December 2015 january 2016

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ncca

Features:

The Service Industry Independent Inspectors Consumer Rights Act 2015

December 2015/January 2016

The official journal of the National Carpet Cleaners Association

Contents

Published monthly by:

03 From the Editor: Get prepared for the Christmas rush!

The National Carpet Cleaners Association, 62c London Road, Oadby, Leicestershire, LE2 5DH. Tel: 0116 271 9550 E-mail: admin@ncca.co.uk Website: www.ncca.co.uk

03 Notice: Membership renewals 2016/17 04 From the President 06 The service industry - how green is your grass?

Editor Nicky Law

08 Consumer Rights Act 2015 - are you compliant?

Editor in Chief Keith Robertson Design Editor Nikki Law

12 Add-on sales 14 Jingle Bells 16 Experience isn’t everything 17 Help to stamp out logo misuse 18 Independent inspectors 20 A stitch in time...

22 Time off for good behaviour? A review of the new sentencing guidelines Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Association or it’s officers or members. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the statements within this publication, we cannot accept responsibility for any errors, or omissions, or matters arising from any clerical or printing errors, and whilst every care is taken of manuscripts and photographs submitted to us, we can accept no responsibility for any loss or damage. ©Carpet Cleaners Association Ltd 1994 (Trading as the National Carpet Cleaners Association). No part of this Newsletter may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the Carpet Cleaners Association Ltd.

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President/Admin Director Nigel Lay Technical Director Paul Pearce Company Secretary/1st Vice President/ Training Director Glyn Charnock Corporate Director/2nd Vice President Allan Simmons Membership Director Martin Johns Marketing Director Keith Robertson Director Dave Wheadon www.facebook.com/nicky.law.315 www.twitter.com/NCCA_floorcare_

From the Editor: Get prepared for the Christmas rush!

T

he run up to Christmas is a very busy time for many carpet cleaning companies, and you are probably already rushed off your feet with customers preparing their homes for the festive season.

You will, no doubt, be just as busy during the actual holidays too. There always seems to be a lot more spillages during Christmas and New Year: red wine, food, soft drinks, tea, coffee and animal stains to name but a few.

So... if stain removal isn't a significant part of your business, and especially if you haven't attended a specialist spot and stain treatment and removal

course in a while, it may be wise to brush up on your skills before they are needed.

Practice on some carpet and upholstery fabric samples. Pour as many (likely) staining products on as Nicky Law Newslink Editor many samples as you can. Leave them for a few days and then try and remove the stains (without causing damage of course).

Getting lots of practice will ensure that you are well prepared, and you will be much more confident and able to deal with the disasters that the festive season may throw at you.

Notice: Membership renewals 2016/17

M

embership renewal notices and invoices for 2016/2017 will be sent at the end of March 2016, being due for payment by May 1st 2016. The membership fees will remain at £225 + VAT. As stated in The Articles of Association: “Any Member wishing to resign from the Company shall give 60 clear days' notice of his intended resignation in writing to the Secretary and at the expiry of such notice shall cease to be a member, but in default of giving such notice, at least 60 clear days before the expiry of the current year, such member shall be liable to pay the subscription for the ensuing year”.

If you are experiencing difficulties or considering not renewing your membership please contact us.

We never like to hear that a member has decided they no longer plan to be part of the NCCA, and we would like to work with you to do all we can to assist.

The introduction of a Direct Debit service through a company called GoCardless has proven to be very popular, with 33% of the membership choosing this method of payment. The advantage of using Direct Debit is that once it has been set up, the facility will remain in place unless it is cancelled, taking the worry out of remembering to pay subscription fees. We will write to you at the end of each membership year reminding you of your renewal and that payments will be deducted automatically via Direct Debit. You can choose to spread the payment of your subscription fees over a number of months (a maximum of six) or in one single payment. If you do not wish to renew your membership for the coming year, notice must be put in writing to the Company Secretary before the 31st January 2016.

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Please note, this item is legally enforceable.

As you may have noticed, this year we have started requesting proof of insurance as your policies expire in order to save you time when renewing your membership. If you have supplied this information already when requested, many thanks, otherwise we will still need to receive proof of your Public Liability insurance, including Treatment Risk or Products Liability, when paying your subscription fees. To aid in swift processing of

From the President

T

Nigel Lay

he NCCA is run by a Board of Directors elected from within the membership, who work hard on a voluntary basis to maintain standards and make further improvements to the Association.

At the NCCA General Meeting (GM)* this year I asked if there were any members present who would like to put themselves forward to join us, and I would like to reiterate now that we are always looking for 'new blood' and still have positions to fill on the Board if you are interested.

Whilst I have an excellent Board of directors, who work well as an integrated team, we are always looking to strengthen our position and are seeking members who could bring additional skillsets to enhance the advancement of the Association.

So, what does being an NCCA Director entail?

Well, the Board of Directors usually meet every three months to discuss the aims and ambitions of the Association and to monitor and evaluate

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your renewal, please make sure you send all the correct required documentation.

With the exception of Associate Members, all those who have not yet completed a full year of membership will still be receiving a subscription invoice sent at renewal time. The fee will have been reduced in respect of how long you have been a member. Payment of this invoice will bring your renewal in line with the rest of the membership and your renewal year will run from April to April from then on.

progress on projects that are being undertaken.

This could be anything from the annual Carpet Cleaners Carnival to the introduction of the new CRM system for the office (which will be coupled in the near future with the new review website).

Some additional time will also be required to help implement plans that you may be involved with.

So, what do you need to do if you are interested?

Well, initially you would need to register your interest with the NCCA office. The next step would be to attend a Board meeting to see how we work and what we are seeking to achieve.

So... if you feel that you could make a positive contribution, or have a particular skillset that you could share with others, then please get in touch.

Finally, I would like to wish all our readers and their families a peaceful Christmas and a very prosperous New Year. * For any members who were unable to attend the GM this year, you can download the minutes and reports from the meeting via the NCCA website Members Area.

The service industry - how green is your grass?

