[rycalshaw]

hi guys, i,m still a relative newbie to carpet cleaning and every job i go into i feel very apprehensive, i,ve done the training, i have decent machinery ( airflex pro/ envirodri e40) and i have done dozens of carpets with nothing but excellent feedback but the confidence never seems to be there. is this normal for a newbie..thanks

[wayne zabel]

Ive been full time for 3 years now but still feel a bit nervous when going to some jobs,especially new customers.

I often think "what will I do/say if I don't provide a brilliant job"Recently though I have decided that I'm not a magician and just do the best I can.

[neil 47]

Wayne

your phone no on your website isn't visable enough needs to be at top

[mark_roberts]

You get days like that.

Yesterday we cleaned a very nice house with oak stained fitted furniture.  Somehow water from the side of the wand left water marks on the wood.  Customer not happy. We then started to dry it with a hair dryer which helped and left to dry naturally.

Just off the phone with customer.  Wood dryed ok but 100% wool carpets still smelling of wool.

But then theres the other hundreds of jobs we've done this year which have been fine and happy customers.

Just have to take the rough with the smooth.

Mark

[Hilton]

Its not a 'crisis' of confidence its just about getting good habits once they have bedded in every thing will become second nature and you will wonder what you were concerned about....

I ruined a 'true' Berber on my very first job, 1000's of pounds worth of insurance claim for my boss at the time, bless him he laughed it off and told me something that has stayed with me ever since ..."The best teacher you can have in life are the mistakes you make"... , he was right.

A lot of small mistakes later, things just fell into place as they will for you or anybody else new to the game.

Sounds to me like your doing pretty well 

[John Kelly]

You will have cock ups and make mistakes. Main thing is to not dwell on them. Sort them out best you can and move on.

[wynne jones]

Confidence comes with experience and that's what you are getting. Just keep doing it and learn from any challenges that come along as in the grand scheme of things the job is a breeze.

Sounds to me you are just conscientious and that's a very good thing to have .

Sometimes when I set off in the morning I get a feeling like I'm anxious in the pit of my stomach, but when I think about it I'm feeling excited about the days work. Sad I know lol.

[Simon Gerrard]

It's really you good that you feel that way as there is a lot to learn and the last thing you need is to have complacency creeping in.
If you make a mistake, and you will, make sure it's the first and last time for that particular error.
Over a period of time this lack of confidence you describe will be replaced by a sense of professional caution but unfortunately that takes time and perhaps some hard lessons to develop.
I like your approach though, there's nowt wrong with being wary.

Simon

[Craigp]

Simon is really, really confident because of all the mistakes he's made. 

I mean when you have had every cock up possible, you have nothing to fear anymore. eh Simon

[maxcampbell]

I completely agree with Simon. Being wary may be uncomfortable, but you're less likely to do something expensive. I'm still a bit nervous if & when I find something new, and after 20 years,that still happens every week. It will get better with time, but like they say "feel the fear & do it anyway".

[mark_roberts]

And if you've ever been on a training course with PaulPierce, he tells of more mistakes hes made than you could count.

Mark

[benny d]

And if you've ever been on a training course with PaulPierce, he tells of more mistakes hes made than you could count.

That's why a one day training course turns into a two day course... 

[Paul Moss]

Simon,tell them about your cock up with the RX 

[Craigp]

Lets have a 'best cock up topic' that will be fun!

[Simon Gerrard]

Simon is really, really confident because of all the mistakes he's made. 

I mean when you have had every cock up possible, you have nothing to fear anymore. eh Simon

 

[Simon Gerrard]

Simon,tell them about your cock up with the RX 

Paul,
That would be a 'crushing experience!'

[Simon Gerrard]

I'll tell you what you really do have to be wary of, it's people. We deal with every kind of person in very type of location and if you make a mistake for one person, it's nothing, but make the same mistake with another person and all hell breaks loose.

Simon

[John Kelly]

You're right there Simon and when you do fire & flood work it goes up to a whole new level.

[Simon Gerrard]

They are the reason we got out of doing F&F work, people turn into animals when there's insurance money at stake.

Simon

[Hilton]

Funny that I always enjoyed doing F & F and found in the main most of those affected were pleased to see you, of course  human nature being as it is some try and grab a bit extra out a claim, it was not up to us to call it one way or another we left that up to the LA most of whom were useless, but we did some very large claims and earned well out of them.