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Viewing 15 posts - 121 through 135 (of 564 total)
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  • in reply to: Last Straw with hoover #152467
    pacheco
    Participant

    We have the HEPA bag, just in case…

    but if you are wearing a respirator to change the cup then the dust is getting on the outside of the bag and will eventually be blown off at least partially into the home or environment…

    Easy and cheap to change out

    We do not change the disposable bag daily at all. Depends upon use.

    Hope this helps

    in reply to: LMCCA #149278
    pacheco
    Participant

    I know we paid early on and I have asked corporate on at least two occasions about getting listed on the website…Cody said something about their website design change problem of some sort….

    LMCCA may be a good idea, with some wrinkles.

    in reply to: Area and Oriental Rug Cleaning #152519
    pacheco
    Participant

    This is almost scary…I just asked Lisa Wagner this exact same question, 1 on 1 this past Friday in Seattle…

    I have no ambition to gear up to clean orientals and take on the added risk, space and effort….that being said, I do want to offer the service since the #1 local, company with 17 vans does.

    With a little research, I discovered a company that specializes in orientals rug cleaning since 1922 or thereabouts.3rd generation working it now in the Philly Main Line, maybe an hour or so drive.

    My next step is to contact the company and see what they can give on commercial pricing and then mark it up from there to cover my costs in making a monthly or so trip…

    This is one of those areas that I crawl into very carefully. I have cleaned several $5-$10K rugs and feel a little uncomfortable…and I know i have lost business since not taking on and cleaning $30K orientals….

    I would feel a lot better to let the experts clean them than me….

    Just a few of my thoughts on the subject…

    in reply to: Email estimates #152421
    pacheco
    Participant

    Already been here nearly a month…please reread…I got 2 more the other day and got neither one….Doug stohler has a great fill in the blank…

    thanks.. git er done…

    in reply to: RAIN! #152506
    pacheco
    Participant

    Dry as well in Lancaster County, PA…watering garden as well.

    in reply to: Military Bases – Anyone clean for them? Steam ONLY!? #151437
    pacheco
    Participant

    And our taxes help to pay their salaries???

    in reply to: Van Ramp #150037
    pacheco
    Participant

    When I began working the franchise in 2003 I already had a T-4 and T-6
    (thoracic vertebra) compression fractures to the extent of 25 & 50%. They were crushed in an electrical accident in 1976. At the time the Dr told me not to ever lift more than 30 lbs and that by the time I was 50 I would definitely be hunched over with arthritis… (gloom and doom, and not his worst case scenario.)

    In 1986, I fell off of a ladder onto concrete from a 6′ height almost flat on my back…I asked for those around me to kill me, the pain in my lower back was terrible.
    I had crushed my L-1 thru L-5 (Lumbar vertebra) to the extent of 15-35% compressions fractures. One week in the hospital and told I would be in pain forever.

    Some days are better than others all are somewhat painful in my lower back.

    Last year I had an MRI done and discovered that I have spinal stenosis.

    Lifting into the van is hard on some days and stress seems to focus itself into the lower back area.

    Needless to say, I have learned to live with pain and have tole very few about these injuries.

    My greatest concern for all HBers is the use of the Nobles on steps.

    If I should ever fall down steps or anything for that matter, I could be easily paralyzed from a re-injury to the thoracic vertebra or great pain in the lumbar area.

    Early on in the business, late 2003, I did lose it after training and on 2 separate jobs, somehow put the Nobles through walls while doing the steps. I am very fortunate that I didn’t fall down the steps. Immediately afterward I researched and discovered the commercial Oreck buffer and bought it…and a backup and been using ever since and love it. Those who are not using it will most likely one day wish they had. If the Nobles was meant to clean the steps, it would be written in the instruction manual or somewhere on the web…it isn’t…and will not!!!

    It is very easy to lift a heavy object, twist and turn and wrench your back. Not too many of us are wired to do this on purpose and kill our backs. It just happens!!!

    Take it from me…I have pain every single day in my lower back…some a little some a lot…controlled to a small degree with ibuprophen (I refuse to take anything stronger and take it sparingly).

    Be careful out there…

    Hope this helps someone to do the right thing and avoid an injury or worse.