Cecil Aigin (Honorary Member)

I

remember a conversation I had, many years ago, with a friend who was in fashion retailing. I remarked to him that I envied his type of business you buy an item, sell it… end of story. In the carpet cleaning industry we require our clients to entrust their valuable rugs and carpets to us. We take on the responsibility to remove ingrained soiling and stains, to return the items without having caused damage or deterioration, and to meet all the client's expectations.

My friend's response was that he had the problems of predicting fashion (and the weather!) a year in advance. He suffered the risk of unsold stock and of disposing of it at considerably reduced prices. “I envy you in the service industry” he said. It really is, no doubt, a question of someone else's 'grass being greener'!

I consider that my friend had a point however; we do not need to be clairvoyant in predicting the weather and we do not suffer from ‘dead stock’ caused by fashion change.

However, although we have the advantage of not holding costly (possibly unsellable) stock, we are still in the responsible position of looking after other people's goods, so we must make certain

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The grass isn’t always greener on the other side, but it is greener where you water it!

that our procedures are cast iron and that we take pride in the work we carry out. We should always leave a premises 'fit for use' and not expect our client to vacuum up the last particles of fluff and replace furniture in its original position.

Our pre-inspection must be exacting, because it is at this initial stage that we plan the success of the work (and limit our liability) by deciding on the procedures that will create the best and safest possible results.

A meticulously carried out pre-inspection will expose weakness and damage which may deteriorate further, regardless of the care and attention we pay in processing. Most importantly, at this early stage, we are able to make the

decision to decline the work if we are not entirely confident that it can be carried out safely.

Inspection records must be recorded, cross referenced, and maintained in an easily recoverable system so that information on previously cleaned or declined items may be quickly accessed.

Never oversell the results of your work. Pleasant surprise is always better than disappointment when reality falls short of the client’s expected results.

But, essentially, because we are in a service industry, we are unable to demonstrate the success of our work until it is carried out. We do not have a finished product that we can present to our clients. Therefore, in order to obtain work we must present ourselves and our business in such a way that our prospective clients will have the utmost confidence in allowing us to take care of their valued possessions.

The provision of information should be reliable and prompt. A smart personal appearance is essential and our vehicles and equipment should be maintained in pristine condition.

Take time to discuss those stains that may not be removed. Indicate areas of wear that will be more evident following the removal of soil matter, (never mention ‘dirt’). When applicable obtain 'owners risk' in writing, never by word of mouth, memories may be very short.

Our clients require us to demonstrate a commitment to satisfying their every need. In other words, the service we provide needs to be at the highest possible level.

Most importantly (and I know I repeat myself from previous articles), inform clients of the benefits of employing an NCCA member.

I once heard a very prominent speaker at an American cleaning conference end his keynote speech with the following statement…“Be proud of what you do because you always leave a premises more beautiful than you found it”.

If we take pride in the work we carry out and always leave a premises “more beautiful than we found it” our 'grass' will most certainly be greener than in many other industries.

Latest TrustMark Statistics Since its launch in April last year, the category of Carpet and Upholstery Cleaners on the TrustMark website has been searched a total of 115,916 times!

TrustMark membership within the Carpet and Upholstery Cleaners category is ONLY available to NCCA members. So, put simply, that's over 115,916 times NCCA members' company details have been searched by consumers looking for a carpet and upholstery cleaner on the TrustMark website!

How to apply for TrustMark membership To see joining criteria go to ‘Benefits and Schemes’ in the members’ area of the NCCA website.

If you would like to apply to become a TrustMark member please ring the NCCA office on 0116 271 9550 or email: admin@ncca.co.uk

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Consumer Rights Act 2015 - are you compliant?

Glyn Charnock

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id you know that on the 1st October 2015 the new Consumer Rights Act came in to force?

If your reaction is “So what, it doesn't affect me”, then I am sorry but you are mistaken. The Act applies to EVERY business trading directly with consumers.

So what has changed? Actually, not too much. The new legislation has clarified consumers' rights, streamlining eight pieces of legislation into one place. The law is now clearer and easier to understand, meaning that consumers can ‘buy’ and businesses can ‘sell’ to them with confidence. On the rare occasions when problems arise, you will be able to sort out disputes more quickly and cheaply. The changes are relevant to ALL consumers and every business which sells directly to consumers.

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The most important part of the legislation for carpet cleaners is the bit covering ‘services’, and the following is a summary of the important points.

The Contract Be aware that different legislation and different rules may apply to contracts you have made before 1st October 2015. In most cases there will be little difference in the practical steps required by both yourself and the customer in resolving a complaint, but in some cases they may be significant. For example, there may be some cases where a customer has the right to reject goods under an older contract

even if they would not have the same right under a newer contract.

When a customer agrees that you carry out the work, you are BOTH entering into a legally binding contract. It is essential that both parties agree with the proposed work in order for it to be binding - failure to comply with the terms is a breach of contract and the person committing the breach normally has to correct it in some way.

You don't need to have a written contract but it is advisable to have any key terms, such as price and standard of work and completion dates, in writing so that there can be no dispute at a later date. The consumers 'statutory rights' are 'implied terms', meaning that they exist within the contract even if there is no reference to them. These rights cannot be cancelled.

There are some circumstances where the customer will have an automatic right to a cooling off period at the start of the contract, such as a contract made in the consumers home (off premises) or by telephone (distance communication). This is under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013.

Implied Terms If you are supplying a service to a customer, you must meet the following standards: 타Carry out the service with reasonable care and skill. To avoid disagreements with the customer, it is advisable to clearly state where a particular result has been agreed and where there might

be a risk of not being able to achieve that result. 타Provide verbal or written information to your

customer on which they can then rely. This includes quotations and any promises about timescales or results to be achieved. 타Carry out the service for a reasonable price. 타Carry out the service within a reasonable time.

Remedies If you supply services that fail to meet the required standards (as stated above), you are expected to put things right. The customer is entitled to have the service redone or to have the price reduced. The remedies can be thought of as stages and they are flexible and can be used as agreed by both parties during any negotiation.

Repeat Performance - If the service that you have carried out has not been in compliance with the 'statutory rights' (implied terms) the customer can ask you to redo the work. Once agreed, the work must be done within a reasonable time, at no cost to the customer and without significant inconvenience to them. You are not required to redo the work if you are unable to carry it out to the necessary standard.

