HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM EXCEL

Finally Christmas is here!! We want to wish all of our customers and their families a merry Christmas and say thank you for a great year! We have all been through alot this year, we have shared highs and lows unfortunately more lows but I am optimistic that 2010 will be better for all of us. So enjoy any time off you might get with your family and get ready for that after Christmas rush of business that we all look forward to.

Thank you for your business!!!
Excel Supplies Family

Holiday Season Is Here!

This year has flown by for me anyways, it is just a few days from Thanksgiving and a few weeks from Christmas, hopefully everyone stays busy and get ready for spurts right before and right after these holidays. I had a female customer in the other day that specifically wanted a Spice deodorizer and said that she really pushes it around these times and makes good money, not to mention she uses it in here house. So even if you don't charge for deodorizers I think that customers will certainly appreciate you leaving a nice holiday spice smell for their visitors to enjoy over the next few weeks. Just an idea and remember you can pick some up right on our website I recommend Spice Air by Bridgepoint. Happy Thanksgiving and I will be making one more post before Christmas.

THANK YOU!! AND SOME GOOD ADVICE

Thank all of you who attended our recent IICRC classes the Water Restoration Technician (WRT) course was a huge success and almost more than half of the class was from out of the state we really appreciate all that traveled to further your knowledge in this industry. Please feel free to give us any feedback good or bad to help make our classes better.

Now for the "GOOD ADVICE" this is good advice for anyone who has some besides yourself answering the company phone, SEND THEM TO CLASS!!!, everyone seems to forget about the "office girl" who ever is taking the calls to schedule work needs to know what they are scheduling and be able to answer general questions. I don't care if it is water damage or carpet cleaning, just put your self in the customers shoes, do you really want to talk to someone that has no idea about what you want or what their company does? I don't think so. This past class we had a company send their office manager and she was very pleased with the class and feels much more confident when taking phone calls, she is now able to re assure the customer that they are choosing the right company for the job.

I promise you that if you send whoever is in charge of the phones to a certification class, even if it is not here at Excel (i would prefer it though, hahaha) you will increase the amount of jobs you get and have less price shoppers call and hang up, it really helps when the person on the other line can explain what services are going to be performed and more importantly why!

Hope everyone is staying busy, until next time,

Justin

SNOW BIRDS ARE HERE!!!

During my journey back from Atlanta i couldn't help but notice the extremely heavy amount of traffic heading south with me and surprise surprise they were almost all out of state plates. I don't know how come every ones winter has come early and our summer wont seem to leave but for once i don't hear anybody complaining about the "snow birds" being down here. We have picked up quite a bit in the past few weeks which means our customers are picking up.

Short blog but just wanted to let everyone know what we are seeing. So good luck out there and hopefully it continues to pick up!

TES VS DESICCANT!! SEEN FIRST HAND

I was lucky enough to see first hand what the TES (thermal energy system) could do in a worse case scenario and even better compare it to a desiccant that was operating in the same situation just next door.

I had gone to Marietta Ga. to help a good customer of mine that had gotten about 20 houses with affected crawl spaces/garages. This situation was new to the both of us seeing how we don't have crawl spaces in Florida we knew it was going to be a learning experience and that it was to say the least. The fact that both of us have attended the TES drying academy and are WRT certified certainly helped us get through it. I am not going to bore you with all of the details but to make a very long story short we proved that when you see advertisements saying "Dry in 30 Hours or less"(in most cases) it is a pretty accurate statement considering we were dealing with some of the hardest conditions: rain, some areas too tight to fit equipment in, un vented or overly vented crawl spaces, home owners not home, power issues, etc etc...

I'm not going to lie when you see a big diesel fired desiccant parked at the job next door to you and you have a dual axle trailer with a TES machine mounted in it with a few small hoses ran out of it, it was a little intimidating looking back its funny to know how much more money they were spending every day between the fuel, rental, etc.. and that on particular house we actually dried 24hrs faster than they did and moved on to the next, just to prove that Hot Dry Air to What is affected is the Fastest way to dry.

We were able to direct our heated air to the materials to where they were only able to pump dry air into the crawl space and hoping that it made it through the entire 6000-8000 cubic foot of channeled (yes channeled like a maze) needless to say our TES unit really performed to par. I and my customer were very pleased with the results and it was a great experience!

IICRC COURSES COMING UP SOON!!

I don't think that i need to stress the importance of being trained and having your technicians trained, but for those that may not understand "GET TRAINED,GET EDUCATED,GET REFRESHED ON WHATS GOING ON OUT THERE!"Please visit our website for the upcoming schedule.

www.excelsupplies.com

PROOF THAT KNOCKING DOORS WORKS!

This story has nothing to with carpet cleaning or restoration but i thought i should share it with everyone. Over the weekend when i was at a family members house hanging out by the pool i had noticed that his palm trees looked amazing and asked when he trimmed them and if he did it just because people were coming over and his reply was " I was going to and then my door bell rang and there was two gentleman standing there offering to trim my trees for a discount because they were in the neighborhood" he of course accepted the offer and then sent them to his neighbors house and they did his also. It just goes to show that sometimes all you have to do is knock some doors and ask for business, you might be surprised with the results.

