I started getting serious about rug cleaning in the last year, learning a lot about it and building up a decent amount of equipment in our shop for it to be a functional and respectable "rug spa". I have not advertised or setup the website, I just merely tell the CC customers I have that have oriental rugs that I offer it. So up till now I usually would only do a couple a week, and the most I've ever had in the shop at once is 4, and I found just four got confusing who's was who's, well threw some strategic word placement on a small add I have I just got 13 rugs to come in all at once in just Friday! This same add will be out for a week, I could have 20-40, who knows. If I don't come up with a system for tagging and tracking these things I'm gonna screw up who's is who's and when they will be done.. What's the best way for this?
I don't do area rugs, I tried and couldn't do a quality job without the setup. I sub them out to a plant and split the income. What about taking pictures of the rugs with a handwritten sign in the picture?
we always used a safety pin to pin a card to the back of the fringe with the customer info on it. I don't know how it would hold up to a submersion cleaning. I bet Lisa Wagner would have the answer if you give her a call. I like the picture idea too, we always took before and after pictures in case there was ever any questions as to pre-existing conditions that were not fixable. Take the before picture in the customers home before you pick it up.
I have used cardboard tags and tags that are like tyvek. We put ID numbers on it and it worked fine. They had wire which we would poke through the rug and then twist ti its mate. a sharpie pen on cardboard worked fine and lasted through submersion washing. We ordered from Chatelbash in New York. On the tyvek type tags we used a gun inserted plastic tab, Wire is a touch slower but I liked it better. it was stronger. Best wishes, Barry http://www.PersianCarpetGuide.com
Barry (SpongoBongo) is the be-all, end-all, on a discussion concerning rugs. If he says something, listen. We used the Tyvek labels, and had a little gun with plastic tabs like the ones that hold the price tag on clothes. Work the needle 'tween the warp and weft fibers (Make sure to go BETWEEN, and not THROUGH), and click it. Then the Tyvek tag was on there. Use a sharpie to write cust last name and rug number 1 of 1, 3 of 8, whatever. Keep corresponding documentation describing the rug.
I thought spongo was good, that's was the thing, I don't want to pierce the rugs, but maybe thatll work.
You're not piercing the rugs. You're actually going to great lengths to not pierce the rug with my method. The little clicker-gun has a hollow needle on it. Lift up the back of the rug, and work the needle slowly through. It will push the warp and weft fibers aside, allowing the needle to penetrate without piercing. No damage to the rug at all. Then you pull the trigger, and one end of the little plastic tab is pushed through and out the hollow part of the needle, leaving it with one end of the tab on each side of the rug. No damage to the rug. VOILA! Eet eez a beautimous thing!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Garment-Pri...215?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35b8a17717 That is what I use with Tyvek tags. Got mine at the local carpet supply store - you need a heavy duty one with extra needles. Put cust name - invoice # and phone # on it. Stick it through the rug - won't so any damage. I brought all the rugs into the "dirty" zone of my shop - inspected and dusted them there. Any with pee stayed there to be dealt with later. After that they got moved to the cleaning area - dried - then put on a rack with the tags facing out. I know of one company that does 100's of rugs - they have racks that are lettered and numbered so that when places in the rack they will write "D-7" on the paperwork so the know what section they are sitting in. Just make sure if you have lets say 3 rugs from one cust you put 1/3, 2/3, 3/3 on the tags so if you deliver them you won't leave one at the shop.
We do what Joseph does - Tyvek rug tags, price gun to run plastic connecters (we do 3 per tag), and Sharpie so the ink will not bleed. We write down date in, invoice number, rug number, and client name - and on the back of the tag any special instructions. We get all of our rug products over at Material Concepts. Lisa
We use barcoded tags. We put everything in excel and outlook. Customer is assigned a rug ID number which is written on their invoice. They can always call in the office and provide that number and receive the status on their rugs. We also take HD video of each rug before and after wash, just in case... Sounds like that ad was a hit. Would you be willing to share a little bit on what you did?
About 10 years ago a Pittsburgh restorer got scammed. He washed a rug and then after he returned the rug the customer went to the DA and said that he stole her valuable rug and switched it with a rug worth 1/10 of the value of her rug. The restorer who was an elderly man went to court and told the truth and got convicted of a felony theft charge. At that point his son got involved and I got in to it. Using the receipt and their evidence we got an engineer who proved the valuable rug in the picture in evidence could not be the rug in the invoice. The judge rendered a judgment of Nolle Prosse and my friend was released. Add up the lawyer’s bill, the expert witness, the cost of having this played out in the Pittsburgh newspapers and TV. Now add in lost reputation and the stress to an old man. It could have been prevented with a picture but almost everyone I know feels it can not happen to them and taking a picture is a pain. Best wishes, Barry http://www.PersianCarpetGuide.com
Yep, and it was what I was originally leaning toward but I wanted to ask what everyone else may do, I thought id get raked over the coals for suggesting to pierce the rug with a tag gun, but since many have endorsed it I'll try it out. I picked up 5 More rugs today so I gotta get rolling.
Man you guys sound high tech!! Wow. I'm highly rated on Angie's list, and atleast in Indy where A.L. Started the members know you are top quality when your on there, front page (which costs a crap load of $$) and have about 100 straight A reviews and win super service awards every year, I just was awarded 4 awards In different categories! So I just posted a week lo g coupon for half off oriental rug cleaning in our "rug spa" and in come the flood. I still uphold my 100.00 minimum, so I'm getting anywhere from 100-300 per rug that comes in this week. But I'm mostly doing it to raise awareness.
Angies List sounds like it works really well for people who are using it. I rarely find customers who are active users on Angies List and thus it is hard to gain attention on there...Kudos to you for that accomplishment!
I got the chance to look around the operation where I take my rugs the other day. They use the price gun and Tyvek tag as well.
