Do you run your bisiness or does you busi

suction:

Yeah, I'm long winded here, and in person (get a couple o' beers in me & you can't shut me up!)... unless you're a customer.  The customer does all the talking.

You only do this part time?  Are you looking to slowly move to f/t or just leave things as they are?  What do you do for a quid M-F?

No particular reason for asking other then vauge interest.  I don't know what Formula 77 is, but I run into 100% pure wool & 80/20 wool blends all the time.  Perhaps a third of my work is with wool (and ONE alpaca hair rug that cost the owner $3,000!).  The reason I bring this up: before I took the IICRC courses, I decided to use only Woolsafe approved products.  You can treat a Nylon like wool, but don't go treating wool like Nylon.  Now that I know proper carpet identification, I can go to other products to get a specific result with less effort.

It's true, that the more work you do, the more you learn (if you're paying attention).  Courses cut down my learning curve dramaticaly & I've been able to help out customers in ways that other CC'ers have not.  Remember, Mr. Steamer also took the IICRC courses.  He may not be happy with various aspects of that organization, and perhaps he's even learned more by DOING rather then studying (I don't know.. ask him) but no one will ever be able to take his education away from him.  He has learned.

Good luck,

Allen


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Suction

Next class is October 13th & 14th

Click here for more information

Let me give you a tip. You get a book that they teach from at the school. I suggest you pay in advance to study prior to the day or school. Nice to see you are interested. See you there.

Don't tell Steamer he may want to sell you a private class. Who knows, maybe that wouldn't be too bad.

Suction:  I wish you luck I guess luck is not the best word but it will have to do.  A little education will never hurt anyone who is just trying to succeed and do things  right way the first time.

can you highlight ???the instructor will tell you what to high light

do you have a good memory??? just remember all the things you high lighted

if you can do this... you too can be a grand master like doug

doug wrote: Mr. Steamer:  I spoke to a SEAR'S franchise owner once he was looking at a tm I was selling.  He explained to me that he and his employees including his wife who answered the phone attended an IICRC school.  The only one that passed was his wife who had never cleaned a carpet.  I can see know why SEARS uses in house, since everyone has to pay their own way it kind guarantees a certification one way or the other.  I heard they use black highlighters at their seminars???

Yes thats why they have in house training now... because only JoeDumBuck wants to be a carpet cleaner...and it cost the company a lot to keep sending these dummies year after year... plus it cost the yearly renewal for those that do pass...

that's straight to the point no BULL

I am afraid that the business runs you if you are a one or two man show. First of all no one will be as diligent in your business as you are. Now most carpet cleaners pay extremely poorly and give no benefits to employees. Therefore your employee is generally working for you only until a better job comes along (no loyalty).

Now if you are lucky enough to get multiple crews going, then generally your better employees will think it looks easy and go out on his own taking clients with him.

It's not easy...I have been there.

Carpetologist wrote:  First of all no one will be as diligent in your business as you are. <text snipped here>

Geeze... just been speaking to my ol' man in CA.  Just had a triple bypass, and needs some help with his CCing.  Hires a guy who's fixing some sprinklers and complaining about not enough work.  The kid is kinda unmotivated, and needs supervision, but he's the best of a bad lot.  He's shown at least the initiative to start his own business. 

After three weeks of being the assistant, kid goes and buys his own gear (mirroring part of my dad's set-up).  Thing is... he saw the $$$ on the invoices and thinks that he needs a bigger cut of that... like ALL of it.

Kid doesn't realize that my father owns a business that's been selling quality since 1927.  There is no business but repeat business.

Two weeks later, kid asks if Dad has 'extra work' for him.  Kid is finding it tough out there.  The ol' man's an optomist, so says, "OK, I pay by the sq ft, and I expect you to do it as I taught."  Kid is making about twice what he used to as an employee now.

Ms. Long-Term Customer complains.

Dad finds out that kid is using detergent in his freshwater (powdered at that),  no pre-vac, no rake.... and he was late, with no phone call about it.

Maybe Dad didn't pay enough, maybe the kid was a punk, maybe that's the way the cookie crumbles.  I dunno.  Funny thing is: kid (after being busted doing a crap job) is telling my Dad, "Hey, you're doing it all old-fashoned and wrong!  You don't have to spend as much time to clean carpet! I do 'this-anthis-an-thisan-this' and it's JUST AS GOOD!

Kid does not get any more work, and wonders why.

Anyone here got quality and want work in the Central Valley, CA?  Drop me a line.  Screw it up though, and I'll fly out to give you a triple bypass: Heart, Lungs, and Brain.

seriously,

Allen




Edited by surroundings