Home Depot buys Chem Dry
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Topic: Home Depot buys Chem Dry
Posted By: LilNiteRidrhood
Subject: Home Depot buys Chem Dry
Date Posted: 09/January/2006 at 9:47pm
So does this mean that Home Depot will now not only install against industry standard, but also encourage bonnet cleaning??
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Replies:
Posted By: doug
Date Posted: 09/January/2006 at 10:12pm
I think you have to give head to do the HD work? I don't think if you bonnet you will get the work you need the new fangled tm machine from HM? with the plastic RX? ------------- Just My opinion |
Posted By: John L
Date Posted: 09/January/2006 at 10:27pm
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Where??? Just in Antarctica?? |
Posted By: John L
Date Posted: 09/January/2006 at 10:34pm
| Nevermind... Just read the article on the ICS site..... |
Posted By: cleanex
Date Posted: 10/January/2006 at 8:55am
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The big boys such as Dupont, Shaw, Carpet One etc have tried to take over the carpet cleaning business and failed to make any inroads. The consumer is very happy with the Ma and Pa operations that have given them great service over the years, don't see that changing just because HD has purchaed CD. Just give your clients 110% and they will not go looking for an unknown alternative. Our business is all about people pleasing, so just keep doing that and you have no competition from the big boys, because that is the one thing they can't supply. All they have going for them is a credit card they hope every consumer uses and of course takes their sweet time to pay for the service---compounding interest that's what they are selling. ------------- DON ELDRED YOU CAN "STAND" ON OUR REPUTATION |
Posted By: MR. STEAMER
Date Posted: 10/January/2006 at 9:28am
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Does that include the GTA???? I just saw my first HD ad in the val pak...but it's for steam.. 3 rooms + hall $79 5 room package + hall +13 steps $129 It's going to be a rough year... because GTA people are loyal to price.. CD doesn't get much out here because the price is WAY too high ------------- www.mr-steamer.com |
Posted By: Michael
Date Posted: 10/January/2006 at 12:05pm
| Crazy! I'll have to keep in touch with my friends who still work for Chem-Dry. I would think that the corporate muscle of Home Depot will bring an influx of corporate accounts to their new carpet cleaning division, not to mention the warranty work. Chem-Dry became Home Depot's warranty service company almost a year ago. The paper work for every Home Depot job I saw stipulated the use of Chem-Dry's Rotary Hot Extraction. In fact, it got to the point that any job handed down from corporate stipulated RHE. I wonder if they'll restructure the packages, such that franchisees have to get the tm. My former employer still uses Veldas from ten years ago. Cheap bastard . . . |
Posted By: pilediver
Date Posted: 10/January/2006 at 12:23pm
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I don't underestimate the influence that HD will have on our industry. As said HD sells compounding interest. You can bet that the HD marketing people are keeping a good eye on our discussion groups to help plan stategies for their success. Let me give you and them something to think about. 1. Offer free cleaning or for $19.95 with the purchase of carpet - this introduces their service in-home. Some who try it, no matter what the quality is will continue to use them, which is what they want. Don't forget that you don't have to pay for 55 months. lol. BTW, the free would only apply to the carpets they installed and not the rest of the house. 2. Offer at an added fee at the time of puchase of the carpet cleaning on a scheduled basis over a period of 3 years with the purchase of x amount of carpet (that must be installed by them too - I've seen their installs, let's hope that they clean carpets that bad too) 3. HUGE advertising exposure with high quality advertising colatteral that promotes their CC services in most all the print they deliver - Absolutely nobody other than HD or Sears can afford that kind of exposure. Bright orange CC vans - pretty hard to miss! 4. Just wait for Shaw and the rest of them run to kiss HD a$$s. They will change their tune to suit HD. Previous attempts by carpet mills to get into the cleaning business failed by HD is a mass retailer that can deliver a unified message to buyers becuase they are retailers, not manufacturers or distrubutors. Our salvation is most all of us can consistantly deliver a higher standard of work. Now more than ever is the time to be focusing on higher end residential work. Agree or disagree, HD will absolutely change the shape of our industry and probably for the better for independents. ------------- http://www.expertcarpetcare.ca>Carpet Cleaning in Victoria BC |
Posted By: MR. STEAMER
Date Posted: 10/January/2006 at 1:44pm
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I don't think it will make any difference.... HD been around for 2 years and in this area pretty much a non factor. most people don't even know they do cleaning....