Price Reduction - Where the service cannot be repeated, or you are unable to do so within a reasonable time or without causing significant inconvenience to the customer, the customer can request a price reduction, but this would depend on individual circumstances.

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Dealing with complaints You are under a legal duty to respond to customer complaints as quickly as possible, and to try and resolve those complaints as best as you can, such as responding to emails and letters of complaint and returning phone calls. Where a complaint appears to be valid, you should put things right promptly. If you dispute liability, you are expected to provide a clear explanation of your reasons.

The NCCA Code of Practice contains detailed guidance on how to deal with complaints.

Displaying your identity You must display your identity and business address on key business documents and on websites so the customer knows who they are dealing with. This information must also be made available to customers before a contract is made and whenever else they request it.

If you want further information please look in the NCCA website members' area where more information is available.

Alternative Dispute Resolution - ADR The ADR Directive also came into force on the 1st October, and is separate from the Consumer Rights Act. ADR is there to help with dispute resolution rather than going to court. All firms must have an ADR provider in place from the 1st October and the good news is that TrustMark is the NCCA's ADR provider so, as an NCCA Member, you automatically have an ADR provider in place even if you are not a TrustMark member.

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The ADR process will allow the consumer or tradesperson to work through three stages when they fail to resolve a dispute directly. The first option is for both parties to engage and discuss the dispute. If this doesn't produce a good outcome, the second option is mediation, which is low cost and reduces the need for lengthy court cases or high costs - £50 for each party.

Where no agreement can be achieved through other services, the final option available is engagement with an Ombudsman service for adjudication. This is free for the consumer, only incurs a relatively low cost for the tradesperson and avoids loss of earnings and court costs. The Ombudsman service will cost in the region of £250 for TrustMark members and £350 for nonTrustMark members.

So, to sum up, the new Consumer Rights Act doesn't mean you have to do anything you shouldn't already be doing as a good NCCA member (but do just check you are doing everything you should), and we have the ADR Directive covered on your behalf... yet another great FREE benefit of NCCA Membership!

Add-on sales

W

David Coker

hilst there are hundreds of tactics and strategies you can try in order to grow your business, they are only really going to help if they can successfully do one of three things: 1. Increase the number of customers (turn more new prospects into paying customers).

2. Increase the customer’s purchasing frequency (get each customer to buy from you more often).

3. Increase the customer’s transaction size (get each customer to buy more at each purchase).

So, let's consider just one of these points increasing transaction size - and see the effect that this alone can have on profit at the end of the year.

By the time you turn up at a customer's house, you have already spent quite a bit of money in getting that far. You will likely have 'bought' the customer with an advertising cost. You will have had petrol and vehicle costs simply to turn up.

You've also got equipment costs. These costs remain the same whether the customer spends £100, £200 or £500 with you.

An add-on to the sale can therefore boost profits tremendously, as your costs largely remain the same. For example, to add protector to the invoice costs you only a small amount of time and product.

So how can it be done?

Claude Hopkins, one of the great advertising pioneers of the twentieth century, was a great believer in 'sampling'. In other words, letting your

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customer experience the product or service before they buy.

This is very easy to do with protector. Many suppliers of protector have specially made cards with half protected and half not (something you could make yourself), it's an easy way for your customer to 'sample' what protector can do.

Another easy add-on is an upsell of an extra room. Don't forget, the cost of adding another room to your cleaning while you're at your customer’s house will be much less than if you had to find another client and clean just one of their rooms. So it could be just a case of suggesting an irresistible offer for cleaning an extra room at a reduced rate.

If you find it difficult to upsell, and maybe feel that you're pressuring your customer, why not create an A4 flyer with an offer on it and simply give it to your customer at the beginning of the job. Just tell them you have a special offer this week that they may be interested in, then ask them to let you know (before you’ve finished the job) if they’d like to take you up on the offer.

You could perhaps choose the easiest carpet to clean as an add-on, or you could even have a file of different offers and recommend the one that you think will have the most appeal to your customer. The fact is that, whatever you offer as an add-on, the cost to your company will be relatively low. It's also a sale you wouldn't have had to begin with, so it's all 'found' money.

If you're doing ten jobs per week and can provide

Diary Dates 2016 add-ons for 50% of those at an extra, say, £30 per customer… that's £7,200 per year! (including four weeks holiday... you do take those don't you?).

So add-on sales are nearly all profit - it costs you very little to add on a room or apply protector.

Unless you are rushed off your feet and simply can't fit anything else in, it's all extra profit.

New NCCA Members N-Trusted Ltd Forest Row, East Sussex Proclene Ltd Gloucester, Gloucestershire B K Cleaning Services Fownhope, Hereford Edkum Cleaning Ltd Luton, Bedfordshire BN1 Cleaning Services Brighton, East Sussex

NCCA Shop Are you making the most of your NCCA membership?

Have you got an NCCA tie, badge, leaflets, survey forms or van stickers?

To see all the NCCA items for sale, log on to the Members' Area of the NCCA website.

NCCA COURSES Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning 22nd - 23rd January 18th - 19th March 13th - 14th May 8th - 9th July 16th - 17th September 18th - 19th November Advanced Spot & Stain Removal 19th February 24th June 7th October Health & Safety for the Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner 10th March 6th October Leather Identification & Cleaning (Dates for 2016 courses coming soon) All above courses held at NSPCC Training Centre, Leicester unless otherwise stated.

Visit: www.ncca.co.uk for booking forms and further details.

IICRC COURSES (TUTOR: PAUL PEARCE) Held at NSPCC Training Centre, Leicester Tel: 0116 271 9550 Commercial Carpet Maintenance Technician 9th - 10th February IICRC COURSES (TUTOR: ADAM JANKOWSKI) Held at National Flood School, Surrey Tel: 01252 821185 (Dates for 2016 courses coming soon) IICRC COURSES (TUTOR: PAUL PEARCE) Held at Alltec Network, Hertfordshire.

Tel: 01763 208222 (Dates for 2016 courses coming soon) IICRC COURSES (TUTOR: ADAM JANKOWSKI) Held at Chemspec Europe Ltd, Yorkshire Tel: 01274 597333 (Dates for 2016 courses coming soon) Visit: www.iicrc.org for further details on all IICRC Training Courses.

