Just for the Health of it!
What About All Those Coupons?
Wouldn’t it be great if you could really get all the carpets in your house cleaned for about $100? How can these carpet cleaning companies offer such low prices? They are advertising entire house cleaning for what many other companies would charge for a minimum sized job.
There are two ways these companies can exist offering incredibly low prices.
Bait & Switch:
This is when a company offers an extremely low price to lure people to call, but never intends to actually provide the service for the advertised price. Once they get in your house, they can become very persuasive, but will be charging you extra for: add on services, double scrubbing procedures and maybe just to use soap for the cleaning! This type of marketing approach thrives on consumers that are either naive or are looking “to get something for nothing”. If the consumer insists on the advertised price, it is very unlikely the service will be satisfactory. This is an unethical approach to doing business.Cleaning is not a commodity:
Assuming we’re dealing with ethical companies, there is still a significant range in the prices for carpet cleaning. It is important to realize that all carpet cleaning companies are not offering the same thing. Carpet cleaning is a service not a commodity. Just as you might choose to pay $5 for a meal at a fast food restaurant or $50 at a four star, there can be a similar range in pricing for a service like carpet cleaning. For instance, the technical skills and customer service required to clean the carpets in a vacant apartment area very different from those needed to clean an occupied high-end home.Generally, “you get what you pay for”. The following are some of the major variables that go into determining the value of the service provided:
Cleaning pace:
How long the cleaner takes to do the job makes a big difference. The company that charges less for a job, might not be taking the time to properly prepare the carpets for cleaning or will clean it less thoroughly, ignoring many important details.Education:
Knowing what you’re doing helps! Has the cleaer taken the standard industry training courses and passed the tests to become certified? Knowing how carpet and upholstery fibers respond to cleaning and how to remove unusual spots and spills will produce more satisfactory results.Experience:
Having years of experience verses weeks makes a difference. You don’t want your house to be the training ground for a cleaner. The more experience a cleaner has, the better he or she can deal with special situations.Customer service and follow-up:
In many ways this is one of the most important parts. Can the company provide the needed services without causing you extra stress and frustration? Will the company stand behind its work and strive to build a lasting relationship with you? Professionalism, confidence and safety help create an enjoyable service experience for the homeowner.
