What to ask before you book anyone

Nine questions that separate a business from a man with a van and a rented machine. Ask us the same ones.

5 min readNo1 GOG

A window being cleaned with a squeegee.

Cleaning is not a regulated trade. Anyone can hire a machine on a Saturday and call themselves a carpet cleaner, and the price they quote will often be lower than ours. These are the questions that tell you what you are actually buying.

Before you agree a price

  • Is the quote fixed, or an hourly rate? An hourly rate transfers every risk in the job to you.
  • Does it include everything, or are pre-treatment and stain protector extra? Ask for the number you will actually pay.
  • What happens if the job takes longer than expected? The answer should not involve your wallet.
  • Will you put the quote in writing? A text message counts. A verbal figure does not.

About the work itself

  • What method do you use, and how long will it take to dry? Anyone who cannot answer this is guessing.
  • Are the products safe around children and pets? Ours are, and we will tell you what we are using.
  • Do you move furniture, and what will you not move?
  • What does the result actually look like? A permanent stain in a twenty-year-old carpet does not always come out, and you should be told that before, not after.

About the business

  • Are you insured, and for how much? Ask to see it. A real business will not be offended.
  • How long have you been working in this area, and can I see recent local reviews?
  • Is there a phone number that a person answers?

The one that matters most

Ask what happens if you are not happy. A business that intends to still be working in Shirebrook next year will come back and put it right. A van that will be in another county by Friday will not, and the price difference between the two is usually the price of that promise.

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