Selecting a good carpet cleaner can be a very daunting experience.
Everyone started out somewhere. We all know that. But, do you really want that new guy practicing, and potentially damaging, your expensive carpets?
Just because a small business gets dozens of people recommending them on a local Facebook page, does not actually mean they are any good. It might just mean that they have lots of friends, with nothing better to do, than sit on Facebook!
In other words, the people recommending them might not have even used their services!
It always amazes me how a new business suddenly has dozens of people spruiking their skills, but, they’ve only been in business for a very short period of time.
But, never fear! There are ways to ensure you are selecting a qualified, and above all, a reputable carpet cleaner.
Here are a few tips, and questions that you should ask when planning to book a carpet cleaner.
- How long have they been cleaning carpets? 1 or 2 years is not very long in this industry. Ideally you want someone who has been doing the job for 5 or more years.
- Do they hold an actual qualification for carpet cleaning?
- Did they answer the phone when you called? If not, did they call you back within a reasonable amount of time?
- What sort of equipment do they use? Powerful truck mounted equipment, or less powerful portable electric equipment?
- Check whether they have a professional website.
- Do they have good, legitimate reviews from actual customers?
- Do they have a professional uniform that they wear on the job?
- Is their van clean and tidy? A messy van might suggest a messy work habit.
- Speak to local organisations and ask them who they use and recommend. Places like sporting clubs etc.
- Speak to local carpet retailers, and ask them who they use and recommend.
- If you have wool carpet, speak to professional Industry organisations such as Woolsafe Australia, and The Carpet Institute of Australia, and ask them who they recommend.
- Do they take credit card? Any business that only accepts cash, is possibly not doing the right thing as far as proper bookkeeping, and tax reporting.
Once you have found satisfactory answers to these questions, you will likely be well on your way to weeding out the lower quality backyard operators, from the best quality carpet cleaners.