MISTAKE #1:
Choosing a carpet cleaner based on equipment alone. No question, your carpet
cleaner needs first-rate equipment. But he also needs something else. He needs
employees who are skilled at operating that equipment. Many companies own hotwater
extractors, but very few companies teach their employees how to use them
properly.

MISTAKE #2:
Low price could be a problem in three ways: (1) low price can be the bait that
attracts your phone call. But once the cleaner gets into your home, he pressures you
into a much more expensive job. (2) Low price can be for single-process cleaning.
Rarely does the consumer know what this means and, when told, ask s for dualprocess
cleaning instead, which costs much more. (3) Low price means the carpet
cleaner has cheap equipment, which will not effectively clean your carpet.

MISTAKE #3:
Choosing a carpet cleaner based on a single telephone call. Instead, invite the
person to your home and ask for a specific written quotation. Then you’ll know
exactly what the carpet cleaner recommends – and you won’t be the victim of highpressure
tactics when the technician steps into your living room.

MISTAKE #4:
Choosing a carpet cleaner who doesn’t offer a money-back guarantee. In my view,
every carpet cleaning company should be fully accountable for its work. And if you
aren’t pleased with the job in every way, you shouldn’t have to pay for it. Period. Not
all carpet cleaners offer a guarantee. Or, if they do, the guarantee may be “limited.”
Ask the carpet cleaner if he offers a money-back guarantee and then make sure the
carpet cleaner includes his guarantee on his written quotation.

MISTAKE #5:
Choosing a carpet cleaner without getting comments from his other clients. Any
carpet cleaner can say anything about his past jobs. And, sadly, some of what he
says may not be true. Make sure you ask for references or read comments from
current customers so you can depend on the carpet cleaner and his work.

MISTAKE #6:
Choosing a carpet cleaner who doesn’t use a truck-mounted hot water extraction
system. You might expect this from me, since my employees and I use this type of
system. But there are several good reasons. Portable hot water systems are good,
but they aren’t as good as truck-mounted systems. Truck-mount systems are the
Rolls Royce of carpet cleaners. Compared with portable hot water systems, truckmount
systems use hotter water, higher pressure and stronger suction. So all the
way around, you get a much better job. No two ways about it.