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Setting High Standards

11/17/2016

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By Larry Galler

The performance difference between companies (and sports teams, educational organizations, non-profits, professional firms, etc.) with high standards compared to those with lower, or no standards, is amazing. It is visible to a casual observer and very obvious to customers and prospects.

The difference is apparent when seen in person – like walking into a store, office, warehouse, even the parking lot. It’s apparent in the way the telephone is answered, by a smiling, engaged voice or with a flat, dull attitude. I could use all the space on this page to continue to list differences between high and low standard companies but you undoubtedly can list them also.

The real question is, “How do “high standards” companies get that way and how do they maintain their standards?”

High standards start at the top. The leader sets those standards and communicates expectations to the key people who then communicate them throughout the organization, whether the whole organization consists of one person or thousands. They train people on the standards, create metrics and review procedures to insure the standards are maintained and enforced.

If, or when, it is found that standards are not being maintained, remedial action is activated. I know this sounds simple, but it isn’t. It takes a constant, never-ending effort to accomplish year-in and year-out. But the benefits are enormous.

In general, businesses (et.al.) with high standards enjoy higher customer satisfaction and greater customer loyalty, lower levels of staff turnover and a happier workforce, better reputations and more referrals, and higher profit margins which allows for greater investment in growth because customers are, typically, willing to pay a little more to get the results and benefits of those higher standards. The result is a more sustainable, more profitable and more enjoyable business for all concerned.

All that said, assuming leadership is able to create and articulate those higher standards, it has to be realized this isn’t a “snap-the-fingers-and-it-happens” project. It takes patience, fortitude and gumption to get higher standards in place and achieved but when it works very good things will happen.

Larry Galler works with business owners to create management and marketing breakthroughs. Sign up to subscribe to his weekly newsletter and newspaper column at www.larrygaller.com.
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Tap the Power of Gift Cards

11/12/2016

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(as seen in the November issue of Cleanfax)

By Steve Marsh

In this time of digital advertising, it can be tough to grab and hold on to the interest of consumers.

As people turn to Google, Yelp and other digital media, they are fully aware that they can easily jump to a competing service company in a matter of seconds. The public’s attention span shortens by the day. In our quest to command customer attention, it is now more critical than ever to use new tools and techniques in our marketing to stand out from the crowd.

Make discounts exciting

Consumer gift cards can empower your advertising and marketing to grab the interest of your audience. They change the plain traditional incentive discounts into fresh, fun and exciting gifts. Instead of the old and dull “20% off” discount, you can offer a gift of a $25 Visa shopping spree, night out at the movies or coffee with friends at Starbucks.

Dollar or percentage-off discounts are forgotten by customers seconds after they are offered. Gift cards on the other hand are tangible items they can hold and think about. Customers will put them in their wallets and remember that there is a good time waiting for them when they put them to use. When they are redeemed, it’s hard to not think good thoughts about the company that gave them the gift.

If I had the choice between two otherwise similar companies, where one offered a $25 discount and the other a $25 gift card, my strong desire to get free stuff draws me to the one offering the gift card.

Sometimes the consumer appointed with the chore of selecting a service company is not the one responsible for paying the service bill. In this case, a gift card becomes a bonus treat to the person making the choice. In this scenario, the companies offering traditional discounts don’t stand a chance.

Referral rewards

Gift cards can also radically change the effectiveness of referral reward programs. Instead of the common discount-off of future service, these cards instead offer a fun reward which clients can actually visualize enjoying. They create a far more powerful motivation for them to mention your company to friends.

The cost

I can imagine some people are now thinking about how expensive it will be to purchase a big handful of gift cards. If this is the case for you, you have proven my point. You see cash value in the gift card, but not in your own man hours.

Many owners do not consider cash-off discounts to be real money. Consumers often think along the same lines. Since the discount is subtracted before the final invoice total is calculated, it is easy to pretend it never existed. The truth is that every dollar you have given away as a discount would have been pure profit if you had gotten the job and not given away the discount.

