The customer remarked on how quickly I arrived.  I said, “Just call us “Checkmate Carpet Cleaning on the spot!”  Then I recommended that she install a Checkmate Omatic button so when she gets a stain all she has to do is push the button and an IICRC carpet cleaning technician will pop out and address any and all her concerns.  She laughed. 

Let’s look at all your wonderful stains, I can’t wait.  We go into the office and low and behold my precious stains were revealed to me.  My challenge has just began, I love it! I explained many carpet cleaners have no education in carpet cleaning, but not Checkmate Carpet Cleaning Portland, Or. We are the experts at any situation because of our training, cleaners, equipment, experince and enthusiasm to help every customer.  After an up close and personal inspection of the the cigarette burns, I explained we only have discoloration on the tips of the fibers and that I have a secret technique to correct this. (Carpet Cleaning Trade Secrets website)

Keep in mind, I will do everything possible to remove all these stains but sometimes they just don’t cooperate no matter what I do and we may need to correct this with a bonded insert.  Many companies do patches but they don’t last. We use a different technique called bonded inserts.  The industry experts have done tests where they have stretched the carpet after a bonded insert was done and the carpet ripped before the bonded insert.  For your rust, I will use a carpet cleaner especially designed for rust and I will agitate to activate the chemistry with proper dwell time, then perform a hot water extraction at 230 degrees.  

However, your kool aid stain  requires a unique treatment because it’s a synthetic stain.  I will be using a carpet cleaner especially formulated for kool aid and will then activate the cleaner with steam.  Additionally,I will be using a special tool for helping in the removal of the kool aid stain. It’s a professional  hand steamer which concentrates all the steam in a central location. 

Your water stain is in a class all it’s own. We will want to go on the acid side and use a carpet cleaner that eliminates the yellowing and soil that has surfaced.  Each stain requires several steps and while I’m here when was the last time you had all your carpets cleaned.  She said two years. Wow it’s been that long!  Did you know all the experts like the IICRC, CRI, EPA and Carpet Manufactures recommend every 6 to 12 months for health reasons and performance of your carpet.  Take that shirt your wearing for instance, would you go 2 years with out washing it?  Of course not.  Well, it’s the same for your carpet. In a perfect world you would clean your carpet every week.  But that’s not practical or in the budget for most people.  Keep in mind your carpet is the largest filter in your home and those pollutants need to be removed regularly.  While I’m here, to make it more cost effective to you why don’t we clean all your carpets?  How much?  I gave her the price and she said, let’s do it.  Great! I will perform the Most Incredible Carpet Cleaning in Portland Or you have ever experienced. 

At the end of the job Praise God! I was able to remove every stain and turn her carpets into a pollutant free masterpiece.  She was so thrilled she asked for several cards to give to family and friends and would like us to clean her office where she works.  She said Checkmate Carpet Cleaning Portland Or is the only carpet cleaning company she will ever use and recommend.

On my way home, I called my wife and shared the adventure I had in carpet cleaning today.  My wife said she loved me and to hurry home – “ I have a steak dinner waiting for my hunk of a man”.  It’s good to be a carpet cleaner!  Remember no matter what you choose to be in life always be yourself and go over and beyond what anyone expects of you.  This will create a lasting impression of you and your company.  Your competition has forgotten what service  is but not you and not CHECKMATE.   Carpet Cleaning Portland Or.

To be continued…………

“When it comes to carpet cleaning………Checkmate!”

We arrived on time which is really important to make an awesome first impression.  I knocked on the door and the customer was looking at me kind of funny.  I confirmed that she was “Mrs. Jones”, my 9am appointment for carpet cleaning and repair in Portland OR.   She said no, with confusion on her face.  I was puzzled because it was the right address on my vancouver wa & portland or carpet cleaning invoice.  Then Dana showed up in his Checkmate Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning van that services Vancouver WA & Portland OR www.checkmatecarpetcleaning.com .  I asked Dana if this  is the house that needs the carpet cleaning repair since he had been there before and he couldn’t remember.  We then figured out that it was the house next door. 

