[Mike Halliday]

I'm joining the NCCA

National Christian Counselors Association 

I've always  wanted to be a counselor, bet it pay better than being a carpet cleaner

Gary are you talking gross or profit?  but  HH & Son Ltd made 48k and 17k

[derek west]

sorry ive been away, just got back from liverpool, there was a flood in blockbuster video, the maintenance company rang me and asked if i could extract, said yes, they said how soon, i said im on my way, they didnt even ask if i was insured (which i am)never mind ncca,  ive listened to all thats said, im sure i can say im ncca trained as long as i dont use the logo, i will ring to confirm this with them, if they say no i cant, then i wont but i will not be going on the hard floor course or the spotting course which i planned to go on soon with them, its there call. thanks again for everyones input, it was very interesting and valid arguements were put by both sides, top banter if u ask me. cheers guys

[Ken Wainwright]

If you attend an NCCA training course and sign to say you will not use the name or logo without being a member, it means just that.

For the reasons pointed out above about the acronym ncca, that isn't registered by The National Carpet Cleaners Association, just the name and the logo.

Safe and happy cleaning
Ken

[derek west]

ken.
take a look at my website.
www.affordablecleaners.co.uk
am i breaking any rules?

derek

[Ken Wainwright]

Hi Derek

Best thing to do is contact the NCCA Office on 0116 271 9550. You'll find them very friendly and helpful, and they'll be able to check as to what you signed to agree to.

I would be sceptical about the certified aspect, but not being involved at board level these days, I don't know whether you receive a qulaifiaction certificate or an attendance certificate.

Give Katie or Lewis a ring.

Safe and happy cleaning
Ken

[Goldfinch PCS]

Oh well I mention the NCCA in one of my topics and well isn't there a heated debate?

Well you can say that you are NCCA trained however the reason for them been a bit uptight is because if you use them to sell your products and then mess up the custy can call them and request information about your company and claim to training and skills,  because they are a trade association. Now if you aren't a member then they can't advise the custy or yourself.  Plus custy's have a way of reacting to bad results, the next cleaner they use will be a true NCCA member however they wont want him because of their experience with you.

Now these two stories are true and it happened to the same  Technician, I met a guy at a cleaning course at Alltec he use to have a SafeClean franchise but he quit that. He cleaned a pub carpet and it shrunk, he had no professional body behind him and he didn't know who to call, however, someone told him to call Paul Pearce which he did and the problem was resolved over a pint.. Now that isn't the entire story but it's that experience made the Technician a) did a professional cleaning course and b) joined a professional body.

Now this said Technician cleaned a customers sofa prior to the pub incident and had the customer on the phone the next day complaining about a spot or stain where the Technician cleaned (he had a spot job on the sofa) when the Technician went to the customer he cleaned red lipstick and ended up with blue stain or colour run, however it was blue.  He was not a member of any association then and so he replace the furnishing on his insurance (with a 250 excess). I had the honour of trying to remove the stain or colour run at Alltec hands on school and we tried everything even none Alltec chemicals and it didn't move. I was convince at first sight that the stain was cause by someone sitting on the damp sofa with blue denim and the sofa had a high cotton fibre build so the dying was permanent and nothing could be done.

Had this Technician been a member of the NCCA or IICRC he could call for an expert and get help and advise that could would cost him less than the insurance claim.

Listen JOIN the NCCA or IICRC and consider joining the FSB. I am saying this from experience the FSB is good.  Now you don't have to join anything and there are CCs out there doing there job for a number of years and nothing has ever happened but it's the risk you take and you seem as though you are trying to portray and deliver professionalism.  I am with all three of them, should a customer try and pull a fast one then they are in for a shock. London is not a city to play with not sure about your location and what people are like.

[markpowell]

I know of a carpet cleaner in west yorks who advertises using the NCCA logo, i know he is registered because i have looked on the NCCA website. However he has 2 or 3 guys who clean for him and they are not NCCA.
I have been at this game years and no customer has ever asked me anything regarding the NCCA.
I can prove if requested by a customer that i am fully trained and insured, why pay hundreds of £'s to NCCA to do that for me???
 Mark

[derek west]

it seems to me that everyone who is in the ncca says its good, that it gives you a selling point, but i believe that if you have to explain the ncca to your customers then its not really valid, someone mentioned corgi registered, if your corgi registered you say so and thats it, you dont have to spend the next 5 mins explaining who corgi are, its up to the ncca to get to the point where members can just say there members and the ncca speaks for itself. my truckmount is my selling point, i open the van door and it speaks for itself. customers are gobsmacked and basically say, when can you start. hey but thats just my experience,
i think the ncca is a good thing that just needs pushing to be a better thing.

oh and i was wrong about the ncca's SEO so maybe i'm wrong about everthing else.
my apoplogies, i should of done my homework?

[Len Gribble]

John

You’re the third person I know of, who jumped in at the deep end, but as you say it can be limited, Porty is useful for pre-spaying when using a LM system.


