Since starting this topic I have done 15 domestic jobs. 6 were repeats, 4 were recommends and 5 were new customers that got us from our various ads. Of those 5, four of them had previously used another carpet cleaner using a portable, the other couldn't remember what the previuos CC used.
All five went WOW when the job was done and all five said, 'It's never looked so clean!' or variations on the same theme. All five will stick with us or other Truck Mount companies in the future simply because they didn't know that carpet cleaning could be so good and now that they've found out cleaning really is that good, why would they go back to what they had?
This isn't a criticism of portable operators, far from it, it is just the reality of modern day cleaning where there are more and more Truck Mounts offering vastly superior results, faster drying times and better value for money. Slowly but surely the Truck Mount is pushing the portable operator out of the market and unless you have a well established business with a loyal customer base and many of you do, then slowly but surely your phone will ring less and less often and when it does it will just be people looking for the cheap and cheerful clean.
I have never competed with my competitors on price, I compete on quality and so if my competitors want to take my customers from me they have to do a better job than me and if they are a portable guy then they haven't got a hope in hell of doing that.
I make this point, not be be controversial or argumentative, but many people have stated that they can't afford a Truck Mount. These are the same people that readily admit that TM's do a better job, get better drying times and look far more professional, some even stating openly that TM's are the 'ultimate.'
The point is the relentless march of the Truck Mount is slowly but surely putting those same people out of business, or a least diminishing their business and if that is the case how can anyone not afford a Truck Mount?
Simon
