Service Snitch: Carpet Cleaners: Sucking Your Wallet Dry

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Carpet Cleaners: Sucking Your Wallet Dry

Carpet cleaners have found themselves a happy spot, indeed. While their business practices are often every bit as dirty as those of plumbers and electricians (laborers who, despite their shared blue-collar image, boast far more training and expertise than carpet cleaners), public perception of the industry—or, rather, a complete lack thereof—has put carpet cleaners in the perfect position to clean up. How do they whisk away the stains that sully the reputation of other in-home workers? Well, we do the work for them. Anyone can tell a horror story about being exploited over a flooded basement or a faulty circuit breaker. Being exploited over a dirty carpet, on the other hand, does not make for scintillating dinner party conversation.

The carpet cleaning industry is a very lucrative one, not because of any intense demand, but almost by default: everyone has carpet, all carpet gathers dirt, all dirt needs to be cleaned off sooner or later. Still, carpet cleaning is never at the forefront of anyone's thoughts until he needs it done, if even then. Unlike electricity and running water, carpets are just not something people care about, which is why consumers are often careless in choosing a carpet cleaner. Of course, careless choice is a surefire way to get ripped off for any service, but when you mix in a universal market, unskilled labor, and a mundane practice no one ever thinks about, you've got a surefire breeding ground for cheats and grifters. So when all you want is a clean rug at a fair price, how can you make sure you don't get trampled underfoot?

What It Costs:

Carpet cleaners generally charge their clients in one of two ways: by room or by square foot. Although you might suppose that a flat per-room fee would be ideal, this is precisely what unscrupulous carpet cleaners are counting on, and precisely why unscrupulous carpet cleaners charge by the room. Think about it: if a cleaner who charges by the room shows up at Graceland, how will he turn a profit? As any crook turns a profit: surcharges. If a room exceeds some arbitrary area, or even if it's shaped a certain way, he'll have the pretext to charge you extra. The cleaner who charges by the square foot, on the other hand, won't need to resort to chicanery if he finds himself in a larger-than-expected room; he'll still make the same profit per man-hour that he would in any other room in the country. Don't think that charging by the square foot automatically vindicates a cleaner, but it is an encouraging first sign.

The average cost for carpet cleaning is about $0.30 per square foot. Since the average home in America has about 1,000 square feet of carpet, that comes out to around $300 a cleaning. Pre-conditioning should be included in your rate. Your rate may also depend on the method employed by the particular provider; dry cleaning, which doesn't clean as deeply as wet cleaning, will sometimes cost less. As with any service, you may get a discount if you pay for more than the average consumer, and you may be penalized if you pay for less than the average consumer, even by honest cleaners; if you have just 200 square feet of carpet to clean, for instance, the cleaner might not even defray the cost of transportation and set-up on his standard rate. Also as with any service, the prices you'll find will depend considerably on what part of the country you live in.

The Carpet Cleaner Says:

"I am a skilled and licensed professional at the top of my trade. As a member of your community, I run an honest, ethical operation to serve you and your neighbors' carpet cleaning needs. Not only do I offer fair and affordable estimates to my clients, but I also offer advice on which treatments will help extend the life of their carpet. After all, aside from making your carpet like new again, nothing makes me happier than saving you money."

The Snitch Says:

"Despite their trade of choice, carpet cleaners are no squeakier than the rest of us, and often quite the opposite. While any industry will have honest and dishonest practitioners, carpet cleaning is a high-demand profession that doesn't require much more training than an instruction manual, and therefore anybody could walk through your door when you call for a carpet cleaning service.

The carpet cleaner will advertise unheard-of, ultra-low, limited-time prices in the Sunday paper, but you won't find out that the rate only applies to rooms the size of the coupon until he's shown up for the cleaning. Even after he's jacked up your rate to what you would have paid anywhere else, that figure still may not include the pre-treatment, or even the detergent, but only the labor—that is, the labor it takes to slop detergent-free water on your carpet, which you could have done yourself.

The carpet cleaner will offer you one estimate over the phone, then show up as scheduled and happen to mention, for the first time, that that's only for his "basic" service. Now he'll tell you all about his vast, multi-tiered array of services, each more expensive than the last. Of course, the more "premium" a package you spring for, the more effective the cleaning will be, he'll say. So, unless you're satisfied with a "basic" treatment of the filth, germs, and allergens proliferating in the material you and your family walk across day in and day out—a treatment, the cleaner will tell you, that won't last nearly as long as his more select options—you'll quickly sign up for the super-deluxe glamour carpet cleaning.

When he's run you up for more than you ever paid for the carpet, the carpet cleaner will tirelessly push additional services on you, like deodorizing or Scotchgarding. These services are never really necessary, but carpet cleaners build their careers on convincing their clients otherwise. The true dregs of the racket, the ones lower than any of the gunk they'll ever pick out of your carpet, will advertise rates slightly higher than their competitors but claim to include a free Scotchgarding, while all the other carpet cleaners around sell Scotchgard treatments separately and at a much higher price. Unfortunately, this complimentary "Scotchgard" won't even guard against Scotch tape, and your best hope is that it's just water…which it probably will be."

