April 2006

My parents are seniors. What is a good way for them to protect themselves from unethical carpet cleaners?

This question is one we encounter regularly. And there is good reason to consider it. Everyone, no matter their age can be a victim of unscrupulous business.

Is the company you’re dealing with local? Local businesses tend to be easier to find and to deal with in case of problems. Medicine Hat is a community where folks are hesitant to hire cleaners that are not local. Not everyone with a local telephone number in the yellow pages is necessarily from Medicine Hat. With so many cell phones being used an unfamiliar prefix may not mean someone is not local. If you’re unsure, don’t ask them if they are local - ask them for their business address.

Be very cautious of telephone solicitors. My personal experience with this industry tells me that the good operations are usually too busy to use the telephone for soliciting. Of course there can be exceptions.

Make sure that if you have decided on a carpet cleaner, or any service provider, that they are a reputable business. Do they have a local business license? Do they have WCB? Do they have General Liability Insurance? Are they bonded and have they gone through a police check?

As far as professional qualifications a good rule of thumb is only hire IICRC certified cleaning technicians. These are the folks who have actually taken the courses to learn their trade. They don’t just rely on experience - read ‘learn from their mistakes’ here. Experience does play an important role in rounding out a qualified technician but only if the experience is involved with doing the job properly. Many people in many fields have lots of experience making the same mistakes for decades.

Even better then hiring an IICRC certified technician is to hire a certified firm to look after your furnishings. Such an operation has to meet many standards for licensing, insurance, ethics and so on.

Better Business Bureau participation is another positive thing to look for. Never be afraid to ask for references. A good cleaner will usually have a number of clients that he/she has worked with that week.

And always - be sure to get a written estimate of the services you want. It is best to have an on-site estimate done to prevent surprises for all involved. If you are a senior, don’t be nervous about having a family member or friend present. And remember ... never tolerate sales pressure if you are uncomfortable. It is your home. If you don’t like what is going on, ask the other person to leave.

Les Graham
Graham’s Carpet Cleaning
952-0318
An IICRC Certified Firm (2005)
questions@theexperts.ca