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Starting and Building a Business

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dri-kleen View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dri-kleen Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05/May/2005 at 1:43pm
Actually Stanley Steemer is headquartered just 12 miles from my office.  And they only have certification in their Water Damge division.  They do not offer certification in the carpet cleaning division at all.  In fact, I get many referrals from them in regard to cleaning cotton upholstery.  But keep in mind, my suggestions stated in my last post will only be successful if cordinated together and not done just here and there.  We are talking systemizaton for success.  It has been proven over and over again.  And the nay-sayers out there will disagree for they have no mindset to be successful.  Exchanging time for dollars does not equal success.  Of course this would only be my opinion.  But the theory has been proven over and over again. 
Chris
"You Get the Cleanest, Fluffiest, Healthiest, Longest-Lasting Carpet Cleaning on the Planet,
Or It's FREE! "

Best Place In The World To Find A Carpet Cleaner...
www.AlwaysCleanFloors.com
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Superglide Ken View Drop Down
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Joined: 17/March/2004
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Superglide Ken Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28/May/2005 at 11:51am
Alot more than a million a year ,John.
Inventor of the Teflon Wand Glide and the Turboteck Rotary Air Duct Cleaners for TMs.
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duckcountry View Drop Down
Master Carpet Cleaner
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote duckcountry Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30/October/2005 at 9:41pm

From my past experiences in sales and building my own companies (including a carpet cleaning business that became a retail carpet business) I have learned that the following principles can make the difference:

  1. Be in the right place at the right time, doing the right thing for all the right reasons
  2. Remember your customer signs your paycheck
  3. Work smart, not hard.  Spend 80% of your time carefully planning and 20% of your time carrying out your plan
  4. Everyone is a potential customer. 
  5. Remember your ABCs of selling every person on you and what you have to offer - Always Be Closing.
  6. Maintain detailed financial information.  Numbers don't lie.
  7. Every marketing campaign requires a review of the results.  Without the review you cannot support claims that one plan works better than another.
  8. No plan is carved in stone.  Flexibility is the sign of a great business owner. 
  9. Seize every opportunity that clearly meets the acid test of being in compliance with your business plan.
  10. Competition is just a part of life - get over it.

 

Are you in a high paying business or are you just a self employed low paid grunt who thinks this business provides dignity?
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MR. STEAMER View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MR. STEAMER Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30/October/2005 at 10:41pm
thank you Adam Smith
www.mr-steamer.com
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Americancarpet View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Americancarpet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31/October/2005 at 10:27am
Stanley "Reamer" does a sh*tty job when it comes to residential cleaning. They are splash and dash if there ever was one! They have more bait and switch tricks than you can imagine. They are one of the reasons I got into this business...because I felt like they were ripping me off. Come to find out....their business practices are rather "standard" in the carpet cleaning business here in Indianapolis. So, I started my own business offering a "true" carpet cleaning with no high pressure sales and absolutely NO hidden charges. I vacume, pre-spray and rake before starting any job. And yes....I'm IICRC certified! I've found that there are a lot of customers who feel they have been ripped off by these splash and dash cleaners. My business is still small but is growing every day. Word of mouth has been my best advertising. Of course...when someone calls Stanley "REAMER" or "ChemDryyourwalletout" and pay top dollar for a sh*tty job...they usually find out that their neighbor used me...got an honest carpet cleaning at about 1/2 the price. Then I go in and do the job right. After that....they are a cheerleader and customer for life! maybe I should send Stanley "Reamer" a thank you card???
Home of the FIX PRIXING carpet cleaning!
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MR. STEAMER View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MR. STEAMER Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31/October/2005 at 10:29am

No maybe you should put your prices HIGHER!....for the better service

www.mr-steamer.com
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duckcountry View Drop Down
Master Carpet Cleaner
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote duckcountry Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31/October/2005 at 2:15pm

Many years ago I worked for Miller Carpet Care in the Los Angeles area.  They ripped off their customers and expected the technicians to be high pressure salesmen.  It was a short relationship with them but long enough to see how con artists can give honest carpet cleaning firms a bad reputation.

