CONSUMERS BEWARE 

So, You Want To Hire a Carpet or Furniture Cleaner?

                                                                      

     
Here are 3 things to be aware of:

1.  A low advertised price If you see a price that seems too good to be true - it is.  There is no way a legitimate, professional carpet cleaner can pay for all the costs of doing business like: insurance, state and federal taxes, equipment costs, employee wages, vehicle maintenance, quality chemicals, fuel costs, and marketing, to name a few, and clean your entire house for $49.99.  It almost costs that much just to put gas in the truck! 

2.  Bait and Switch This is the formula 99% of all of the "whole house for only" type companies use.  The company will run a special that seams like an unbeatable deal.  But these unbeatable deals are the bait.  For example, the fine print might say "deep cleaning may be required at an additional cost".  After the cleaner arrives, of course you need the "deep cleaning"... everywhere!  He or she then raises the price considerably.

Other unbeatable deals stretch the definition of carpet and furniture cleaning to the extreme.  If a cleaner arrives, quickly moves the equipment around the house, does an extremely poor job, and only stays a short time, has he really cleaned anything?  These types of bait and switch companies give our entire industry a bad name.

3. Pay structure - Chances are high that if you responded to a super low price offer, the person coming to your home is not even an employee of the company you called.  He's a subcontractor being paid on commission. His commission can be as high as 50%. That means he has a powerful motivation to talk your $49.00 deal up as high as he can, any way he can. Fifty percent of $49.00 isn't much, but 50% of $500... 

SO NOW WHAT?


 So, now you may be asking yourself, how in the world do I find a legitimate carpet /furniture cleaner?  Here are 5 pointers:

1.  Ask for referrals from friends or neighbors.  While this is not the most scientific way of hiring a service person, it is a good way to find a service and have an idea of what you're actually going to get.  If the company did a good job for your neighbor, chances are good they'll do a good job for you.  
 
2.  Find out the companies pay structure. If the company use subcontractors (instead of employees) that are  paid on commission, BEWARE.  This is the formula for a bad experience.

3.  Ask if they are licensed and insured. They should be able to supply copies of their license and proof of liability insurance.  We can.

4.  Ask if they are IICRC certified.  The IICRC's purpose is to ensure proper training in all facets of carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, flood damage repair and more. IICRC certified cleaners are keeping abreast of industry changes and standards. IICRC certification can not be purchased. It must be earned through classroom and practical training as well as  in-depth testing. If they are certified, they should be able to easily produce their IICRC certification card.

5.  Ask what kind of guarantee they offer?   If a company doesn't have a written guarantee, look elsewhere.

A professional carpet/furniture cleaner should:

Give an accurate quote, within 5% or less the day of service.
Confirm with you a day or two out, so you know to go ahead with preparations.
Be prompt on appointment day.  If not, there should be plenty of phone communication   from them.
Be neatly dressed.
Be in a clean, service vehicle.  If he shows up in a rust bucket, what do your gut feelings tell you?
Be well prepared with written information, brochures, business cards, references, written guarantee.
Not pressure you into feeling you must buy something other than what you discussed.
Go over everything you discussed on the phone, and perform the work as described.
Make sure you have seen the work, and are satisfied with everything before accepting
payment.

By following these pointers you'll get what you expect... clean, healthy carpets and furnishings with no hassels. To learn more about the different cleaning methods used, check out our Tips page.

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