Jingle Bells

Derek Bolton (Honorary Member)

Jingle bells, jingle bells, the 'old man' (of Essex) is on his way, Oh what fun it is to ride, on his one man mobility scooter... (well, I couldn't get scooter to rhyme with 'way' no matter how hard I tried!).

Happy Christmas one and all! I hope that you are enjoying all the mince pies/fancy biscuits your customers are giving you with your morning coffee.

By now I expect you will have written all your Christmas cards. For the blokes that means your 'Dearly Beloveds' will have written them and, no doubt, will have probably bought all the presents too‌ including their own! So, all you have to do now is write your own Christmas list.

So, what should it be this year? Well, here are a few suggestions for you‌ 1) A pair of socks (maybe several if you're really lucky), but then Aunt Edna usually gets those for you every year. Remember last year? It was those bright red ones with Santa on them. Lovely they were. I bet they are still in the bottom drawer in the bedroom half wrapped in last year's Christmas paper. You could have a look at a few catalogues to get some ideas. Wait a minute, perhaps you could really do with a nice shiny new upholstery hand tool.

2) A new upholstery hand tool for yourself it is then. Not too much to ask and, after all, it will be tax deductible. I must remember to give out those bottles of whiskey I bought for those very good business customers. I am glad I kept a couple of bottles back for myself. A drop of the good stuff, this...

3) Back to presents for you then. How about a new shirt (or three)? You could purchase them as 'work' shirts, once again thinking about the tax deductible aspect.

After all, you don't really like the tax people do you? They keep sending us all nasty letters. Hic… whoops, where was I? Presents? Oh yes, I remember that nice Mr Pearce was talking about that bit of spotting kit at the Carnival last year. What was it now?

Memories going... Jingle bells, jingle… That was it! A little modelling iron for modelling… hic… whoops! Sorry. It was for heating up spitting chemicals... hic… I meant spotting chemicals. Stick that up your Chrithmust lithst!

4) Number fffour… rumber floor. I've forgotten rumber four. It's errr… got it… a new shuper duper shpotting kit! Looks very profeshnul. It's there in the cata… cata thingy.

Bingle jells, bengle jills, shingle all the way… hic. Oh what fun. Ha, ha, ha such fin... fun.

5) Five Gold Rings. Ringaling. Is that the phone? Hic… why do I want a ring? Five... number five! Ah yesh, you could order yourself a new pie phone five, or is it sex? Can't keep up with tech... no... logy... hic… burp! Where wash I? Yingle bells… YINGLE bells. Whhhat fun! Hic… six? We're on nimber six.

6) A chablet. No not a medi... medicul chablet.

You know… one of thoshe thingies you dob your finger on and pikchures come up. There's filums wot you can see ash well............... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Hic… Whoops! I fell aslepp.

Ave an 'appy CHRISHMUSH… BAH HUMBUG!!

PS. I do hasten to add that I don't drink alcohol at all… I am just MAD!!

Have a great Christmas… Hic

Experience isn’t everything

O

n the wall of a neighbouring office is the following statement "Experience is the worst teacher in the world because you don't know about anything you haven't experienced yet". Many will strongly disagree but I don't, firstly because of the word ‘teacher’ and secondly because I have seen some terrible floor sanding done by guys who define their own ability by the number of years they have been doing the job.

So why I have I picked on the word ‘teacher’ to defend the point of the statement, surely we learn from experience? Well of course we do, but if you were to go into hospital and find out that the doctor examining you had no formal medical education but was going to ‘learn from experience’, I'd expect you wouldn't be too happy. If that medic was not ‘merely’ a doctor, but a surgeon with a scalpel, none to skillfully poised over a valuable bit of your anatomy, I am guessing that no matter how much pain you were in you'd be out of there like Mo Farrah on steroids.

By now the more astute of you will realise this article is about training and the importance thereof. As a trainer myself, I (of course) have a vested interest in promoting the industry and I am not going hide from that or pretend anything different. Like all the other trainers in the flooring (and indeed any other) industry, I estimate that I have saved new floor sanding contractors sums of money in multiples of what I have charged them.

The reason is that, like in most industries, a few days training (ok I'd prefer my surgeon to have a

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Terry Guilford (The Ultimate Floor Sanding Co) bit more) can alleviate a great deal of heartache, customer displeasure and cost.

So, why do people set themselves up in a business they know nothing about and think that it is acceptable to charge clients money for their services? I am sure there may be many reasons, but I can only really think of two. The first is they are ‘quick buck’ merchants. They don't really care about the customer or the quality of the work.

They will generally get work based on price alone, do a shoddy job and use cheap materials. The more aggressive characters of this type can have a relatively long timespan in the business, as clients are quite often frightened to question them or even spread the word about them. Most of these individuals will milk it for a while and move on to be an ‘expert’ in another business. The second character probably does want to do a good job and build a reputation but is very conscious of money, or their lack of it. After buying what they perceive is the best equipment, getting a van and sign-writing it, building a website etc., they feel that they cannot justify paying for training.

However, if they think about it logically and they do the training BEFORE they do all those things they will actually SAVE money and make MORE money when they start. Since no one reading this article will come into the first category, and even if they did we cannot help them, let's concentrate on the second.

How does the saving money and making more work? Well, first off, how do they know they will actually like the business they are going into? A few hundred quid spent on training is a pittance

compared to set-up costs. Buying everything you need only to find the industry isn't for you is an expensive mistake. It would be much better to discover this during some initial training and save the expense and hassle of starting up only to stop and go back to the drawing board.

Second, you may have noticed I used the word ‘perceive’ when referring to buying equipment.

How do you know what is good or bad when you haven't the knowledge on which to base a decision? Third, most of the mistakes made by rookie contractors can be eliminated in advance through basic training; this knowledge alone will pay back the cost of the training course. Finally, the least tangible benefit of training, but one of the most valuable because it will help you make money, is CONFIDENCE. People who are certain in their ability to do the job, who feel they can handle any eventuality, exude a confidence.

Nothing sells better than confidence. Customers love to feel they are in the hands of someone who knows what he or she is doing. Not only will sales grow as a result but better quality clients will come your way.

