable.

What kind of training does the company have for its technicians?
A reputable firm should require that employees receive training certification from organizations such as the IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification) and participate in continuing education programs that is separate from their “in house” training.

Does the company give free in-home written estimates before the job is performed?

A free in-home written estimate will let you know exactly how much you are going to spend before you call and make an appointment.

How many years has the company been in business under the same name?

A company that has been in business for years has to be doing something right, or else no one would call them back

What does a basic cleaning include?

A basic cleaning should include the pre-spot, additional spot removal, furniture moving, and cleaning of the carpet. You may then choose to pay extra for the carpet protector, spot dyeing, or repairs.

What type of cleaning method will be used?
The most preferred cleaning method by carpet manufacturers is hot water extraction or as some people call it “steam cleaning”.

What is your guarantee?
A reputable company will offer some sort of guarantee — usually they will come back once to try and rectify the problem and if that does not satisfy the customer they will refund their money.

What should I do before the cleaner arrives?

Before they arrive you should have all your breakable objects out of the way. Then the technicians should move around your furniture, clean under it, and set it back where it belongs on top of small pieces of Styrofoam or plastic tabs.

Lastly, ask your friends, relatives, and neighbors who they use and trust. This is probably the best way to find the perfect company for your needs.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

IICRC Board Votes to Return to Original Name

IICRC Board Votes to Return to Original name
Keeps cleantrust as the consumer-facing service mark

VANCOUVER, WA (February 17, 2012) - The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) announced today that the Board of Directors has voted to return the formal name of the organization to the IICRC, keeping cleantrust as the service mark of the organization. The full details surrounding the transition will be announced at the Certification Council on April 22, 2012.

“We’ve heard the feedback from registrants over the past few months and considered many options,” said IICRC Chairman Darrell Paulson. “Ultimately, the board has decided to use the IICRC as the main brand and use the cleantrust as a service mark. This allows us to honor the 40-year history of our organization, while also working to gain more awareness with end-users. We are still working through all of the details and we thank the inspection, cleaning and restoration community for their patience during this process.”

The IICRC will retain the use of the updated logo, which represents the strength and breadth of the organization. The shape reflects a globe, symbolizing the IICRC’s international status. And like the organization, the logo is made up of many different parts that are working together in a unified pattern, depicting an organization that is deep in knowledge.

“Together, this powerful brand combination of IICRC and the cleantrust, will enable us to constantly work towards our mission of identifying and promoting an international standard of care that establishes and maintains the health, safety and welfare of the built environment,” said Paulson.

Updated materials with the new IICRC logo and an updated design will gradually rollout in the coming months, including ID cards, brochures, introductory video and a new website.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Getting Paid by Guest Columnist John Howell of Grogan Clean Care Nacogdoches, Texas

When we think about work we have to think about how to express to the customer the cost of the services in question, how to give them an invoice once the work is done and how we expect to get paid.

The best way that I have come up with to actually talk to a customer is to offer to come look over the job in person for FREE. I know this may be hard to swallow at first, but customers who really are interested in letting you do the work for them are not just price shopping, they want to meet you and ask you questions to see if they even want you to come near their home.

Once the work is agreed upon it is important to let your customer know if there are any changes in the price different than the estimate and your expectation of the completed job. The only thing I can say here is to under promise and to over deliver.

Give an invoice as soon after the work is completed as possible. This does two things: it makes you and your customer go over the invoice immediately and you are less likely to forget the details of the job or even worse add work that you didn’t do. This might seem easy, but when the work is on and it’s from job to job to job for 8 hours a day even for a week trying to remember something you did on Monday on Friday is harder than you might think.

Collecting. It’s almost unbearable to think about. That is why “payment is due when services are rendered” signs are made. No one likes to hassle anyone for money especially when it’s been 3 months and you can barely remember the job anymore. Stay on top of receivables and those awkward phone conversations won’t be needed.