How many customers a year do we lose to hardwood flooring, or laminate.....Customer think its healthier to have hard surfaces in their homes..what are you doing to fight back????

Most times I tell them that carpet is actually better for holding down dust...easier on the back and feet....and add insulation both in noise and warmth to their homes...

what else can I tell them??? any ideas??? or should I be taking a hardwood refinishing class???

What you should actually do is this, hire a helper and go around door to door taking a survey on the unexplanable phenomenon of carpet fibre vs hardwood flooring in the household. Don't forget to mention that there is an advantage of having carpeting in every room and then proceed to explain the mechanics of the parapsychological phenomenon of food disappearing deep down into the fibres thus reducing the need of plactic garbage bags that polute our enviroment. Just don't mention the creation of carpet beetles, dust mites, larvee,ground in dirt,stains,musty odors,mould, embedded sand, alergies, dry throat and nose syndrum..........you know what I mean ........keep it to the point and honest........as long as you tell only the good stuff honestly. Oh yeah, don't forget to tell them that they will have to change their carpet every 3-5 years, cause we can't clean it anymore because we sucked up all their carpet fibres in our big and powerful truckmount and scrubbed the sh*t out of their backing, and put so much water when we did clean it that the wood underneith is now black with rot, and will have to be sanded down. Not to mention all the stapple holes in the floor. Then lastly you have to tell them the story of the philosophical renaissance and critique of hardwood floors, and write up a manifesto condeming all those who oppose carpeting over wood floors. This endeavor on your part would greatly be appreciated by all the carpet cleaners in North America, because while you and your silly helper are out on a crusade of stupidy, all us other carpet cleaners that are aware of the facts that times change and fads are in and out with a wink of an eye. DON'T WORRY.........BE HAPPY         DON'T GIVE UP YOUR DAY JOB.

HAVE A GREAT SEASON FOR 2004........JACK FROM MONTREAL, QUEBEC.

nightrider wrote: What you should actually do is this, hire a helper and go around door to door taking a survey on the unexplanable phenomenon of carpet fibre vs hardwood flooring in the household. Don't forget to mention that there is an advantage of having carpeting in every room and then proceed to explain the mechanics of the parapsychological phenomenon of food disappearing deep down into the fibres thus reducing the need of plactic garbage bags that polute our enviroment. Just don't mention the creation of carpet beetles, dust mites, larvee,ground in dirt,stains,musty odors,mould, embedded sand, alergies, dry throat and nose syndrum..........you know what I mean ........keep it to the point and honest........as long as you tell only the good stuff honestly. Oh yeah, don't forget to tell them that they will have to change their carpet every 3-5 years, cause we can't clean it anymore because we sucked up all their carpet fibres in our big and powerful truckmount and scrubbed the sh*t out of their backing, and put so much water when we did clean it that the wood underneith is now black with rot, and will have to be sanded down. Not to mention all the stapple holes in the floor. Then lastly you have to tell them the story of the philosophical renaissance and critique of hardwood floors, and write up a manifesto condeming all those who oppose carpeting over wood floors. This endeavor on your part would greatly be appreciated by all the carpet cleaners in North America, because while you and your silly helper are out on a crusade of stupidy, all us other carpet cleaners that are aware of the facts that times change and fads are in and out with a wink of an eye. DON'T WORRY.........BE HAPPY         DON'T GIVE UP YOUR DAY JOB. HAVE A GREAT SEASON FOR 2004........JACK FROM MONTREAL, QUEBEC.

could there be anymore nothing in a post

Thanks Jack Quack from Quebec

Hi all.

I accually do survey my clients as they come through my rug cleaning plant. I very often will "pitch" my brothers in-home carpet cleaning company and a very large percentage of my clients state "I have no (fitted) carpet"

I will then question them if they have maybe a bedroom or two, or a family room perhaps that does have some carpet.

