Recently I sent out, via my favorite social media channels, an invitation for comments on what cleaners use each and every day. Stuff they can’t do without. Specifically, I wanted to know what they have seen and experienced over the years as far as equipment innovation and improvement, tools, and accessories, from truckmounts to furniture tools and more.

Once I hit the “post” button, my very liberal social media notification settings landed me squarely in an email vortex that was tough to cope with. I had literally hundreds of responses from industry professionals — just like you — who had plenty to say about what they use and can’t do without.

Some of those observations are brought out in an article on page 12 of this issue titled “Fully Equipped.” In that article, you will see comments and suggestions from end users, manufacturers, distributors, and industry consultants.

But as a teaser of what some on social media had to say… here you go:

• “I can’t imagine cleaning carpet without being able to use counter rotating brush machines, instead of the old-fashioned carpet rakes, to agitate prespray.” — Andy Baylor
• “There should never be another wand or other tool designed that doesn’t have a sight glass/window on it. You need to be able to see what is being extracted like you need a windshield on your car to see where you’re going.” — Dan Burg
• “We definitely have better technology. I get carpet dry with HWE in 30 minutes or less; these tools make everything more efficient, but the human element and science of cleaning still needs to be understood.” — Ken Jordan
• “Wastewater prefilters. Makes waste tank maintenance far less nasty.” — James Copeland

The tools you use and the equipment innovation you appreciate might go beyond what you see in these comments or in the article later in this issue of Cleanfax. There are many choices.

The big takeaway I hope you, well, take away, is to keep an open and inquisitive mind towards what is out there to make your work easier, more productive, more effective, and more profitable.

New, improved, innovative equipment, tools, products… there’s a long list you can choose from. These new toys sure make the cleaning playground a better place to hang out.

Please send your comments, thoughts, or article ideas to Jeff Cross, ������ý Media Editorial Director, ������JeffCross@������ý.com.

The post Tools of the Trade appeared first on Cleanfax.

When you think of the vast selection of cleaning equipment and tools for all your needs, the list of options is staggering.

And innovation is happening. Improvements with cleaning technology makes your work more productive and profitable — and, hopefully, less stressful.

What can assist in your selection process is what others have already learned, through experience or trial and error. What you can learn from industry manufacturers, consultants, and end users is some valuable information and experiences that can provide guidance in what you might use in your day-to-day work.

Read on and see if the tools and equipment choices, or even some of the upgrades or improvements to what you already use, make sense for your growing cleaning company.

Truckmount and carpet care innovation

HydraMaster

Innovation with truckmounts may not appear to have changed very much over the years, but innovation is obvious with a closer examination, according to Doyle Bloss, the marketing and brand manager for .

“Truckmounts have had the same basic components for years: A power source, a solution pressure pump, a positive displacement vacuum blower for water recovery, and a heating system,” Bloss says. But change has happened, and veteran cleaners know it because they have lived it.

A few major improvements he cites include multi-source heat exchangers that utilize existing heat sources from the engine, blower-replaced fuel oil, and propane heating systems. Then there are direct-drive truckmounts, which derive their power source from the engine of the van, that have become a popular choice for fleet operators and restoration companies. And recovery tanks redesigned to allow for more airflow and better solution recovery have helped productivity, Bloss adds.

Most recently, Bloss says, his company has rolled out hybrid, generator-based power in a direct-drive truckmount, which has allowed cleaning and restoration companies to take advantage of direct-drive performance in a newer unibody construction style van.

“What drove these improvements and will demand future innovation?” Bloss asks. “It was the evolving needs of the cleaning and restoration contractor. Emissions and fuel consumption regulation. Diversification of surfaces to be cleaned. The ability to recover cleaning solution and captured soling.”

Continuous improvement may be a ‘business buzzword,’ but in the case of truckmounted cleaning equipment, it is happening, Bloss says.

Legend Brands

[one_half]

State and federal emission regulation changes for industrial engines have had a significant impact on the truckmount industry, according to Glen Wilson, vice president and general manager of .

Because of this, he adds, “Legend Brands engineers work to develop new models that not only exceed current regulations, but also meet requirements for three, five, and even 10 years from now so that replacement components will be readily available when it comes time to maintain or replace.”

The company evaluates new power trains and components continuously so that if regulation forces changes, they are ready to respond. “Advanced engine control modules (ECMs) and fuel injection systems add a layer of complexity to truckmount design,” Wilson says. Legend Brands research and development engineering evaluates, tests, and even purposely tries to destroy engines to make sure they meet both government emission standards and the company’s own standards.

“We incorporate design and technologies that reduce component heat-related issues and implemented the first truckmount belt cooler to reduce heat buildup and extend the life of drive belts by hundreds of operating hours,” Wilson explains.

Have you ever been inside a van or truck after running a truckmount in the summer? Legend Brands has a piece of the puzzle to help operators cope. “Now Cerakote ceramic coating on exhaust chain parts, starting with the 2018 370SS, Apex 570, and Peak 500, and soon on other truckmounts, lowers the heat radiation from exhaust components by more than 30 percent,” Wilson boasts. “That reduces component fatigue and promises a longer life for truckmounts — and a cooler van interior.” [/one_half]

[one_half_last] My Favorite Toys

Pros like you share what they value most with innovation.

