How to Select a Professional Carpet Cleaner

There are a lot of clever phrases have appeared recently in newspaper articles and televised consumer news programs across the nation warning consumers about carpet cleaning scam operations. The media has related horror stories of trusting consumers who have responded to low-price carpet cleaning specials only to become victims of unethical cleaners who refuse to honor the advertised price, intimidate the consumers, and do poor quality work.

Bait-and-switch operators are prevalent in many industries, and the carpet cleaning industry is no exception. This does not mean that all carpet cleaners are rip-off artists. How do you know who is and who is not? The professional carpet cleaning industry has cited these scam activities as a major industry concern and is taking action to help eliminate unprofessional workmanship and unethical tactics. One of the leaders in this campaign is The CleanTrust, an international, non-profit organization that certifies cleaners who meet prescribed levels of technical proficiency and pledge to operate by a Code of Ethics.

To help educate consumers so they will not become victims of fraudulent practices within the cleaning industry, the Clean Trust has released a list of guidelines to consider when selecting a Bend, Oregon carpet cleaner.

• Price – If an advertised price sounds too good to be true; it is! Often carpet cleaners advertise a low price just to get their foot in the door. Use common sense, a low price usually equates to low quality for any product or service. Legitimate business people have legitimate expenses they must cover, including license, taxes, insurance, employee wages, and benefits, and quality tools of thetrade. A professional carpet cleaner who must cover all of thesebusiness expenses and make aprofit to stay in the business cannot afford to drive to your house for $5.95, much less clean a room of carpet.
• Quality – Never should the price of cleaning services be the sole criterion for selecting a carpet cleaner. A price that sounds high may not be asignal of a rip-off. In all professions, quality work deserves a quality price. Truth in Advertising, read the fine print in advertised specials to find out exactly what the price includes, and request a firm price in writing before the work begins.
• Training – Professional cleaning firms require management and employees to engage informal training in a variety of cleaning disciplines, and these educational efforts will be ongoing. Consumers should ask about the formal training background of technicians who will be cleaning their carpet.