Are you in a high paying business or are you just a self employed low paid grunt who thinks this business provides dignity?
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MR. STEAMER View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MR. STEAMER Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31/October/2005 at 3:12pm

Customer love to know that they are saving money, they don't like to pay for anything other than the basic.  If you want to make sales you have to push to get that extra cash out of them.

Some people can do it, some people can't

Don't feel that your ripping the customer off, because your NOT.

Everyone knows how good protectant is for the life of a carpet but still they refuse to buy it.  Why because they don't want to spend the extra cash.  If your going to do something do it right.  Offer them that same protector free, see if they don't lap it up, as long as they don't have to pay.

so who's screwing who??

The customers are just waiting to dig out your eyes the first chance they get.

nothing wrong with selling good service

www.mr-steamer.com
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duckcountry View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote duckcountry Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31/October/2005 at 3:24pm

But soliciting with a low price to get the tech to your door, being told then that it will cost more because your carpet needs to be shampooed first (and we were required to tell everyone that same line of bull) and then tell them their vacuum cleaner was crap and push for a sale of our vacuum cleaner is wrong.  Oh, and did I mention that there was nothing but water in our scotchgard?

 

Are you in a high paying business or are you just a self employed low paid grunt who thinks this business provides dignity?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Americancarpet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01/November/2005 at 10:08am
My prices are just fine. In fact I've found that since my latest marketing campaign quite a few of the "other guys" have come down on the price of their normal room charge. However.....cleverly hidden in their ad (barely big enough to read with a magnifying glass) are the hidden charges. $10 extra per room to prespray.....$10 extra per room to vacume....that kinda stuff. They are ripping customers off as fast as they can. Take the money and run should be their motto. Stanley "Reamer" is probably the worst for this.....charging by the area and considering a very small L-shaped room 2 areas. That's just plain robbery. The only thing missing is the gun. I do offer add on services such as protectant but don't high pressure sell them for it. One of the biggest complaints I hear from customers bsides the feeling of being ripped off is they felt they were being pressured into buying something they didn't want to start with. This kind of practice may work the first time but you lose repeat business from that customer. I'm not saying that all cleaners are like that around here. There are some decent cleaners who do a good job at a fair price....what I'm saying is that the Stanley "Reamers" and the "Chemdryyourwalletout's" of this world generally follow this type of shady business practice.
Home of the FIX PRIXING carpet cleaning!
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duckcountry View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote duckcountry Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01/November/2005 at 4:26pm
And it is the Reamers of the world that make it tough for the rest of us.  Burned once, Twice shy.
Are you in a high paying business or are you just a self employed low paid grunt who thinks this business provides dignity?
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kelpro View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kelpro Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02/November/2005 at 9:32pm
What we are trying to do is be honest and give the customer a fair price. We don't up sell or have a flyer that says a low, low price and hands the customer a bill that is larger than some third world Gross Natinal Product. We set one price and that is all they pay. We want people to see that all carpet cleaning companies aren't the seedy underbelly of the business world right along with those no-name moving companies that will hire anyone who can go a day without a drink.

Sorry...sort of went out there for a bit.   
If we can't get it out, it ain't coming out!
Kelowna Cleanpro
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duckcountry View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote duckcountry Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03/November/2005 at 1:31am

It is good to see the sincere response. 

The more each honest business does to become the yard stick by which the big thieves are measured the faster we can collectively take them down to size.

And the better the world is for each consumer. 

Are you in a high paying business or are you just a self employed low paid grunt who thinks this business provides dignity?
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MR. STEAMER View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MR. STEAMER Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04/November/2005 at 5:14pm

what is honest.....

I think you two are missing the point....

what is wrong with selling if you are giving the customer their money's worth???

I have dropped 5 grand every month on advertising, Listen buddy I have to sell. No bait and switch just straight up.

selling helps the bottom line

www.mr-steamer.com
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