• “I can’t imagine cleaning carpet without being able to use counter rotating brush machines instead of the old-fashioned carpet rakes to agitate prespray.” — Andy Baylor
• “There should never be another wand or other tool designed that doesn’t have a sight glass/window on it. You need to be able to see what is being extracted like you need a windshield on your car to see where you’re going.” — Dan Burg
• “We definitely have better technology. I get carpet dry with HWE in 30 minutes or less; these tools make everything more efficient, but the human element and science of cleaning still needs to be understood.” — Ken Jordan
• “Wastewater prefilters. Makes waste tank maintenance far less nasty.” — James Copeland
• “Remember the day when you had to work at pushing the wand? Wand glides saved me and my back. I can’t live without them now.” — Kevin Moore
• “My favorite can’t-live-without gadget is the navigation unit. First was the Garmin, and now the navigation apps like Google Maps and Waze synced with your calendar allow you to actually see the house or business you are traveling to as well as traffic tie-ups and alternate routes.” — Art Kelley
• “The hands-down, best-thing-ever for us old guys is the electric hose reel. At the end of every job, I say a little prayer of thanks that I don’t have to wind up that hose by hand.” — Barry Lichtenstein [/one_half_last]

Steamaction

As most cleaners know, the hotter the cleaning solution, the better the cleaning. Truckmount innovation has advanced greatly in this regard, with improved technologies providing the heat that cleaners want and need.

“Truckmounts have evolved over the last four decades — a lot,” according to John Sales with . “In the early days of truckmounts, to heat the water, additional fuel was needed, such as kerosene, diesel, or propane.  Today, heat exchangers are used to heat the water for cleaning.”

But no matter what, Sales says, there is an issue between the heat source (truckmount) and where the heated water is used (surface to be cleaned). That issue is the solution hose. The longer the hose, the more valuable heat you lose.

“Water, when it leaves the truckmount, loses water temperature running through solution hoses, and then loses more heat when it is sprayed through a jet,” Sales explains. “Then, when it hits the carpet, it loses more. What we’ve done is, through new technology, create heat exchangers that produce superheated water to combat this loss of heat that is part of any truckmount operation.”

MasterBlend

One focus concentrates on is “keeping it simple,” according to Mark Jennings, national sales manager.

He says, “That is what our customers are asking for, simple technology that works great and is affordable. Because of this, we have developed two truckmounts: the El Diablo diesel and the El Diablo heat exchange machines.”

With 100-gallon fresh water tanks partnered with 100-gallon waste tanks, a van can operate many hours without dumping and filling.

“We have developed our machines to be easy maintenance [and] simple to use with highest quality components and have kept the cost to our professional cleaners under $20,000,” Jennings adds.

Furniture Cleaning Innovation

While everyone seems to clean carpet, many avoid cleaning furniture. There are various reasons, ranging from “I don’t like to do it” to “I’m afraid of ruining something.”

It’s that second issue, the “fear of ruining something” issue, that can be addressed with technology.

“One of the most important, and least discussed, innovations in our industry has been the use of ‘dry tools’ for upholstery cleaning,” according to Jim Pemberton of Pembertons Cleaning and Restoration Supplies. Pemberton is a noted expert and industry trainer with all aspects of furniture cleaning and fine fabric care.

He explains that some might be confused about the term “dry tool” since the tool does use water — and often right from a truckmount. “What it describes,” he says, “are tools that redirect the flow of cleaning solution so that it doesn’t penetrate to the back of upholstery fabrics. These tools aren’t technically dry, but they do allow for low-moisture cleaning of delicate fabrics with less risk of browning, bleeding, and shrinkage, as well as provide faster drying.”

Going down memory lane, Pemberton recalls that before dry tools existed, technicians cleaned most delicate fabrics with dry foam, dry solvent cleaning, or a conventional “wet tool” attached to a low pressure portable cleaning machine.

Some used truckmount upholstery tools that bypassed most of the water pressure, but these tools still required a high degree of skill in this way, and there remained a measure of risk.  “What these choices meant was that many pieces of upholstery were turned down, as the needed setup and skill set involved made upholstery cleaning too complex and time consuming,” Pemberton adds.

That all changed with technology.

With the advent of these “redirected flow dry tools,” cleaners found themselves able to clean a wider variety of fabrics with less risk, better results, and in less time, he says. “Another less talked about, but equally important, feature of most of these tools is that they prevent overspray, and thus lessen the risks of damaging flooring, walls, or other furnishings during the cleaning process.”

But Pemberton has cautions. Dry tools do not replace the need to show care with extremely sensitive fabrics, nor do they eliminate the need to use cleaning products appropriate for such fabrics. But the upholstery cleaning world today is both simpler and safer because of these tools.

“I could not imagine cleaning upholstery without them,” Pemberton says.

Onboard H₂O

It may seem simple since everyone needs it for virtually all aspects of life and for cleaning, but getting water at certain job sites can be very problematic, frustrating, and sometimes impossible.

That’s right. Just water.

If you have been around a few years, you might have spent your fair share of valuable time setting up your truckmount for a cleaning job, and in doing so, you found yourself hunting behind shrubbery or underneath snowbanks for a water source. You know, a spigot, or faucet, those frightful things that usually leak or don’t work at all. Half the time they had an old, rusty hose attached that sent you back to the van for a pair of pliers.

Then, when you were hooked up and water was running to your truckmount and you were halfway through a job, you were verbally attacked by a hysterical homeowner shrieking that the basement is flooding… who is to blame for that? You know it. You turned the handle on the faucet, so you are the culprit.

A solution that is considered by most to be a normal accessory now is onboard water.