Protecting Yourself:

Before any carpet cleaning man rings your doorbell, you must, as always, comparison shop. Aside from consulting the Internet and your local phone book, you can also ask your friends and neighbors for recommendations. When you make your preliminary inquiries, never commit to anything over the phone. Insist on an estimate based on square footage, not the number of rooms. If they refuse, hang up and move on to the next candidate. Do the measurements beforehand, so he can give you an estimate over the phone. When they first give you a figure, ask whether they have multiple tiers of service; they may just be quoting a "basic" cleaning, which will be little more than light sweeping. Ask if their operation is certified by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification, the industry's premier licensing group. Any cleaner on the up-and-up will earn a dependable stable of satisfied customers, so ask the representative for references. After you've narrowed your search a little, check with your local Better Business Bureau for complaints against the operations.

If you've been quoted a reasonable price and don't detect any dirt swept under the rug, have the cleaner come into your home to give you a written estimate. Don't agree to anything until he's actually seen all the carpet his company will clean; that way, he can't appeal to any "unforeseen circumstances" later. Ask if his estimate includes the cost of moving furniture, or if you can possibly get a lower price by moving the furniture yourself. Demand, with the paper estimate, a money-back guarantee, in writing. A legitimate cleaner will never worry about leaving a customer unsatisfied; all he has to do is get the carpets clean and charge the price he said he would charge.

Beware of any business—carpet cleaning or otherwise—that advertises rates drastically lower than local competition: they are just hoping to get their foot through the door (literally) and foist a bait-and-switch on any takers (read: suckers), knowing it will be very hard to turn away a service they need when it's all set up in front of them. Businesses have to turn a profit, after all, and $9.95 per room is not going to feed anyone's family. You'll end up paying a lot less with someone who offers more sensible-sounding rates up front.

Spot cleaning is where many unfortunate and unprepared consumers find themselves ripped off on their carpet cleaning bill. Special attention to a stain means devoting time and resources to it, and that means costs to the cleaner. While some carpet cleaners will include stain removal in their prices, others will not, so be sure to ask beforehand. When the carpet cleaner comes into your home to conduct an estimate, point out any stains on your carpeting, and ask whether their treatment will be covered in your rate.

Different cleaning businesses employ different cleaning methods, and some methods may not be safe for your carpet, so check your carpeting warranty for anything prohibited by the manufacturer. The dirty cleaner may vigorously protest that no matter what the warranty tells you, his stuff is safe on your carpet, when he is, at best, unsure. Remember that you're better off turning away a cleaner that may have been safe after all than acquiescing to a cleaner that irreparably damages your carpet, costing you thousands of dollars and even more headaches to replace.

Unnecessary add-on services, such as anti-static treatments, deodorizers, and fabric protectors (also called soil retardants), are the august preserve of the carpet cleaning industry. While fabric protectors, in particular, do extend the life of your carpet, they are always expensive and never necessary. If you do opt for a protector, make sure it's a reputable brand like Scotchgard or DuPont Teflon. Protection will run you an extra 10 to 20 cents per square foot, but remember that it costs almost as much for the carpet cleaner, so treat anyone who boasts of a complimentary Scotchgarding with suspicion.

As always, read the contract carefully before you sign anything, no matter if you're dealing with a one-branch outfit or a national cleaning empire. Never assume that a big-wig in the business won't stoop to ripping you off; major companies in the carpet cleaning industry have built their name (and their profits) on low advertised rates grossly inflated by sneaky surcharges and extras.

The techniques of carpet cleaning are easily applied above the floor, too. Just as your local butcher doesn't exclusively cut lamb, many carpet cleaning companies don't exclusively clean carpets, but also handle upholstery, drapes, ceilings, and even air ducts. Obviously, the more services you order, the higher your bill will be, but a package deal will cost you much less than a dozen separate cleanings. If your whole household is due for a sprucing, talk with the cleaner and ask about what other services he offers; most operations will happily offer you a discount if you sign on for more than just a carpet cleaning.

Just Because You Were Curious:

Although most people get their carpet cleaned about once every seven years, the industry recommends you get it done at least every 18 months. Hardly a shocker that they want you to pay for their services more often, but on the other hand, many of their arguments for regular cleaning do, in fact, wash. First of all, even frequent vacuuming won't clean out the filth lodged deep below the surface of your carpet. Second, no matter how immaculate your carpet appears, untold millions of allergens, microbes, and other hidden threats to your family's health thrive between the fibers. Finally, regular cleaning will extend the life of your carpet, and you will, in the end, save money. So while cleaning that often may seem like a hassle, remember, barring changes of management or radical service overhauls, you only have to look for a cleaner once. Once you've followed our steps and found the trustworthy, affordable cleaner in your area who's right for you, getting your carpet clean again is just a matter of calling him back.

Posted by admin on 12/29 at 05:41 PM

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Friday, December 29, 2006

Carpet Cleaners: Sucking Your Wallet Dry

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