BAIT & SWITCH….Buyers Beware

I was watching TV with my daughter one night when my phone chimed. It was Yelp notifying me we had a new review. I was very excited until I read it and immediately became alarmed.

The writer was very angry saying ‘Bob’ had done a terrible job and couldn’t be trusted and claimed ‘Bob’ used “Bait & Switch”.  Well we don’t have a ‘Bob’, always make sure our clients are happy before we leave and MOST DEFINITELY DO NOT use “Bait & Switch” to acquire new customers. Digging a little deeper I found that the company he was referring to was also called Prestige, but it was in Dallas. I was able to respond and quickly get the review removed, but it makes me sad that this type of advertising is still prevalent in our industry.

Some companies advertise a low price, then charge you more when they get there. That is called “Bait & Switch”. 

You know the type – they “bait” you with a low price like $15 a room or $59 for your whole house. Then they “switch” you to their “dual scrub” or “deep clean” system. This of course jacks up the price.

In their ad, the fine print says “we recommend our dual scrub method for all heavily soiled carpet”. How many carpets are heavily soiled? All of them! Even if you held them to the “$59”, you would get a very poor cleaning.

They proceed to soak your carpet and leave a soapy residue behind. Then your spots come back! Good luck getting them back again to fix it!

Beware of low priced carpet cleaning. Just because a guy has a truck does not make him a qualified Carpet Cleaner. If their price is truly low, you should be concerned about their quality. How can you pay technicians a decent wage and have the best products and equipment at the lowest price? You can’t.

We on the other hand are Boerne’s Oldest and Most Trusted Cleaner. Family owned and operated right here since 2004. Other companies have come and gone. We have proved we are the best. We only use Truck Mounted Hot Water Extraction—No portable cleaning machines! No Dirt left behind! No wet carpets! And of course there are no hidden charges. You get our Best cleaning every time and we are not happy until YOU are pleased with the work we have performed.

Don’t fall for the “Bait”. Give us a call instead. 830-248-1264 www.prestigefloorcare.com

How to get Wax off of your Carpet and Walls

I love it when my house smells fresh! Somehow it just makes me happier. So I have always loved candles and fragrance Wax warmers. What I DON’T like is when they get jolted and wax goes everywhere! UUUGGGG! It’s on the wall, it’s on the table and it’s in the carpet! Really??

Well fortunately cleaning up wax is not as hard as you may think. It’s just a matter of warming it up again. Here’s what I do.

Let’s deal with the wall first. How do we get rid of those lovely drips without scraping the paint? Simple. Grab your hair dryer and some paper towels. Bigger chunks will probably be easy to pick off. But for the rest, you need to heat up the wax until it is liquid again and then quickly wipe with the paper towel. The Towel will absorb the wax and leave your wall nice and clean.

Use the same technique with your table. Obviously if your candle was on a counter you can just scrape the wax off.

Now to the Carpet. I suppose you could use your hair dryer as well, but a better way is to use your iron.

Now to the Carpet. I suppose you could use your hair dryer as well, but a better way is to use your iron. Heat your iron to an appropriate setting for the fibers of your carpet.

If you’re in an industrial space, it probably has a lot of polyester or plastic or some such thing in it, and the highest setting is going to melt those fibers! So set it as high as it can go without doing more damage!

Place several paper towels over the offending stain and apply the iron. Let it sit for a few seconds and check out the towel. If you’ve got a bunch of wax marks on the towel already, reposition it. 

When there is a lot of wax showing, change to fresh towels. Repeat this process until no more wax is absorbed. The wax is melting and binds to the paper and the wax will be gone after a few more applications.

Now place fresh towels on the area ‘around’ where the stain was and warm them with the iron as well. You may be surprised to see where else wax landed that you didn’t notice.

Important note: Don’t use the iron this way for more than 30 seconds or you risk burning the carpet. And be sure to use white towels since colored ones can transfer the color onto the carpet when heated up, especially if you have a light-colored carpet.

Important note: Don’t use the iron this way for more than 30 seconds or you risk burning the carpet. And be sure to use white towels since colored ones can transfer the color onto the carpet when heated up, especially if you have a light-colored carpet.

And guess what???  This works on upholstery and clothing too!

Whether from burning candles or making lip balm, getting wax on the rug is a major bummer. Don’t waste your time scraping, soaking, or even cutting out the offending wax stain. My way is much faster, simpler, and a gentler way to treat your wax-soaked fibers.