“I have only been in the industry now for about seven years, and I have been seeing an increase of onboard water,” says Duke Pepin, the service and sales manager at the Jon-Don store in Salem, NH. “Talking with owner-operators, revenues increase by having water when homes are shut down. This is a very simple upgrade — but a huge gamechanger. Some guys who have been cleaning for years that have a fresh water tank consider it their only source of water and can’t do any work if the tank is empty.”

As Pepin says, a fresh water tank is a huge upgrade that, once you try it, you will never go hunting for a hidden faucet again. If you did, you would discover it’s probably broken anyway.

And the innovations to cleaning equipment will keep on coming. In 10 years, we might be saying, “I can’t believe I ever worked without my hovermount.”

Who knows?

Jeff Cross is the executive editor of Cleanfax and is an industry trainer and consultant. He can be reached at JeffCross@������ý.com.

The post Fully Equipped appeared first on Cleanfax.

Cluny describes this particular carpet cleaning job: “This was a job that looked really bad, and we wondered if we should do it, but we took precautions. Here’s what happened to cause this issue. An elderly woman cut her foot open one night and didn’t know how bad it was until she finally turned the lights on. We went to work immediately. I preconditioned with enzymes and rinsed with an alkaline-side detergent and then used both hydrogen peroxide and a protein spotter on remaining stains. Oddly enough, a POG is what saved the day. Go figure.”

For an opportunity to win a chemical prize package from Solutions by Steam Pros (worth $250), send your images and a brief 100-word description on how you obtained your results to Jeff Cross, executive editor, at JeffCross@������ý.com or 193 Purple Finch Loop, Pataskala, OH 43062. Contest rules available by request.

[infobox title=’DID YOU KNOW’][/infobox]

There are many categories of mold contamination, and not all molds need dark, damp conditions to thrive. Although, all things being equal, dark, damp conditions are more ideal for mold growth than bright, dry conditions. The most common types of mold in homes aren’t considered a substantial health threat to people in general, although some individuals have specific sensitivities that can of serious concern.

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A comment that’s gained traction with business owners and managers when they’re about to make a decision that will negatively impact someone’s life is “it’s nothing personal; it’s just business.”

I’ve heard this expression used when dealing with employees, customers, and even family members in the business. The phrase is uttered like it’s an anesthetic to numb the hurt of a painful decision. Despite the statement, I’m convinced that most business decisions are intensely personal.

If we accept the commonly used refrain that people are a business’ greatest asset, then how can business decisions not be personal? What do we do when something positive happens, such as landing a big contract? Typically, we celebrate… together.

Scratch the surface, and we discover that many businesses were started and built by their owners because of very personal reasons. We’re motivated by the need to prove to parents, teachers, or sometimes complete strangers how wrong they were in their assessments of us. We grow successful businesses to overcome an impoverished upbringing. We draft competitive strategies around settling scores with those we feel slighted us or stole a loyal customer. Getting even with them sounds personal to me.

We expect our workers to be loyal, passionate, and committed to our company’s mission. We encourage them to take initiative in their jobs and to make decisions as if they own the place. Since when are loyalty, passion, and commitment not personal qualities? We spend countless hours carefully nurturing company cultures that are reflections of people’s attitudes and beliefs.

Straight out of college, a colleague of mine worked for a very large, multi-national company. After a successful twenty years, he and many of his co-workers were let go in a departmental shakeup. I can just imagine that the sentiment “it’s nothing personal; it’s just business” was bantered around by the decision makers.

That was in the 90s, but to this day, he still spits the name of his former employer when it comes up in conversation. Nothing personal? Just business? Not to him.

We can try to dehumanize business decisions all day long, but at the end of the day, businesses are staffed by human beings who have emotions and feelings.

In my opinion, too many small business owners try to hide behind the mantra of “it’s just business” in an attempt to soften the impact of the decisions they make or to rationalize those decisions to make themselves feel better about them.

Does this mean that company leaders should never make decisions that will negatively impact their people? Absolutely not. Leading a business is hard, and it can get messy. Conflicting interests can cause the line between a good decision and a bad one to blur. Tough conversations need to take place. Tougher decisions need to be made, and sometimes people we care about get hurt by those decisions. Their lives and careers get turned upside down.

And, while those decisions still need to be made, we would do ourselves and those who work for us a huge favor by recognizing and preparing for the personal impact those decisions may have, rather than hiding behind a sentiment that is patently false. Because business is personal.

Chuck Violand is the founder and principal of Violand Management Associates (VMA), a highly-respected consulting company in the restoration and cleaning industries. Through VMA, he works with business owners and companies to develop their people and their profits. Violand is the past president of the RIA. To reach him, visit or call 800-360-3513.

The post Nothing Personal appeared first on Cleanfax.

Every human being has a longing for something, and one thing at the top of the list is ������DzԲ����Բ�.��We all want to feel loved, accepted, and validated. We want to believe that our lives matter. Deep down, we want to belong to something bigger than ourselves, to feel the power of community. We want to make a positive difference.

Today, we are more connected digitally than ever before, and yet we often feel more isolated and disconnected personally than ever before.

This sense of isolation not only affects our personal lives, but dramatically affects our work life as well. Studies reveal that 70 percent of American workers are disengaged from their work. Perhaps even more disturbing, 18 percent of those workers are actively disengaged, meaning they are actually working against the success of the company. Not surprisingly, this lack of positive purpose bleeds over from employees into customers and has a serious negative impact on our organizations.

There is, however, one simple concept by which leaders can reengage their team members and transform their businesses to be successful. That concept is community. What you must do is build a sense of community in your organization that not only will help you engage your team, but also will create more loyal and devoted clients in the process, which in turn will create higher returns for your organization.

