The Truth About Bargain Carpet Cleaners
Posted: Friday, March 14, 2008
by John Braun
Hitman Advertising
You think you're getting a deal, but think again. There are many carpet cleaning companies in every city. It's cheap and easy to start a carpet cleaning company. All you need to do is go down to the tax office and purchase a business license for $32. Then, you're instantly in business.
The license office doesn't require proof of insurance, background checks, workman's compensation, or any training. Yes, anyone can start a carpet cleaning company. There's no regulation.
Reliable equipment is expensive. Background checks cost money. Insurance costs lots of money. A company that charges $69 or less to clean a whole house can't afford these "luxuries."
The vast majority of carpet cleaning companies don't do background checks on employees at all. Of course if you asked if they do background checks, they say, "Sure." So how can you check? Ask who they do their background checks through. Ask for their employee's names so you can check them out yourself.
Ask for proof of insurance before the job. Don't simply ask if they have insurance. See it in writing. Any company who has workman's compensation should have it readily available to show clients.
Why is insurance so important?
If the cleaning company damages your belongings, he may not have the money to fix or replace it. If he ruins your carpet, do you want to pay the $5,000 bill to replace it?
What's worse is many of these "low ball" companies perform bait and switch once they get in your home. They advertise low prices only to get you to call. Once they're in your home, the price increases sometimes TEN FOLD.
And to make matters worse, you won't even get a decent cleaning job. So you think you're getting a deal, but you're really getting taken advantage of. Many times, these cleaners come into your home with the same machines you can rent at a grocery store. Plus, they have little to no experience cleaning carpet. Chances are, you could do a better job yourself.
You may remember the NBC Dateline and 20/20 specials about bait and switch carpet cleaners. They're still out there. So be careful about who you call.
To find an ethical cleaning company go to:
www.CarpetCleaningFortWayne.com
www.CarpetCleaningAthens.com
www.CarpetCleaningSarasota.com
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