QJS Services

The Duct Cleaning Scam

WarningEarlier this year, due to our constant growth, I had to interview numerous candidates for a Duct and Carpet Cleaning Technician position.

During interviews I’m always reminded about how the majority of our industry works and it’s structured. It strengthens my commitment to continue to create a culture within QJS that is both beneficial and successful for our customers, technicians and lastly, our company.

Here is a peek at one of these job interviews.

This nice gentleman came from a company that charged only $99 for duct cleaning and was also part of one the cold calls program (annoying phone calling, often at dinner time, frequently using a foreign calling service)

Here are some of his statements, and our comments about how they differ from QJS’ values (italized)

  1. “If the customer was paying only $99 I was to be in and out within 30 to 45 minutes”

If they are only charging $99, they are not charging enough for quality work. QJS will come for 2 to 3 hours depending on household size. QJS uses the largest and strongest duct truck in the Durham Region.

  1. “I would only do the hot air trunk and vents, not the cold air returns (note: there are more contaminants in the cold air returns)

No SOPs (Standard Operational Procedures), QJS performs an unparalleled 27 Steps Duct Cleaning Process to ensure consistency and quality done by a properly trained technician.

  1. “ Only if they paid $300+ I did it right”

Wrong corporate culture! At QJS we always set out to do it right the first time. It comes from the top down. If the owner doesn’t care about the customer, the technicians won’t either.

  1. “I sold Sanitizing and Deodorizing but I only sprayed a deodorizer, the customer didn’t know the difference”

Lack of knowledge on the part of the customer! Sanitizing is only of value if done right. QJS uses a 15 Step Sanitizing and Deodorizing Process (QJS uses a natural bio-botanical sanitizer) to truly improve the indoor quality of your home.

  1. “I feel bad about ripping people off”

Ethics need to be taught at a corporate level and reinforced with a company’s Vision, Mission and Core Values Statements that are backed up and enforced by management.

  1. “I got paid a percentage of what I billed so the faster I went, the more I made. Results did not matter”

Pay structure matters. A percentage payout is gold for techs and a company; but bad for customers. Technicians become motivated by money but not by customer satisfaction and optimum results.

  1. “People want a cheap job, they do not want to pay to do the job right”

In some cases this statement might be right but many people (our clients) want good value for their money. If people understood the cost benefit in Duct Cleaning, $99 is NOT A BARGAIN! and definitely not by soliciting telemarketers or group purchasing programs (Groupon, Wagjag, etc).

 This gentleman would do 8 to 10 jobs a day. QJS does 2 to 4. He makes great money for himself and his company but the customers pay the price and so does our industry!QJS Duct Truck

Needless to say, this gentleman was not a fit for our company!

At QJS we are structured for a 3 tier success:

  • Our Customers
  • Our Technicians
  • Our Company

This gives us raving customers, long term technician loyalty and a stable, long term company you can rely on.

Leave the Health of your Home in our Hands!

Kevin Casey