Creating communities

Community has many meanings for many people.

We often use it to refer to a neighborhood or local area, and we sometimes refer to an ethnic group as a community, but the kind of community we are talking about goes much deeper than just a neighborhood or a group of people. It’s about the sense of belonging that all humans hunger for — the need to be connected to one another, the deep desire to be a part of something meaningful, something that makes a difference.

This longing for belonging can have either positive or negative consequences. It is the reason people join clubs and do volunteer work, and it is also the reason people join gangs.

Our own families are the first communities we belong to, but the family community that existed (for some) in the pre-modern world seems to be much rarer now. Some may never have had the benefit of a loving community around them, and the idea of being deeply involved in our family members’ lives, enjoying one another’s successes, and enduring each other’s failures seems to have largely disappeared.

Some argue whether this sense of community ever really existed. After all, every family has endured some type of trouble. Divorce, scandal, addictions, and a variety of issues have plagued many families in the past. And of course, the entirety of human history is littered with injustices, whether it be slavery, war, or corruption.

However, many people felt a sense of community as they grew up. At one time, a child could walk the streets of New York City in relative safety. However, today, you wouldn’t allow a 10-year-old to walk a block — in most cities. Ironically, at the same time, our children are heavily influenced by a media of strangers lurking behind the screens they hold in their hands. Unfortunately, losing the sense of community in our culture has spilled over into virtually every other aspect of our lives, including our business lives. As a result, our organizations today mirror the detachment many feel.

Yet, as we pursue our individual agendas, deep down we all long to experience community. And not only those of us who remember feeling a sense of community in the past yearn for it.

Many of our younger people, today’s new workforce, may never have felt this sense of belonging, but they long for it like everyone else.

Business application

This line of reasoning can be applied to your own company, which is a community you “own.” A genuine community is a group of people who belong to one another. True community is a group of people who are committed to one another in every way possible. They share the same vision and values in life. They care for one another deeply. Someone you’re in a community with would get up in the middle of the night for you for any reason.

If you can create that type of community to some degree in your business, you are onto something.

Business owners and managers who understand and implement the power of community within their organizations can help their team members experience a feeling of being truly connected and valued. A sense of being part of something bigger than themselves that they might not have felt before.

In return, those employees will love being part of the company and will be more likely to treat others with respect and appreciation.

That in turn will create loyal customers and, ultimately, bigger profits for the organization.

Building blocks

All of this must start somewhere, right?

And where you start is where the building begins, much like the building blocks for systematizing a community. Every tribe and every community has its “way” of doing things that must be identified and communicated by the leaders of the organization.

For your own company, there are five “Ps” to consider as you get started:

1. Purpose: Why your community exists,
2. Positions: The roles of the team members,
3. Performance Results Descriptions (PRD): What each team member is responsible for,
4. Policies: The rules of the game,
5. Procedures: The team playbook.

You will need to create a meaningful community brand experience for your clients, one that generates tremendous loyalty and an increased number of referrals. Get started now on your project of creating a community in your company. You will reap the three big rewards of building community: Inspired, engaged team members; happy, loyal clients; and increased, healthier profits.

Howard Partridge started his cleaning business from the trunk of his car over 31 years ago and built it up to over $3 million per year. For two decades, Partridge has been coaching cleaning and restoration companies, teaching them to have phenomenal success. He is the exclusive small business coach for , the world’s first Ziglar Legacy Trainer, the founding member of the John Maxwell Coaching Team, a DISC Certified Trainer, a ONE THING Certified Trainer and a four-time Amazon.com bestselling author. This article is based on a portion of his most recent book, The Power of Community.

The post A Longing for Belonging appeared first on Cleanfax.

It has been said that you have only one chance to make a first impression. Success in booking the job will come easiest to those whose impression makes the biggest impact. For most consumers, this first live impression takes place during their initial call to schedule work.

Many companies treat this vital sales step casually and with little strategy and training. Poor management of this call results in potential customers feeling needlessly that they must seek a second opinion and pricing from competing companies; whereas when a phone conversation is well managed, callers will generally schedule the job right then and there.

Often customers have researched on social media, review sites, or referrals to find the company they initially call. They are hoping to schedule the work on their first try. Rarely do consumers want to make multiple calls to other companies. They are hoping the person they talk with will confirm their initial business impressions.

In my August Cleanfax article, I covered the basic strategies for making effective scheduling calls. Here we will look at specific examples of the application of those strategies during actual phone calls. Of course every company is unique, so make the adjustments necessary to meet your needs.

Greeting

Whenever possible, try to position yourself in a quiet environment so that you can hear the caller and have few distractions. Take a calming breath and clearly answer the phone with an introductory phrase such as, “Joe’s Carpet Cleaning. This is Joe. How may I help you?” Consumers like to confirm that they have called the correct phone number and like to know the name of the person they are speaking to.

As we discussed in the previous article, the person who asks the questions controls the call. By asking how you may help them, you are taking charge of the conversation and helping to move the customer along in the process. This also helps confirm that you have a potential customer as opposed to a salesperson or other type of caller.

Be sure to carefully listen to their complete answer. Consumers will often include important details, which you must respond to for them to choose your service.

As soon as you have a clear understanding of what service they are looking for, clearly confirm that you provide that service and that you can help them with their situation. Remember, your primary goal is to confirm the assumptions they made when choosing to call your company.