It is extraordinary how many of my clients will state " I have NO carpet in my house at all"

I will then ask them why they have no carpet.  They will usually state it is because they could never keep it looking clean, and when they saw the filth that came out of the carpet as it was hauled out of their house they vowed to never have wall-to-wall fitted carpet again.

Usually I will state to the client that there is a certain swedish study that proved carpet makes a home heathier.  The client then says, I don't believe that, besides you can always find a study to support whatever you want. 

Seriously, the shift to hard surface and subsequently loose rugs is no fad.  Just ask your clients the right questions.

The writing is on the wall. Carpet retailers everywhere are reporting exponential growth in hard surface flooring while residential carpet sales are down. Loose rug sales are huge. My rug washing business is up massively, over 800 rugs a month now and just a little city of 110k homes!

Dusty.

Don't worry...there is a turnover in this biz....Think about it.. have you kept every single customer???? No... Same here...

Not a whole lot of loyalty.. but then again that could be your fault by not keeping your name in front of them after the sale....And even if you do some will take the cheapest deal (price)...The cheapies are never loyal...

They will forget weeks later who did the job....not all but some....

TURNOVER keeps you in biz...A good customer list is gold...If you know how to keep'em in your back pocket........

If I didn't have return customers I don't think I'd be in business.  I rely on refferal marketing to get jobs.  If they don't remember who did the job how are they going to reffer you?

You have to blow their socks off.  Go way beyond the call.  They will remember that.

And they will tell their friends.

Doug if everything is a joke to you I feel sorry for your customers.

One play area not enough for you?

Hey Doug, don't worry I've known for quite a while this isn't rocket science.  Lighten up.  You threw junk my way.

"Blow their socks off" is not an off color remark.  If you want to twist it that way, congratulations you've really accomplished something.  You should teach middle school.

Ok, back to topic.

Check this out: http://www.bona.com/?sr=us - http://www.bona.com/?sr=us

If you have a rotary your 1/2 way their....some black strip pads...a mop bucket & mop...lambs wool applicator....advertise it with your CC'ing...

Start at $1SFT....................................

I was looking at my rotary today looks like hooking up a dust colection system would be pretty easy.  I've used sanding screens to get carpet glue off a concrete floor.

Now all I need is someone to let me practice on their floor.

Nah, I'm gonna do some more research.

minor repairs...Like cracks and splits and shifting, dents that sort of stuff, most times thats why they want them redone...

or do you shine up imperfections???

A few months ago I was at a house where a refrigerator had just been delivered.  The owner was beside herself because they put nice little wheel mark dents in her hardwood floor.  Before I was done with the carpet, the store had someone on the way out to fix it.  Don't ask me how they did it, I was gone before they got there.

Too bad.

Mr.Steamer..Basically you do the same standard walk thru inspection like on the carpet and if their's small cracks, splits that is extra...they have wood filler for it..match it up and your all good....

You have to know woodworking which i did for 10yrs before CC'ing...

How would you take dents out of a floor?

Is it rocket science?

Sorry, I've wondered ever since that job how those dents came out.

LOL John came up with the idea of how to refinish floors for extra money but now won't help us learn for free......

John...I must say you remind me of me...lol

Mr. Steamer I hear ya but I'm not a teacher...Alot has to do with my woodworking,carpentry,cabinetmaking,furnituremaking experience and all the different finishes for all the different types of wood....

I've done a few hardwood floors....most people don't call unless they are trashed...

I did a 5000 sq ft store in the city...so many repairs....I charged $2.50 started the jobs, but then sub it out for 1.15 a sq ft...to much work and repairs

Trashed..right just like most carpets too...WOW!! that was a smart move...I hear you loud and clear on that one...And you still made money..

I did, but the people that did it did a wicked job...but where very unprofessional, eating and drinking the store owners food and beer.

I had to replace those, but other wise it was ok

Man...hard to find real good workers...who can you trust anymore...????

Rif-Raf everywhere.................

And can you really blame them.