There are hundreds and thousands of carpet cleaning businesses. Most of them are either single operators or maybe two or three staff operators. Some, a few, deliver quality results but many do not. At the other end of the spectrum there are the big boys who are often just marketing enterprises with a string of ever changing franchisees who sign up to a “big name” in order to get work and the benefit of large scale marketing back up. In the middle ground lay the small, select number of privately owned, responsible companies with loyal, well- trained staffs and strong quality control procedures.
When it comes to reviews, be very wary. Many, apparently, “positive” reviews are merely posts by friends and relatives of the particular company owner and posted to give a false impression of quality and service in order to deceive prospective clients. On the “negative” side, posts can be put up by disgruntled ex-employees or industry competitors who have never used a company’s services but try to discredit it with libelous or defamatory statements. This is a growing problem for Google and other review sites. Delivering high quality results that others cannot match can lead to jealousy and underhand responses from less efficient firms.
The safest way to choose a quality carpet and upholstery cleaning company is to research the company thoroughly. Firstly, check out it’s address. Is it real ? Many are not. Many companies post false addresses to try to convince would be clients that they are local businesses. This is very common in London areas. Worse still, no address at all! Avoid such companies at all costs. So, look at Google maps and find out if they have a real business property.
Secondly, check out if they have suitable levels of Public Liability insurance, normally £ 5,000,000. If they cannot produce on request then avoid the company like the plague. If things go wrong you will have no cover.
Next, find out how long their Technicians have been working for the company. How well trained they are ? Some workers have only a few days training when proper training takes several months or more.
Finally, does the company give free, written estimates at a separate, earlier visit before the cleaning Technicians arrive? If they just turn up to do the job, tell them, “no thanks”. This will avoid you being pressured into having work done.
Your home is important to you and so it is important that you select a carpet and upholstery cleaning company that has high standards. This can be checked out by seeing which accolades and endorsements they hold from unquestionable sources. These are the real indicators of quality and ethical working practices So, take care in choosing a carpet and upholstery cleaning company and ensure that your quality soft furnishings get the benefit of quality care.
Testimonials
"You are a genius! Our curtains look fantastic - and the pelmets and tassels so much better than I ever hoped. I can't thank you enough for all the time and attention and extra care you gave them. It did make a huge difference even from the way they looked."
"I wanted to take a moment to say 'Thank You' for making it possible to get my curtains hung the other day. Your technician was extremely experienced, professionally and frankly an all round nice 'Scot'!"
"Very pleased with the result of their cleaning my lounge curtains. French fabric, slightly faded 10 year old linen curtains which they cleaned beautifully and put back up resulting in them looking better than originally hung when new."
"Ian and his team came and rehung the curtains and pelmets. They all look GREAT and I can't thank you enough for all your kindness, attention, and skill - we hope for no further dramas, and to be able to sit in the room and enjoy the results of your labours."
"Today I had the pleasure of one of your employees visiting my house in Richmond. To my shame I did not catch his name. I thought it might have been on the estimate/pro forma but I cannot find it. I just thought you would want to know that I cannot imagine having a friendlier or more knowledgable person. If your other staff are at this level you are a very lucky employer indeed."
"Gregory has done a great job for us. What a great guy!"
"Have used twice for carpet cleaning and once for upholstery cleaning. Very professional."
"I just wanted to let you know how happy I was with the work you recently did for us cleaning rugs and curtains. Your representative Ian was especially good, courteous, efficient, knowledgeable and helpful. I just wanted to pass that on to you, and hopefully you will let him know."
"A note to say thank you for doing such an impressive job in cleaning my bedroom curtains. They look amazing and your service was quick, courteous and efficient. I will definitely recommend you."
"I just wanted to thank you, and your colleagues, for the lovely blinds you made for us. I have been very impressed with all aspects of your service (the speed of your initial response, Gerry's knowledge and approach when he came to measure up and the speed with which you made and delivered the blinds) and we are delighted with the finished products. Please pass our thanks onto your colleagues."
"I just wanted to say thank you so much for arranging the carpet cleaning and for fitting this in the diary so quickly, we really appreciated it. Ray and John have done a great job and I am amazed that the stains in the carpet seem to have vanished!"
"Well I was on site yesterday and Gerry did a fabulous job and the curtains, all things considered, look great. Well done – great job!! Thank you."
"What a pleasure to meet Roger – what an expert and I really appreciate your follow-up and all details. Professionalism in feet and inches… love it"
"I just wanted to thank you again for today. I believe it is Gerry I met and he was absolutely wonderful in re-fitting the curtain and pelmets and extremely helpful."
"I have recently had my lounge suite cleaned, having used your company to clean curtains and a rug last year and was very impressed.The staff on the phone are very friendly and efficient as well as the staff who visited the house,combined with the super quality of service and results and extremely good value, yours is the only Company I would ever use or recommend.Thank you."
"Many thanks. It is always a pleasure to do business with your company. You always do what you say you will do!"
"I just wanted to write to let you know how delighted I was with my curtains. They came back yesterday and two lovely gentlemen took great care in hanging them. The additional blue material has been so beautifully added. The workmanship is of such a high standard. I wanted to express heartfelt thanks for your assistance and to all that worked on them. It just leaves me to wish you and the company continued success. I am sure I will be using your services again."
We had a post builder sparkling clean and the service was exceptional. Nothing was too much trouble, Maria and the team were extremely accommodating, and the house was spotless when they left. We look forward to bringing them onto many projects in the future.
Immaculate service. From booking, through estimating, to cleaning. They have knowledgeable employees who are thorough and care. Amazing results too. They do things correctly, the first time, with the right attitude (which I find isn't often the case here in London!).
My large white curtains and blinds were cleaned, washed and rehung to perfection during November 2020. When Ian, who was extremely helpful, professional, friendly, prompt, and knowledgeable, rehung these in several rooms, they were gleaming white, clean and fresh, just as though they were brand new again. Pilgrim Payne is the tops and Ian is a fine ambassador for such a superb company. MANY THANKS
I always have my curtains and upholstery cleaned by Pilgrim Payne. They do a fantastic job, are reliable and trustworthy. They are not cheap but are worth every penny. In particular I want to praise John who gets out stains that I didn't think were possible to remove. On his recent visit he transformed my 7-year-old white sofa so that it looked like a new purchase! And he magicked away two unsightly spots from a cream curtain. He is Mr Magic Man!!
Great customer service! And very skilled people! This time for my small studio I wanted REAL professional and skilled people to do my cream carpet. And I was most happy to have great service from Chris for estimates and Charlie who did a fabulous job making my carpet come back to life! Money well spent!
Jamie from Pilgrim Payne has just left, and all the rugs look new, thanks to his care and attention. A lovely friendly person to have in the house - and the dog thinks so too.
