When Cheap Becomes Expensive – The Price Factor In Carpet Cleaning Services
Like every other industry, the carpet cleaning niche is fraught with lots of people claiming to be good at the job – but are they really? Surfing through the web and social media platforms, you will notice plenty of services offering rock-bottom rates, and mouth-watering deals to have the job done in minutes. Perhaps you have already engaged shady sales reps, who knock on your door to show you how they have a product that will get rid of any stain from the carpet, claiming that it will take him like 3 minutes to get it done. Yet, an hour later, he will still be there swearing that it will only be “one more minute”. There’s a mismatch in expectations a reality. There are even cases where you’re drawn in by the affordable rates that you agreed to after a brief phone conversation, only for the person to complete the job and charge you extra, way higher than you had anticipated. Or you sign up for a comprehensive package, only for you to realise that there were sections that were not included, and where the company requires you to cough up some extra money for it to be handled – a common bait-and-switch ploy. It can be frustrating. Are you getting value for your money?
Your peace of mind is on the line
With carpet cleaning, you want it to get done right. Mistakes can be expensive. For a particular company to be offering really low prices that are massively discounted compared to the average industrial rates, then there have been compromises made in the process. The company may be using effective or poorly maintained machinery, or low capacity equipment that causes the job to drag on for ages. Sure, your pocket will barely feel the hit, but your time definitely will. A 1-hour job that ends up taking a whole day to get done is not what you signed up for. Remember that aspects such as failing to extract the bulk of the moisture from the carpet’s fibres bring about the risk of fungal growth. You don’t want a random carpet cleaning to result in an all-out mould infestation in your household. Not only does it cause staining, but the fungi also produce spores and mycotoxins, which put the persons on the premises at risk.
The skill level of the personnel being engaged also comes into play. Rookie cleaners or the fly-by-night types can put your carpet at risk. Without adequate training, the wrong chemicals and equipment may end up being used for the installation, damaging the fibres and carpet padding. Patches formed on your unit, corrosion of the material- these will add to your frustrations, and be costly to resolve. In fact, the damage can be so extensive that you find yourself being forced to replace the carpet. Without proper safety precautions being put in place as well, the persons on the premises will be at risk.
In worst-case scenarios, it may be setting you up to get robbed, given that you will have invited the people into your home and made yourself vulnerable. Speaking of which, you don’t want to be all pensive and worried when the carpet cleaning crew are in your home. As such, engaging with a company that actually does background checks on their crew and vets them before bringing them on board will enable you to rest easier.
Avoid the frustrations by calling in the professionals
Get a reliable company to take care of your carpet cleaning needs. Here you want to work with a licensed and insured company, which has a track record that you can follow up on. A solid online presence that you can review, including comments left behind by their previous customers, following up on the referral provided, plus checking out the feedback left on their business directory listings – this will enable you to form a picture about the level of services to expect.
Transparency is also key. You want a full, detailed breakdown about the exact services that will be provided, and what it will cost you. This should also be in writing, to minimise chances of disagreements cropping up. It is recommended that you have a site visit carried out in order to determine the scope of the job, and for you to raise any issues that you would like to be addressed. With every carpet cleaning situation being different, aspects such as the type, size and material of the carpet will have a bearing on the kind of machinery and products that can be used.
How you’re treated comes into focus. Is the crew of the carpet cleaning company friendly? This also includes the customer support staff that you are talking to. Are they actually interested in the job or do you have to keep following up on the nitty gritty, plus getting them to stick to schedule when coming for the session? Yes, there can be unforeseen events that lead to delays. However, basic courtesy dictates that you should be notified of this – not kept waiting for an entire day for the team to arrive at your premises, only for you to call them in the evening and be told that they were held up elsewhere, and you will need to reschedule. You want a company that values you as their customer. Remember that the respect provided also works both ways. While the professional companies are mandated to treat you civilly and with utmost decorum, this is not to mean that you should go out of your way to frustrate them or damage the brand. Take trolls on the social media pages for instance. When going through the comments on the company’s handles, you will occasionally come across trolls who simply want to be mean. These should be ignored. Genuine customer compliant are however important. In fact, they give you the opportunity of seeing how the company addresses displeasure with the particular client’s experience – that way you will be able to tell if they really do value your satisfaction with the carpet cleaning services rendered.
When Cheap Becomes Expensive – The Price Factor In Carpet Cleaning Services