Clarifying information

At this point you want to ask permission to gather more information about their specific job. You might say, “Would it be all right if I ask a few questions to better understand your situation?” Then wait for their confirming response.

A good leading question to ask next is: “Do you have a particular day that this work must be completed by?” The answer to this question will help indicate if this is an event-motivated consumer and determine if your schedule will accommodate their need.

I like to follow this by asking: “May I ask how you heard about us?” In addition to helping you track your marketing, knowing the source of the call helps to give you ideas on how to communicate better with the consumer. This will also let you know if the consumer will be using a discount coupon.

Next ask: “Which rooms are you interested in having cleaned?” We are now getting into the nitty-gritty of what the customer wants you to do for them.

A good follow-up to this question is: “Are there any special concerns that I should be aware of?” Here you are looking to find out if there were any unusual spills, pet accidents, or carpet damage.

For cases of spills or pet issues, ask, “What have you done to treat the problem?” The consumer has normally applied multiple solutions to spots, so the next question is, “When that didn’t work, what did you do next?” You might then repeat this question until the customer acknowledges all the things they have attempted to use. Never scold them for using the wrong products. The objective here is to discover what else you will be facing when attempting to clean the spot. You can educate them later on how to properly treat spots in the future.

The next question might be, “How long has it been since the carpet was last cleaned? The answer to this question starts to give you an indication of how soiled the carpet will be. If more than two to three years have passed, this is a good indication that you are speaking to an event-motivated caller.

As was mentioned in the previous article, event-motivated consumers are focused on your ability to clean soiled carpet within the limited time they have to get the job done. In contrast, full-service consumers want to know that their total experience with your company will be professional and irritation free.

At this point, it’s a good idea to find out how much furniture the customer is going to want moved during the cleaning process. Here you can ask, “Will you be able to move the small items prior to our arrival?” There is money to be made in moving furniture. Indicate your additional charges for this service.

If you do not care to move furniture, you can always mention, “I can safely clean right up to the edge furniture,” adding, “If no one has been walking where the furniture is, it’s often not necessary to clean that area. If you should ever rearrange your furniture, a vacuuming should make the areas blend together.”

Now, take the time to summarize the work that has been agreed upon to this point. Ask if there are any other services you might be able to provide, and then ask if they have questions. Hopefully by now you have been able to determine if the caller is an event-motivated or full-service/ maintenance consumer. If the caller is event motivated, you want to remind them that you’ll be able to do a very deep and thorough cleaning and confirm that the carpet will be ready for visitors well before the deadline. If they are looking for full-service, assure them that you understand that providing outstanding service is just as important as doing a great cleaning job.

In the next article we will discuss the pros and cons of going out on location to give quotes, along with ideas on how to price over the phone and confirm scheduled appointments.

Booking the job requires preparation. Having a good plan for talking with consumers over the phone will speed up the sales process, build consumers’ confidence, and increase the number of jobs you close. Review the questions discussed here until you are comfortable using them with every call. Adapt as needed for your company, and you will see your business grow.

Steve Marsh is a 40-year veteran of the carpet cleaning industry, an instructor, and a Senior Carpet Inspector. He helps home-service companies quickly establish profitable clienteles and then progress to serving higher-quality customers. To help companies achieve these goals, Marsh created the step-by-step programs Single Truck Success and Be Competition Free. For more information, visit .

The post Booking the Job appeared first on Cleanfax.

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Running my cleaning and restoration business always reminded me of a rowdy, out-of-control carnival. I’d first play the whack-a-mole game — smack one mole (problem for me) down, and immediately another mole would pop up in another spot. And then I would morph into a performer with a dozen spinning plates on top of slender poles, desperately trying to keep everything going!

Keeping your small service business running smoothly is a huge task, and equipment repair is just one of many challenges to master. The answer is a written business infrastructure comprised of systems and procedures to organize your employees’ daily work. This routine will make their lives easier. (And it will cut 40 points off your high blood pressure, too!) You’ll also be well on your way to an extremely profitable critical mass business (a company that will run without the owner being there 24/7)  that can run smoothly without you.

Your challenges

Your phone is ringing off the hook. Jobs are coming in. Congratulations! Many cleaning and restoration contractors struggle with keeping a steady flow of jobs coming in, but you’ve done it. Great work.

But wait… now your techs need to reliably produce this work while (hopefully) consistently delighting customers. All this means your company needs working vehicles, equipment, and tools. Cue the threatening music because trouble waits around every corner.

Your techs are under pressure. For example, a sprayer, cleaning wand, or dehumidifier isn’t working, which means it gets brought back to the shop, and your usually running-behind employee grabs a different unit and zooms back out to the client.

But wait… the non-working item doesn’t get fixed, so it sits in the shop gathering dust with no ROI on your investment. Or even worse, another unsuspecting tech takes broken equipment back out on the job, so the vicious cycle repeats itself again and again, much to your frustration.

Do any of the above points sound familiar? Non-working equipment going back out into the field is inefficient, demoralizing for staff, and creates a negative moment of truth. (See my July 2018 Cleanfax article.) Plus, it destroys profits!

Steve’s solution: The Equipment Repair Sheet

I realized I needed to nail down where problems started. With sending non-working equipment back out into the field, the problem started when a tech first realized, “Dang. This air mover won’t turn on!”

So I developed simple troubleshooting procedures that even an under-pressure, non-mechanically inclined employee could follow:

Does the customer’s outlet have power? Is it a “switched outlet”?

Is power getting to the airmover’s motor? Can you hear a hum when turned on?

