JUST A LITTLE GIMMICK I USED IN THE PAST
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Category: Carpet Cleaners Discussion
Forum Name: Carpet Cleaners Hangout
Forum Description: General discussion on anything related to carpet cleaning
URL: https://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2163
Printed Date: 26/February/2025 at 4:55am
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Topic: JUST A LITTLE GIMMICK I USED IN THE PAST
Posted By: nightrider
Subject: JUST A LITTLE GIMMICK I USED IN THE PAST
Date Posted: 05/December/2005 at 7:15pm
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Anytime, things were slow or I needed an edge to compete with the competition I always came up with different ideas to make my service sound superior or a better deal. I used to have 5 students evenings and 3 daytime housewives call customers and offer " FREE CARPET CLEANING " The catch was that they had to pay .15 to .20 cents per square foot for the " Scotchguard ". It was a great success and worked for every spring & fall special I ran. Yes I diluted the " Scotchguard " down to below recomended levels to save on the product. Nightrider |
Replies:
Posted By: MR. STEAMER
Date Posted: 05/December/2005 at 9:22pm
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A young dating couple were driving down the road in a very busy area, when things started to get somewhat passionate. So they decided to pull over and park and have some fun. Things were really getting hot, and they were not paying any attention to what was going on outside. All of a sudden a policeman was tapping on their window. The cop could hardly contain himself. "Didn't you know that you are not suppose to be having sex in public?" he asked the couple. Being embarrassed at being caught, they said yes and apologized. "Well," he said, "I will have to write you a ticket." So the cop wrote the ticket and reminded them next time to watch their behavior. After getting dressed the girlfriend asked her boyfriend what the policeman wrote the ticket for. He responded ..."Doing 69 in a 35 mph speed zone!!" ------------- www.mr-steamer.com |
Posted By: dennis_is_ok
Date Posted: 05/December/2005 at 9:59pm
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Posted By: VORTEX
Date Posted: 05/December/2005 at 11:23pm
| nightrider thats a little risky dont you think when people see or hear free they think its all free |
Posted By: PILE_LIFTER
Date Posted: 05/December/2005 at 11:58pm
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i'll give that one a try dam smart if you ask me/////free/////but really not free
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Posted By: John L
Date Posted: 06/December/2005 at 1:22am
Similar to a Joe Polish tactic........That's the secret... getting in the house...then upsell like a mad carpetcleaner......
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Posted By: MR. STEAMER
Date Posted: 06/December/2005 at 8:36am
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I call it bull $hit cleaning....thats why we get such a bad wrap....a lot of customers are shocked when there are really no extra charges. ------------- www.mr-steamer.com |
Posted By: carpetologist
Date Posted: 06/December/2005 at 10:02am
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Imagine nightrider cheating on mixing his Scotchgard rather thin. Although I know of a few hundred other carpet cleaners who do the exact same thing. But atleast he is upfront about it with his peers. We sell very little Scotchgard to many who make a lot of money spraying it. I often wondered how they did it and nightrider let the cat out of the bag. I know I sleep well at night, how about you? ------------- Kleen Kuip Supply Mart Inc. http://www.kleenkuip.com - New & Used Professional Carpet Cleaning Machines, Restoration Equipment, Training, Service and Supplies |
Posted By: nightrider
Date Posted: 06/December/2005 at 3:25pm
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What funny cigarettes are you smokin Steamer, what extra charges, can you read a post...................we offered FREE CARPET CLEANING with the agreement that they accept the charge of the Scotchguard at whatever price............the customer doesn't usually take carpet protector because of the price, but with my gimmick she's getting the carpet cleaned free so she saves money there.............. anyway I hate to have to explain my post and get into a mathamatical explanation to a moron who can"t read or understand simple marketing tactics Nightrider
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Posted By: MAGIC_STICK
Date Posted: 06/December/2005 at 3:28pm
| makes sence to me I'll be using that trick this spring and let you know how it works out thanks nightrider |
Posted By: VORTEX
Date Posted: 06/December/2005 at 4:08pm
| I tried it out today called 25 people and offered free cleaning and said the only condition was to take the scotchgard at 20 cents and picked up 4 customers for next week and 12 call me backs in the spring maybe it was beginners luck but people like the idea nightrider I sent you a pm please answer me |
Posted By: CAN_AM
Date Posted: 06/December/2005 at 4:53pm
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I'll try that too, I'll start making some calls with my girlfriend this evening and see what happens, sounds like a plan to me
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Posted By: MAGIC_STICK
Date Posted: 06/December/2005 at 5:07pm
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i just called 10 of my old customers that are real cheapies when it comes to spending money, as soon as they heard FREE Carpet Cleaning the idea of 18cents/foot to protect their carpet from getting dirty too quickly 2 for tomorrow, 2 next week and 6 call back just before mothers day 10/10 nightrider///// now who's gonna win tonights hockey games |