Ultimately, there is no difference to the company bottom line of profit whether you offer a discount in the form of a gift card or give it away as a discount off the total amount on the invoice.

Brand restrictions

Please be aware that some gift cards have restrictions for use of their copyright brand. For example, I found that Starbucks would not allow me to use their name and logo in my advertising to the public. So instead, I chose to offer a generic “coffee gift card” in my ads. On the other hand, I was allowed to use their name and logo when communicating with existing customers. In those cases I offered a “Starbucks gift card” as a referral reward.

To find out if a branded gift card has any advertising restrictions, you only need to send the corporation an email and ask.

Providing the gift

I found it most effective to present the advertising incentive gift card at the time the invoice was paid at the consumer’s home. If the consumer was mailing me a check following the job, I would return a thank you card and include the gift.

When I use a gift card as a referral reward, I send it out along with a “thank you for the referral” card as soon as the referred job is completed.

Stand out from the crowd

Using gift cards as purchasing and referral incentives is easy to do. Few, if any, of your competitors are taking advantage of this fun way to offer discounts and rewards. This tool allows you to stand out from the crowd of service companies battling to grab the attention of consumers. Making a little bit of effort to incorporate this powerful incentive will be well worth it.

Steve Marsh is a 40-year veteran of the carpet cleaning industry, an instructor and a Senior Carpet Inspector. He helps home-service companies quickly establish profitable clienteles and then progress on to serve higher quality customers. To help companies achieve these goals he created the step-by-step programs Single Truck Success and Be Competition Free. For more information, visit www.professional-carpet-cleaning-service.com.




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What's the BEST Type of Floor?

4/23/2016

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Commercial flooring specifications
It's something your customers may ask, and it's something you must know: What is the best, most appropriate type of flooring material for buildings?

This technical bulletin discusses everything from substrate to choosing between cut or loop pile carpet, how flooring decisions will dictate maintenance programs, soiling issues, how long flooring materials will last, price and budget and much more.

Click here to get your own digital copy of the April issue of The Commercial Flooring Report!



Restoration Contractors:
Don't forget about the upcoming Restoration Strategies insurance marketing workshop. You will learn how to get work directly from insurance companies, how to effectively network and do business with agents and adjusters, how to get work from customers by using your website, SEO and pay-per-click, different methods to using your social media reach and much more.

Click here for all details

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Optimizing Flooring Performance

2/28/2016

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In commercial flooring applications, it’s important to make sure the flooring being selected and specified is appropriate for the application....

The most complex of flooring products for commercial use is carpet. The components and engineering that go into making a carpet a high or low performing textile floor covering material are more involved than for hard surface flooring...


Click here to download this report.
Commercial carpet performance, wear and cleaning effectiveness

How to get more water damage jobs, restoration marketing tips, restoration marketing strategies, water damage marketing
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The Commercial Flooring Report

11/10/2015

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Here is a copy of the report, I hope it is helpful with your company and your own technical education.

PDF copy of the report (click here)

Have a good day,

Jeff Cross | Executive Editor | Cleanfax











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Dust Mites and YOU!

9/30/2015

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How to keep dust mites out of your houseYes, they are ugly creatures and YES your bed has them... Credit: iStock/animatedfunk
No matter who you are, no matter where you live, you never sleep alone.

But don’t panic…those sleeping with you are somewhat peaceful. And not really that noticeable, until the “Welcome” sign goes up and they start inviting a bunch of guests over. Once the invitation goes out, there can be millions that end up in one mattress alone!

Yes, we are speaking of dust mites, those super-tiny eight-legged creatures that live in every house and take up residence in virtually every pillow, mattress and other comfortable abodes in the world.

Commonly called the “house dust mite,” (there are a couple of different types known to inhabit various parts of the world) this little creature feeds on flakes of shed human and animal skin and known to be a cause of asthma and allergic reactions.

Dust mite feces contain a powerful digestive enzyme that causes all kinds of breathing problems — if there are enough of the creatures in your home.

Some people are highly sensitive to dust mites, while others never have a reaction.

What can you do?