I knocked on the door and the nicest woman answered the door with two of the cutest little girls you ever saw (besides my own daughter of course).  I asked if she was “Mrs. Jones” with the Portland Or carpet cleaning repair and she said “yes I am”.  I took the time to introduce myself and build repore with her and the two little girls.  Also I was greeted by the huge dog that caused the repair, who was freaking out the whole time, driving me crazy.  Thats ok I love dogs and if it wasn’t for this beast I wouldn’t have this great Portland OR carpet cleaning opportunity. 

After getting the customer to feel comfortable with our company,  I told her, I can’t stand it anymore please show me the carpet cleaning repair.  We went upstairs and low and behold there it was, in its’ incredible splendor.  I had to catch my breathe because it was so beautiful.  You had to see it.  As a matter of fact here is a picture.  Count them not one but two gaping holes that cuased a warm feeling of pleasure for me because it was a job.  I love jobs.  My dad always said it is better to work for an honest days pay so you can feel like a man who made a difference in his community than to be a lazy bum on welfare.  People really appriciate a hard worker who makes his living by serving others.  My dad owns the SELLWOOD INN TAVERN in Portland, OR on 17th and Umitilla.  My mom is silly she calls it a Pub & Eatery to make it more appealing to the suiters but it’s really just a bar.  A really nice one.  Check it out at www.sellwoodinn.com if you want to experience a local down to earth, let your hair down bar?  This is the place for you.  I had to plug my dad’s business. Its the least I could do since he worked hard to keep a roof over my head 18 years and when I had to move back in because I thauaght I was going to be a millioniare but instead became in debt with credit cards.  Anyways thats a whole other chapter in my young 20’s life.  I’m not in debt anymore but it took me 20 years to get there (now I’m 40). 

Let’s get back to Mrs. Jones and her hyper dog that hates men with tools.  Oh ya that’s the crazy part I left out, everytime a service guy stops buy to do any work during their home remodel and pulls out a tool the dog freaks.  I thought this won’t happen to me, I’m the dog wisperer.  My idea was to let the dog smell each carpet cleaning repair tool I was about to use.  Sounds brilliant doesn’t it.  It didn’t work.  So the customer threatened to put the dog in the basement the whole time I was working but never did.  I think she loved that dog too much and let it rule the house.  I know how it is, I have a cha wa wa and a boston terrier mix.  I sure can get off on a tangeant back to the carpet cleaning repair.  

So any ways to make a long story short.  I fixed the holes in the carpet and cleaned everything in her home including her upholstery and she loved Checkmate Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning so much she even gave us a reveiw with 5 stars on google maps.  Here it is: Our neurotic dog accidentally locked herself in our master bedroom and, in her panicked state, she dug up a portion of our Berber carpet at the doorway to try to “dig” her way out. We were worried that we would need to replace the carpet in the entire bedroom and hallway. We called Marion’s Carpet, who sold us the carpet, to ask who they recommended for difficult repair jobs. They referred us to Checkmate, and we could not have been happier with the results. They came for a consultation within an hour of my phone call, and returned a few days later to make the repair. The repair looks fantastic, and the technicians were courteous, kind, and even had a sense of humor about our carpetdisaster. We would highly recommend Checkmate to anyone in need of assistance with a repair job.  Until next time, Who is faster than a speeding bullet, able to leep tall buildings in a single bound, its a bird no a plane its Super Carpet Cleaning Man with Checkmate Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning serving Vancouver WA and Portland Or.  To be continued………

I have two great looking websites I get compliments on all the time, a working store that makes me money, both websites are ranked well on Google and I’ve paid right around or less than 3 grand.  I know a good deal, and that is one of the best I’ve had in my entire life, especially given the already GREAT return on my investment.

For business owners who want to be agressive towards growth, look and feel great on the web, and use their website for sales and lead generation, I recommend Northwest eSource!  Thanks Charles!

Web Design in Portland

Thanks again to everyone for another great year. We could not have done it without you and your support. It is true friends and loyalty, such as yours, that keep us doing what we love - taking care of your needs. It is our greatest pleasure to service you. 

As we continue to grow and extend our service area, we appreciate your continued support and recommendations to your friends, family and co-workers of our services. It is our promise to you to serve you and your referrals with the utmost of professionalism.