Posted By: MR. STEAMER
Date Posted: 06/December/2005 at 7:06pm
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nightrider...I get it....but it's still BULL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it's nightrider and the many faces off...... people up in quebec are slow anyways... would never work here in the gta. unless one of nightriders faces is from the GTA ------------- www.mr-steamer.com |
Posted By: nightrider
Date Posted: 06/December/2005 at 7:25pm
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People are people, doesn't matter where they live or who thay are, you can sell a fridge to an Eskimo if you know how to show him the advantages of having one .......even without electricity If you think my marketing ploys will not work in the GTA, hold on to your wand Steamer 'cause I'm heading that way this spring Nightrider |
to set up shopPosted By: nightrider
Date Posted: 06/December/2005 at 7:42pm
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Magic stick....I suck at hockey but good for you on the 10/10 won't happen all the time though Vortex......where abouts are you working from.........do you have a Vortex or is that only a name you chose This gimmick does not work 100% on everybody, but if you re-call all those who said NO 4 weeks later you just might get a yes Tide doesn't get everyone off their butts to run and buy their product with 1 commercial, people have to be nudged a little in order to take action Nightrider |
Posted By: GREEN_CLEAN
Date Posted: 06/December/2005 at 8:29pm
| I'll try it, what's the worst that can go wrong, they'll hang up on me or say no |
Posted By: PILE_LIFTER
Date Posted: 06/December/2005 at 9:19pm
| maybe it'll work i have to try |
Posted By: MR. STEAMER
Date Posted: 06/December/2005 at 11:22pm
------------- www.mr-steamer.com |
nightrider wrote:Posted By: nightrider
Date Posted: 07/December/2005 at 12:19am
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No, I'm not walking...........The Police don't like me there, they say I might be a security risk, so I need a sponsor Want to be my sponsor Steamer, I'll tell them you'll be my partner and you'll take all responsibility for my actions. I'm calling them right now, in case you say yes. Nightrider |
Posted By: kelpro
Date Posted: 07/December/2005 at 11:10am
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night(low)rider, we LOVE guys like you in the business, because after
you rip people off and give the carpet cleaning business a bad name, we
go in a and clean your OLD customer's carpets. Give them an honest
price and honest deal. They call us back, tell all of their friends
that there is an honest carpet cleaning company out there and then they
call us. So for every person you rip-off, we get three new customers.
Keep it up!! I'd hate to see you have to go back to work for the
no-name moving company!!
------------- If we can't get it out, it ain't coming out!  http://www.kelownacleanpro.com - Kelowna Cleanpro
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Posted By: Steaminpile
Date Posted: 07/December/2005 at 12:35pm
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watered down scotchguard and .20 a sq. ft.
doesn't sound too profitable to me
but I guess if you're desperate ------------- A.K.A. Andy |
Posted By: nightrider
Date Posted: 07/December/2005 at 2:04pm
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Kelpro I've got 2 words for you and it isn't Merry Christmas, explain how I ripped people off. Steaminpile, 20/25/30 sq ft is just a number apply whatever price you get in your area, depending where you live I know cleaners cleaning @ 10/15 sq ft and do 8 houses each and every day at an average price of 125.00 plus upsells.........they're happy Nightrider |
Posted By: MR. STEAMER
Date Posted: 08/December/2005 at 7:56am
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NICKLE AND DIME THERE WAY TO THE TOP...LOL What sounds shady is most likely shady... and that free cleaning sounds shady... and with watered down scotchgard it is shady give good service and charge your price people with respect you more. upfront is the best way ------------- www.mr-steamer.com |
Posted By: nightrider
Date Posted: 08/December/2005 at 8:02am
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Alright Steamer then just tell your customer the carpet cleaning is FREE and the Scotchguard is whatever price you like and apply it as directed.............is that good for you........then upsell like mad............is that a plan for the man Nightrider |
Posted By: MR. STEAMER
Date Posted: 08/December/2005 at 12:37pm
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People are always looking for the "CATCH" and the watered down sctochgard "that you have to pay for" is the catch... good idea... but one from the dark side ------------- www.mr-steamer.com |
Posted By: nightrider
Date Posted: 08/December/2005 at 8:31pm
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That's where you want all your customers Steamer..........on the dark side Don't be afraid to use the work "Free" It's a powerful word, like "Discount" " Reduced Price " " Special " "50% Off " Those words are you worm or bait to catch the attention of your customer. ( notice I didn't call them fish ) So I'm not all that bad. Nightrider |
Posted By: SSDB
Date Posted: 26/January/2006 at 1:19am
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I actually don't think nightrider's idea is shady and neither would the customers, unless you tell them that you're diluting the ScotchGuard more than the recommended ratio.
