[jasonl]

All the vans are 09 plates little citroens , some transit sized citroens too, all on lease.

[Neil Williams]

I'm spitting feathers here
Why when I go to a property to quote and the carpets look pristine do I look for the hidden cameras just incase.
Yet these f...ers are getting away with nothing short of robbery. I bet they don't even apply any form of stainshield even if the poor sucker of a customer has been talked into it.
Even a company from years ago called Chores had some ethics about them unlike this bunch.
Why haven't they been reported to any of those cowboy tradesmen TV programmes or Trading Standards.

[MAX Carpets]

I cant believe it took this long for this subject to reach the forums......................the end is nigh me thinks!

[jasonl]

I posted about it in January , it is  only a matter of time before they are brought to book for thier methods.

[Steve Chapman]

We've had them here in Weymouth too, I get at least 1 customer a week who have booked them but then asked them to leave when realized what they up to. One this week has said they will def report them to trading standards.

It's hardly a good business model, just a straight forward con
can't see them operating that long when gaining such a bad reputation.

One customer said they turned up at their house with what looked like a rug doctor , and just cleaned the lounge carpet with water, aparantly that's what you get for the £8.99, they just asked them to leave.

It's prob good for us in the long run, most customers are not that stupid.

Steve

[Helen]

Have just e-mailed this lot to BBC Rogue Traders programme

[jasonl]

Have just e-mailed this lot to BBC Rogue Traders programme

Did that in January ,had no response

[Jason Ryan]

i think for a company (sole trader) to appear on a tv programe like Rouge Traders they will have to have a certain number of complaints to the programe 1st before they consider following them.

[nevil]

I would think the complaints are rolling in thick and fast. I can't wait to see them on rogue traders.

Just a thought. I wonder if they get many recommends or repeat business.

Sadly this sort of thing doesn't give our industry a good name. They must have an argument with every customer when they ask for their money. It's blatant bait and switch and simply unethical.

[Ian Gourlay]

What I do not get is if company are promoting  say £9.99 a room how do they kow if operator took £100 , £200 or £300

I do think we all need to learn more about upselling sklls triggers etc so that we can use them in a more ethical way.

I am probably to soft but do not charge extra for deoderisers or stain removal , obviously I do charge for protection


If this was a Good Forum one of you would do a post on upselling

[Simon Gerrard]

I seriously dislike people who try to up sell me. It's as if having given them my order they then decide that isn't enough and try to add on things that are more to their benefit than they are to mine. I went into P C World to buy a high end computer and the moment I told the sales person which machine I wanted he then tried to get me to have it on finance instead of paying for it there and then. I told him I don't take credit - ever! He then tried to get me to rent the bloody thing. In the end I walked out and bought it somewhere my business was appreciated.

And that is the problem in up-selling, you risk giving your customer the impression that you aren't grateful for the business they've already given you and want more and so start selling them things they probably don't need, like protection and if they feel even the slightest pressure, or sense that you are the only one gaining, then they'll quickly become an ex-customer.

Simon

[John Kelly]

What I find hard to understand is how someone who was willing to pay 8.99 to have a carpet cleaned ends up paying hundreds. There can't be that many vunerable people out there.

[MAX Carpets]

They've gone from 0-50+ vans in a very short time, must be loads of suckers out there. They also now sell the machines that they use and import from China on e-bay.

[Helen]

What I find hard to understand is how someone who was willing to pay 8.99 to have a carpet cleaned ends up paying hundreds. There can't be that many vunerable people out there.

Me too! The "someone" is looking for a cheap job obviously because of the £8.99, so unless they feel threatened at the time, why stump up hundreds Doesn't make sense.
Upselling is ok if done at point of quote in my opinion, then all has been discussed and agreed, prior to work starting.
Just wondering how many of the vulnerable enterprise customers have stopped their cheques, before they could be cashed

[Helen]

I seriously dislike people who try to up sell me. It's as if having given them my order they then decide that isn't enough and try to add on things that are more to their benefit than they are to mine. I went into P C World to buy a high end computer and the moment I told the sales person which machine I wanted he then tried to get me to have it on finance instead of paying for it there and then. I told him I don't take credit - ever! He then tried to get me to rent the bloody thing. In the end I walked out and bought it somewhere my business was appreciated.
Good for you

And that is the problem in up-selling, you risk giving your customer the impression that you aren't grateful for the business they've already given you and want more and so start selling them things they probably don't need, like protection and if they feel even the slightest pressure, or sense that you are the only one gaining, then they'll quickly become an ex-customer.

Simon

It depends on how you sell the extra's though. If someone says they want a carpet cleaned, do they know it can be deodorised, stain protected etc etc.....maybe not. It's always worth saying "have you considered having it stain protected?" If you get a straight no, take it as no! If you get a hesitation or I didn't know you could do that? you're halfway there, explain the benefits to the customer and take it from there. If they are still undecided, then  book them in for the clean and say "have a think about the stain protection, you can always let me know or even tell me when I clean" there are so many ways, without pressurising people

[Ian Gourlay]

I knew this was a good forum

[Neil Williams]

Just a thought. I wonder if they get many recommends or repeat business.

Zero, zilch, none, but then why would they care if all they are after are suckers.
I like to sleep at night in the knowledge I have provided an affordable quality service, quite how the owner and workers of that outfit sleep well I don't know.

[MAX Carpets]

If I remember correctly wasnt this exact same format used in the states a few years ago? I seem to remember the company being closed down.


Justin

[garry22]

It was Justin.

In the USA they have the Better Business Bureau and unlike most UK bodies, it has teeth.

Joe Polish made himself a national name by exposing bait and switch operators.

Upsells are fine. The problem comes if vunerable people such as pensioners are being intimidated into parting with large sums of money (as in the missing roof tile scams).

I met a lad who worked for one of these sort of carpet cleaning companies and he had to clean at least fifteen (normal sized lounge) carpets per day to make his money up. He did not last long.

Like it or not, this couple's activities will impact on other companies because it reinforces the perception of carpet cleaning being a dodgy or crooked profession.

[Colin Day]

Just a thought. I wonder if they get many recommends or repeat business.

Zero, zilch, none, but then why would they care if all they are after are suckers.
I like to sleep at night in the knowledge I have provided an affordable quality service, quite how the owner and workers of that outfit sleep well I don't know.

Horlicks works for me