Unplug the cord. Can you move the fan by hand?

But honestly, I didn’t want techs rebuilding broken stuff in their customer’s living rooms. They had work to finish and a schedule to keep, so it needed to be swapped out or have another working item brought to the tech.

But before the technician puts the broken tool or equipment back into the truck, make sure it gets “red-tagged.” Red tags are simple, 3-inch by 6-inch cardboard tags with a wire attached. (Get them at office supply stores, or order them online.) On the tag, the tech should write the date, description of the problem (i.e., “leaks,” “doesn’t hold pressure,” “won’t run,” etc.), and the tech’s name. 

Our field technician should next fill out an Equipment Repair Sheet (ERS) that would be stapled to the crew’s Production Day Sheet. (See my January/February 2018 Cleanfax article for more on this.) In my company, the ERS informed both our office and my maintenance technician that an item needed repair. Plus, after the field technician’s initial analysis, the office could decide on sending the equipment out for repair or doing it in house, and repair parts could be ordered immediately.

We set up a “repair depot” area in our warehouse where (if possible) all red-tagged equipment went. We also stocked commonly used repair parts here along with a workbench and tools. This area was the realm of our repair/ maintenance technician.

Note: I highly recommend you create a (usually part-time) maintenance technician position. After all, my field techs despised coming in after a long day and having to clean and restock their service vehicles. In addition, I discovered this extra, hated hour or so per day inevitably pushed my techs into overtime by Thursday or Friday. So, in effect I was paying my techs time and a half for work they hated.

Once I realized this, I hired a reliable, mechanically inclined high-school kid (Yes, they are out there!) to come in for three hours, five nights per week. He would first check any pending ERS forms to set his priorities for the shift. He would also restock and clean all company vehicles, plus clean up our shop and offices. This new position worked great.

The one common denominator that all three sections of my Equipment Repair Sheet (to be filled out by field tech, repair tech, and office personnel) shared was “How can we keep this damage from happening again?” If needed, we would bring up this ERS topic in our company staff meeting and seek more input and/ or share the new changes in our procedures.

The result

The Equipment Repair Sheet (along with each crew’s daily Production Day Sheet) was a “core document” in growing my company into a critical mass business. The ERS let my office know not to send this item out; plus, it added a “sense of urgency” to get it fixed fast. And thanks to this ERS, we always had a road map that added accountability as in: What is the next step? Who will do it?

Most importantly, I had a procedure focused on how to keep a breakage from happening again. Why is this important? Because building a critical mass business is an ongoing process of incremental improvements to your business infrastructure.

Implementing this Equipment Repair Sheet will be an essential step in your quest for business perfection. Are you ready? Then let’s do it.

Steve Toburen started and ran a world-class cleaning and restoration firm for over 20 years. He is now the director of training for . Steve also founded , a resource portal with training programs for contractors working in customer’s homes. Reach Steve ������stoburen@homefrontsuccess.com.

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Safety! Safety! Safety! Safety! Safety should be a concern on every job. Your safety, your tech’s safety, client safety, and the safety of other occupants of the home you are cleaning — that has always been my number 1 policy.

But, occasionally, there are those customers who either have no concern for their own safety or are simply oblivious to the potential hazards of professional cleaning.

You know the one. The lady who stands so close behind you, watching every move, that she is in danger of taking your elbow to the gut with every backstroke of your wand. Or your solution temperature is flying higher than 200 degrees Fahrenheit and the customer decides to help by moving your hoses, and you see them reaching for the quick connect.

You have just cleaned the carpet on the stairs. The floor at the bottom is a beautiful polished marble. The customer insists on heading down the stairs carrying a laundry basket so full of clothes she can’t see over the top.

That is the customer I was working with when I was asked to clean her grungy kitchen tile. I was going to be mixing my tile cleaner on the strong side. I knew the fumes would not be helpful to the obviously pregnant lady of the house. She had disregarded every warning I had given her that day. So, I felt I had to be a little firmer and more direct to ensure client safety.

“Mrs. Jones, I’m going to have to insist that you remain back in the family room while I clean your kitchen. The odor will not be pleasant for someone in your delicate condition,” I said, as I lowered my gaze to her swollen belly.

The response to my concern for her safety was an icy stare. The South Pole could not have been colder. She told me firmly, “I am not pregnant.”

Silence.

After that day, I switched to a powdered tile cleaner with wonderful citrus fragrance, something so safe that even the most pregnant of women could inhale it safely.

And… I learned never to comment on a women’s pregnancy unless I see a small head poking out from under a maternity dress. I recommend you heed that advice as well.

Scott Warrington manages education, customer service departments, and provides technical support for /, Hydro-Force, and Bridgepoint customers. He has more than 50 years of experience in the cleaning industry.

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There is much confusion in our industry between enzymes and bacteria. For example, products use enzyme in the name when the product actually contains only bacteria.

Enzymes are produced by bacteria but can be separated from the bacteria and added to products independently. Typically, these enzymes are encapsulated so they can be added to powdered products that contain small amounts of water. Enzymes’ widest use is in laundry detergent and can be added to both liquid and powdered products.

Bacteria used in our industry are naturally occurring and are added to liquid products primarily for diverse tasks, which generally include extensive contaminants; whereas, enzymes (produced by bacteria) are used to break down and digest the organic material (source of odor) where time is less important.

Enzymes

An enzyme is not living, but rather, a catalyst created by bacteria, which are living organisms. There are more bacteria cells than tissue cells in our body. Enzymes enhance cleaning action in all types of formulas, but they are very narrow in what and how much they clean. Different enzymes include: Protease for proteins, lipase for lipids, amylase for starch, etc.