    Dave

    in reply to: Last Straw with hoover #152449
    pacheco
    Participant

    We never broke clips, but emptying the contents of the cup is a nasty thing..very nasty. We changed out to bags a couple of years ago and am soooo happy we did. neater and easier with no mess of any kind and the bags are cheap at WalMart. Even the hypo allergenic bags are cheap on EBay.

    We too have vacuumed after all the rest and am amazed at the suction and capture of debris and hair of the Conquest.

    Hope this is helpful.

    in reply to: Last Straw with hoover #152446
    pacheco
    Participant

    Almost exactly 5 years ago I went to the local vacuum sales/repair store (3) locations…they sell them all, or so I thought. I went in and looked around, saw everything under the sun but no Conquest.

    A salesman came up to see how he could help me and I asked him about the Conquest. He got a little grin on his face and I asked what that was for? He said that they carried them many years ago, but not now. I asked wy not and he replied that they were the most reliable and sturdy machine on the market and built like a tank….and almost never needed repair.

    We have 5 years on my machine and 3 on Dan’s with zero…ZERO problems.

    Wish you the best on a replacement, but I think you might be better off buying a NEW Conquest and fixing the other one and keep as a backup.

    in reply to: Email estimates #152413
    pacheco
    Participant

    BTW, some areas of the country are far more tied into the internet than others…example,,,Ammon lives up the road from Microsoft…duh. No wonder you get 2-3 a week…I might see 1 a month maybe in Lancaster County, PA.

    DC gets a huge number and due to the urban setting most probably…as Bag (Mr Dirtbag said…work every possible angle to increase your customer base…) and besides..it’s FREE… FREE is huge 4 letter word in marketing.

    ANY customer we get for FREE is awesome!

    My 2 cents worth…

    in reply to: Email estimates #152412
    pacheco
    Participant

    We get about a 10-15% success rate on these requests…however, zero when I give a price.

    We are not and will not be the lowest or even near the lowest price in carpet & upholstery cleaning in our market. I feel that the suggestions for a return call are the best. Justin…please consider this.

    SS and others have a plug and chug price calculator built into the software and you can get an instant quote…they are playing a numbers game, we are not. Each and every customer and job are different and no one price fits all.

    Hope this helps Justin to change the website just a tad…

    Dave Dilts (no Mr. needed, required or wanted…just Dave is fine)

    in reply to: Tier pricing structure #151962
    pacheco
    Participant

    I think it is doable here. The largest guy in the area has 17 vans and has a bronze, silver and gold package. I believe his pricing may be somewhat higher, but conceptually, identical. He has been in business 40+years now.

    We have wanted to have something like this but just never found the right price points… We charge $45/room and $15/ room protector. Our pricing is similar to your proposal…and if discounted 20% is almost exactly that of your standard price.

    Until this year, we had either 15% or 20% off coupons in the advertising YB/YP and got business at the $36 level…however, this year, with mostly 1 van running and getting better and larger jobs with little discounting..we are doing almost exactly the same amount of business, but are more profitable. We give 10% discounts now and some $10 cash discounts.

    If you give any discounts off the Standard level, you get creamed and will NOT get higher food chain customers…just my opinion and thoughts.

    The three level pricing is very , very good Ron.

    Dave

    in reply to: carpet re-stretching #152362
    pacheco
    Participant

    A few years ago, I purchased a carpet stretcher for $150, I believe , on EBay…my wife (the owner) nearly killed me….it was a steal. A year or so later, my son got certified in repairing…and the $150 just has kept on cachinging ever since. I also purchased a Certified carpet brush and have yet to use it very often…but we will…

    The dyeing kit is in the mail and we are going to have some fun with this…

    Hope this helps a little….EBay is awesome..

    Dave

    in reply to: Iodine #152208
    pacheco
    Participant

    Dave,

    Though we have not legged into carpet dyeing yet…you may have. You might be able to dye the carpet.

    Dave

    in reply to: Pricing Structure #152281
    pacheco
    Participant

    The “bag” is the man…

    Kurt, you might go to the Pricing ourselves section in this same area…great for ideas on pricing.

Viewing 15 posts - 121 through 135 (of 564 total)