------------- www.mr-steamer.com |
Posted By: carpetologist
Date Posted: 10/January/2006 at 5:32pm
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Pilediver is correct... Home Depot cleaning will force the independents to offer a better cleaning service. Most Chem-Dry operators utilize RX-20 cleaning. Most independents would never invest into an RX-20. How would you prefer to have your carpet cleaned if you were not in the cleaning business? Advertising RX-20 cleaning compared to wand cleaning is like hoe-ing your garden as opposed to using a rototiller. And with Home Depot's budget they could very well put it over. So if you feel the need to kick it up a notch talk to Kleen Kuip. ------------- Kleen Kuip Supply Mart Inc. http://www.kleenkuip.com - New & Used Professional Carpet Cleaning Machines, Restoration Equipment, Training, Service and Supplies |
Posted By: cleanex
Date Posted: 10/January/2006 at 5:53pm
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Ted, Mrs Consumer could care less about RX-20 with glides on it vs. a wand cleaning her carpets, as a matter of fact she doesn't even have a clue what we would be talking about. Every time something like this happens everybody gets all excited about losing business to the big bad competitor, when in fact if HD advertise a lot in only helps the small guy that can't afford to advertise, it creates awareness to our industry and most people will still shop around to compare pricing, for those of us who do better than average cleaning and rely on repeat and referral work we have nothing to fear. Just wait til the CD guys are told what they will need to work for and how much they will need to give up to HD for the rights to clean at their pricing. HD is no different than Sears most cleaners I know that do HD's work right now are not that happy, and almost all Sears guys can't wait to get out of the contract. ------------- DON ELDRED YOU CAN "STAND" ON OUR REPUTATION |
Posted By: cleanex
Date Posted: 10/January/2006 at 6:10pm
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HOME DEPOT is about to get some new competition in Canada as their biggest rival in the USA is about to invade Canada "LOWES" not sure but I think LOWES is even bigger than HD in the USA. ------------- DON ELDRED YOU CAN "STAND" ON OUR REPUTATION |
Posted By: MR. STEAMER
Date Posted: 10/January/2006 at 6:37pm
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cleanex is totally right....people know that big named cleaning is crap. Like I said Home Depot has really been a nonfactor in the GTA right now.. The name may bring in the business but its the tech that keeps the business... people want the same guy To clean their carpet for life,,,unless you do a bad job ------------- www.mr-steamer.com |
Posted By: carpetologist
Date Posted: 10/January/2006 at 7:04pm
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You are absolutely right cleanex. Mrs. Housewife could care less what you use until someone with a large advertising budget comes up with a groupy "BUZZ" word method that forces her to want it because her neighbour wants it. It's what sells Beamers. ------------- Kleen Kuip Supply Mart Inc. http://www.kleenkuip.com - New & Used Professional Carpet Cleaning Machines, Restoration Equipment, Training, Service and Supplies |
Posted By: cleanex
Date Posted: 10/January/2006 at 8:33pm
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Ted you mean buzz words like "You got one of those machines that sits in the driveway and only the hoses come in the house" because after 28 years of advertising truckmounted extraction cleaning we still are asked you got one of those things that sits in the driveway? Mrs Housewife does not buy buzz words, she wants great, reliable service at a fair price, no hassle, no fuss, and no mess, just showup when you promise do it right, Women are our market, men buy Beamers and they are the Buzz words freaks. ------------- DON ELDRED YOU CAN "STAND" ON OUR REPUTATION |
Posted By: Michael
Date Posted: 11/January/2006 at 10:39am
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Some men are really influenced by buzz words, some aren't. Some women
are interested in buzz words, some aren't. Some are interested in the
details, some are only interested in the results. I had a very
organized lady the other day phone us and go down a list of very
specific questions. She was very intertested in the steps of our
process. Research has indicated that people don't base their wants on needs nearly as they base their wants on what others want, as Ted indicated. Want to look it up? I'll bet there are at least some summarized studies somewhere on the web. Try searches such as "mimetic desire marketing." |
Posted By: nightrider
Date Posted: 11/January/2006 at 1:16pm
