MISTAKE #1:  Choosing a cleaner based on low price.

Most of us are attracted by low price, but some cleaners use price as the bait for their misleading advertising. They offer a cheap price — usually between $6.95 and $9.95 per room or four rooms of carpet cleaning for $59; then, once they’re in your home or office, they pressure you into buying add-ons. It’s as if you were buying a car and found out that the dealer was charging you extra for the tires and steering wheel.

Professional carpet cleaning is not as cheap as some unethical cleaners would like you to believe. Low price could also mean the cleaner has cheap equipment, uses cheap cleaning solutions that will guarantee stains return or untrained personnel who won’t do a good job.

MISTAKE #2:   Not checking them out.

Any cleaner can say anything about their past jobs and the quality of their work. Sadly, some of what they say may not be true.

When choosing a carpet, tile or upholstery cleaning company ask your friends or family for the name of a company they’ve been happy with in the past. Another option is to check with Angie’s List or the Better Business Bureau.

Whatever you do, never invite a stranger into your home because they are the cheapest cleaner you can find.  Remember, you get what you pay for!

MISTAKE #3:  Choosing a cleaner who isn’t certified or has a bad record with the Better Business Bureau or Angie’s List.

If you want to be sure you’re hiring a competent professional, make sure the company is certified by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification. (All certified companies carry the IICRC logo on their website).  But don’t stop there.  It’s also very important to check with your local Better Business Bureau to make sure the cleaner doesn’t have a long list of complaints from past customers.  The Better Business Bureau’s website is FREE and can be accessed by visiting www.bbb.org

MISTAKE #4:  Choosing a carpet, tile or upholstery cleaning company based on a review found on an unverified website such as Google, Yelp, etc.

There are dozens of online “review sites” such as Google, Yahoo, Yelp, etc. where anyone, including the carpet cleaner themselves, can leave an anonymous review about how great or terrible a business is.

The problem with these reviews is that they’re NOT VERIFIED and anyone can say anything about any company.  Many unethical companies have been known to leave horrible reviews about their competitors while creating glowing reviews about themselves simply by creating a fictitious e-mail account.

Consumers should be wary about unverified reviews.  The Better Business Bureau and Angie’s List verifies every single review submitted to them.  These companies take great pride in the quality of information provided to consumers and they provide reviews you can trust.

Benefits of Relying on the Better Business Bureau or Angie’s List for recommendations:

• VERFIFIED information about the company along with any verified consumer reviews

• Angie’s List performs background checks (Criminal, etc.) on registered companies

• Read what other consumers who have used the company’s services have to say about them

MISTAKE #5:  Choosing a cleaner that doesn’t offer a money-back guarantee.

Every cleaning company should be fully accountable for its work. If you aren’t pleased with the job in every way, you shouldn’t have to pay for it, period. Not all cleaners offer a guarantee. Or, if they do, the guarantee may be “limited”.  Ask the cleaner if he offers a money-back guarantee and then make sure he includes his guarantee on his written quotation.

Tru Clean is a family owned environmentally responsible carpet, tile and upholstery cleaning company with an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and Angie’s List.  We are also an IICRC Rated Firm and less than 2% of all carpet cleaning companies in the world maintain this level of certification.

For a “Higher Standard and a Cleaner Clean” or for more information about Tru Clean , our services and our “No Smile – No Charge” guarantee please visit us online at www.trucleansurfacecare.com or call us any time at 239-541-4888.

Services Offered:  Carpet Cleaning, Oriental Rug Cleaning, Area Rug Cleaning, Wool Rug Cleaning, Silk Rug Cleaning, Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Mattress Cleaning, Pet Urine and Odor Removal, Cigarette Odor Control, Upholstery Cleaning and Leather Cleaning

Cities Serviced:  Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Sanibel, Lehigh Acres, North Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Estero, Bonita Springs, Naples, Marco Island, Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda Fl.