Why you need a professional carpet cleaner

1. If you have children, you need a professional carpet cleaning.

2. If you have pets, you need a professional carpet cleaning.

3. You have tough stains in your carpets.

4. You are hosting a big event.

5. You haven’t had professional carpet cleaning done in a year or more.

6. You have a lot of people in and out of your house.

7. You want your carpets to look new again.

8. You want your carpets to be easier to maintain on a day-to-day basis.

 

Do you have any question? Allow us to answer them.

Q: What method of Cleaning do you use?
A: The method we use for cleaning is hot water extraction, commonly referred to as steam cleaning. This method removes the toughest, deepest dirt safely and gently. Heated water is injected deep within the carpet fibers. Then, a powerful suction extracts deep-down dirt, allergens and up to 95% of the moisture. Most importantly, this is the cleaning method most recommended by carpet manufacturers.

Q: Do you use Truck Mounted units?
A: Yes. Truck Mounted units heat water to a temperature that will break down soil. Just as important, Truck Mounted units also provide powerful suction so your carpets are left with only dampness.

Q: What is the typical drying time?
A: Typically 4 to 6 hours to be on the safe side, but many times the carpet will be dry before that timeframe. Drying times can vary depending on many conditions. The key to getting dampness out of your carpet is airflow and de-humidification. We recommend that you do the following two things to enhance your drying time:
1.Set your room temperature to 72 degrees on your HVAC unit. The goal is to have the compressor running to provide good dry air to optimize drying time.
2. Turn all ceiling fans on high speed.

Q: Can I walk on the Carpet after you clean it?
A: Yes. Our powerful, truck-mounted vacuum system extracts most of the moisture from your carpet, but it may still be damp to the touch. It’s okay to walk on it—just not in your street shoes. And be sure to leave the protective pads in place until the carpet and furniture are completely dry to avoid any possible transfer of color. Remember, be careful not to slip when leaving damp, carpeted areas onto hard surfaces.

Q: Should I move my furniture or will you?
A: We want to be great cleaners rather than great movers. If you choose a package that includes Furniture moving, we are happy to move most items except electronics, pianos or aquariums. However, typically this is unneces-sary since there has been no foot traffic under the furniture. The best way to prepare is to remove small items such as waste baskets, floor lamps, clothes hampers and such by placing them on larger items such as beds or sofas. This will clear a path for us to clean all the areas you would like us to.

Q: What should I do to prepare for your arrival?
A:
– A light vacuuming in the areas is recommended
– Remove any breakables, decorations, frames from end/coffee tables and night stands.
– Remove any breakables, decorations or other small items from any piece of furniture which you wish or expect to be moved.
– Remove any small pieces of furniture that are delicate, antique or of particularly high value. – For large heavy pieces that fall into this category, please advise us that these pieces are delicate/antique etc. Especially if they have loose legs or attachments.
– Remove any remaining clutter that will slow the process of getting the cleaning you desire.
– Bookcases, china cabinets and entertainment centers will only be moved if completely empty.

Q: Do you guarantee removal of all spots or stains in the carpet?
A: We cannot guarantee that we will remove all spots or stains. There are sub-stances that can permanently discolor the carpet fibers. The age of the carpet and the type of carpet fibers also plays a factor in this. We will try to determine if this is the case prior to cleaning but we are not always able to determine this before trying to remove the spots.

Q: Will there be any soapy residue left in the carpet?
A: No. Prestige Carpet & Floor Care thoroughly rinses the carpet so that no residue is left in your carpet. This is why your carpet has such a fresh scent after we are done! All of the dirt and soil, along with our cleaning emulsifiers have been completely rinsed out of your carpet.

Q: Will carpet cleaning get rid of fleas in my carpet?
A: We cannot guarantee that the cleaning will get rid of all the fleas. We usually recommend that the customer kill the adult fleas first by whichever method they prefer, this is something that a profes-sional exterminator might be able to help with. Please keep in mind that the carpet is not the only place fleas will lay eggs, you might consider having your upholstery treated and cleaned as well as any area rugs or pet beds.

Q: How long does it take to clean a home up to 2,000 sq. feet?
A: Depending on the soil level of the carpet, approximately two hours.

