Carpet Protection Technology HAS Changed

Enter... Maxim S.O.S. Carpet and Rug Protector is specially designed to protect nylon or wool rugs and carpets without the use of smelly solvents, fluorochemicals or re-soiling silicones.

It contains a highly concentrated, anti-staining polymer that coats fibers and prevents staining agents like red wine, juice and cordial from permanently bonding to the carpet fiber.  

• STAINS: Protects wool and nylon fibers from stains without the use of solvents, fluorochemicals or silicones.  
• ODORS: Contains neutralizing agents and a pleasant, citrus deodorizer to create a positive first impression.
• SOILS: Special polymers help prevent re-soiling and keep carpets cleaner, longer.  

This Blog is dedicated to showing you how the Bridgepoint Maxim SOS adds VALUE for your customers and for your business.

Being in the cleaning and restoration industry, many of our neighbours, relatives and even a few of our past customers call and ask us who we would recommend to clean their carpets. We usually give them a few names off my list of what I describe as good cleaners. Sometimes we pre-qualify the fact these are not the “cheapest”, but among the best. Next time, we talk to these acquaintance; we usually take time to ask how the cleaning went. We will admit that the majority are usually satisfied and some even thrilled with the company. But…on the other hand we are honestly surprised at the number of “so-so” or even negative comments we hear. Even more alarming is a request for another cleaner’s name next time they are ready. This has bothered us for some time, so we have asked and taken inventory on the reasons. The reasons are many and not surprising. Here’s a few…

• “I like my carpets cleaned often, and they’re a little expensive for regular cleaning.”
• “Overall he did a good job…But didn’t get around the edges or doors very well.”
• “His equipment was old and dirty and I didn’t like it in my home” or “He nicked/scratched my wall with the hoses/equipment.:
• “He went over it so fast – I don’t think he got as clean as he could of,” or “He didn’t get the spots out.” Or “The spots all came back in a few weeks.”
• “The carpet took too long to dry.” Or “The carpet was stiff afterwards – he must of left a lot of soap on it.”

The list goes on, but we think you’ll recognize most of these.

As we’ve studied and surveyed the customers on these issues, a word kept coming up that was lacking in all these companies who weren’t retaining their customers.

That word….

VALUE

In almost every case, the customer was choosing another company (the competition) because the value service did not justify the charges.

On the other hand….

As Cleaning Professionals we’ve had the pleasure of meeting hundreds of excellent cleaners around the country. Discussions many times lead to a related topic, - Higher prices. “How do I get higher prices, when my competition remains so low?”

Interestingly, the answer is the same…

VALUE

If a cleaner wants to raise his prices, make more money and retain customers better, they have to increase the value. The average cleaner is average! His price is average, his customer service is average, his quality average, and so his customer is average. Therefore this short section is dedicated to the purpose of a “Win/Win” environment for the cleaner and the customer. The customer gets more “value” from their cleaner, and the carpet cleaner gets higher prices (profits).

This Blog is dedicated to showing you how the Bridgepoint Protection Plan adds VALUE for your customers and for your business.

Value to the Customer

Does the MAXIM SOS Protector Work?

Before we can feel comfortable in selling Protector to our customers we need to be sure in our own minds that it actually does the job that it is advertised to do. It has to work! We can attack this question in several ways. All protectors are not equal. Carpet Cleaners Warehouse recommends the use of Bridgepoint Maxim SOS Protector. This protector is chosen due to their unparalleled quality and value, that is works really well on wool and as it does not contain smelly solvents, fluorochemicals or re-soiling silicones.

First – Who else thinks it works?

Protectors work! A whole industry has evolved around protecting carpet and fabric from soil and stains.

• Fibre producers know it works.
• Carpet mills know it works.
• 3M knows it works.
• DuPont knows it works.
• Consumers know it works.

Second – Do you think it works?

Some cleaners say “I don’t push protectors. I want to give my customers the best deal “STOP. GET OVER IT. STOP SAYING THAT! If you don’t believe that protectors work you are in a slim majority in this industry. You need to correct your thinking. The best way to do that is to prove it to yourself. Use MAXIM SOS Protector on your carpet. It will make you a believer. Then go out and sell it. Protector can make a load of extra money for you.

Third – Demonstrations for yourself and your customer.

• Carpet Samples with Red Cordial and other hard to remove stains – Spot an unprotected and protected piece of carpet with red cordial.
• Carpet Samples with Dry Soil – Apply protector to some of the high traffic areas in your home. For example apply protector to half of the area in front of the couch that gets the most use.

Benefits to the Customer

Before explaining the benefits to the customers, you should understand how it works so you know why these benefits are real.

Surface Tension – The unique chemical structure of Bridgepoint Maxim SOS Protector creates increased surface tension at the surface of the fibre. Any liquid that spills will have a difficult time penetrating the surface of the fibre. Most spills simply bead up on the carpet or fabric, staying in the surface. If spills can’t penetrate the surface it can’t cause a stain and it is easy to clean up, for the customers or for you.