One last thing that experience cannot teach is new innovation. Industries change and develop all the time and failing to keep up will give an advantage to your competitors. In the last few weeks there has been a revolution in my industry that may well change things forever.

Our next training course will reflect that change with new machines and a syllabus that takes account of it. The early months of the year are a great time to advance your knowledge. So, why don't you find out what you may have missed in your industry?

Help to stamp out logo misuse The NCCA logo and the name NATIONAL CARPET CLEANERS ASSOCIATION are officially registered trademarks.

We need your help to ensure that only bone fide members of the Association use the coveted name and logo and to safeguard our good name from use by unscrupulous individuals or companies.

If you become aware of an individual or company using our name and/or logo, and you have reason to believe that they are not members of the NCCA, please send us any evidence you can, together with any other information that might help us when we take a particular case to Trading Standards.

We accept as evidence the appearance of our name or logo on websites or any printed material. In the case of official publications we would need to know the date and name of the journal/directory in which misuse occurred.

It is in everyone's interest to help us stamp out the illegal use of our name and logo, so please be vigilant. We assure you that, with the right evidence, we will press Trading Standards to prosecute offenders.

One trader has already been successfully prosecuted for making a false statement by means of a leaflet bearing the NCCA logo. His County Council Trading Standards brought the prosecution and the company was fined and ordered to pay costs towards the prosecution.

The company was further ordered to pay compensation to an aggrieved customer.

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Independent inspectors

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Lewis Scroby (NCCA Standards and Fair Trading)

re there any members out there that have received a complaint from a customer and not been liable, but unable to prove your innocence? What about having had a problem arise after cleaning, but been unable to identify the cause? You may or may not be aware that there are professional carpet inspectors in the industry that can inspect an item and determine various aspects that may assist in resolving a situation.

For many years inspector qualifications have been available in the industry and several technicians have been through the extensive training to become accredited. This puts them in the position to act as an independent expert and be employed to visit a site and assess carpets.

They can provide a comprehensive report on their findings which has several benefits, including confirmation of any defects in the carpet, discovering the potential cause of staining or damage and identifying any negative effects of the cleaning process.

The main provider of carpet inspection training and registration in the UK is one of our Corporate Members, The WoolSafe Organisation.

Companies and customers have access, via the WoolSafe website, to a group of independent Registered Inspectors based across the country.

Although their coverage in the UK is limited, the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) provides training and has a

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list of registered inspectors. For upholstery and furniture inspections you can also consider using the Castelan Group.

If any member is involved in a dispute and needs evidence to support or disprove any claims or reasons for complaint, the NCCA advises employing an inspector and obtaining a report.

The cost for the service can be covered by either party or split. An agreement can also be made that any party found to be liable covers the fee.

Should a dispute reach a legal position or be taken to court, an official inspection report will be a primary piece of evidence. Inspectors can also be called upon as expert witnesses if required.

Member referral report Since publishing a referral statistics report in the last issue of Newslink there have been 79 recommendations for full members provided by the NCCA. This number is made up of 24 referrals from the NCCA office and 54 potential customers contacting members directly through the website, together with 1 referral to a member without an email address (which has been tracked by the office).

Want to become a Textile Insect Pest Technician?

Do the training and exam on your own PC at home!

Get a starter pack and enter this very lucrative market

Chemspec Europe, Tong Park, Otley Road, Baildon, West Yorkshire, BD17 7QD. Tel: 01274 597333 Fax: 01274 597444 E-mail: info@chemspec-europe.com Website: www.chemspec-europe.com

A stitch in time...

Ken Wainwright

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Photographs ŠKen Wainwright

M

urphy's Law states that if anything is to go wrong, then it will happen at the most inconvenient time. It also states that when this happens it will usually be mega expensive and the inconvenience will last for days, if not weeks.

For us carpet cleaners, one of the things that we dread most is a machine breakdown, and this was brought home to me last month when my portable extraction machine had its annual service at the manufacturer's works.

My machine has a metal Pumptec pump, popular with many equipment manufacturers for their high performance portables. The machine had been running perfectly, so I was expecting a small parts bill.

Upon removing the small valves inside the pump head, the engineer noted some minor damage to the valve seats in the head's casting. Although the pump could be reassembled and returned to working order, I was warned that it would eventually fail and that this would be sooner rather than later. If you look carefully at the picture (top right), you will be able to see the damage.

I reasoned that labour, shipping, and lost work, almost certainly during the peak season of Christmas trading, would cost much more than the price of a new pump head, so getting a new replacement part was a 'no brainer'.

This experience reinforces my view that preventative maintenance is an essential element of business life.

Whilst there, the engineer showed me an identical pump head where the valve seats had

been completely worn away and the anodised finish had been eaten away by cavitation. See the second picture (directly above). The amazing thing was, this had come from a new machine that was just one week old! The owner had totally ignored the manufacturer's instructions, both verbal and written (in the manual), and used an unsuitable powdered rinse agent. As we often say, RTFL (Read The Fffflaming Label)!

Apart from the regular servicing of our machines, there are other things we can do to make our working lives easier whilst protecting our investment in our capital equipment: 1) Clean the machine inside and out, at least every week. This will not only make it easier to spot potential issues or problems early, but make them easier to deal with too. It will also help control bacterial growth which can sometimes make the exhaust smell really foul.

2) Clean the recovery tank filters daily, sometimes more often if cleaning a particularly 'fluffy' carpet that sheds a lot of pile fibre.

3) When winding up the hoses and electric cables, use this as an opportunity to inspect them for any damage. Occasionally, run the cables and hoses through a damp cloth to keep them clean.

4) Weekly, using good quality silicone grease and spray, lubricate QC fittings and valve plungers.

5) Inspect the jets on your wand and hand tools.

Many of the detergent and acidic rinses we use can be corrosive to brass. In extreme cases, jets can be worn within weeks. A worn jet flows excess water and the fan angle is reduced, leading to streaking and over-wet carpets.

6) If you have inline filters on your hoses or tools, clean these out occasionally.

Don't forget other equipment too. Vacuum cleaners have filters to be cleaned or changed.

Sprayers need the plungers and valves lubricated and agitation machines also need to be checked out. Even the humble brush needs cleaning occasionally too.