First of all, like we already said, don’t panic. Dust mites are everywhere, and there’s nothing you can do about that.

What you can do is keep things clean. Dust mites reproduce quickly in mattresses, beddings, pillows and other areas because these absorbent items take up moisture, such as saliva, perspiration and blood, from body contact. Dust mites prefer those warm, moist environments created by sleeping bodies.

Besides moisture, they need food. Dust mites are like any living creature. They need to eat. The skin flakes, dander and other protein sources are food for dust mites, so regular vacuuming is smart, especially using one with HEPA filtering. And running an air cleaner in your home with HEPA filtering will help, too.

Professional cleaning is a good investment for your home. Deep cleaning all fabrics on a regular basis means you are taking food away from these unwanted tenants. Logically, this equates to fewer dust mites coming over to party at your house.

So be a smart homeowner. Keep things clean and keep some of the pests away! Call your cleaning pro today.

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Negotiating for the Job

7/6/2015

1 Comment

 
You read about this last week, how a popular restaurant chain decided to cut carpet cleaning in order to increase profits.

I would like to hear from you on how you deal with commercial prospects like a restaurant or office building when they start talking budgets, etc. What do you do to convince them they need to have their cleaning services on a regular (and logical) schedule?

Or do you avoid these types of jobs (such as restaurants) altogether?

Share your negotiation best practices.

(and if you missed that article from last week, here's the link below)

Click here to read the Olive Garden story about carpet cleaning.


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What Makes a Great Stain Kit?

1/2/2015

3 Comments

 
by Jeff Cross, executive editor, Cleanfax

Carpet and furniture cleaners need the best in tools and chemistry, and this is especially true when it comes to the stain removal kit.

With the chemicals available today, you can be successful in removing what used to be the "unremovable" stain.

Most stain kits include the following:
  • Flip-top bottles for applying spot or stain solution
  • Eyedroppers for applying small amounts of spot or stain solution
  • Trigger sprayers for larger spots or stains
  • Tamping brush and/or metal, bone or plastic spatulas for safe agitation of spotting solution
  • Steam iron to add heat to accelerate chemical action
  • Absorbent, white cotton towels
  • Measuring cups for proportioning and dilution control.
These are just some of the tools that you need. Even more important is having the right chemicals to remove stains.

Today's manufacturers concentrate on building stain kits that have everything you need.

They also include complete directions on how to use the tools and chemicals to better remove stubborn spots and stains.

Dry solvents

Dry solvents contain almost no water — although some do have trace amounts of water-based chemicals — and come in many forms. There is no pH factor for true dry solvents.

Dry solvents are used to remove spots such as gum, ink, grease, tar, etc., that are not affected by water-based products.

A volatile dry solvent evaporates completely on its own, while some non-volatile solvents, typically "paint, oil and grease" removers (POG), may need to be rinsed with a volatile dry solvent to remove remaining residue.

Some POGs today are citrus-based and can be rinsed with hot water and detergent.

Remember that dry solvents can quickly penetrate deep into the carpet and can cause delamination of the primary and secondary backings. Because of this, gel-type solvents are safer for carpet because they typically remain in the face fibers.

Ingredients in many types of solvents can also include a variety of alcohols and petroleum products.

Wet solvents

On the pH scale, these can be alkaline (such as ammonia), acid (such as acetic or citric) or completely neutral.

These are used to remove a variety of water-based spots and stains, such as those from food, beverages, tannins, urine, etc. Your stain kit directions will help determine the best application.

Enzyme digesters fall in the wet solvent category, although they react with spot and stain material in a unique way. They break down specific types of spotting material, such as blood and tough protein matter.

Rust removers are strong acids and should be used with caution.

More recently, manufacturers are adding special classifications of bleaching agents for removing stains that do not respond to typical chemicals.

Although most formulations are safe for carpet fibers and dyes, always test in an inconspicuous area before proceeding.

Due to their bleaching action, the following wet solvents solve many stain removal challenges.

Reducing agents

Professionally-formulated reducing agents remove oxygen (a bleaching action) from stains and work best on synthetic-type stains — artificially colored beverages, many food colorings and medicine dyes, etc.