SURVIVING THE TIMES

After talking to a few of my customers that have been around for a while the general consensus obviously is that it is slow out there right now, but they are hanging on. I have seen a few customers go under lately and some survive and seem to be making out ok. I learned that the ones who are doing ok right now especially given the situation all agree that it is cheaper and more effective to focus on keeping the customers you have vs finding new ones. By that i mean that instead of spending money on advertising and/or slashing your prices to try to drum up some business call past clients, send them reminder cards, etc..

Work with what you got. Now I am not saying that you shouldn't try to find new customers by any means, but spend the better part of your time focusing on your current client base, and while doing that you will have time to knock on a few doors like I wrote about in the "cheapest advertising around"blog. Good luck out there, and I really believe at least for us in SW FL that if we can just make it through the summer we will be alright.

1 STEP STAIN REMOVAL FROM PRO'S CHOICE!

STAIN 1
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Usage:1. Clean the discolored area thoroughly to remove as much contamination as possible.2. Apply Stain 1 liberally to evenly saturate the stained fibers. A trigger sprayer works well here.Dwell time. You may see the stain disappear immediately or it may require several hours for the chemical reaction to reach completion.

Tips and Cautions:Always blot dry fibers to be treated before application of “Stain One”.Covering treated fibers with clear plastic will improve performance.Avoid storing product in direct sunlight to prolong shelf life.Always test inconspicuous area for color fastness before using.

ITS ON SALE AT EXCELSUPPLIES.COM!

Dealing With Adjusters, Written by Dennis Klager.

Dealing with Adjusters (written by Dennis Klager)This is kind of long but well worth it.

When I teach Water Restoration Technician classes, the thing I hear often is, “adjusters around here will never pay for that.” I get agitated every time I hear this!
Here are a few facts:
It’s not the adjusters’ flood job, it’s yours. YOU are responsible for the results of that job, NOT THE ADJUSTER. The work order that was signed has YOUR COMPANIES’ name on it, not the insurance company.
YOU are going to court if something goes wrong and the homeowner decides to sue, NOT THE ADJUSTER, even though the adjuster may have told you they wouldn’t pay for a particular procedure that might have prevented this situation.
YOU are the flood professional that the homeowner hired to do the job, NOT THE ADJUSTER.
The way this whole thing was supposed to happen was, THE ADJUSTER; the representative of the insurance company, pays the bill on behalf of the customer, who has been paying premiums for the privilege of having the insurance company pay for possible disasters. The customer pays the insurance premiums and the adjuster interprets the policy and pays the bills. YOU DO THE WORK.
ADJUSTERS are not supposed to be your job coordinator, YOU ARE.
ADJUSTERS HAVE THE RIGHT TO QUESTION EVERYTHING YOU DO and how much you are charging. That’s their job..
It is your job to take professional action, charge a fair price and QUALIFY your actions to the adjuster, when they ask.
Adjusters are people, with feelings, who have a boss looking over one shoulder and the homeowner looking over the other WHILE THEY ARE SQUEEZED IN THE MIDDLE. ……..Then they must deal with the flood contractor.
UNFORTUNATELY, adjusters deal with more people who call themselves “professionals” who are really amateurs, than anybody else. Meeting a “true” flood professional has become the exception, not the rule.
MANY ADJUSTERS SEE THE FLOOD CONTRACTOR AS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM, ON THE JOB, NOT THE FLOOD!
HOW SAD!
When they meet you for the 1st time they figure, “Here’s another one I have to deal with.”
Is it any wonder that they have tried to take over our responsibilities and dictate what should be done and how much they will pay for it?
This is a major reason that Insurance Companies have gone to franchise operations. They know what to expect from them and what they will charge for it.

Dealing with Adjusters Page 2

HERE’S WHAT YOU MUST DO

1. Get educated. No longer can a carpet cleaner suck up some water, leave a few air movers and dehumidifiers for a few days and get paid. It’s gone waaaaay beyond that. This business has gotten technical and there is demand for real professionals.
Professionals will be getting the flood work.

2. Expect to be questioned and have answers.
e.g.
a) “Why do you have 3 dehumidifiers in here rather than 2?”
Do you have the scientific answer?
b) “Why should I pay for this TES machine instead of air movers and dehumidifiers and why does it cost so much?”
Do you have the answer?
You must learn the facts and memorize an easily understood presentation.

An adjuster I talked to recently, told me, “If I’m going to pay for something and I don’t even know what it is, I want to know, what is it and why should I pay! Many people interpret my questioning as, not wanting to pay. Just explain it to me so I understand and I probably won’t have a problem with it”

Dealing with Adjusters Page 3

I know what this adjuster said won’t always be the case, but the more knowledge you have, the more confidence you will have. People can tell when you know what you are doing.
You will be better equipped to play the question and answer game which, by the way, has always existed. We just have a lot of people out there who don’t know how to win at it.

Too many are just accepting what the adjuster says because they don’t know how to back up their position!

1. Get all the education you can.
2. Know your facts.
3. Do the right thing.
4. Stand up for what you know is right.
5. Don’t be afraid to qualify what you are doing and have good presentations prepared.