On the phone you're being straight up with them. "You get a free carpet cleaning if you buy the protectant at 20 cents a square foot". Or whatever you want to charge. The customer can hang up on you, say no, schedule an appt, or schedule an appt and stand you up. I'm willing to bet that a lot of carpet cleaners don't follow the recommended water / protectant mixing ratio anyway. Some don't even realize it, others do and keep it hush hush - trying to protect their perceived image as a good honest reputable cleaner. They have that "Do as I say, Not as I do" attitude. I know I don't know any business man or woman that has made it to top and has never did anything somebody else thought was shady or unethical. And probably nobody else does either and if you think you do, you don't know the business side of that man or woman as well as you think you do. BTW diluted protectant will still protect as long as it's not really diluted, it just won't protect as well or last as long. Just as diluted dish soap will still clean your hands, it just might not clean your hands as well. That's my 2 cents. Now back to reading some more threads. |
Posted By: Ninja-wand
Date Posted: 26/January/2006 at 2:33am
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Not just a Hack ...But a sneaky hack. Ps- and as for the mixing of scotch guard...I dont. I get the RTU protector and not have to deal with all that.
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Posted By: John L
Date Posted: 26/January/2006 at 3:29am
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DON'T cheat the customer on the diluted protector....scotchgard...telfon...carpet armor... or whatever you use... The customer will probably call you back....Wicking...cellulose browning will happen....especially on a light color berber... Your applying more water than protector...So your stepping on your own b*lls by cheating them....As the carpet dries...any dirt that you didnt get out is drawn up to the tip of the fiber and adding the over diluted protector will make enhance the wicking........ They are paying top price.... give them top protector....At the right dilution ratio......... Nightrider has some good ideas.......
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Posted By: nightrider
Date Posted: 26/January/2006 at 3:35am
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Any dirt that you didn't get out and if it is drawn to the tip of the fibre only means you didn't clean the carpet well John L in the first place Nightrider |
Posted By: Revee
Date Posted: 26/January/2006 at 6:57am
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Nightrider, would you put the fact that the customer has to purchase
scotchguard right in the ad, or would that be something the customer
only found out later when they called? Just wondering. I had a
debate on something similar with my wife a few days ago and she felt to
offer "free carpet cleaning - call for details" in a coupon, then
explain the conditions later, was a bit sleazy from a womans point of
view. In this case I was pondering offering a free maintenance cleaning with the purchase of a service contract. Maybe a pay for 2 full cleanings (eg spring/fall), get a third cleaning traffic areas only sometime during the year at no additional charge. My other thought was simply to offer free cleaning in the form of a rebate. EG, get 6 of your friends/neighbors to clean within 30 days, receive your own cleaning for free. |
Posted By: MR. STEAMER
Date Posted: 26/January/2006 at 10:48am
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I don't think it's a good idea..... your shooting yourself in the foot....now you have one less thing to upsell. gard is the extra that can put up to 50% on your bottom line. nightrider has had many better ideas...I know because he's told me...and this isn't one of them ------------- www.mr-steamer.com |
Posted By: nightrider
Date Posted: 26/January/2006 at 5:26pm
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One thing about Mr. Steamer he's always been honest on this forum...........having said that..............you have to consider the delivery of any promotion is as important as the promotion itself. Steamer doesn't like to swim in unchartered waters. Revee you can do either way, be upfront in the ad and state Free Carpet Cleaning............Just $$$$$ for the carper protector or CALL FOR DETAILS That's not to say your wife is wrong Revee............woman have a good nose to smell a rat, and if it smells like a rat to them.........most of the time.............it's a rat. Funny thing though if a woman offers the same receipe for rat to another woman.............it's all good. So let your wife handle the customers and promotions , she sound like a smart cookie. Nightrider |
Posted By: Revee
Date Posted: 27/January/2006 at 6:04am
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OK, I'm officially promoting her to Sales Manager. Now if I just had a few sales, I could hold back her commission checks for favors |