Depending on the soil load, you would have many situations in which an enzyme would contribute nothing to the cleaning because the correct enzyme was not in the formula or there was not enough of the enzyme to complete the task at hand. Residual enzymes are likely to be a result of almost any soft-surface cleaning, which results in potential exposure and triggers
asthmatic reactions. In short, the enzyme is finite and limited in scope but will almost always result in residual enzymes when the amount and/or enzyme choice is subject to arbitrary decisions.

Bacteria

Bacteria are single-celled, living organisms that identify an organic food source. In a collection of wide-spectrum bacteria, that identification produces the correct enzyme in the right amount to digest that food source and future odors. It is an efficient enzyme factory since it selects the right enzymes and stimulates cell growth so that enough of that enzyme is produced with no leftover or allergic concerns. The bacteria then return to spore form, awaiting the next contact with an organic food source.

The primary weakness of bacteria use is time, as it can take a while before enough bacteria cells are formed to create enough enzymes to complete the task. The sub-division or multiplication, known as binary fission, happens every 20 to 30 minutes under ideal conditions. However, once the bacteria strains are established, they will continue to work until their food source runs out, eliminating future odors.

Deodorization products

In the marketplace, you will find many bacteria- or enzyme-containing products with a variety of price points. The reason for these price differences depends on the complexity of the formula (like the enzyme or spore count), the quality and variety of the enzymes or bacteria strains (You can add individual enzymes to a bacteria strain.), and the other ingredients added to the formula. Some formulas will only have water, bacteria, and surfactant. Others will also have an odor encapsulant, fragrance, and non-resoiling polymers, which can add significantly to the cost. Simple formulas cost less and do less than complex formulas.

The bacteria spore count needs to be at a high enough level to be dormant in the bottle. Some products have the maximum number of bacteria (and nothing more) to be dormant so that they can be activated by water in a cleaned carpet. This allows the maximum active bacteria so the product starts working at the highest level to accomplish its task in the shortest amount of time. Other products have a higher spore count so that they must be diluted with water before becoming active.

A wide bacteria spectrum produces more varied types of enzymes, making it more effective on more types of organic materials, resulting in better performance. If a product is based only on enzymes, then more types results in better overall performance.

Hopefully, all this has shown why knowing whether you are using enzymes or a strain of bacteria is important. A representative of a primary bacteria supplier stated simply:

“Enzymes are like a knife and fork. The knife and fork represent the enzymes, which just break things into smaller pieces. If you are eating a steak, the knife and fork work great to help you break it up so you can eat it. If you have soup, the knife and fork do nothing, as you need a spoon. A bacteria product, on the other hand, recognizes whether the organic to be removed is steak or soup, produces either the knife and fork or the spoon, and then degrades it naturally once it is broken into smaller pieces by absorbing it through the cell wall.”

Understanding the differences between enzymes and bacteria can help a cleaner predict the potential results, the appropriate timeframe necessary for the job to be completed, and any potential health issues. In my opinion, it is great to use a product that multiplies as it is used, which creates more enzymes than could ever be packaged in an enzyme-only package. It is beneficial to use a product that identifies the right enzyme in the right amount to complete a job, leaving no residual enzymes. It is also good to use a product that reverts some of the bacteria into a dormant spore phase that can be activated in the future when contamination happens again.

Tom Forsythe has worked for Bridgepoint Systems for 20 years and has developed more than 200 chemical products including 10 formulas using bacteria or enzyme.

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When I speak with cleaning and restoration professionals one of the first questions I ask is, “What do you dislike most about insurance?” It’s a loaded question, but it really does help me figure out what you value about insurance and what I can do to fulfill that.

Most people respond that their insurance agents don’t know what they do for a living. Restoration contractors especially say they must explain to their insurance agents — every renewal — that they are neither janitors nor carpet cleaners in order to have that taken off their liability policies. Does this sound familiar to you?

The next question I ask is, “What do you like the most about insurance?” The response I generally receive is that they like how it is an extra level of protection for their businesses. This is certainly accurate. The overall function of insurance is to provide the insured with financial assurance for the liabilities they take on and to be there when something catastrophic happens to help avoid bankruptcy or closing your business.

In my day-to-day work, I often hear that insurance costs too much. This could be true as well. Insurance is transferring the risks you take on to someone else in exchange for a premium. The premium charged should be minimal to the overall risk you take on.

Let’s say you are doing a Category 3 water job at a large commercial building valued at $15 million. If the job were to go wrong, what is the worst that could happen? Say you burn the building down, causing $15 million in damages; meanwhile, your annual liability premiums are $20,000. In this case, $20,000 is relatively minimal to the $15million dollars of risk you took on.

In this article, I will help solve the challenge of saving premium dollars while maintaining adequate insurance for your business. The simple way to do this is to follow the “four Cs of insurance purchasing,” which you should follow when looking over your insurance program. Three of the Cs affect you 365 days out of the year. One C will affect you only one day out of the year. Can you guess which C that is?

1 | Carrier

Every insurance carrier has a financial rating with a rating agency. The most recognized rating agency in the insurance industry is AM Best. Many insurance carriers will add their AM Best rating to the quotations and policies they issue. The financial rating shows the financial stability and strength of the insurance carrier and, most importantly, reflects the carriers’ perceived ability to pay out claims.