A little bit of care and attention will not only make your life easier, it will also help with reliability and save you money.

NCCA Member Benefits Adelante Merchant Services 01628 820500 BeValued - Home Options (specialist claims management - insurance work) Call Shaun Mulvey on 01323 418432 Control Account PLC 01527 882901 Hibu (previously Yell) Ask for Corporate Advertising Department 0808 100 7890 HMCA (free legal & counselling helpline) 0117 934 2600 HMCA (medical health cover) 01423 866985 Payatrader 01296 660177 SiteWizard (website creation) 08450 608860 Thompson Local Call 03330 145 045, or email info@thomsonlocal.com quoting “Scheme 1� in the subject line TrustMark (Ring NCCA Office) 0116 271 9550

Corporate Member Benefits 20% off RESEARCH and CITRUS products for all NCCA members at Cleaners Warehouse!

Go to www.cleanerswarehouse.co.uk (A registration page has been set up on the site for NCCA members)

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Time off for good behaviour? A review of the new sentencing guidelines James Appleby (Eversheds LLP)

A

s reported in last month's article, there is a significant 'shift change' on the horizon with new Sentencing Guidelines (“Guidelines�) coming in to force in February 2016. The Guidelines apply to a number of different offences, including health and safety offences committed by individuals and organisations.

Put simply, the Guidelines are going to vastly increase the levels of fines to be imposed on organisations for health and safety offences; by a factor of 10 as a minimum. For individuals guilty of health and safety offences, the prospect of receiving a custodial sentence is also much greater.

The Guidelines will not change, and the fines and prison sentences will remain as drafted.

What, therefore, can readers do in order to minimise exposure to significant fines and prison sentences? Firstly, keep their workforce safe and reduce the risks they pose to others. If, however, something does go wrong, there are some key mitigating features captured within the Guidelines that readers should be aware of. Going forward, mitigating features will play a significant role in sentencing discussions as they could represent the different between custody and freedom.

Background To recap, the Guidelines provide that, in determining an appropriate sentence there are nine steps that the Court will work through before handing down a sentence: 1. Determining the offence category (using

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indicators of 'harm' and 'culpability').

2. Category range - the Guidelines provide clear tables to assist with this.

3. Is the proposed fine proportionate and within the offender's means to pay?

4. What factors warrant adjustment of the proposed fine?

5. Consider factors, such as assistance with the prosecution, that warrant a reduction.

6. Consider a reduction for guilty pleas.

7. Is compensation or any ancillary orders required?

8. Totality - where sentencing for more than one offence.

9. Reasons - must give reasons and explain the effect of the sentence.

In terms of the possibility of reducing sentences, we will consider stages 2 and 6 from the list above in more detail.

Stage 2 - Consider the starting point of the fine and the category range that it will sit within Once the Court has identified a sentencing range using the Guidelines, it will turn to consider the mitigating and aggravating features of the case in order to determine where in the range a particular offender should be placed. The Court will do this by consulting certain 'mitigating' and 'aggravating' features.

This exercise was used prior to the Guidelines, but we now have a revised list of what will be considered by the Court.

Of most interest for our purposes is the list of factors that reduce the seriousness of an offence or reflect mitigation on the part of the offender (i.e. the 'mitigating' factors). Four of the key mitigating

factors outlined for various offences within the Guidelines are:A) High level of co-operation with the investigation beyond that which will always be expected: This factor highlights an important point that, in all circumstances, a level of co-operation with the investigating authorities will always be required and so this alone will not act as a mechanism to reducing an offender's fine. So the question is, what can an offender do beyond this to offer a ‘high level’ of co-operation?

A starting point could be the appearance of total transparency, for example providing the investigating authorities with documentation that could be relevant, rather than merely waiting to be asked for it. It could also be sensible to openly publish the findings of any internal reports to provide a summary of events ‘warts and all’! A party could even go as far as to provide investigators with candid, legally privileged, reports and identify the failures for the regulator.

Only time will tell what level of co-operation goes beyond that normally expected, but readers should be aware of the need to placate the regulator and think about what MORE can be done to assist their investigation.

B) Good health and safety record: An organisation may point to a lack of previous convictions as evidence of a 'good' health and safety record. However, previous convictions are considered a separate mitigating factor. What does a 'good' health and safety record mean then? ! An organisation may show that it is accredited by third parties. ! Evidence of internal/external audits could be put forward.

! Accident and near miss statistics may also be relevant.

The above could sensibly be used to satisfy the Court that health and safety is taken seriously and that a lesser sentence should be imposed.

C) Effective health and safety procedures in place: Again, this factor will be difficult to judge but readers should bear it in mind. It will be difficult to argue, when being sentenced for a health and safety offence, that there were effective health and safety procedures in place. Dutyholders will have to give some thought as to how they evidence this.

D) Self-reporting, co-operation and acceptance of responsibility: There is a legal duty under the RIDDOR provisions to report certain incidents to the HSE and very little credit will be offered for doing this. However, dutyholders will now have to think very carefully about when they should accept responsibility.

Potentially, where the facts and failures are clear, it may be appropriate to accept responsibility well before attending Court.

Stage 6 - Consider a reduction for guilty pleas Legislation provides that a guilty plea from a defendant at the 'first opportunity' will see any proposed sentence reduced by up to one third.

When dealing with larger fines from February 2016, an amount of one third may be a significant amount indeed.

Summary The above comment is a mere ‘light touch’ considering various factors that the new Guidelines provide to reduce sentences for health and safety related offences. Many sensible organisations will follow them regardless. However, given rising fines and increasing custodial sentences, any attempts to mitigate the impact will be welcome relief.

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Transfer and save with medical plans from HMCA

T

he Hospital & Medical Care Association (HMCA) are offering discounted medical plans exclusively to members of the NCCA. HMCA only offer medical plans to membership groups and can offer up to a 40% discount off the underwriter's standard rates. This is a comprehensive plan which provides generous cash benefits for surgery and other charges. You may transfer to HMCA at any age without medical examination, with no break in protection and with a 30 day money-back guarantee.

HMCA has specialised in providing benefits for membership groups in the UK and Ireland since the 1970s, with over 40 years of experience. To keep costs low they only deal with membership groups, therefore, HMCA is not on any comparison websites.

