[Laurence Anderson]

If there is one thing ruining the carpet cleaning trade in my area ( Telford ) it's the so called professionals using machines like rugdoctors and undercutting the guys like me who have invested in portables.
Anyone else having issues like this where you live?

I run a professional outfit and these guys are going to end up putting me out of business...should I be lowering my prices to suit their prices when I know they are not delivering the same quality as I am ie. drying times ?

www.procleancarpetstelford.co.uk

[Kev Loomes]

It happens in every area throughout the UK. Your not alone. I wouldn't worry about it as we all get them, just concentrate on your business, offer the best service, stand out from  the crowd and be different, you will succeed. Worrying about other people and what they charge is just going to bring you down.

Good luck.

[Steven Butler]

Kevs bang on...
YOU do YOU
Let them do what they are doing and they won't last 2 minutes.

[*Hector*]

I agree... the only way you can compete on price is if you are definitely the lowest price.....( which if you are a serious carpet cleaner ).... you will never be.....

These cowboys are everywhere..... if you let them get to you, your business will suffer. There have been several cleaners on here, who have packed it in, because they couldn't cope with the cheapies.....

raise your prices, market in different areas, change who you market to, and you will never encounter them again.

[tim handley]

in short, the customers who are happy to pay for a rug doctor  clean at rug doctor prices are not the customers you want in any case, they will ot give you any means to build and sustain a business, they will drop you for somebody who is £1.00  cheaper... just dont think about them, crack on with your own business......

[Steve Chapman]

Focus your marketing on higher end properties....... they won't want the rug doctor operators.......

[Laurence Anderson]

Thanks guys for your responses. You are all right and I need to concentrate on the service I provide and the areas I do marketing.
Where I live is hard place to run a business, and every trade I speak to has the same problem...there are way too many cowboys working in Telford willing to work for peanuts, offer a below par service and who are more than likely not even registered with HMRC for tax.
I will soldier on and up my game. I have just built a new website which I am hoping will start to attract bigger customers so I can move into a new market.

Thanks again and kind regards
Laurence

www.procleancarpetstelford.co.uk

[SteveAllan]

Ignore them.
There's a good and bad everywhere.
I've met a few from Telford area at get togethers and assure you they are charging decent money, it's all about targeting.
If they want to do £20 for a lounge let them crack on.

[Jonathan Evans]

Come off face ache. Is my advice.  Those that want cheapest will always look for cheaper.

Those who want the best will always look for best. When they find it will keep you close.

[tim handley]

just looked for the like button..... then remembered, we dont have one....doh!!!!!

[Laurence Anderson]

He's right though, I do have a facebook page and you get the dregs coming through there.
My new website is ranking well though after only being live for 4 days, so that needs to be concentrated on more and marketed elsewhere.
Thanks for your feedback everyone, it's much appreciated.


www.procleancarpetstelford.co.uk

[Ian Harper]

Guys

so if everyone has a page on their site that educates prospects about rug doctors (not dis respect them) then thats half the battle. if we work together we can change stuff like this.

I dont see photos or peoples comments about these guys has anyone else ?

Its no good just us all talking about these issues we need to prove to prospects that its the wrong choice but with the right words so it does not sound bad. you have to let people have those choices but explain the risk.

I read mumsnet a lot and you should read the how people really see carpet cleaning.  we have done a poor job of educating the public.  The internet has not helped they should rename google, price shopper.

Problem is that people know that rug doctors can clean carpets then they think how much would i pay someone to clean, most will just make the connection between domestic cleaners and add the two together and they have a price for how much it should cost to clean a carpet.  its only after this experience that they turn to the high end professional.

here is a great example. big problem is that we as carpet cleaners are not allowed to comment on mumsnet. so how do you educate these people? this is not just one case I have another four thousand comments on just mumsnet. and I have not even started on facebook yet

http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/1548533-Rug-Doctor-Anyone-hired-one-and-how-good-are-they

we need the wall that protects this site removed it stops google indexing it.  just look at what you get when you do this search. answers from 2003 how is that helping anyone?

carpet cleaning site:http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/

BTW Laurence I used to know a carpet cleaner that lived in Leeds and he would drive to the other side of Leeds to do business and made lots of money do it.

[Laurence Anderson]

Hi Ian
Thanks for your reply.
I found a great write up about rug doctors a few years ago and  I have included it as a blog on my website, which I hope will enlighten people.
http://www.procleancarpetstelford.co.uk/some-blogs/please-read-this-if-a-friend-has-told-you-to-hire-a-rugdoctor

I just used the link to mumsnet and one reply was

"It is a lot of work and took aaaages to dry.
By contrast, getting a man in with a steam machine cost us a similar amount, was far cleaner, dried quicker, lasted longer, and was obviously far less effort (tidy up; open front door; make cup of tea)."

I've noticed that until they actually use one they think they are great machines, so yes it is just a case of educating.

[Ian Harper]

Laurence

great article, when you find stuff like this your best to atke screen shot and then post it on your blog that way you dont get hit from google for copying it. name the jpg file with keywords. This also works when you find an image you like better taking screen shots than just downloading it and then using it.

if you search mums net using google like this

carpet cleaning site:www.mumsnet.com.

google will give you every post on mumsnet about carpet cleaning. as I said we are not allowed to comment on mumsnet but what I do is take a screen shot of the question and any interesting answers and then post that image on my blog and answer it their. many people ask the same question but in differnt ways so it help product content on your blog thats carpet cleaning related. and its natural with keywords in your answer.

Then I go to google webmaster and get it to spider the page. this way google see's I update my blog every day and will come more often and index it. As I have said before google will spider your page but only every 3 mts do the indexing for the resiuts taking into consideration all the factors it uses to place in in the results when it fits.

Nice to see you blow. just thing how big your site will be if you post just one of the answers each day after a year. your site will be full of keywords and google will see it as an authority on carpet cleaning.

Good luck