Reviews - Believe It Or Not

Business reviews are extremely helpful in assisting potential customers to make a decision about selection.
Reviews can also be instrumental in growing a business both organically and via search algorithms used by search engines such as GOOGLE.
Customers can use the review sites to express their experiences and these can both be positive and negative.
If a business receives a negative review, the business can use this feedback to reflect on why the customer felt the need to write the review.
Customers generally will usually only write a review if they have received exemplary service or have had a less than satisfactory one.
The business should see this as grist for the mill and attempt to placate the customer with an apology or offer some restitution.

Unfortunately, there are some businesses that abuse the review sites.
A business may receive a spate of poor reviews from customers which lowers the rating.
In order to increase the rating, the business either places fake reviews or incentivizes customers by offering rewards such as cash vouchers.
The cash vouchers would generally only be paid out to those reviews which rated the business high.
Using this method the average star rating can quickly be positively increased.
It is very obvious that this sort of manipulation is being carried out by a business by viewing the star rating, the dates posted and the frequency of posts.
For example, a business will receive few posts due to customers posting only when the service is at either end of the experience scale.
A business may receive a number of poor posts over a period of a month giving a star rating of 1 or 2.
In order to negate this, the business offers cash incentives and the sudden increase in posts, sometimes more than 5 in a single day of the maximum 5 stars, pushes the star rating back towards the maximum of 5.

Of course, this is all completely false and tricks customers into selecting a business which is rated highly only because customers have been paid.

Before you select a business based on reviews, follow the guidelines provided by the ACCC to ensure that you are not tricked.


ACCC - Online Product Reviews

When is a lie acceptable when dealing with a business??

Apparently, it is OK for a business to lie to its customers.

If a customer has made a conscious choice to deal wholly and solely with a business that is based in Tasmania and asks a straightforward question about where part of that business is based; it is apparently OK for the business to tell the customer a lie, as long as the service or product is locally sourced.

For example, if you call a business and you ask the question "Where are you based?" to the person on the other end of the phone. The reply could be "In Sydney" or some other Australian city or town, when in fact that person is based in an overseas call center.

Yes, overseas call centers are, unfortunately, a trend which sees more and more local jobs disappearing, particularly in an economy such as Tasmania which relies on this type of work to employ young people.

But surely, the general public should have the right to make a choice about which companies it wishes to deal with based on the truth.
It certainly leaves a sour taste in the mouth and wallet when you find these things out after the event.

Big Does Not Always Mean Best

We received a call in regards to an end of lease clean carried out by one of the major carpet cleaning firms.
The customer stated that her real estate agent had carried out the final inspection and she was advised that the job was unsatisfactory because the carpet still looked dirty and the room stunk of dog urine.
The customer was not prepared to allow the offending company to rectify the problem as she determined that once bitten, twice shy.

Our business was requested to rectify the problem.

On opening the door to the room, it was evident that the smell was extremely offensive and the carpet did not appear clean.
Using a probe, the offending urine in the carpet was located.
It was suggested that deep cleaning was required to clean the carpet and the urine and dog odour would require specialised chemicals to neutralise, sanitise and deodorise the carpet.

During the cleaning, it became immediately evident the difference between what we had cleaned and the supposedly already cleaned carpet.
The water sucked from the carpet also highlighted the amount of dirt and other nasties present in the carpet.

The customer was disgusted with what she was seeing having realised that she had paid to get her carpets cleaned and this was obviously not the case.
The customer was intent on chasing the company to get a full refund and to impress on them her disappointment at such a poor job.
The carpet was dry cleaned and this highlights the lack of dirt removing capability of this process.
Dry cleaning is essentially a surface clean and any deep down contamination or odour issues require more thorough steam cleaning to effect a satisfactory result.

Why is your business not endorsed by the National Asthma Sensitive Choice Program?

http://a1cus.blogspot.com.au/2014/06/national-asthma-council-of-australia.html

Are all carpet cleaning systems as good as one another?

Independent and transparent, CHOICE was founded in 1959 with one clear mission: to ensure the consumer voice is heard loudly and clearly.
CHOICE empowers consumers to get the most out of all their purchasing decisions by providing a mix of advocacy and advice.
CHOICE

What is the difference between a franchised carpet cleaning business and a locally owned one?

