ln most every other home service industry, visiting the client's home
to meet them, and become acquainted with the particulars of their situation -- before offering
a firm quote is a mark of professionalism and respect.
Much to their credit, nothing less than this would be acceptable to the potential client.
Yet, in the carpet cleaning industry, people have been 'trained' to expect &
accept phone 'quotes' as standard procedure. We feel this is generally not in the consumer's
best interest.
The two attitudes examined below have grown out of the (unfortunately) 'standard' quoting
& pricing practices in our industry. These procedures have
resulted in two misconceptions which can diminish value and therefore, can adversely affect you:
MISCONCEPTION #1: Any honest carpet cleaning company
should be able to give you
an exact price quote over the phone.
This brings up the whole issue of pricing in general... And specifically,
raises questions of fairness, and professionalism.
Carpet cleaning companies
routinely give phone 'quotes' because it saves time for them
(and increases profit).
But we feel this practice leaves too much
room for people to be disappointed
(or worse) for a number of reasons. We've all heard about (or have experienced)
agreeing to a 'quote' over the phone - and then - paying considerably more, when
all is said and done. This is not fair to consumers, nor good for our industry.
On the other hand... You could actually miss out on hiring
the best cleaner for your situation by expecting them to give you an exact quote over the phone... Here's
why:
A cleaner who does a full and thorough job as his standard
procedure generally has to offer a (phone) estimate based on 'worst case scenario'. That is, they have to estimate high enough to cover the worst situations
they have run across in the past.
If your home is not
in terrible shape, you may likely reject this 'high quote', and thereby,
miss out on a potentially
great value.
So, to be able to offer our best price, we
need to examine the conditions particular to your home; your carpeting, your furniture. We
will generally discuss a job over the phone with you to understand and clarify basic objectives. If you feel you like
what we've discussed, we will arrange to visit you - at no
cost & no obligation...
And then provide a full & firm written
quote.
And... Unlike the awkward situation where most
of the 'final agreements' are made
on the day of the job - when the technicians are about to start - you will likely
find
our in-home quote is pleasant and informative, and will
ultimately save you money.
By investing the time
to visit with us before you decide - you will be much more likely to get the
best combination services & price (that is, value) for you. But as was noted
earlier...You already knew all this.
The quality of your entire
'service experience' is a top priority to us.
So please call us enough in advance to allow time to meet with you,
and then deliver -- the high quality services you deserve.
MISCONCEPTION #2: The company offering the lowest price
is the one offering the best value.
This notion - which most people don't actually believe
- brings together questions on the factors of quality & price... We all want
to save money.
We also don't want to be
taken advantage of, or cheated. We want to feel that the balance of quality and price we receive is a good deal - a good value...
And, it's no secret that a low price for less-than-effective service is a waste of money (or worse).
We're pretty sure we have all had some negative experience in hiring a service
company based solely on price. This is not to say however, that the lowest priced company
or product can't be the best... In certain situations they can. It all has to do with what you are trying to achieve. As you
know, value is relative in that way.
Our 'standard' services include things that many companies charge extra for,
even in their 'special coupons'. We
feel that services such as: 'pre-treament', 'premium deep cleaning', 'sanitizing', 'deodorizing',
and 'carpet grooming'
(just to name a few) are essential parts
of quality care... not extras.... DO
YOU ?
If you are looking for good value - rather than
just the lowest price...
Please call us in for a visit. You'll discover
some surprising cost-effective options for quality care.
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