Commercial Carpet Cleaning (11 Mistakes Companies Make)
Quick Summary of Commercial Carpet Cleaning (11 Mistakes Companies Make)
- Vague Pricing
- Wrong Equipment
- Old Equipment
- Too Hard On The Carpet
- Bad Training
- Careless With Chemicals
- Too Slow Treating Stains
- Inexperience
- Procrastination
- Choosing Spontaneously
- Not Using The No-Chemicals/No-Soap Method By Zerorez® Dc Metro!
There are a lot of commercial carpet cleaning companies in DC and none of them are the same. All of these companies represent a different specialty in the industry, a different method, a different process. And each one is likely proclaiming themselves as the best. But, as you know, not everyone can be the best. A lot of mistakes get made; some of them more than they should. As a potential customer of Zerorez Fredericksburg or any other commercial carpet cleaning company, education is key. Knowing the common mistakes in the carpet cleaning industry will help you avoid choosing the wrong company.
Choosing the right one is important. Regularly paying for a company to clean the carpets of your office building costs much less than premature carpet replacement. You want them to look great and last as long as possible. And the company you choose obviously has a lot to do with that. If you're a decision-maker at work and your job is to choose a carpet cleaner, this article will be helpful. Here are 11 mistakes that commercial carpet cleaning companies make.
1. Vague Pricing
Watch out for companies who ambiguously advertise their prices or don't advertise them at all. From the very beginning, you should know precisely what you're getting and how much you're paying for it. Before you schedule an appointment or sign any agreement, be sure the pricing is clear. If it isn't, this is a red flag.
These are the kinds of companies that surprise customers with fees after the fact. You get your bill and see strange charges on there. They then point to the paperwork and say, "It's in the contract" or something like that. Few things are as frustrating as this.
Another reason you should choose a company that is upfront about their pricing is that you may want to price-shop. You can't do that unless you know the prices of all the companies you're considering. A company that is vague with their pricing should be crossed off your list of options.
2. Wrong Equipment
There are many different methods of commercial carpet cleaning in DC. A company will use a particular method and likely boast that it's the best way. Regardless, one thing that somehow still happens is companies using the wrong equipment. Seems crazy, we know.
But it's true. We've heard of companies treating every kind of carpet the same and use the same equipment no matter what. We've also read reviews online of people saying company X used the wrong equipment, ruined the carpet, and voided the carpet's warranty. Certain commercial carpet cleaning methods require certain machines. There isn't one universal machine designed for every scenario.
3. Old Equipment
We've seen pictures online where an unhappy customer snapped a photo of the out-of-date equipment a company used. This is bad for so many reasons, including safety. Old equipment, even if properly maintained over many years needs to be replaced by newer models.
The older a carpet cleaning machine gets, the higher the risk gets of it malfunctioning. And the most likely time for a machine to break is while it's being used. This can become a safety hazard since you never can tell if malfunction will cause damage to the carpet. The malfunction could potentially cause injury to the person using it.
The fact of the matter is that these cleaning machines take a beating over time. Unfortunately, there are companies out there who try to cut financial corners by delaying maintenance on their equipment. Or put off replacing outdated equipment with new stuff.
What they view as saving themselves money ends up costing the customer because of poor performance. The best commercial carpet cleaning companies in DC place a high priority on their equipment.
4. Too Hard On The Carpet
There are times when we're called into a home as a replacement option. This happens when a customer was unhappy with the first company they hired. We've seen homes where it was obvious that the previous carpet rep was way too aggressive on the carpet.
This happens when companies don't train their employees properly and they use the wrong setting on the machine. And some companies don't customize their treatment home to home. This results in using the wrong method on particular stains, for example. Carpet files are more fragile than you might think. Careless cleaning can lead to frayed and cut fibers. Sometimes companies scrape when they don't need to. Scrub excessively when they don't have to.
5. Bad Training
Being a commercial carpet cleaning representative is far from a mindless job. It takes lots of knowledge, precision, and careful work. Some cleaning equipment is complicated and if the rep isn't adequately trained, mistakes happen. There are even some old, outdated carpet cleaning methods that are ineffective and sometimes unsafe.
If the company is training its employees on these kinds of methods, more mistakes happen. The industry, at one point, was pretty similar across the board. But today, carpet cleaning is much more scientific than it used to be. Individual carpet manufacturers have their own recommendations unique to their product. Not heading these instructions can lead to mistakes.
All of these things require proper training. Cleaning carpet isn't the same as mowing a lawn, for example. It's more complicated. Proper training is imperative and is the mark of a really good commercial carpet cleaning company.