With a HMCA medical plan: ŸNo medical examination is required. ŸNo age restrictions are imposed. ŸNo excess or deductible is required. ŸOverseas and sports cover are included. ŸA personal, UK-based, claims service is provided.

Talking about the medical plan, HMCA's Association Secretary, Jane Blackmore, said: “With HMCA you can get treatment when it suits you.

Initial consultation, in-patient accommodation and treatment can all be arranged speedily. HMCA's view is that whilst the NHS is a resource available to all, it does not treat everything in the place and time that suits you or your family. HMCA's medical plans are designed to provide various benefits for

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the treatment of acute conditions following a visit to your GP, where the NHS are unable to provide you with the treatment you need at a time, or location, which is convenient for you.”

HMCA have worked with some of the biggest associations in the UK and have built up an enviable reputation. One of their recent members, who joined after reading about them in 'The Garden' magazine (the publication of the Royal Horticultural Society), said: “I would like to say that everyone at the HMCA is very helpful, friendly and easy to deal with and that their service is very efficient, easy and fast. We wish we had gone with them years ago.”

HMCA are also able to offer discounted rates to NCCA members for hospital cash plans, dental plans, personal accident plans, travel plans, life cover, income protection and vehicle breakdown products.

For further information and quotations contact HMCA by telephone on 01423 799949, or visit the exclusive HMCA National Carpet Cleaners Association website here: www.hmca.co.uk/ncca

HMCA is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. All underwriters provide cover under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).

NCCA Corporate Members + Allied Insurance Services Ltd: 0844 8156211 (I) + Alltec Network Ltd: 01763 208222 (C/M/F/T) + Amtech UK: 01444 232211 (C/M) + Ashby's Cleaning Equipment: 01795 436999 (C/M/E) + Bio Productions Ltd (inc. Stapro): 01444 244000 (C) + Camberford Law (insurance brokers): 0208 315 5000 (I)

Promote your business on thomsonlocal.com with their NEW Trade Association product…

Thomson Local are pleased to be able to provide a new, innovative product specifically designed for NCCA members.

With consumers being more and more focused on calling businesses who are trustworthy, credible and reliable, their scheme endorsed product allows you to promote your business on thomsonlocal.com with standout artwork, giving you the ideal opportunity to attract new customers to your business.

Included in their new Trade Association product is a listing on thomsonlocal.com with a profile page, allowing you to communicate with new and existing customers around your unique products and services. You will also receive an additional listing on an exclusive page specifically for NCCA members only.

From as little as £29 per month you can enjoy all the benefits of their new Trade Association product today.

+ Chemdry Franchising Ltd: 01482 872770 (C/M/Fr) + Chemspec Europe Ltd: 01274 597333 (C/M/T/D/F) + Cleanerswarehouse Ltd: 01772 434333 (T/C/R/M) + Cleaning Systems UK: 01334 656787 (C/M/T/F) + Cleansmart Ltd: 0115 8240034 (T/C/R/M/K) + Cleantec Innovation Ltd: 0870 733 7733 (T/C/W/M) + Columbus Cleaning Machines Ltd: 01772 426527 (M) + Crisp & Brite: 01509 881137 (C/M) + Dri-Eaz Products Ltd: 01908 611211 (C/M/T) + Dry Fusion UK Ltd: 01772 433711 (C/M/T/W/Fr) + Furniture Clinic Ltd: 01207 279964 (C/Tr) + Get Booked Up Software: 01405 813665 + Gleaming Insurance (insurance brokers): 0845 4740068 (I) + Hi-Tec Cleaning Group: 02866 341416 (C/E/F/M/T) + Host Von Schrader Ltd: 0151 347 1900 (M/C) + Hydro Dynamix: 01622 664993 (Fr/T) + LTT Leathercare: 01423 881027 (T/Tr) + McGregor Lloyd (insurance brokers): 0121 706 0616 (I) + NSL Restormate: 01670 590099: (M/C/Tr) + Nu Life Stone Care Ltd: 0161 480 7284 (M/C) + Oates Laboratories (Europe): 01772 433711 (C) + Print & Deliver Ltd: 01628 633336 + Prochem Europe Ltd: 0208 974 1515 (C/F/M/T) + Rainbow International: 01623 422488 (M/C/Fr) + Restoration Express: 01252 726106 (M/C/T/A) + Robert Saunders Marketing Mentor: 08450 537129 (K) + Safeclean: 01235 444700 (Tr) + Sebo UK Ltd: 01494 465533 (M) + ServiceMaster Ltd: 0116 275 9000 (M/C/Fr) + Stainshield Ltd: 01372 841467 ©

To find out more call: 03330 145 045 or email: info@thomsonlocal.com quoting “Scheme 1” in the subject line.

+ Textile Cleaning Solutions: 01934 521155 (M/C) + The Big Clean: 0208 3934778 (M,C,W,K) + The Ultimate Floor Sanding Co.: 00353 91846488 (M/C/Fr) + The WoolSafe Organisation: 01943 850817 + Vaclensa: 0161 728 1800 (M) + Worldwide Cleaning Support: 01279 422220 (C/M)

C - Chemicals / M - Machinery / W - Wholesalers / Fr - Franchises / I - Insurance / K - Marketing / T - Technical Services / F - Fire Retardents / A - Auxiliary Services (Restoration Cleaners) / E Supply/Repair of Curtains and Blinds / Fi - Finance / Tr - Training.

CLASSIFIEDS EQUIPMENT FOR SALE Chemspec hose reel for truck mount (plastic) £200. Contact aquadriinfo@btconnect.com for further information or contact Andy on: 07970 544806.

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE 3 Ozone plates 4'' x 6'' to fit Jetazone 600 ozone generator - £15.00 for the 3, plus £5.00 p & p.

Please phone Pete Collins on 07885 804560.

TOOLS AND CHEMICALS FOR SALE One 5.4kg tub of host powder (unopened). Retails at around £29 - only £12. Also Kleenrite curtain cleaning tool - £25.00. Contact Lester Gale (oxfordshire) 07949 207777.