Coating Action – Bridgepoint Protectors have unparalleled penetrating action, allowing them to coat the entire fibre. This coating action is the second level of defence against spills and soils. Sometimes when a spill happens from high above the carpet or is forced past the surface by pressure such as walking on it, the liquid can overcome the surface tension and move towards the base of the carpet. The carpet is still protected however. The coat of Protector won’t allow the spill to penetrate into the fibre itself. Clean up is still a snap.

Benefits

1. Carpet Looks Better and Stays Clean Longer. If spills and soils can’t penetrate, the carpet will look cleaner longer. Any customer will admit that this is a tremendous benefit.
2. Carpet Cleans Better. The two levels of Bridgepoint protection hold liquid and dry soils at bay. The soils wait patiently to be cleaned up. Daily vacuuming by the customers is more effective. Spot cleaning is easier and more effective. Professional cleaning produces better results. Your technician will be able to tell when they are working on a carpet that has been previously treated with Protector.
3. Prevents Permanent Stains. Permanent stains such as wine, red cordial, coke, paddle pop and many more can be prevented from damaging carpet and fabric. When stains become permanent, an entire room or sometimes house full of carpet can be ruined. Bridgepoint protectors are cheap insurance.
4. Carpets Last Longer. It is well-documented fact that soil can cause premature wear to carpets. Traffic lanes become a permanent eyesore that can’t be effectively cleaned and the carpet is discarded before it is really worn out. This is a costly and unnecessary mistake. Bridgepoint Protectors along with proper maintenance of the carpet can prevent this premature loss of value.
5. Offer a Free Warranty Service. Your customer can call you to service any spot that she can’t remove herself. This phenomenal marketing program will be explained in the marketing section of this blog. Be sure to learn about it. Your warranty will help you make a lot of money. Are you convinced that Bridgepoint Maxim SOS Protector is a good idea for your customer?

Value to Your Company .... Can You Sell Protector?

This is an unqualified yes. Selling Protector can build your company. From Bridgpoints earliest days as carpet cleaners, they believed that protectors worked and they understood the value to thier company. Bridgepoint sold them with great success and with great personal benefit. Below are some of the reasons that Bridgpoint was so successful with protectors. For all the same reasons, you can just be as successful.

Public Acceptance

The answer to this question is yes. Protectors, in general are accepted by the general public. Advertising for stain resistant carpet (DuPont Stain Master) has made carpet protection a publicly accepted product. 3M and it’s Scotchguard brand has made upholstery protector very well known. Virtually everyone you ask will have heard of protectors in one form or another. As we explained before, the public thinks that protectors work.

Easy to Demonstrate. Easy to Sell.

Protector is a product that is very easy to demonstrate. You can show your customer in a very graphic fashion how it works. We developed demonstrations that you can use to convince your customers. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words. See the Video Below.

Happier Customers. 

With Bridgepoint Protectors you will have fewer call backs. Carpets perform better resulting in happier customers.

Financial Rewards

We can’t overemphasize the point. We believe that Protector is the most profitable thing you can sell for the time spent. Let me give you an example.

If your cleaning price is $3.50/square metre, then $2.00 per metre would be a reasonable price for Protector.

Let’s take and example of a carpet job where you protect 100 square metres your revenue will be $200.00. At average speed you would expect to spend about 30 minutes applying the protector. That translates to $400.00 per hour. Is that worth the time? Absolutely!!

Marketing Protectors

Rules of Behaviour

Before we explain how to market protectors, there are some important rules you must follow if you are serious about making money consistently.

Present the opportunity to every customer.

This may seem obvious, but sometimes we are guilty of making the decision for the customer. An example will illustrate the point.

EXAMPLE:

During our cleaning days, one of our salesmen gave a lady a bid for cleaning. She lived in a small cottage-style home in an old neighbourhood. She was about 75 years of age and a widow. The salesman reasoned to himself, “She can’t really afford protector. It is totally obvious.” As he finished the bid and asked her to set an appointment, she said, “Ok. In fact, I should have you give me a bid to clean my vacation home in Mooloolabah as well.”

Needless to say, the salesman was astonished and ashamed. He had made the decision for the customer and never gave her the opportunity to purchase his most profitable product.

To repeat our rule, present the opportunity to every customer. There is no risk for you or for the customer. You can be certain that if the customer really cannot afford Protector, he won’t buy it.

Demonstrate Protector every time.

EXAMPLE:

One of our salesmen was called to give a bid to protect new furniture for a customer. She asked if he could do it piece by piece as it arrived from the designer. Of course, the salesman agreed. He asked the customer if he could show her a demonstration of the product. “No.” She said, “My designer said I should have it and that is good enough for me.” The salesman protected 2 chairs and left.