6. Careless With Chemicals
As you might expect, certain chemicals have certain purposes. One particular chemical is appropriate for one situation but may not be for another. (Some carpet cleaning methods don't use chemicals at all.) We've seen carpet in homes where it was clear that a previous company went heavy on the chemicals.
Careless chemical use will damage the carpet. Color alteration is one of the most common results of chemical overuse. Knowledge of chemicals and when to use the right one is important.
7. Too Slow Treating Stains
Some people say, "Oh, my carpet cleaning company took so long to finish so they must have been thorough." Nope. The amount of time it takes to complete a job has close to no bearing on quality. In fact, when it comes to stains, the longer you wait the harder it is to get it out. Commercial carpet cleaning companies know this, but how soon they respond to emergency situations is a telling sign.
8. Inexperience
Carpet cleaning is an involved task that takes education and experience to be done right. Don't make the mistake of assuming that any company will do a good job just because they have advertising. Some companies overextending themselves in the sense that they're not experienced enough to take on certain jobs.
But they say they have years of experience in that particular area. In order to a great job, the company needs to do many of the things we've already covered here. They need to use chemicals effectively (or whatever method they use). Their equipment needs to be safe and up-to-date. Employees need to be trained properly, etc.
Included in the inexperience category is also carelessness. Lazy, corner-cutting work is so obvious. You can tell. Sometimes this is due to lack of experience. Some employees out there simply don't have the experience to know when the job is truly done.
Do your best to research companies in your area. Which ones are professional, reputable, and experienced? Read reviews. For better or for worse, online reviews are often the best place to go for this. And it's worth noting that just because a company is the most expensive doesn't mean they're the best. It can be the case sometimes. But not always.
On the flip side, it is more likely that a company with less experience will charge the least. These aren't take-it-to-the-bank statements, but just be careful when looking at different commercial DC carpet cleaning companies over.
9. Procrastination
This rule applies to you - the person in charge of bringing in a carpet cleaning company. Don't wait too long! It's very common, especially for facility managers, to procrastinate getting the carpets cleaned. Just know that your carpets, given time, are dirty even if they don't look like they are. Regularly scheduled cleaning is absolutely necessary, particularly with carpet cleaning.
Figure out a schedule; three times a year, for example. Whatever you feel is appropriate for the space in question. Don't wait until it looks bad. If it looks bad, you've waited much too long. That means dirt and grime have been building up and have reached the point of visibility. This is way past stage 1 dirty.
Some companies can get you set up on a reminder. They'll send you an email or a text or call you when your scheduled cleaning is approaching. We highly recommend this. It takes the procrastination possibility away. And while we're talking about your responsibility, make sure you're taking care of your carpet. Vacuum often. When spot stains happen, clean them up right away. Do your part to prolong the life of the carpet as much as you can.
10. Choosing Spontaneously
Okay, so this rule again applies to you and not the carpet cleaning companies you're considering. Don't choose the first company you see in the phone book. This increases your chances of having a bad experience. We're not saying that you need to do exhaustive research on every company in your area.
But we are saying that you need to do some research on every company you're considering. What kind of customer service do they have? Are people who have used them saying good things about them? Or do you see a pattern of negative feedback?
There are some things that are impossible to know without experience their service. But it doesn't hurt to inform yourself. Not only does it not hurt, but it puts you out in front. It gives you an advantage in making sure you have a good experience with whoever you choose. Sometimes, though, you can tell by doing a little digging that a company is passionate about what they do.
That they deal honestly. That they pride themselves in their work. Even calling them is a good idea, even if you're not quite ready to make a decision. You can get a good read on the level of commitment by speaking to someone on the phone.
11. Not Using The No-Chemicals/No-Soap Method By Zerorez Fredericksburg!
We are confident that our service is better than our competitors. We're so confident, in fact, that we have a 30-day Gotta Love It Guarantee®. If you're not satisfied with the job we do, we give you 30 days to tell us. We'll return and retreat any and all areas you tell us to. Our patented carpet cleaning method is the best in the industry.
Safe for kids. Safe for pets. Safe for the environment. No reappearing stains. No crunchy carpet. No saps or harsh chemicals. Stays clean longer. Dries faster. Gets more out. Guaranteed.
Commercial Carpet Cleaning (11 Mistakes Companies Make) - Conclusion
There's no way that you can guarantee a perfect experience, even if you do exhaustive research every company available. But you can drastically decrease the chances of something unsatisfactory taking place. You do this by storing the information you just read and taking each point into consideration when choosing a company. Be informed and ask questions.
But we can't stress enough that when it comes to carpet cleaning, Zerorez Fredericksburg does it best. We're proud to say that our reputation precedes us. We've worked hard to earn that reputation because we care and we're passionate. Our unique approach to cleaning carpets is something we're beyond proud of. You'll find that our prices are reasonable and our employees are professional.
