[ianharper]

Hi Guys

Can anyone please tell me how you can test the water lift on portables and TM?

Respect

Ian Harper

[Elite (Ben)]

I suspect the manufacturers quoted figure is somewhat comparable to 0-60 speeds in car manufacturing. It is done under perfect conditions and is difficult to recreate.

Ben

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Ian I would ask John Bolton he will explain it to you but unfortunately he doesn't operate on this forum.

How are things anyway hope you and family are keeping well.

Shaun

[ianharper]

Hi guys

thanks shaun.

its interesting as we cant check what they claim. you think there would be a independant body that would confirm what they claim. We get so many messages about what machine is best and its all based on opinion.

I read "Which" and they cover just about everthing that we use in our daily life. It would be great if we had some organization that would confirm what was being said was true.

I'll give you an example. scotchgard I did a test the other day, I had a friends carpet cleaned and then scotchgraded. When my friend pressed the company about the guarante she was told that it only covered upholstery and not carpets! That did not stop them giving her a certificate.

So if she had not asked and had the scotchgrad applyed with the impression that she would be able to claim if she had a problem. The point is that what chance do we stand when eberyone knows the name scotchgard and with it the inpression that they will be covered.

An independant body would confirm the facts for us and in the scotchgard case the consumer.

When was the last time that you bought somthing for your business only to find out that it did not live up to what was sold to you?

Respect

Ian Harper

[John Kelly]

Ian
I think when it comes to buying equipment in this business a lot of it depends on personal preferences. Rather than being concerned about the technical specs I think its best to see what other people are using and recommending. One things for sure the better the kit the higher the price.

[ianharper]

Hi John

I was linking machine spec to customer benifits as a way to judge value

Respect

Ian Harper

[dave401uk]

Ian, a good post, however i would say that the best spec of machine in the wrong hands, vrs a lower spec machine in capable hands, would produce different results,its fine to have the best out there,but if it isn't being used to the best, then spec counts for nothing, i know cc who are using the same machine as me, but dont achieve the same results.
Just my thoughts :

[John Kelly]

Ian
I personally think customers aren't that clued up or bothered what spec machine is used to clean, providing of course it is a professional model. We have people advertising in our area "using latest high powered machines" until recently these guys were using soap powder.
I can understand where you're coming from, however I think advertising the products used would be of more benefit.
The time to push the benefits of increased power etc could be after you have done the job and the results stand out. This could then be used as testimonials or for refferals.

[Len Gribble]

Ian

Did not know scotchcare were up and running again? Think this one for Derek B to reply too!

When was the last time that you bought somthing for your business only to find out that it did not live up to what was sold to you?

Once but a quick learner, thankfully one can right it off on tax bill

Len

[ianharper]

Hi Len

We are doing some costing and marketing tests on a stain protector to see if we can get over the problem that is in customers minds.

The question are do they really care about the scotchgard garantee, and if they recieved the protection as some kind of bonus, package. will they still be want scotchgard?

This will then tell us if its really is protection or insurance on their carpets and upholstery they are after?

Respect

Ian harper

[ianharper]

Hi Guys

One big benifit to a customer is the more power the machine has the quicker the drying times, so I would market quck drying times and not more power.

On the subject of quick drying times, I belive one reason that Chemdry are so big is because of the name The dry part gives the impression that the carpets are dry after the clean! I think I am right in saying that in the earlly days when they used low mosture systems this was true, but I believe that they use hot water extraction now.

One often asked question from my prospects is " how wet or how quick can we use the room"  To combat this we use a logo on all our marketing "quick dry sytsems, please ask for details" This tells us which prospect might have had a poor sevice before and their carpets had taken ages to dry out. Again this is a benifit to these prospects.

Respect

Ian Harper

[Ian Gourlay]

Are Genuine scotchguard Guarantees still being offered by Carpet Cleaners?

Prochem has a new 3m protector but as far as I know there is no guaramtee scheme.

I did some work for my Cousins Husband once who own a Carpet Shop

Applied Sologurd

He the phoned up and said was there a guarantee




I was puzzled why he had asked me to do job.

As in his Store room he had the equipment t apply guardsmam

which is the same group  Safeclean  belongs to. Do Safeclean offer a Guarantee?

When I first started my then supplier used to sell Guardsman but as far as I know Carpet Cleaners could not take part in a warranty scheme.

I believe there might be such a scheme for carpet shop.

Recentley in this are I  have seen a small Regency Homecare van driving around

I believe they carry out warranty work for funiture and carpet retailers

[John Kelly]

Chem dry still use a low moisture system. Its based on HWE but at very low volume.

[Doug Holloway]

Hi John,

It's probably similar to my BW technique where water is sprayed lightly above the carpet and then extracted.

If you vacuum,prespray, agitate, the amount of HWE required is reduced.

Disadvantage is time where a big beast machine can do al four in one .

'You pays your money , you gets your choice'

Cheers,

Doug

[John Kelly]

Doug
Its actually a mixture of two seperate products which when mixed create carbon dioxide. I think it mixes at the head of the wand or rotary, I may be wrong. Their theory is that the carbon dioxide bubbles produced, drive the dirt to the surface where it is then vacuumed off. Instead of water being sprayed into the carpet it is a liquid with a high volume of gas mixed in, hence a low volume. I was shown this and have seen it in action.

[Len Gribble]

Ian

We are doing some costing and marketing tests on a stain protector to see if we can get over the problem that is in customers minds

  Don’t waist your time, just tell them it’s not bullet proof.

The question are do they really care about the scotchgard garantee, and if they recieved the protection as some kind of bonus, package. will they still be want scotchgard?

Did you not read my reply 

Did not know scotchcare were up and running again? Think this one for Derek B to reply too!

I only know of one company who offers an insurance as such that’s Guardsman

Len


Len

[ianharper]

Hi Guys

With regards scotchgard The 3M product is the same just under a differant name, The problem I have is what in the prospects mind about what they are getting.

It would not be proessional of me to tell my prospects that scotchard on carpets does not offer any knid of guarantee if this is not right. If you think about it if you are using a differant product and the customers asks for scotchgard (thinking that it has a guarantee) and you say you use a product that just as good and they turn you down then I think we have a problem that needs addressing?

Come on guys how can you test for yourself the water lift? If we dont have any way of testing this, first how do we know when our vac's need replacing, or that the machine does what we are being told? If we had some way of testing then I thnik that this would make manafactors start to inprove their machines.

Respect

Ian Harper

[cleaning co]

hi ian,u hav a ecplse machine dont u ?  y do u need to test it are u not happy with it ?    regards gary

[Dave Parry]

Ian, I think the guarantee problem is in your mind.
Dont tell the custy's that it comes with a gurantee, tell them its not a license to spill things but that it buys them time to blot a spill out, and will help when it comes round to cleaning time again. Never had a problem with this approach, if you promise the moon custies will want it. You cant legislate for what actions custies will take, so dont try.

[Len Gribble]

Ian

Just seen this in my yellow pages!

QUOTE LICENSED BY 3M TO APPLY SCOTCHGARD PROTECTOR TO CARPETS & UPHOLSTERY, FULLY INSURED SERVICE UNQUOTE

Could it be one for the trading standards or is it semantics?

The only guarantee you should be offering is your workmanship but if you want to take it further, why not contact the manufacture of your preferred protection agent to see if the will guarantee it?

Re water lift think you need to post on the other two forums as the ones I think can answer your query only frequent there! Don’t be scared they don’t bite, would also like to know!

Len