Why does low priced carpet cleaning leave you shortchanged?
Low price carpet cleaning companies survive on two things:
Volume – which means booking as many jobs as possible each day, get in and get out fast and hopefully complete all of the days bookings – if they show up on-time or show up at all; oh well they tried.
Sales – hard sell as many extras as possible before angering the customer – if you don’t buy into the extras they clean as fast as possible – maybe the next job will produce a high ticket price! If your cleaner isn’t taking the time to pre-treat soiled areas, spot clean stains, and thoroughly rinse cleaning solutions and dirt from your carpet, then he’s a salesman (not a technician) and you’re being seriously shortchanged!
Employees: Low price cleaning companies cannot afford to pay wages that attract long term dependable employees. High employee turnover is common, and leads to poor quality work from under-trained employees that couldn’t care less if you are satisfied with their work. After all what did you expect for a $79.00 coupon?
Training: Low priced cleaning companies can barely afford to meet payroll and expenses let alone pay thousands of dollars each year to have each employee trained and certified by the IICRC. The IICRC (International Institute of Cleaning & Restoration Certification) is the industry standard for training – you as a consumer should only hire IICRC trained technicians; otherwise you’re being shortchanged.
Poor quality equipment: Low price cleaning companies must survive on slim profit margins. This often leads to equipment that’s in disrepair and the use of cheap cleaning chemicals. If your cleaner is not using the finest in equipment and supplies, then you’re being shortchanged.
Technology: Low price cleaning companies often don’t have the time, money, or manpower to invest in cleaning technology. Carpet cleaning technology is constantly evolving with newer, better & safer products being introduced. If your cleaning company does not belong to trade associations, subscribe to industry journals, take part in seminars and trade shows, then in the end, you’re being shortchanged.
Guarantees: We’re all familiar with the saying, “a guarantee is only as good as the company behind it”. If your cleaning company doesn’t have a track record that says they’ll be available today, tomorrow, and more importantly next year, to stand behind their work, you’re being shortchanged.
Premature Replacement: The number one reason carpets are replaced prematurely is wear caused by inefficient cleaning. Poor cleaning leaves dirt and grit behind to act as an abrasive to carpet fibers. This leads to premature wear patterns and ugly traffic lanes. If you’re replacing carpets for these reasons then poor cleaning is costing you many times more than you could ever hope to save by using a low price cleaner!
Carpet Warranties: If you bought new carpet (as of Jan. 2008) you must hire only IICRC technicians to clean your new carpet. Additionally the cleaning company must also abide by the new CRI rules regarding cleaning agents and equipment (equipment and cleaning agents must be tested and approved by the CRI) otherwise your carpet warranty is voided.
In this day & age quality and low price are two entities that rarely come as a pair. This statement could not be truer when it comes to carpet cleaning. Don’t get shortchanged by low priced volume cleaning companies that do not have your best interest in mind.
A wise man once said, “The sweet taste of a low price is gone long before the bitter taste of poor quality”. This is known as the law of life. Simply put; you get what you pay for.