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Boy oh Boy.........All this excitement just because Home Depot got into the carpet cleaning industry.......SO WHAT........WHO CARES. Seems to be that only Mr. Steamer & Cleanex have the self confidence and belief in their product and quality not to worry. You should all hope and pray that Home Depot spends MILLIONS of DOLLARS on advertising to promote carpet cleaning. Don't forget they have only 1 method of cleaning to offer if they are going the Chem Dry route........on the other hand you have several methods and can educate your customer on the differences and they can make their own choice, combine this with a competitive price, service & a guarantee ( insurance ) for 3 months after cleaning that you will return FREE of CHARGE in case of accidential spills, and you'll be the wiser & your customer will be happier. Whatever Home Depot offers, outdo them and beat them at their game. By the way mimetic marketing does not apply in the service indusrty 95% of the time. Nightrider |
Posted By: carpetologist
Date Posted: 11/January/2006 at 3:27pm
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There has been a few negative posts regarding Chem-Dry - Home Depot. I guess the good news could be the fact that if Home Depot are willing to fork out that kind of money to get into the carpet cleaning business they may know something we don't. The world is saying carpet is out and hard-surface is in. So why would Home Depot purchase an empire that is decreasing in product and service? The other good aspect of this is what Don Eldred said: "We need big players to advertise and bring an awareness to carpet cleaning. Then we all win". ------------- Kleen Kuip Supply Mart Inc. http://www.kleenkuip.com - New & Used Professional Carpet Cleaning Machines, Restoration Equipment, Training, Service and Supplies |
Posted By: Michael
Date Posted: 11/January/2006 at 3:35pm
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I agree that consumers are pretty slow. Many don't care about RX-20
cleaning, because knowledge of the method hasn't filtered down yet.
Here in San Diego, it seems only recently that people are getting away
from "steam cleaning" and calling it "hot water extraction." Few know
"bonnet cleaning" by that name; they usually associate the method with
Chem-Dry only. They are also slow enough that they believe Chem-Dry is
still a bonnet system. It's not. It's an RX-20 system. Some Chem-Dry
franchises offer a bonnet option without hwe, but many do not.
Eventually, they will all be tm/rx-20 systems. Chem-Dry is still considered an alternative system around here. So, they have their following, but there also many would never use Chem-Dry (again). There are also many who hate Home Depot and would never use a service associated with them. Home Depot hasn't taken over our town, and I don't think this will be an exception. It's likely that the Chem-Dry image will remain mostly the same, with the major changes going into the business-side structure. I don't know where you got that figure, Nightrider, but I would definitely agree that mimetic marketing is generally more product driven than most services, including carpet cleaning. I didn't intend to overstate the we-want-what-others-want argument, but I wanted to chime in as to its merit. Although San Diego doesn't have the same kind of "Mrs. Housewife" structure of many other cities--it's really too expensive here--the element isn't gone . . . and hey, women will be women. I don't have the years and years in the business that many of you have, but it's been my observation that people (esp. women) choose and stick with carpet cleaners the same way they do hair stylists. So what did I do? I cleaned my mother's hairdresser's house and left her a bunch of my cards. Her comment: "These ladies ask my advice for everything. If I tell them they have to use you, they will." I swear, some women treat their hairdressers like oracles. Edit: Quote from my girlfriend after reading this post over my shoulder: "Women care about the person they're dealing with. Even if the result isn't quite as good, they're concerned abou the overall experience." |
Posted By: nightrider
Date Posted: 11/January/2006 at 3:52pm
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Ted. maybe Home Depot purchased Chem-Dry for the same reason that Ford purchased Jaguar in 1989.Jaguar was loosing millions every year.........Why did they buy it.............. Why did The Bay purchase Zellers................Zellers is not worth 2 cents on the dollar.........why did they buy them........... Maybe Home depot just needed a tax haven, and they saw possibilities in Chem-Dry Nightrider
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Posted By: cleanex
Date Posted: 11/January/2006 at 3:56pm