Dove

It’s funny how the sweat glands work customer totally oblivious, black socks on a white carpet is an other one think it called TV feet

I would in some respects join IICRC mainly NCCA if they tested me on my ability , but that will never happen as I cross boarders.

Derek

You griped you done the course but cant use their name, as it cost extra.

Your Tm would not do some of my jobs and yes-nice bit of equipment but limited 

Len

[garyj]

The NCCA have already missed the boat, and they have had years to catch up and still have not.

I expect I am not the only on here to know that many other people think the same, and a rival is/was on the cards. The same old arguments regarding the NCCA will continue until someone has the money and back up to start something new and better. I have met Ken a couple of times now and he is in no doubt a genuine, honest and expert c/c, he belongs to a generation that did things for love and not money. Not many around anymore. Today it is about money and marketing.
Someone brought up earlier about CORGI, that was a bbrilliant comparison. I know if something happens to my boiler the guy who fixes it has to be Corgi registered, I also know before I make the call it is going to cost me a fortune. Same now with your electricity.
I know carpet cleaning is not a matter of life and death, but it certainly could have been marketed in a way that would show the customer that you really do need an honest trained carpet cleaner in your house and not any Tom, Dick or Harry. An organisation that would have promoted how important it is to your health to have your furnishings regularly cleaned, how it improves their lifespan etc.

I would actually like to belong to an association that was well known, even if that cost me mega bucks per year. As individuals we spend thousands a year on advertising, someone should have tapped into that a long time ago and been the main point of contact.

My guess is the NCCA just never had the money and the industry has become more fragmented than ever.

[mark shannon]

Chaps you all seem to strong articulate opinions on  the Ncca why don't you join and try to change it from the inside.

[garyj]

That is a good point Mark, simple answer is I have the benefit of hindsight, and also it is much easier to sprout an opinion sat here on my arse rather than go and actually do something 

Most troubling thing for me is, even as professional carpet cleaners we cannot agree on training. In a separate topic it asks "Where do I get training" and there must be 5 different answers and two different organisations to train through.

To my knowledge there is only one Woolsafe, only one Corgi, only one recognised H&S organisation etc. This is a very small industry in comparison and we have at least 2.

[Gerry Styles]

As far as I am aware if you are a member of a trade association you can use thier logo on your correspondence, advertising and vehicles. I am am corporate member of BICSc and am entitled to do that. I believe that legal action has been taken against those who claim to be members of an association or are using a system which is not actually the system they are using. I believe this has happened also in the window cleaning where some have claimed to be using "reach & wash" when they were actually using another system.

[derek west]

len you said this
You griped you done the course but cant use their name, as it cost extra.
i didnt gripe about using there name. i griped i couldnt say i was trained by them, why should i have to pay extra. effin liberty.

and as for the tm being ltd.
ive not turned a job down yet, and that includes a belgium wilton.
only thing i cant do is the top of a high rise block of flats and your quite welcome to them. happy lugging.
isnt a porty ltd when the waters off  or the electrics off
swings and roundabouts len but the trucky wins on points.
derek

[Ken Wainwright]

Just to clarify a couple of points.  IICRC is NOT a trade association. It is a training and certification body.  Corgi also is not a trade association, I suppose it is closer in concept to IICRC. The main difference is that to work with gas, CORGI registration is a legal requirement.

I would ask everyone to consider this. If you were to ask any consumer to name any trade associations for any industry, would they struggle after ABTA   I know for sure that I'd struggle to name ANY association not related in someway to our industry.  So, is the NCCA unique in this aspect?  I think not.

Safe and happy cleaning
Ken

[carlton care]

It's interesting to find so much interest from people who clearly " want to belong " and most seem to want to belong to something that gives them / their business, credibility and recognition within the consumer world.

I've posted before about the industry ( that's YOU ) needing to come up with an acceptable set of standards, eg, novice / trained / technician and getting a training package together and accepted by a regulating authority.

The resulting package would then be available through colleges, nationwide. BICS have been doing this for 40 years.

[Len Gribble]

Derek

Did you pass the exam? I’m going to start telling my customers I was trained by Mr Ron Tilley of Prochem fame

Valid point (waters off  or the electrics off) but I would check first and if it hasn’t got a lift I don’t do it. Fifteen all

Mark

At one time belong to a political party paid my dues the top dog mr TH 85% of members wanted it this way reply it’s my conscience.

Ken

Who gave them certification here in the UK

Carlton

Am a bit surprised they haven’t linked up with BICs, I have a family member who makes bog rolls he’s got to do a NVQ.

Len

[derek west]

len
yes i did pass the exam, with certificate,
and how the fork is that 15 all. cojunt arguments only please.
next you'll be telling me a porty can do just as good a job as a trucky.
actually scrap that last bit, don't want the hassle. i know its the operator not his equipment,  blah blah blah.
face it lenny babes, if you could you would.

[Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus)]

Derek

Len's got a truckmount - you just haven't learnt how to decipher the languauge on his posts yet - it takes a while 

[derek west]

so he's a tos, oops i mean lovely wind up merchant then.