Monday, July 7, 2014

IICRC Certified Carpet Cleaning Sarasota


Many, if not most, industries require certification and training, and why wouldn't you want them to?

When your toilet is leaking water all over your bathroom, would you want a plumber that is learning on the job, figuring things out as he goes? Did you know that although wonderful training and certification programs are available for carpet cleaners, that certification is currently not required? And even worse, many choose not to become certified.

Besides certification, what are some things that distinguish one carpet cleaning company from another? 

Exhibit A: You might have experienced a carpet cleaner that was uneducated, uninformed, or possibly even downright unscrupulous.

Selecting a Professional Service Company

The above picture was taken by me at my neighbor's house. I'm always interested in the carpet cleaning companies people choose and why. Notice anything strange? Would you appreciated it if they pulled their service vehicle onto your grass and sidewalk?  Or worse, if you referred this company to a friend or client and you found out this happened to them...how embarrassed would you be?
I didn't ask my neighbors how the experience went. But do you think it was the most outstanding service experience ever? If this type of attitude was taken towards parking, how do you think things might have gone inside the home? Do you think they respect the customer's property? Have you or someone you know been the victim of a nightmare carpet cleaner? Do you think this company may have been selected based on the cheapest price, or on the quality of work as recommended by others?
What kind of things can a service company do to provide a better experience and provide the comfort and assurance needed when inviting their technicians into your home?
Some of the systems we've put in place are: background and drug tested employees, neatly uniformed technicians with dress and grooming guidelines, clean organized vehicles and systems to ensure on time service, full insurance, extensive training programs and certifications, pre and post inspections and walk throughs, and so much more!
We have a free downloadable consumer guide on our website, www.CleaningManatee.com with a list of questions that will help you choose a cleaning company. One important factor is the education in their industry that the company has. We always recommend using an IICRC Certified cleaner.

What is a "Certified" Carpet Cleaner?

In shopping for carpet cleaning, you may have noticed the word "certified" used in advertising. You may have seen a logo being used to feature certification. What does this mean to you as a client? Would you be surprised to learn that most carpet cleaning companies have no formal training? That they are not required to be licensed? That there is no requirement to have any certification whatsoever? Is training and certification important? After all, isn't carpet cleaning a "menial" task that anyone can perform?
Actually, a carpet cleaning professional is working with one of your most valuable assets, your floors. They are also working in your bedrooms and around your family and possibly valuable possessions. Would you want to entrust this task to the lowest bidder? Of course not. Unfortunately, our industry is full of individuals that only care about how much money they can get from you, and nothing about the life of your carpeting, or the service experience you receive. They are not concerned with following up, in fact, they will likely be difficult to reach again if you have a problem. Some just do not care about the industry in which they work.
Have you ever noticed that in many states, air conditioning companies, plumbers, and pest control companies are required to be licensed? This is not so for carpet cleaners. Fortunately for you, and for me, there are many fine people in the carpet cleaning industry that realize the standard must be raised.
The most recognized organization in this effort is called the IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification). This organization provides certification courses and exams for the carpet cleaning industry. Our company has found them vital, and we attend them in addition to our rigorous in house company training. By attending these courses, carpet cleaners are taught about fiber identification, carpet construction, cleaning chemistry, cleaning methods, and professionalism. In order to receive certification, classroom work, hands on training, and a passed written exam are all required.
Travel and expense are involved in these courses. That's why low price cleaners don't (or can't) participate in this training. Yes, they must make many sacrifices in quality to be able to charge a low price.
These valuable training concepts equip our technicians to choose the proper procedures for cleaning your carpet. A certified firm such as Overturf's is on the cutting edge of technology and change in our industry. A certified firm knows the right way to apply cleaning procedures and chemistry. A certified firm is working together with other certified firms to raise the standard of carpet cleaning in general, therefore providing you with a higher quality product.
Special Note: Never use a carpet cleaner that is not certified by the IICRC.