These reducing agents typically contain the classes of chemistry such as sodium bisulfite, metabisulfite and others.

Acids and heat will act as a catalyst to a reducing agent.

Oxidizing agents

Professionally-formulated oxidizing agents add oxygen (a bleaching action) to stains and work best on organic-type stains — mustard, coffee, tea, condiments, etc.

Liquid hydrogen peroxide-based products that are stronger than the three-percent drug store variety are commonly used by professional carpet cleaners. Powdered sodium percarbonate-based products also work well.

Alkalines and heat will act as a catalyst to an oxidizing agent.

Stain ID

Stain identification is vital for matching chemistry to specific stains. Sometimes, your customer will know what caused the stain.

Despite stain identification efforts, it can often be difficult to identify certain types of stains.

If one type of chemistry doesn't work for the stain you are trying to remove, neutralize and rinse, and then try another chemical.

Don't overdo it

Remember, the customer owns the stain … and you can become the unhappy "owner" of any damage to the carpet if you use overly-aggressive cleaning techniques.
3 Comments

Hello, 2015!

12/24/2014

3 Comments

 
carpet cleaners pataskala oh http://pataskalacleaning.weebly.com
Smart business owners are those who realize they will never know it all, will never experience it all, but need to continue in their quest to do both.

So as you read this and prepare for 2015, consider some of these solid business building principles. Just a few thoughts that won’t take long to read but will take a year to implement. The reward will be worth it.

The edge of education

Yes, you have been to a zillion seminars and workshops, but think of the little “take-aways” you benefitted from each time you sacrificed a bit of your time to attend.

And education isn’t always about the classroom. Here comes a blatant advertisement: Be sure to read each issue of Cleanfax. Yes, even you veterans. You will find something in the pages to use to build your business.

You find tons of information online as well, at www.Cleanfax.com and on various forums and social media sites. Join groups, exchange information and keep education at the top of your priority list.

Define your target market

I’ve seen too many carpet cleaning companies engage in shotgun marketing (you know, shoot out tons of ads trying to hit everyone) and then find they aren’t really that profitable. Yes, they may be busy, but that’s a different story.

If you are targeting high-end homes, then your message has to fit that demographic. You want to do apartments? Thousands of companies earn a high profit margin with cleaning rental units. How do they do it? They master a system. They define their target.

For restoration, one thing I have heard from some companies is they don’t want the small water damage jobs. That is mind boggling to me. Those small jobs can be great referral or testimonial sources. They lead to bigger and better things. Don’t ignore them.

Do something every day

So you hear of some good marketing ideas and you want to implement them. You are excited. You know it will work. You rub your hands together in anticipation of reaping the rewards.

But then you get busy doing something else. You are dealing with actual jobs, or with staffing issues, or you find yourself stuck in a mind-numbing project that never seems to end.

Schedule a little time each day to do some marketing. Put it on your calendar and train yourself to get it done — or have someone on your staff do it. A little bit each day goes a long way.


3 Comments

Really Bad Marketing

11/25/2014

2 Comments

 
I remember asking some people at a Totally Booked University session (I believe it was a restoration marketing workshop) what was some of their best ideas for getting more jobs.

Some good ideas were generated. The most popular and the one that made sense was getting referrals, which meant doing great work but that wasn't enough.

One attendee said he made it really easy for his customers to tell others about him. He would leave pre-stamped post cards with the message like, "XYZ just did a great job for us. We highly recommend them!" and asked his happy customer to send out a few to their local friends and family.

It all went downhill from there. Another company said they just entered a year-long contract to have their company name and phone number (along with a photo) put on the child's seat of every shopping cart at a local grocery story.

Silence. I guess the other attendees didn't agree that this was a smart way to spend marketing dollars.

What are some marketing strategies that you have tried (or heard of) that utterly bombed?


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    Jeff Cross is the editorial director of ISSA Media and an IICRC-approved instructor. He can be reached at (740)973-4236 or by email (click here)​

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