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Although we see a lot of hard surface flooring, carpet is still being produced at about the same total yardage as it was before the trend to hard surface so millions and millions of sq ft of carpet is being sold every year. The last time I talked to the people at Shaw they told me they where experiencing an increase in carpet production, so carpet is still out there and needs to be cleaned. ------------- DON ELDRED YOU CAN "STAND" ON OUR REPUTATION |
Posted By: rmcnall
Date Posted: 12/January/2006 at 9:17am
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When people put hard floors in there house the first thing they do is throw down a rug and it is usually a wool area rug. Most realize that this needs to be cleaned a certain way so that is where we should shine look to the speciality market start cleaning the things that chem dry is not going after. If you are worried. We have worked very hard to make our clients loyal to us over the years so we don't lose alot evan though we are pounded every day here with telemarketers with better deals. I am still busy every day of my life and so are my 7 guys and gals that rely on the phone to ring. Home Depot will not put me out of business I will put myself out of business. ------------- Join the FIO you will not be sorry |
Posted By: John L
Date Posted: 12/January/2006 at 9:34am
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A turnover in this business will always provide plenty of work for all of us.... |
Posted By: Glidemaster
Date Posted: 12/January/2006 at 12:09pm
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Chemdry claim to 1 hour carpet drying is what their main advantage has been over the years. In 2001 they attempted to do the same with a HWE system when they got the patent approved on the 1 hour dry RX-20 head with holes in it. At the time it was the ONLY HWE system that could do this, and they wanted to keep it that way because they were considering selling the company to a national retailer even back then. That all changed when I brought out holed Teflon glides back in July 2003, and I have been in a fight with them ever since. Why? Because the holed Teflon glides are the only other products that will allow their competition in the marketplace to compete with them on equal terms with fast drying carpets. For that reason, they are trying to shut GG and Turboteck down in the USA. They probably will suceed in the battle with GG, but they will not be successful with me, because my holed glides(for the RX20) were developed 2 years BEFORE they applied for their patents back in 1999. For that reason, Superglides will remain available to US cleaners long after the trail with HR is concluded in the months to come.Regardless of the outcome of the court case.Wether they like it or not. ------------- *********GLIDEMASTER********* |
Posted By: cleanex
Date Posted: 12/January/2006 at 2:01pm
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Fast dry times equate to half cleaned carpets, the faster you dry them the less likely you have done a good cleaning job. You can surface clean or remove the water before it even hits the carpet such as glides do and get fast drying, or you can clean properly and have 5 to 6 hour dry times----YOUR CHOICE! ------------- DON ELDRED YOU CAN "STAND" ON OUR REPUTATION |
Posted By: Glidemaster
Date Posted: 12/January/2006 at 2:29pm
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Fast Dry times and good cleaning are NOT mutaully exclusive of each other Don. Thanks to a principal called the venturi effect, it is possible to accellerate the speed of the air entering a wand and remove a greater percentage of the water in the carpet in the process. If you leave less water in the carpet after the cleaning, you leave less soil in the carpet as well since it is suspended in the water. The final proof of this can be shown by weighing the carpets after they dry. A square yard of carpet cleaned by a holed glided wand will weigh less than the same area done by an un-glided wand would. The lower air velocity at the wand/carpet interface removes less soil without a glide attached.Wands with glides can use water pressures 200 PSI HIGHER than those without because of this superior cleaning power which removes more of the gritty residue.By weight, that is the main soil in carpet with the most weight. If you dont remove it, the face fibers get abraided and the carpet has both a shorter life as well as a higher residue. ------------- *********GLIDEMASTER********* |
Posted By: Michael
Date Posted: 12/January/2006 at 2:43pm
| When I use the RX-20, I agitate the prespray, do the rinse/neutralizing step, then buff afterwards. I usually get better drying times than I did when I was with Chem-Dry. |