This scenario was repeated two more times as she had additional pieces delivered. She never saw a demonstration of Protector. On the last trip, she asked the salesman if he could arrange for a cleaner to do her old sofa in the basement. “Of course.” He said. “I will send Dan to do that for you.”

When Dan arrived to clean the sofa he asked if she would like Bridgepoint protector. She said, “Yes. I have it on all my other furniture.”

“Have you ever seen a demonstration of how it works?” Dan asked her.

“No. I just took my designers words that it was a good thing to do.” She explained.

Dan emphasized, “You really need to see how Protector works. You will be amazed. May I take two minutes of your time?”

The customer consented and a demonstration was done. It resulted in an extra sale of $300.00 worth of Protector. Dan protected a bed spread, some other furniture in the bedroom, some drapes and a whole bunch of neck ties”.

Get the point? Demonstrate Protector every time.

Marketing a Warranty System

Perhaps the best way to sell Protector is to take the risk out of it for the customer with a Protector Warranty.

The Protector warranty offers the customer a one year spot and spill service. If the customer cannot remove the offending spot with Avenge Neutral Spotter your warranty states that you will clean the spot at no charge to the customer.

This service will be performed as many times as needed during a one year period. If the spot cannot be removed, you will refund the price that the customer paid for the Protector.

Design your warranty contract carefully. You will need clear rules and limitations that protect you from abuse.

The Warranty Makes You Money With Little Risk

At first examination the concept of offering a warranty may scare a cleaner to death. He may say to himself, “I’m barely making a living now. I certainly can’t afford to do any free work.” Let’s follow some reasoning that will put those fears to rest.

There are several factors that make the warranty a money maker instead of a risk. Let me first say that this is not a wild idea that we just came up with. By successfully selling protectors with warrany to just 10% of your customers you can increase your sales revenue by about $15,000 per annum. Believe us when I say it was a real money-maker.

Here are the factors that show how you make more money with little risk.

You can charge more for Protector with a warranty

Reason and experience tell us that a customer will pay at least 20 cents more per square metre for a warranty. If the average job is 100 square metres, you will charge and extra $20 for Protector. That is in addition to the $150 you charge for the product without warranty.

Your rate of warranty callbacks is low

One reason the rate is low is because the customer is required to try to remove the spot with Avenge Neutral Spotter. When the carpet is protected with Protector and the customer has Avenge Neutral Spotter in the home, there is almost no spot that won’t respond.

From national statistics, the callback rate is around 3% on this type of warranty. Our experience was a little higher because we did the application in the home, the customer knew us, an we personally invited him to call us. The very worst case scenario is a 5% callback rate. That means that for every 20 jobs you sell, 1 will call you back. If you have made and extra $20 on each of those jobs, you have brought in $400 in revenue.

If you figure that the costs of processing the warranty claim is about $40.00 it is easy to calculate that the profit you gained from selling the warranty on 20 jobs is $360.00

Income from 20 warranties at $20.00 each = $400.00

Cost of processing 5% claim rate (1call) = $ 40.00

Profit for 20 warranties sold = $360.00

Keep in mind that we are not counting the extra money you made selling the Protector. This profit is from the warranty only.

As a side note, your warranty callback rate would have to be 50% before you actually started losing money on the warranty.

Offering the Warranty increases your closing ratio on Protector, creating further profit

This is the main reason to offer the warranty. It sells more Protector. Since Protector is about the most profitable thing you can sell, the warranty is a real necessity. Be sure to refer to the appendix for more information on the financial rewards of selling Protector.

Warranty calls provide sales opportunities

Ask yourself, “If I have the opportunity to be in the customer’s home performing a free service, what are the chances that I could sell something else while I am there?”

You have the opportunity to sell any of your services. Mentally list your services and the profit you might realize.

Warranty callbacks are great for public relations

How does the customer feel when you travel to her home to remove a spot for her at no charge? In our experience, they were thrilled. Most times they offered to pay for the service and were pleasantly surprised when we declined the money. The Protector Warranty made us a lot of friends and loyal customers.

TYCOTM

This acronym stands for Take Your Customer Off the Market. What it means is that by selling Protector with a warranty you will make your customer unavailable to the competition. A customer who has a warranty in effect with your company is very unlikely to go elsewhere for service. Protector and the warranty help you keep your customers loyal to you.

Summary

The cleaning business is a great business when you manage it correctly. Profit has to be the ultimate purpose of a business and the main motivating factor if you are to be successful. The sale of Bridgepoint Maxim SOS Protector to your customers is a wildly profitable activity. We hope you will get involved and sell it every day. It will make a big difference in your business and in your financial future.

The secret is to start today. Don’t put if off.

Mix Rates, Application Rates & Costing

Maxim SOS For Low Pile Commercial/ Approx 15 Square Metres per RTU Litre. Damp or Dry Carpet Same Dilution

Maxim SOS For Plush Pile Residential/ Approx 7.5 Square Metres per RTU Litre. Damp or Dry Carpet Same Dilution