Mae West said, "When I'm good I'm very, very good, but when I'm bad I'm better!" The cleaning business is like that. Price increases are more difficult and the residential market has slowed some, but overall when the economy is slow the cleaning business increases in volume.

The commercial market for carpet cleaning service has literally exploded in the past ten years. Building managers recognize the advantages of carpet. It's quiet, safe to walk on and adds to the aesthetic qualities of a place of business. Carpet has become much more expensive in recent years and there is concern about protecting this larger investment. We've cleaned everything from the Indianapolis Colts artificial grass in the RCA Dome to the NCAA's new headquarters building in Indy.

With all the doom and gloom about mold and mildew in recent years, I've got to admit I get a little squeamish when we clean for two large law firms. But lawyers are just like any other consumer....if we do a good job they will refer us to their friends.

How's your business?

 Did you know that in just a few short years, 25% of the population in the United States will control 75% of all assets and be responsible for 50% of all discretionary spending? While this may sound daunting in some respects, it points out the importance of "Target Marketing."

Many of the problems with carpet are not in the quality of the product but are in the eyes and ears of the consumer. Dr. Michael Berry, perhaps the most respected and certainly the most quoted person of science in our industry said, "Carpet is a sink." Just hearing this graphic analogy could cause a prospective buyer to choose another floor covering.

Quotes like, "Clean that sink" and  "Clean carpet for health's sake" have become the mantra of teachers in the cleaning industry. Unfortunately, much of the good information they teach is passed along to consumers by well-meaning students in the form of negative advertising .

When the news business is slow, reporters revisit Kawasaki syndrome, formaldehyde and the 120 neuro toxic chemicals found in carpet by "Green Nest." Dr. Rosalind Anderson got reams of publicity with her claim that carpet killed her lab mice. Vacuum cleaner hucksters show dust from carpet fouling the air that we breathe. Half-hour long Rug Doctor Infomercials embellish the amount of dirt and germs found in carpet.

With the continual negative litany about carpet no wonder there's a downturn in consumer confidence. Could it be time for a change in strategy?

The housing slump is so bad the CEO of a mill says it’s the worst downturn he’s seen in twenty-five years. The good news for carpet cleaners is that people are cleaning rather than replacing carpet and they're polishing up hardwood, tile and stone floors, too.  Many retailers are looking into this service as a diversification to offset slowing sales. I know of some very successful retailers who have cleaning operations, but it's really not for everyone.

Take a hard look before plunging in. Some advantages are that fixed overhead such as office personnel, phones, insurance and advertising programs are in place. An established customer base is available and a cleaning technician right there when new floor covering is being considered is invaluable. Perhaps the most significant benefit is that it keeps a competitor out of a customer's home or office. My company offers training, equipment, cleaning agents and support in carpet and hard floor care.

Most retailers, however, don't want to be in the cleaning business. For those who don't, we have an established network of trained professional cleaners who will work for the customers of a retailer in a mutually agreeable arrangement. Call Kevin Stark, a 36 year veteran of the industry, at 800 428 9512. He'll answer your questions about the cleaning business and can help you to make an informed decision.

When a cleaning technician goes trouble-shooting for a carpet maker or a carpet retailer........
mum's the word. Never offer an opinion to the consumer or even to a mill representative in the presence of the consumer.

Professional ethics dictate not saying anything to color the situation in any way. Our job is to do exactly as instructed and then privately report to whomever arranged the spot removal, general cleaning or demonstration. The report should be concise and factual.

Never comment on a perceived problem or anything beyond the scope of cleaning and maintenance. Don't comment on installation, carpet selection or any carpet defects even if they are obvious.  Be polite, say as little as possible, do your job and get out of there.

A cleaning firm known for bait-and-switch advertising of $6.00 a room ran a help-wanted ad that said their best man had earned $975.00 the prior week. Do the math. The cleaner would have to clean 1,625 rooms in order to bring in  $975.00 a week. If he worked a six-day week, that’s 270 rooms a day. Figuring a ten-hour day, he would have cleaned 27 rooms an hour. And that is only to cover his pay. Obviously, the numbers do not add up.

Another bait-and-switch advertiser had an ad for help in the same newspaper. It stated that a hard worker could earn $1,000.00 a week. Which only proves that the first liar doesn’t stand a chance.

The commercial market for carpet cleaning service has literally exploded in the past ten years.
Building managers recognize the advantages of carpet.  It's quiet, safe to walk on and adds to the aesthetic qualities of a place of business.

Carpet has become much more expensive in recent years and there is concern about protecting this larger investment. We've cleaned everything from the Indianapolis Colts artificial grass in the RCA Dome to the NCAA's new headquarters building in Indy.

With all the doom and gloom about mold and mildew in recent years, I've got to admit I get a little squeamish when we clean for two large law firms. But lawyers are just like any other consumer....if we do a good job for them they refer us to their friends.

Price, Perception and Performance... Price is often the hook in advertising. For years carpet ads have stressed price instead of quality. There is a certain Perception of value anticipated by the buyer regardless of what they pay for their carpet. Performance does not always meet their expectations. The 3 'P's are followed by the 3 'R's.

Results, Regrets and Retaliation... Results such as bad installation, especially when there is seam peaking, take time to show up. Slow delivery or product substitution cause immediate Regrets. Next time around the disappointed consumer will buy from another store or worse yet, they will buy hard floors.

I believe there is a whole lot of pent up Retaliation in the dose of bitter medicine the CRI calls "de-selection." They say the carpet cleaning community is at fault, not shoddy carpet sales practices, faulty installation or manufacturing defects. That probably makes the folks in northwest Georgia feel better even if it's not true.

Carpet is being used less in new homes and older ones, too. Carpet is not used much in kitchens, bathrooms and entry ways. Sometimes we only see it in bedrooms. But even with limited usage, there's almost as much carpet in the homes we serve today because they are so much larger than when we started in this business.

But, carpet is used in areas that don't soil as rapidly, so we don't get the repeat business we used to get in the good old days. To deal with this challenge we've gone back to our roots in the cleaning business... the maintenance of stone, tile and wood floors. Oriental carpets and area rugs have become a good profit center in recent years. Furniture cleaning and Teflon sales have also helped augment revenues.

Special classes four times a year at Bane-Clene Institute teach the techniques and recommended products for hard floor care. Doing this work for customers is appreciated and can be very profitable, too.