No, it's not the title of a B grade movie, but maybe it should have been. I attended a cleaning seminar put on by one of the local supply houses, and felt like I had entered the lion's den. A few of them believed it was their professional duty to set me straight by advising that encapping was just an interim cleaning method, and should only be marketed that way. That because the foaming only took place at the top of the carpet fibers, that's where the only 'cleaning' took place. That encapping didn't really get down to the dirt at the base of the carpet. One guy, who said his company does some encapping and admitted customers liked the results, advised it was the most effective method he knew of for moving dirt around. That it was all 'smoke-and-mirrors', and there was no evidence the harden crystals encasing the soil were actually removed by vacuuming. Needless to say, I felt a little patronized, and minimized by the end of the seiminar. Maybe this assault on our tried-and-true cleaning method is one for Rick to respond to, so we all have a little more ammo ready for the next 'Attack of the Steam Cleaners'.

True Blue Steam Cleaners can be cultishly loyal to their favored method.

I found this to be the case attending classes with HWE guys years ago, back when I was still running Chemstractors. At first I was offended at their close minded attitude toward a system that was working well on our commercial accounts. But then I figured it was better that way. Let em stay in the dark if they want to. More business for me. No need to add more local competition. Just scowl and tell them... "No Soup For You!"



Rick Gelinas
encapman

I agree Rick.

I have promoted this system extensively.

I also have been laughed at, (especially since I have been doing HWE for so long).

But I don't care, I just say, 'fair enough, it's not for everyone, & for that I am glad'.

I still do HWE, when I need to.

But now, I figure, the less in my town that know about it, the better.

More Oscar Ash in my claw to satisfy the hip pocket nerve.

SORRY, translation for you guys,

More cash in my hand to satisfy the wallet.

Cheers,

Shorty.

I use HWE everyday in homes, and agree with Rick and Shorty. I was curious at first until I talked to Rick and bought the Cimex. Now I could care less what other cleaners think. I am landing many more commerical jobs by being able to price more competively, and so far all of my clients have loved the Cimex/Releasit results. Just laugh at them and cash the checks.

agreed.

Steve, i question your sanity for pointing out to your competition the secret of Encap!

blabber mouth!

--- Derek.

I used to be one of those steam clean or nothing guys. However, like life, times and technology change. We now use encap on all our commercial accounts and HWE all Residential.

Something did happen to me this week where I was asked to bid on cleaning a physical therapy clinic. When I arrived the lady had already received bids from others and she quickkly wanted to know how big my TM was and how many horsepower it has and how hot the water got. She told me that she wanted the most powerful TM to do the job. I quickly thought to myself that I would save the encap shock for her until after I got the account. I figure I can clean it once with my TM and when the spots come back then she will call and I will take the Cimex over there and fix it and then she will ask for the Cimex from now on.

Kevin Pearson

I had a local comp drop in at a job I was doing with my trusty little cimex. I suppose he was trying to "make conversation" in front of the client by saying he'd heard of encap before and heard that it "was okay for interim cleaning." I stopped and told them both that it was actually a great stand-alone system in many cases and that I'd put it up against his TM any day of the week on a job of his choosing. (He'd really p***ed me off by his extreme lack of ethics and professionalism.) The client looked at the comp for a reply and the comp just kinda laughed. So I said, "Are you laughing because you think it's a joke or because I've taken four accounts away from you with this method in the past 6 months." The guy left. I still have the account and was later referred to a business aquaintance of the client. HWE definitely has a strong, valid and well-earned place in our industry. But HWE was new at one time as well. Now encapping is here and is quickly earning it's place. I ran a TM for years before starting my own biz and I know it's strengths and weaknesses. I also know how "most" folks actually perform their HWE. And I'm passionate about what I do. So any steamer that cares to confront me -- ESPECIALLY ON ONE OF MY JOBS! -- will be dealt with in a not-very-polite way. Forgive the rambling, it's just that I think we've all experienced this and it tends to get me all riled up.

All methods have thier place and no one method is right for every job.
sooner people learn this the sooner they make more money and have a larger client base

I have had the same problem with HWE guys.

I guess if you spend as much money on a TM as they do, when all it cost me was about $3000.00 to start with the Cimex you would not look at things in a clear mind either.

There is a place for all methods, I would think.

People need to have an open mind on this stuff and not mock what they don't understand.

Rick, you were the main person who talked up "encapsulation" a few years back, you didn't keep a competitive advantage under your hat very long as I remember.


as far as a stand alone method of cleaning it's the cleaning compound that encapsulates, not the method. it has to be used with some type of exsisting equipment such as a rotary (175/300, cimex, chemstractor, op) counter rotating brush (Host, GLS, GEM)

to sell it as an advancement in chemical technology would be the most honest approach when informing the customer/client what you plan to use to either bring their carpets back from the grave or keep the just installed new look.


i have been told by a reliable source of a major mill who's in charge of product care on a daily basis that a new carpet that has never been touched by another cleaning compound that an encapsulator could and does keep carpet looking new if a vacuuming schedule and monthly cleaning schedule is adheared too.


Danny

Danny,

You're right...
"Rick, you were the main person who talked up "encapsulation" a few years back, you didn't keep a competitive advantage under your hat very long as I remember."

Danny I felt relatively safe telling the "world" about encapsulation. But I've gotta confess I was nervous when I got a call early on from a LOCAL cleaner about 10 minutes from my home asking about the Cimex/Releasit system. Well I went ahead and did a demo for him. He actually had the nerve to buy my demo machine right there on the spot :O)

Well that was a few years ago, and his presence hasn't pushed my cleaning company out of business yet. And since then a couple of other very serious guys in my service area have also purchased Cimex machines and are now using Releasit too. I guess there's enough business for all of us, because oddly enough we're all getting along just fine.

I'm comfortable having a few of these local guys as friends in the business. I wouldn't want to convince my entire market to jump on the commercial band wagon. But I doubt that's going to happen anyway. Yet I suppose if it did, things would probably continue to work out OK. Just think, how many guys in your town use a truckmount? - Just about all of them. They all compete with essentially the same tool. So in the end, it comes down to how we run our businesses and serve our customers that becomes the real deciding factor in our clients minds. Nevertheless, I'm still happy to have this corner of the universe relatively to myself here in my market. A few guys in the Tampa Bay area with Cimex machines hasn't even made a ripple in the pond.




Rick Gelinas
encapman

I kind of like the fact that most of the hwe only guys are so Hard headed.It has gotten to the point where it is a true competive advantage to just be open minded,willing to listen and investigate what is working for others.When a guy buys a $45,000-$92,000 rig(truck and equipment), and you can spend $3000-$8000,operate out of a mini van or suv (if you must to start) who has the competive advantage(cost of capital wise and operating expense wise as well).It is only a matter of time before it all catches up with those guys.In the last 3-4 years all the guys I have watched go under,are folks that have allowed their business to become a fixed cost business.Anyone want to buy my LAST truckmount?