The Hidden Tricks of Bait & Switch Carpet Cleaners in Scottsdale Arizona, Part 2

Stone Care of Arizona, LLC, want you to be well informed and knowledgeable about how to hire a good carpet cleaner in Scottsdale, Cave Creek and Paradise Valley Arizona. We would like to give you tips and information to prevent you from getting hooked by a bait and switch carpet cleaner. If you have missed Part 1, click the link here: The Hidden Tricks of Bait & Switch Carpet Cleaners in Scottsdale, Arizona

Either way, you look at it, the news report is unsettling. This customer should have had a good feeling about the cleaning performed in their home. Instead, they were outraged. The fact that this became a newsworthy story is a crying shame! To prevent this from happening to you, ask questions about what the price you have quoted actually includes.

Do you pre-vacuum before cleaning?

Stone Care of Arizona, LLC Technicians prevacuum before cleaning any carpet. This service is included in the price we quote you. As a matter of fact, most legitimate carpet cleaning companies will prevaccum before cleaning. If they don’t, be cautious! And, when say “we vacuum with our carpet cleaning wand.” Here are the facts: According to flooring studies, 74 to 79% of dry soil removal is with a vacuum cleaner that has a beater bar attached. This is the best way to prevaccum. To do otherwise is a red flag, you might get rip off!

Stone Care of Arizona, LLC preconditions all carpeting after vacuuming. We include this in the price! Most legitimate carpet cleaners will include preconditioning the carpets before cleaning. We provide a set price for carpet cleaning “before” we come to your location. Stone Care of Arizona, LLC also is diligent to record everything in writing. We detail everything “before” beginning the work. Be cautious when a carpet cleaning company charges for “preconditioning” or “pretreat” services. It is a red flag, you might get rip off!

There are many unhappy Phoenicians posting their negative experiences with bait and switch carpet cleaners. Although the consumer signs a negotiated invoice, they often want to get the offending bait and switch carpet cleaner out of their homes. The news video demonstrates how a customer had to call the police to remove an aggressive technician who refuses to leave their home. Why was there a need for this extreme action? The customer feels trapped! Oftentimes customers have taken time off from work and have moved furniture in preparation for the carpet cleaning work. Realizing the customer has few options at this point, the technician begins to argue with the customer, using intimidation to fight for a higher price than originally quoted. Most will call the office with a planned script. If they are unable to reach the office they will role-play to a silent cell phone.

This type of negotiation is called a third party close. The technician is trained to call the office to shift the authority. This shift in authority to change the price is now the front office’s responsibility. These contrived conversations are practiced at morning meetings and the technicians who execute the third party close flawlessly get to take advantage of their customers’ plight. 

Our suggestion is to cancel the appointment and respectfully ask the technician to leave. If they will raise their voice and become aggressive, call the police! One bait and switch company in Mesa insisted that their customer pay a cancelation fee. They required their technicians to collect this bogus fee. How ridiculous is that? The frustrated consumer called the Police who sternly asked the technicians to leave. This is just the tip of the iceberg in the game of high stakes sales bait and switch tactics. Unfortunately, these techniques are taught to deceitful carpet cleaner technicians who only care about taking your money.

Many of the Bait and Switch Companies tout the magic qualities of “pretreat.” When you get a marketing piece read the fine print. The devil is in the details! Read closely and you will find that you will pay a higher price for “pretreat.” Wow, “pretreat” must be a wonder cleaner, right? There is absolutely no difference between “pretreat” and “preconditioning.” WHAT? That’s right! Armed with this information you should “never” pay extra for “pretreat” for carpeting. Most legitimate carpet cleaning companies include pretreat or preconditioning in the cleaning. The pretreating process is inextricably tied to the process of cleaning your carpet. It is the catalyst that brings the cleaning together. For a carpet cleaner to charge for pretreatment is the height of dishonesty!

Bait and Switch carpet cleaning companies like to separate cleaning into two pricing scenarios. They like to use euphemistic terminology unfamiliar to the consumers. Terms like “pretreat” or “pretreat brightens” Preconditioning soften your spots and stains” help to dichotomize the differences as the rationale for charging you more money. (The Switch) Preconditioning carpeting is a recognized step that is always included in the price.

“Does the price quote include everything in the cleaning process?”

“Do you charge extra for preconditioning?”

If the answer is “we charge 20 cent per-square for preconditioning only’ in the area that needs it.” This is a play on words, expressed to misdirect you from the possibility of a higher price over the phone.

Consumers have repeated the following?

“I don’t want any surprises, does the price quote include everything in the cleaning?”

Yes, “we charge 20 cent per-square for preconditioning only in the area ‘that” NEEDS it.” Most people don’t need ALL their areas “pretreated!”

Most consumers don’t hear the play on word usage and it does not always register when you are talking with them. Watch for the trap wording here! Not knowing the price beforehand is the leverage the Bait and Switch carpet cleaner has over you. It becomes a problematic misconception that leads to price shock once they get to your home.

Most legitimate companies like Stone Care of Arizona, LLC price their carpet cleaning as an all-inclusive service. You know the total for cleaning charges upfront. We believe this is the sensible way of doing business. For a consumer to get pricing otherwise is tantamount to allowing oneself to fall into the trap of a bait and switch company.

We are mortified to read online the numerous avoidable situations that riddle the internet review bulletin boards. There seems to be a distinct correlation between carpet cleaning companies who incentivize their employees who play the bait switch game well. The focus is on teaching their employees how to sell additional services. Consumers who say yes to additional services will notice that the technician seems to slow down to give you good services. Conversely, many perceptive consumers notice when they say no to additional services the technician appears to be abrupt and hurriedly completes the work. Why? The compensation business model for Bait and Switch Carpet Cleaning Companies in the Greater Phoenix pay a double-digit commission.

Many of the Bait and Switch Carpet Cleaning operations incentivize their employees on the ability to sale you a service. Imagine the pressure a technician is under. How can the company make a profit if the technician is only bringing in $14.95 for carpet cleaning? The technician understands that $14.95 advertisement is just a loss leader service to get them in the door. Once inside the home, it becomes critical that the technician use sales tactic bring in much, much more. It is a powerful inducement and they are rewarded with bonuses and bragging rights when successful. By contrast, the technicians who do not focus on selling languishes in the shadows of their “Top Dog” peers.

If you want the best value for your investment and honest values call Stone Care of Arizona LLC for carpet cleaning and have peace of mind knowing you will pay the right price for service you need.

Michael & Leslie Morrow, are the owners of Stone Care of Arizona, LLC. To get a free estimate give us a call at 480-625-0557 or email us 

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Scottsdale Business License: #480-625-0557.

Michael Morrow's IICRC Certified Master Textile #13412

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