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Avoid Bait & Switch
Bait & switch is a deceptive tactic that is commonly used in the sales industry. Bait & switch happens when a sales rep offers a bargain priced item to attract the attention of a potential customer who are then pressured to purchase a more expensive item that is similar.
Many carpet cleaning companies use bait and switch as a common practice. Here are a few tactics that are commonly used so you know what to avoid.
Dual Cleaning:
Many companies will offer a low price over the phone & then try to sell a more expensive dual process once they have arrived at the home. The scam is that you can get a "Basic" cleaning for the price that was quoted, or you can get a "Special/Deluxe Cleaning" for an additional price that is probably nowhere near the original quote.
When you call around for estimates, make sure you ask the company if they offer additional packages or services and what the prices are for each. They will often have different levels of packages that go from sort of clean to really clean. This implies that if you don't pay full price they will only sort of clean your carpet. A great carpet cleaner will provide the highest quality services for every customer at the same price.
Charging by area:
The way this works is that a customer calls to get an estimate for a living room, dining room and bedroom. The company tells them about a special they have for (3) rooms for $69.95. which is a great price. Then when they actually come out to the house, they tell you that your house doesn't count because your rooms are over 200 square foot and they’ll have to charge for another room. You'll have to pay extra to remove that coffee spot you have in the dining room, that’s going to require a pre-spotter to get that out and that’s going to be an additional cost too.
Always insist on an estimate based on the total square footage you want cleaned. It is the most accurate method in the industry. Obtaining the square footage of your rooms is really quite easy and a good company will be able to help you with it right over the phone.
Free Carpet Protector:
Carpet protectors like teflon & scotch guard are a great way to keep your carpet looking great. The problem is, they are not cheap. Professional grade protectant can cost well over $100.00 per gallon so it's very unlikely a company would just give this stuff away for free. When they are scamming, they either spray water or they upsell when they get to the house.
Some cleaners have been known to say that the protectant is in their cleaning solution. Protectors can only be effective if applied after the cleaning.
A reasonable price for fabric protector is anywhere from 10 to 20 cents per square foot. If a company tells you they are going to give it to you for free, be very skeptical.