Q: Does Prestige Carpet Cleaning have hidden charges?
A: No! We pride ourselves on being upfront with our customers on our prices and our service. The price we quote you is what you will pay. Prestige does have two items that are offered as extra services and thus considered extra charges if a customer is interested:

Q: What steps do you take to protect my home when cleaning with equipment and hoses?
A: We use furniture blocks and corner guards to protect your home and furnishings while cleaning.

Q: I have heard that having your carpets steam cleaned will leave your carpet filled with mold and mildew. Is this true?
A: No! In fact, 95% of all carpet manufacturers require that you get your carpet Steam Cleaned once a year in order to keep the warranty on the carpet. The rumor about mold and mildew was created by companies that use the bonnet cleaning method (dry cleaning) as a means of convincing home-owners to change their method of carpet cleaning. With that said, a carpet cleaning in which the car-pet is left sopping wet is NOT a good cleaning either. Prestige only uses Truck Mounted units with powerful suction, and more importantly we understand the difference between a good and bad cleaning.

Q: I am moving out… do I need to keep my electricity on?
A: Yes. There are two very important reasons to have the electricity on while we are cleaning and for a short time after we leave. First, we will need to inspect your carpet closely before we start clean-ing. We don’t want to miss any areas that need special attention due to poor lighting. Secondly, airflow is the key to a good carpet cleaning. Leaving your HVAC system on and your ceiling fans running will insure your carpets dry quickly and thoroughly.

Q: How do you Guarantee Customer Satisfaction?
A: We are happy to work with you to correct any situation that may arise. In some cases this can mean spot cleaning specific areas of concern or even completely re-cleaning the area in question. In the end, we’re not satisfied until you are.

How to choose a carpet cleaner

For the best results in selecting a professional cleaning firm, Consider the following questions:

DO YOU HAVE GOOD REFERENCES?
Unfortunately the cleaning industry is filled with uneducated, uninformed, and sometimes downright unscrupulous com-panies. Prestige Carpet & Floor Care enjoys one of the best reputations around. The area’s most seasoned floor cover-ing experts, Interior Designers and Realtors refer our services exclusively as well as The Hill Country’s most prominent citizens. Our reputation insures that you can trust our company to provide you with the most outstanding service experi-ence ever! Voted Best of Boerne for 8 Years by the readers of the Boerne Star!

WHAT KIND OF EXPERIENCE DO YOU HAVE?
Prestige Carpet & Floor Care has been caring for the finest floors and fabrics since 2002. We are experienced in all types of fibers and soiling conditions, no matter how unusual they may be. We are experienced in all methods of clean-ing. Prestige is known for being able to solve cleaning related problems that no one else can. This insures that what-ever your situation is, we will be familiar with it.

ARE YOU EDUCATED IN YOUR FIELD?
Prestige Carpet & Floor Care is committed to the highest order of education and training. Danny has over a decade of experience and has been certified by the IICRC. This insures that you will get the latest cleaning technology applied to your job.

WHICH SYSTEM DO YOU USE?
The equipment that a cleaning firm uses is incredibly important. Prestige Carpet & Floor Care only uses Hot Water Ex-traction and the highest quality, most advanced, state of the art equipment on the market today. The systems we use will get maximum soil removal and maximum spot removal without over wetting your floor or fabric and without leaving a sticky residue behind.

DO YOU UNDERSTAND CUSTOMER SERVICE?
Our mission is to provide you with the most outstanding service experience possible. We are committed to showing up on time, and communicating with you throughout the service experience. We will show up ready to serve you in the most courteous manner possible.

ARE YOU THE CHEAPEST?
Never select a cleaning firm based on price alone. A low priced service could actually damage your floor or fabric cost-ing you more in the long run. Prestige Carpet & Floor Care charges more than some other companies, but you get what you pay for. It’s impossible for a company to provide the most outstanding service experience if they can’t afford to in-vest in the best education and equipment.

DO YOU USE TOP QUALITY PRODUCTS?
Prestige Carpet & Floor Care refuses to use discount products. Cheap products can damage your floors and fabrics. The products we use are safe for the outside environment as well as the indoor environment.

DO YOU GUARANTEE YOUR WORK?
Our guarantee to you is that if you are not completely satisfied with the service experience you receive from our com-pany, we will rush back to you location at no charge and no obligation to make things right. If you are still unimpressed, we will offer a complete refund.