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Ask Cleanfax!
October 13, 2010
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Q: In the office building that we clean the carpet for, there is an employee that has been sprinkling a powdered deodorizer in her cubicle. Is this harmful to the carpet?
— Lloyd, Denver, CO
A: Although those products are manufactured for use on carpet, they do cause problems. The powders build up in the carpet over time and eventually leave an unsightly residue.
Dry vacuuming removes some of it … and hot water extraction even more, but eventually, if continued to be used, you could have a serious buildup of powder that is very difficult to completely remove.
It''s best to try to get management to enforce a "no carpet powder" policy.
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Q: I''ve been thinking of knocking on doors to try to get more customers. Is this too intrusive?
— Glenn, Little Rock, AR
A: It can be. It depends on your approach.
You are probably speaking of what is commonly referred to as the "5-Around" — basically, when you complete a cleaning job, you go to the home on each side and the three across the street.
Be prepared to find that virtually no one is home, so you might leave a nice door hanger or color brochure behind.
When a homeowner answers the door, you definitely don''t want to do a "hard sell." Simply state that you were working for a neighbor and wanted to take a moment to introduce yourself.
Keep it simple, low key and, when the time is right, you may have gained a new customer.
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Q: I''m trying to figure out how to price some extra services I offer to my customers. I was thinking of charging 20 cents per square foot for fabric protector. Is this out of line?
— Matt, Phoenix, AZ
A: Your pricing needs to reflect your own costs and your profit margin — something controlled and determined by you alone.
Some cleaners charge more than you — and some less. In fact, in the Cleanfax magazine 2009 Carpet Cleaning Benchmarking Survey Report, 17 percent of respondents charge between 5 and 9 cents per square foot, 45 percent of respondents charge between 10 and 19 cents per square foot and 16 percent charge between 20 and 29 cents per square foot. From this data, it appears your thinking is not out of line at all.
Many company owners feel that charging half of the cleaning bill for applying fabric protectors is appropriate.
Whatever you decide to charge, make sure to apply the protector properly and according to manufacturer directions. Otherwise, your customers won''t be receiving the full benefits.
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Have a question for us? Ask at Cleanfax.com/experts or jcross@ntpmedia.com.
