NEVER search out a cleaning company via coupon sites

I made a huge business mistake in July, 2010.  I ran a 50% off cleaning coupon.  I won’t discuss it in depth here. GO HERE if you want to know about the blow-by-blow and the end result. But suffice it to say, it was a disaster on numerous levels.

The goal of this particular article is to actually warn consumers against using coupon companies to find cleaning companies.

You get what you pay for – That’s an old saying but it has withstood the test of time.  Sure, you can find some company to clean your 3,000 square foot house for dirt cheap, but there are some considerations:   Is it a real company?     I know of at least one company that was hiring undocumented workers and day workers from off the street to process their coupons.

Considerations:

• Has any training been provided to the employees who will be entering your home?
• Have any background checks been run on the employees who will be entering your home?  If not, a rapist, pedophile, thief or even murderer could end up in your home around you, your children, and your valuables—-all in the name of saving a few bucks.
• Does the company hold any insurance?  If not, what happens if one of their workers gets hurt in your home?  Are you aware you could be sued?

Without insurance, who pays for theft or damage that may occur in your home by the company that you hired from a coupon?  Are you under the impression that the coupon companies check the companies out?  Think again!  I ran a coupon and no one checked me or my company out!

Why do companies run bargain basement coupons?

I’ll tell you why I did it.  In 2010, coupons were the new rage—the new fad, and I wanted to jump on the bandwagon.  I thought for certain that I’d instantly sign up a group of new clients.  Not so. People who are attracted to bargain basement coupons generally are not interested in ongoing cleanings. They simply want their home cleaned every once in a while for as cheaply as possible.

I’d never do it again.  But there are companies that run coupons back-to-back.  Have you ever wondered why a company would keep running coupons and how they would even find the time to keep running them?

Simple.  They are weak, financially strapped, fledgling companies that are in danger of going bankrupt.  They are attempting to make their living by running coupons.  Problem is, coupons lose money for companies. Those who keep running coupons are doing so because they know if they ever stop, they will have to close shop.

Customer service goes out the window

I sold so many coupons that my goal for an entire year was to fulfill coupons.  Customer service became a joke.  It was like dealing with cattle, quite frankly.  With 1,400 coupons sold, employees were worn out.  I was worn out.  And customer service was the last thing on my mind.  And because it was obvious that less than 1% of those who purchase the coupons will ever book, I got to a point where my only goal was to get them out of the way.

I know I’m not the only company that ended up in such a situation.  Coupons are cold and impersonal.  Not a good idea to purchase them if you want 5 star treatment.

Loooong waits

In my company’s case, there was always a 3 month waiting list for an appointment.  And that’s another issue with coupons.  With few exceptions, you generally will have a long wait in the process.

I was looking at a local forum recently and saw the following quote:

Join Groupon or Living Social! They often run deals on cleaning services

As a company that has run such a “deal”, I don’t see it as a deal at all.  Read the reviews of companies that have run the coupons.  Many people are not happy with the service they received.  But what exactly did they expect?  They paid $35 or $49 for a bargain basement coupon. What made them think that they would receive royal treatment? With few exceptions, it will never happen.  Even the employees grow to resent dealing with the coupon homes.  And so there is turnover and people who purchase the coupons end up with inexperienced cleaning techs in their homes.

I had many unhappy coupon customers. But there was nothing I could do about it, given the abnormal number of coupons our company had to fulfill. And quite frankly, I had reached a point where I no longer cared.  I simply wanted the “coupon people” as I eventually dubbed them, out of my life.  That sounds cold, but it’s true.  And most companies that sell many coupons grow to feel that way, especially once they discover that they will not gain any lasting clients from the deal.

Here is the long and short of it.  You don’t go to a fast food restaurant looking for a five star meal.  And you don’t go to a vegetarian restaurant searching for meat.  So why would you go to a coupon service to find a top quality cleaning establishment?

I am embarrassed that I ever allowed my company to take part in such a fiasco and losing proposition.  Under no circumstances would I ever participate in another coupon offering.  My advice.  Steer clear of coupon companies as it pertains to finding a decent service.  Will you pay a little more with a regular company?  Of course you will.  But you get what you pay for and you won’t find steak and lobster in a fast food establishment.  Likewise, don’t expect to find great, customized service when you are one of thousands who purchased a coupon.  Can someone say “cattle call?”…

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NOTE: This article somehow has caused an influx of calls and emails from owners/representatives of coupon companies who want me to advertise with them to prove that they are different. No, thanks. Please do not contact my company, as we will not speak with you.  With very few exceptions, the type of people attracted to coupons are the opposite of the clients we are attempting to service. They are buying coupons because they cannot afford full priced, ongoing service—-and that’s fine, but that’s not what we are in search of.  So don’t contact us.  We will never run another coupon. Period.