Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. Hot water extraction. Commercial and residential. Grout and tile is not far behind. We have really dug into the water restoration.

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. Make sure you see the Clean Trust certifications. Anyone can just clean carpets. Until you have been cleaned from someone that has been professionally taught, you might as well rent a homeowner carpet cleaner and do it yourself.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. If I was the customer, I would like to know if the cleaners chemicals being used was safe to use with my children and pets. I only use chemicals purchased from a well recognized company. Jon Don is an outstanding supplier.

Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?

A. Are you licensed and bonded. Do you have any background check for of identifications. Do you have any professional training. How long have you been cleaning.

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. If I am a credible business man. Have I been in business for more than just a short time. If I have any complaints will I stand by my work.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. We are not just looking for the quick buck. We are constantly sitting down each week looking for one thing to separate us from the next guy. American Pride says it all.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. I love that every customer would feel comfortable about sharing a sit down meal with me. I love that each customer is in awe when I show them the before and after clean.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. What form of cleaning procedures do we use. American Pride uses the most current state of art hot water extraction carpet cleaning. Every job gets pile lifted and cleaned.

Q. Do you have a favorite story from your work?

A. My favorite story is, the chemical supply company I purchase my chemicals from, recommends my company out of all the cleaners the see everyday. I feel this is something of an incredible story to tell.

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. I could only wish that when I left their cleaning job, they will feel comfortable to tell their friends about my services.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. I began as a carpet installer, and when work got slow, I thought about working both ends. Maintaining the carpets until time of replacement. This works for the customer as well.

Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.

A. 2011 I received a call from customer crying that her basement sump pump could not keep up with the unusual spouts of rain we had in Illinois last year. Myself and my crew including one of my own daughters worked in a sewage mess up to our ankles. Once completed the customer told me the job looked cleaner than it was prior to the flood. My crew, soaked and wet not once stopped until the customer's basement was done.

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. Myself and my crew, are continually taking Clean Trust formally the IICRC educated cleaning courses. The Clean Trust courses are top notch.

Q. What are the latest developments in your field? Are there any exciting things coming in the next few years or decade that will change your line of business?

A. American Pride has been digging deep into the education of flood restoration, and mold abatement as well. We have purchasing equipment yet quite expensive but, the right equipment to make the difference between us and the next guy. This has proven to make a big impact to our business.

Q. Describe your most recent project, what it involved, how much it cost, and how long it took.

A. Our most recent project was the cleaning of Bob Chinn's restaurant. The restaurant normally is a challenge especially around this time of the year. We leave with the managers asking when are we coming back. I guess that says it all.

Q. If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.

A. Our system is simple. Any customer can call our office and give a brief description of their job and our customers service department will give an estimate right over the telephone. For any customer's that might feel more comfortable to have a in home estimate, there is no charge.

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. Give us a challenge. Ask us to give a sample prior to the cleaning to set the customers expectations.

Q. What is your greatest strength?

A. My greatest strength is my attention to details. I love what I do. The only thing personal down fault I have is, I don't like to leave a job not perfect, and it may take extra time I may not always have. If that is my fault it must work, I have been cleaning for 29 years now.

Q. What are you currently working on improving?

A. Educating my crews to take each and every job and treat it just as if I was there. Helping the crews to make their customers cheerleaders for their skills.

Q. Write your own question and answer it.

A. When Mike the owner is not on the job, how do I know if I will get the same job that I would get if he was there in person. I have every job called after the cleaning to ask if I can survey to make sure the techs follow my exact procedures. The techs know this, but I personally know each tech I hire loves what he does as well and it shows.

Q. Write your own question and answer it.

A. Are the cleaning crews any different I am using from the other guys? My cleaning crews are not sent out until they have my personal attitude about what they do as I do.

Q. Write your own question and answer it.

A. Will the cleaning crews charge me for a quick touch up, weeks or even a few months after I have been cleaned. I love to go back providing the customer works with our schedule. There is always an additional opportunity to either pick up more work or a referral, OR even a good conversation.