MAKE MONEY.

Dennis Klager
WRT Instructor

WHAT IS THE GOING RATE FOR TILE CLEANING

Like upholstery cleaning and carpet cleaning alike i get asked this question alot. Prices have come down significantly over the years (unfortunately), with that being said though there are still many customers getting top dollar, it is all about how you present yourself and how well you educate your customers. I think that it is safe to say though if you can get as close to the .50 per sq. ft. range you are doing ok and maybe anywhere from .75-$1.00 per square foot to clean and seal. I know alot of you are thinking that maybe high or even low but that is what the average is at least in SW FL.

Now for the people who think that is to low then good for you and keep doing what you are doing, and for the ones who think that is to high i think that you are selling yourself short and should take a good look at the way you are approaching your customers whether it be by advertising or face to face. Tile flooring isn't cheap and with the tools you use on daily basis you can really make the customers investment look brand new again and they need to know that. So good luck out there and remember that your labor is the most expensive part of your business and you shouldn't sell yourself short!!

Carpet Cleaning & Restoration Equipment on Sale Now!

Just letting everyone know that we just put allot of items on sale at http://www.excelsuppliesonline.com/ just look for the "Red Hot Deals" banner on our front page. Save $20.00 on Hydrosensors and Dri-Eaz Air Movers and much much more. Please go to our online store and see for yourself!

Cheapest Marketing Around.

KNOCK DOORS!! I know what you are thinking "I'm not going door to door". Its really not that bad and I'm not telling you to just stop in a random neighborhood and going door to door saying "hi would you like your carpets clean?" What i do recommend is when you get done cleaning a customers house and don't have any appointments after that go to a few of their neighbors and simply tell them that you just got done cleaning their neighbors house and that since you are already there that you will give them one room free or something along those lines. Its summer and people are home, take advantage of it. I don't think that anybody is to good (especially these days) to knock on a few doors and drum up some more business, try it.

Wood Cleaning Getting More and More Popular

Which is a good thing considering that carpet is being replaced more and more every day by "wood" flooring and tile. I put quotations around wood becuase most people cannot afford to put true wood floors down and are instead using laminates which is fine because we can clean them just as easily. I highly recommend researching wood cleaning, Bridgepoint has a great system that is easy to do and not much overhead. The best thing is that the going rate is anywhere from $1-$1.50 per sq. ft. Now remember we are not re-finishing the floors just cleaning them. All you need is a floor buffer, maroon pad, white pad, and few terry cloth covers for a shmop. Very simple if you want more details let me know and i can send you the step by step info. Hurry up and jump on board and get the high rates while you can before they start to drop just like tile cleaning has.

Good luck and start advertising "Now Cleaning Wood Floors"

WHAT IS THE GOING RATE FOR UPHOLSTERY CLEANING?

I get asked this question allot and i wish i was certain on an answer. These days especially it is very hard to say what the going rate is on anything because most business are just taking what they can get which is ok for them but really hurting the market worse than it already is.

The standard used to be around $8-$10 per ft. on the low end and up to $25 per ft. on the high end which would come to about $120 for an average sized sofa with synthetic fabric. I can only speak on behalf of what my cleaners are telling me but i can tell you one thing is for sure most companies are charging probably half of the above pricing. Now with that being said my top performers are still getting an average of $120 per sofa and proving to everyone that when you market yourself good and people trust your work that even in this tough economy there is still money to be made. I worry that when we get out of this recession (hopefully sooner than later) people are still going to want the cheap prices that they have become use to from guys just taking what they can get during these tough times. Whats your thought?

SUMMER IS HERE HOW TO KEEP YOUR TRUCKMOUNT COOL

Summer means a few things, its hot! your truckmounts get even hotter, typically business slows down for the carpet cleaners, and business picks up for the restoration guys. The one thing out of that list that you can control (to an extent) is your truckmount getting hot. Here are just a few tips to keep them cool:

1. Open side and rear doors as wide as possible and clear as much equipment out of your van as possible to generate cross ventilation through your van.

2.Install a roof vent in the van to help the machine "breathe" better.

3. Think about installing or utilizing a "through the floor exhaust kit" which moves the exhaust from your machine to be directed through the floor of the van instead of straight out.(makes it cooler on you to)

4.If you have a liquid cooled machine make sure that your coolant level is where it should be.

5. And lastly, if you know that your customer is a talker shut the machine down while you are conversing instead of letting the unit sit at an idle.

Hope these tips help, and i know that allot of you already know these things but a reminder always helps.

I almost forgot the most important thing KEEP YOURSELF COOL!

Cleaning and Restoration Tips, Advice, and More

This is the first of many blogs to come. We here at Excel Supplies feel that it is important to keep our customers up to date on whats going on in our industry. Also we want to create a more personal relationship with all of our customers. I want everyone to feel free to comment on any of our blogs and to participate regardless of your opinion or if you just have a general question i will monitor this as much as possible and if i cant answer I'm sure that one of our many cleaners can give some helpful input. If you have any suggestions on things you would like to see here please let me know.

Dont forget to check our website daily to keep up with our specials!
www.excelsuppliesonline.com