[Eddie Conroy]

Reference the soot job.
One of the big three franchises turned up (at the behest of the insurance company) Managed to leave an 80yr old couple sitting in soot , and just took a rug that was in front of the hearth.
Completely ignored colour migration from the rug to the carpet underneath (totally visible as it was the only bit of clean carpet and I have the photos) and then returned the rug as 'better claim from the insurance company as they had completely made all the colours run'
This rug had sentimental value and the client was not asking for miracles. 
Whatever happned to colour run testing  and common sense, such as consulting a professional rug cleaner.
Perhaps Barry can comment on how one should clean soot from a water sensitive rug.

Eddie

[Karl Wildey]

Typical. When will the insurance co's realise the independents are the best.

[Len Gribble]

Karl

Are they?

Len

[Kinver_Clean]

I have been in a couple of times lately recleaning carpet after soot falls etc that have supposedly been cleaned by 'the expert franchises' sent by the insurers. Both times the carpet had been so vigourously scrubbed so as to burst the pile. Renovate cleared both a treat but still left the damage.
One crew were sent off the job for sitting in the armchairs and having a smoke!

Trevor

[jcbdfa]

if i was a customer i am positive i would choose a franchise cc company over an independant. they just have a better more proffessional feel. and to be frank are mostly better trained and better equipped. on this type of work probably more experienced. and i am an independant. many indies are completely untrained and many are not even fulltime cc. what comeback can you have on these people. if this couple had a problem with the standard of the work they should have phoned the franchise or even the head office. every franchise will have insurance.

[Karl Wildey]

A soot clean up is a restoration company job, not a cc job.

You may know your carpets but they is a lot more involced in a soot fall than a carpet, and rug in this case.

Len. They are a lot of independent restroation companies out there that are very well trained and have been going a long time. I feel the franchise co's are only in it cos the money is there. If the major floods had not happen ie climate change, I doubt whether iss would have purchase rainbow and homeserve, chemdry.

[Adrian Makel]

if anything an independant allways trys harder as we don`t have all the back up,we have to work harder to make a good name for ourselves .Bet ive upset a few of you now

[John Kelly]

Don't forget most of the people in the restoration business are independant.  They have bought a franchise (Chem-Dry, Rainbow, Servicemaster) who give them support training and back up, but they still need to perform as an individual/company to succeed. There are always some who can't hack it and this tends to let the whole network down.
Bye the way are you aware that Chem Dry are having a major push for the commercial sector and I am informed that they have McDonalds and Hilton Hotel Group on board.

[Karl Wildey]

So true Adrain. We have not bought our way into the insurance compnaies books, but earned it out of hard work. Unfortunately we can be booted out just like that, the franchise are harder to remove, which is a shame.  

[doug@munters]

seems to be a bit of bickering/jelousy here guys.indies why all the jelousy of the frannies they have spent a lot of time/money/effort setting up national networks in order to service the insurance companies dont they deserve to reap the benefits of that?...dont forget if they are leaning away from domestic work then that is of a benefit for you isnt it?.........as for the sooty carpet well it happens with both frannies and indiesso what you got a job where a frannies tech messed up if i had a tenner for every job id been to to repair an indies mistake id be a rich young man believe me.

come on guys stop the us and them it is so silly

christ ive come on all funny sticking up for the frannies

[jasonl]

An independant still has lots of opportunities in the claims area, I have found that the key is to specialise, and to build up a close relationship, with local insurance people, dont keep going back with questions , just take on thier problem and make sure you fully resolve it,fully documented.

[Len Gribble]

Karl

No argument from me.


John Kelly

Franchisors like to support other franchisors, are the also going into window cleaning?

Also had a whisper Homeserve is buying vacant CD franchises!

Jasonl

The word you are looking for is pro-active.

Len

[John Kelly]

Len

As you are aware Homeserve have offered the DRL lads a chance to buy any vacant Chem Dry licenses. About 50% have taken up this offer. Existing Chem Dry in these areas are going to see a drastic drop in their turnover. DRL lads are buying 5-7 licenses on average.

I have not done so for a couple of reasons.
1) I fancy a change from being constantly on call.
2)Homeserve paid 19 million for Chem Dry who made 3 million profit last year. To me 3 million profit for a plc on that outlay doesn't seem a lot. My worry is that Homeserve will start creaming off some of the insurance work using employed staff. Chem Dry already have 3 in house franchises running so it can be done.
Rumours are that Homeserve are trying to buy Chem Dry USA. They already have a major foothold in the States, France and Australia. If they managed to do that, they could do what they want with it. Why pay a franchisee 75% of every job when you could open a regional depot with half a dozen staff and take 80%.

[jasonl]

How glad am I to be out of Chem-Dry   I am  now truly self employed, and loving it.

[Len Gribble]

John

Some are buying 5-7 licences, wow! And I know CD isn’t selling them cheap, but believe they are offering a return, cant see how they can do that unless they have a crystal ball.

I thought franchisors weren’t allowed to run in-house business, then again if Homeserve brought them it wont be in-house.

you could open a regional depot wrong they are! Got one near me bell green (Sydenham SE23)

I would also have reservation if I were one. I do hope they are not sold down the river, as I know a few DRL lads and a couple of CD’S only time will tell!

Len

[homenclean]

I have recently cleaned a 3 piece suite for an insurance claims inspector, he couldnt beleive the results he said the fabric felt softer and was far cleaner than when service master previously cleaned it. So i asked him his opinion on the franchise companies, he told me that if it was down to him he wouldnt give them the time of day, most go onto an insurance job and immediately right off the item they are there to restore. It doesnt matter to them they still get paid!

I once heard from a customer that she had spilt a soft drink on a carpet, she tried to remove the stain and couldnt so contacted her insurers, who in turn asked Chem Dry to call and inspect the stain, after hearing nothing she rang again 2 days later she got a call from Chem Dry she explained the situation and the guy told her the stain wouldnt move (without inspecting it) he sent her a letter for the insuarance. Her friend recommended us, we called inspected and easily removed the stain. Guesss who this lady comes to when she wants things done! 

The problem with alot of the franchises is the cleaning comes second, it is all about marketing.

John

[Barry Pearce]

Well Eddie.
what soot, which soot, from gas, coal, coke, wood, oil, the carbons are all slightly differant so it is duifficult to generalise
on the ingrediants of the treatment, and also the method.
Last month we had a 7 inch circular soot stain on an Indian Jaipur  rug that had a metallised dye finnish. Problem 1. If this type of rug is not cleaned under tention it could shrink and wrinkle.
Problem 2. Must have rapid drying to prevent celolosic browning.
Problem 3. What happens when you work on a localised area? How do you stop it wrinkling? How do you rapid dry it back and front under tention? How do you retain the metalised lusture finish?
Barry