A franchise model is a pyramid.
The franchisor sits at the top of the pyramid and the franchisees sit at the base of the pyramid.
The franchisee or their employees are the people who do the work.
An employee is not the owner of the business and therefore may not provide as good a service.
The franchisee may be in dispute with the franchisor and this may affect their attitude towards the customer.
Fees such as franchise & marketing are paid to the franchisor to operate the business in a particular area.
The process is pre-determined and chemicals and the process are strictly regimented.
A franchise does not allow the franchisee to deviate from the model, without severe penalties and this prevents the franchisee from offering the best process and value for money to the customer.
A local, non-franchised business, on the other hand, is totally free to offer their customers the latest technological advances in both process and chemicals because they are not bound to any franchise model.
Note that most of the large interstate carpet cleaning businesses operate under the franchise model, have their head offices sited interstate and even use international call centres.

How long will it take for my carpet to dry after it has been cleaned?

This is a difficult question to answer given that every home is different.
In winter, it is advisable to assist with drying by turning on heating or if the weather allows, opening windows or turning on ceiling fans to aid evaporation.
In summer, the weather usually allows for opening of windows and doors to allow a good airflow to aid the drying process.
A1 Carpet & Upholstery Specialists will attempt to get the carpet as dry as possible and therefore it usually takes around 2 hours to dry.

Should I wait until the warmer weather before I get my carpets cleaned?

No.
We tend to endure much warmer temperatures in the house during cold weather than we do when the weather is warm.
Many homes in Tasmania either have wood fires or heat pumps and therefore the carpet can dry quicker in winter.
Winter is a great time to get carpets cleaned as there is usually no problem getting an appointment and carpet cleaners tend to run specials.

Should I base my selection of a carpet cleaner purely on price?

Before making the choice, take into account whether they are a franchised operation or an independent operator.
Franchises will have additional costs which involve franchise fees and other expenses which must be paid to a franchisor.
Many franchised operations have their headquarters based interstate or worse overseas which means that most, if not all the money you pay will leave the state.
Independent operators will not have these costs and therefore they can generally offer a better price.
Of course, there are a lot of shonky operators out there, just like any other business and therefore some research needs to be undertaken before you make your selection.
Look at the business website which can give you a good idea as to what the business offers in terms of qualified technicians, insurance and work guarantees.

There is a standard that professionals adhere to, in techniques, equipment, mannerisms and cleaning standards.
If you are after a quick cheap job, then just call any Joe Blow offering cheap prices, but if you want a professional job and to look after your carpets properly call A1 Carpet & Upholstery Specialists.
We are proudly 100% Tasmanian.

If a carpet cleaning business has been around for a long time, does that make them the best at what they offer?

Not necessarily.
Some of the established carpet cleaning businesses brag about how long they have been in business but this can sometimes be because they are a franchised operation which has operators and franchisees come and go as they either finish their contracts or in most instances forced to hand the business back to the franchisor.
New businesses will tend to ensure that they select the best equipment and adopt the latest cleaning technologies in order to stand apart from the established brands.
Small businesses will also usually be run by the owners who have a vested interest in ensuring that the customer is happy enough to pass on compliments to their family and friends.
Please try some of the smaller businesses and you may be pleasantly surprised.

Is it true that some stains may not be removed when I get my carpets cleaned?

An honest carpet cleaner will tell you that some stains cannot be removed (this all depends on what they are & what type of carpet you have), so don’t be fooled when you hear carpet cleaners say that they can get any stain out.
It is simply not true, this is nothing more than a tactic to get you to book the job with them so that they can up sell you later and get more money out of you.
Don’t fall for cheap tricks such as this.

Should I wait until my carpet looks obviously dirty before I get it cleaned?

No, outdoor air contains pollen’s fungus, bacteria, air pollution, cigarette smoke, car fumes, and hundreds of chemicals.
When you or someone else enters your home, all those pollens, bacteria, chemicals and pollutants come in with you on your skin, clothiers, hair and shoes.
All those chemicals, pollens and other pollutants and bacteria end up in your carpets.
If you or someone in your home has allergies, asthma or other breathing problems – a major contributor could be these pollens, bacteria, chemicals and pollutants inside your carpets.

When I got new carpet laid, I was told to avoid getting it cleaned for as long as possible. Is this correct?

No, dirt is abrasive!

Dirt works similar to sandpaper, every time you walk on your carpets you grind dirt into the fibers, which then cuts the fibers and causes the carpet to wear out sooner than it should.
Dirty carpet simply will not last as long as clean carpet, & while a regular vacuum program helps, vacuuming alone is not enough to remove the dirt deep down in the fibers.
The longer you wait before cleaning your carpet the more damage you do to it and the faster it will wear out.
Always be careful of any carpet sales person that tells you otherwise, as they would have no training or have no certificates in carpet cleaning and maintenance.
The sooner your carpets are worn out the sooner you are spending big $$$ on having them replaced.