The higher the letter and number rating, the more financially sound a company is as an insurance carrier. Your insurance carrier should have an AM Best Rating of A or higher. The highest rating is A++. A+ and A++ are both superior ratings. This rating is very important when purchasing insurance, as you want to purchase your insurance from a stable carrier who will be around for a long time and will be able to support you if anything bad happens. You also want to make sure the carrier is not going through major personnel changes or up for sale since this could disrupt not only how well your insurance is being underwritten, but also could disrupt rates as well as coverage without you knowing.

2 | Coverage

The reason you purchase insurance is to provide coverage if something bad happens. Imagine purchasing a policy that doesn’t provide coverage for the majority of what you do for a living. Let’s say you just spent $5,000 on insurance coverage only to uncover that they exclude any loss that involves any type of bacteria. That was one expensive piece of paper you just bought.

With my company’s insurance consultation work, we find that, unfortunately, 80 percent of insurance certificates have coverage deficiencies in the insurance policies purchased.

How do you avoid a situation like this? There are a few suggestions. First, ask for a copy of the insurance policy forms prior to purchasing the policy. This way you can review the insuring agreement, conditions, and most importantly the exclusions of the coverage you are purchasing. You wouldn’t buy a vehicle without test driving it first, would you? Why would you purchase insurance coverage that is meant to protect your company when things go wrong without reading it first?

Second, ask for a coverage comparison or a list of the coverages being offered, including the exclusions that pertain to your operations. You can ask your insurance agent for this. An insurance agent that has experience working with contractors should be able to provide you with a comprehensive coverage comparison in addition to just policy limits, deductibles, etc.

Third, you could elevate all this extra insurance work by working with an insurance professional who specializes in the cleaning and restoration industry. This person will take a lot of the insurance purchasing stress off you. Insurance professionals that specialize in your industry can be hard to find. I suggest Googling “restoration insurance” or reaching out to your local association for a recommendation. The International Cleaning and Restoration Association (ICRA), the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), the Phenomenal Cleaning & Restoration Community (PCRC), and Mason’s Network on Facebook are all great resources.

3| Claims

The claims department of an insurance carrier is arguably just as important as the coverage being offered. Think back to working with claims adjusters on a flooded home and how much nicer it was working with an informed and experienced adjuster versus a claims adjuster who isn’t familiar with floods. Uneducated adjusters complicate the process, delaying the job and potentially making things worse. The same can happen when you file a claim on the insurance policies you purchase.

If the carrier’s claims department is not familiar with what you do for a living, the chances of them adjusting the claim seamlessly is slim to none. You could easily find yourself debating and teaching the adjuster, wasting your time. Worse yet, let’s say you purchased your insurance from an insurance professional who equally isn’t grasping what you do for a living even though you have told them countless times? Sounds like a nightmare to me.

This is another reason why finding an insurance professional team who specializes in the cleaning and restoration industry is crucial to your insurance purchasing process. They can step in to negotiate and discuss the claim on your behalf so that you can go back to running your company.

4 | Cost

Last, but not least, the final C of insurance purchasing is cost. If you were to buy insurance for every conceivable risk you take on in your business operations, you would spend all your profits in premium dollars. It is not sustainable. However, this does not mean you should not buy insurance.

Instead, I encourage making informed decisions and looking at the risk management and financial strength of your company. This will help you determine what kind of risks you can take on and which risks you will want to transfer through the insurance function. For example, environmental risks such as mold, fungi, bacteria, lead, and asbestos should most definitely be transferred through the insurance function since an environmental loss could shut down a company in a matter of days. I have seen this happen first hand in my insurance brokering career.

Insurance costs should be affordable for your company. You should be able to pay your premium and still have funds to operate your day-to-day costs. If your insurance costs are inhibiting your ability to operate daily, this is a red flag and something to discuss with your insurance professional (who specializes in the cleaning and restoration industry). The right professional insurance team should be able to negotiate your insurance premiums with the various carriers. Insurance professionals with more experience should be able to relay what coverage is being offered and what is generating the premium. If they are not able to explain how the premium amounts were computed and what specifically is being offered coverage wise, I suggest reevaluating your insurance team.

So, which C will affect you one day out of the year? Being with right carrier, having the best coverage for your business, and working with an informed claims department all affect your business 365 days a year. They are important with every job you take on and everything you do on a day-to-day basis.

That leaves us with cost. The cost of insurance is important, which is why it made this top four list. However, the cost of insurance affects you one day out the year: The day you write the check to pay your premium for the right carrier, the best coverage, and an informed claims department. I would hate for you to sacrifice a good carrier, coverage, and claims department because you found an inferior policy for a lower premium.

Purchasing insurance solely based on price is essentially gambling your business every day. Working with the right insurance team should hit all four of the Cs discussed in this article while either increasing your coverage for what you do for a living or decreasing your premium dollars due to their experience in the insurance marketplace.

Insurance purchasing should not be stressful for you as the insurance buyer. If you feel like something is off with your insurance, it probably is. Ignoring the problem won’t fix it. Working with an insurance professional who is experienced and specializes in the cleaning and restoration industry does not cost you more than the uninformed ones.

If you have any questions or are looking for suggestions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Kari Dybdahl has a decade of experience in the environmental insurance industry assisting clients, from carpet cleaners to municipalities. She has received multiple awards and recognition for her work placing compliant insurance for Crawford Contractor Connection members, ICRA members, and many others. Dybdahl designs custom insurance programs alongside Dave Dybdahl. Please reach out to Kari A. Dybdahl with any questions at 608-824-3341 or kari@armr.net.

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