We are looking forward to servicing all of your cleaning and restoration needs for 2009 and many more years to come. Thanks again and we hope to see you soon!

**Don’t forget to visit our website at www.CheckmateCarpetCleaning.com for a complete list of our current specials.

***Gold Members…Remember to book your next appointment soon to take advantage of the additional 5% off savings.

From all of us at Checkmate…

Here’s something special just for you…

2 For 1 Christmas Special!!

We love to work for you! To show our appreciation

during this holiday season we’re offering a 2 for 1 Christmas Special!

We’ll clean your home before AND after

your friends and family come over for the holidays!

All you need to do is schedule a cleaning before December 31^st

and purchase minimum of $300 in services and we’ll return during

the month of January to touch-up any areas we cleaned for ONLY $49.00*

To schedule your 2 for 1 Christmas Special call our office at:

Vancouver (360) 910.3100 or Portland (503) 317.6413

or schedule online at: CheckmateCarpetCleaning.com

*Official Rules: Limited time offer. Offer not valid with any other offers. Must purchase a minimum of $300 to qualify.

$49 re-service must be done during the month of January.

To our friends and customers:

Each year during the holiday season, we take great pleasure in setting aside our regular work and sending a heartfelt message to all our best friends and customers.

How joyful we are that this time has come again to extend our sincere gratitude because it is good friends and customers like you that make our business possible.

There is no time more appropriate than this to say Thank You and to wish you a very Merry Christmas. May your holiday be filled with joy and the coming year be overflowing with all the good things in life.

A world of thanks!

Sincerely,

The Grijalva Family and your Checkmate Team

It all began for me in the 80’s.  Life was great until my mom and dad started Checkmate Janitorial, “the company that defeats all others“. That is when my life became a living nightmare. When I was fifteen, my parents woke me up at 5:00am each morning, before school, so I could clean toilets and mop floors. Not only that but I also I had to work after school and often times in the middle of the night. So much for having a life! Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse my mom came home with a big blue box. She informed me that this wonderful machine was for carpet cleaning. After paying $500 for this hunk of junk she was very motivated to schedule me for even more work. I wanted to change places with anyone in the world at that moment. My nightmare lasted five years. When we left southern California to move to Oregon, we left Checkmate Janitorial behind forever… or so I thought.

Thirteen years later, I came home from work as a Stock Broker Recruiter (I loved that title; it sounds so cool and important). As I came through the door, my wife couldn’t wait to tell me all about our new neighbor who has a carpet cleaning business and makes a lot of money. She was talking to him about starting a business in the service industry and they thought a blind cleaning business might be just the ticket. Thank God – I thought she was going to try to talk to me about carpet cleaning. “Let’s meet John at the cleaning supply company tomorrow and we can get some more information,” she said, and I reluctantly agreed.  At the meeting John talked about blind cleaning and I listened, but then the conversation took a 360 turn towards a truck mounted carpet cleaning system. By the end of the conversation he somehow managed to make carpet cleaning look like it could possibly be a good business for us.

Next thing I knew I had a truck mounted carpet cleaning van in my driveway and NO customers. Two weeks later l lost my job. I took it as a sign that God must want me to start moving forward on building a carpet cleaning business. Against my will, my wife dragged me to a free seminar we got with our truck mount. I soon took every IICRC course that was available. I became a carpet cleaning information addict.

Eight years later we have three thousand residential customers, four Prochem truck mounted vans, one estimating vehicle, a corporate office, three Checkmate locations (Vancouver, Washington & Beaverton and Clackamas, Oregon) and we have a sister company CarpetCleaningTradeSecrets.  We are recommended by over 40 carpet stores, real estate agents, interior designers, builders, Street of Dreams & Parade of Homes. I have been invited to be on over twelve TV shows at no charge, four radio shows.

IICRC Certified in these areas: Carpet Cleaning, Water Damage, Odor Control, Upholstery Cleaning, Repair Reinstallation, Color Repair, Master Textile, Master Restorer and Senior Practicing Carpet Inpector.

Our carpet cleaning company goes above and beyond most Portland and Vancouver carpet cleaners as we are experts in re-stretches, repairs, patches, pulled rows, stains, pet and flood damage, bleach spots and more.