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE s/hand Extracta Scrubba Deluxe. Heavy duty motor. Height and handle adjustment. 13" cleaning width, twin brushes (requires Extracta cleaning machine to couple to, or can also be connected to TruckMount). Ideal for large areas.

Surplus to requirements. £375. Buyer collects or we could meet. Call Tim Stockdale on 01904 413612.

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE Due to retirement the following items for sale; 2 Sebo vacuum cleaners and bags; Sebo Duo; stainless steel spray can; 2 black fans; Ashbys Power Brush (hardly used/as new condition); Ashbys V2 water heater (almost as new); carpet dryer with stand; 74 feet one and a half inch vacuum hose, 26 feet water hose, 64 feet 1 inch hose (all hoses unused/new and good quality), 2 new hose bags; large range of unopened chemicals; brushes; plastic sheets and towelling; numerous miscellaneous items. Contact Philip on 01865 882345 (Oxford) or Email: philip8823@gmail.com WANTED Sebo BS36 vacuum cleaner in good condition.

Please call Tim Stockdale on 01904 413612.

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JOB VACANCY (CARPET & UPHOLSTERY CLEANING TECHNICIAN) We are looking for an experienced, full time, Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Technician to work for an independent specialist business in Norwich, Norfolk. Please contact Danny on 07716 475415 to discuss further.

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE - IDEAL FOR NEW BUSINESS Everything you need to start carpet cleaning, including: Ashbys Ninja adjustable up to 400psi with Dry Cleaning Functionality built in, 2 x 25m vacuum hoses, 1 x silencer hose, 1 x wand, 1 x upholstery tool, 1 x dry cleaning solvent tool.

Sebo Duo agitator. Sebo Vacuum BS36. 1.5hp blower dryer. Truvox high speed buffer. Prochem Stain Removal kit. 2 x 6 litres pressure sprayers. 1 x 1 litre upholstery/spot sprayer. 1 x vinyl mat for Ninja and 1 terrapaulin sheet. Huge array of chemicals including: Prochem: Power Burst, Defoamer, Pre Spray Gold, Natural Carpet Cleaner, Fabric & Fibre Rinse, Browning Prescription and Odour Fresh; along with Ashby's: Supreme Anti Grease and Extra Fresh.

Box of other bits including: shoe covers, brushes, polystyrene pads, measuring jugs, dry compound.

All in excellent condition. Selling as my second business is consuming all of my time.

Selling for £1950. Contact Richard on 07903 841534.

CLEANING TECHNICIAN REQUIRED An exciting opportunity is available for an experienced Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Technician to do a 2 - 3 month temporary placement in Dubai! The successful applicant will work with a team, primarily on domestic jobs, and will be expected to train the team in best practices. No previous management or supervisory experience is necessary as long as the candidate is personable and has good technical experience. Work visa and flights provided along with a competitive salary. For more information email Sid at: siddarthdalamal@gmail.com

CLASSIFIEDS CLEANING AND RESTORATION EQUIPMENT 2 turbo dryers, 1 whole room dryer, 2 Dry Fusion machines with pads, 1 hard floor buffing machine, 2 dehumidifiers (Dri-Eaz). Offers accepted around £2000. Ring Mike James on: 078818 074346 or email: mjames1963@sky.com WANTED - SHADOWING OPPORTUNITY Manchester based technician looking for opportunity to shadow another carpet technician. Already familiar with all cleaning aspects and done over 30 jobs in past year. Just looking to gain more confidence in the process.

Compensation for your time will be provided.

Contact Kamila Logozny on 0161 4084457.

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE Dowding & Plummer contrator400 carpet/floor scrubber/polisher (slow speed - 105 rpm approx.) including buckets with stand and mops and pads.

All can be used again after servicing - £400 o.n.o.

Call Jon on 07736 512527 up to 8pm. Based in West Midlands.

CARPET CLEANING EQUIPMENT FOR SALE Host freestyle machine for sale, complete with 3 sets of brushes. Machine is approximately 10 years old but little used - £1500 o.n.o. There are also (as nearing retirement) various other bits and pieces as for sale. Contact Stephen on 07766 327327 (Essex).

CARPET CLEANING MACHINE FOR SALE Prochem Steempro 2000 Powermax - twin vacuums, 150 p.s.i. solution pump, serviced regularly. Vacuums have been replaced regularly.

Comes with 25ft vacuum and solution hoses, also a twin jet swan-neck wand. Price £695.00. Call Steve on 07973 264783 (Farnborough, Hants).

You can advertise FREE OF CHARGE within the classifieds section of Newslink. For further information call Nicky Law on: 0116 271 9550.

The Association advises that all goods are checked to be in a satisfactory condition, and comply to electrical and health and safety standards, etc.

It is recommended that equipment serial numbers should be checked to ensure the seller is the legitimate owner.

The Association accepts no responsibility or liability arising from any transaction or dispute between the buyer and seller.

NCCA consumer leaflets The NCCA tri-fold leaflet, which is available to members, presents another opportunity for you to promote yourself and gain new business.

Aimed at the customer, it includes details on the Association, members, surveying and cleaning and includes a section on how to tackle stains and spillages, encouraging your customer to retain the leaflet for future reference. There is also a space on the back where you can place your own company details, ensuring that your customer will have your particulars readily available should they want their carpets and upholstery cleaned again in the future.

For further information, or to place your order, please call the NCCA office on: 0116 271 9550.

page 27

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t jus n! fu for

50 Christmas related words have all been hidden in the grid below. You can find the words by looking diagonally, forward, backward, up, and down.

See if you can find them.

Christmas Word search

Find these words BELLS BETHLEHEM CAKE CAROLS CAROLSINGER CELEBRATION CHARLESDICKENS CHRISTMASCARDS CHRISTMASTREE CHURCH CRACKERS DECORATIONS DONKEY ELF EVERGREEN FATHERCHRISTMAS FEZZIWIG

FRANKINCENSE GHOST GNOME GOLD HEROD HOLIDAY JESUS JOSEPH LAPLAND MAGI MANGER MARY MYRRH NATIVITY NAZARETH NORTHPOLE NUTCRACKER

PANTOMIME PRESENTS PUDDING REINDEER RIBBON SANTASGROTTO SCROOGE SHEPHERDS SINGING SOLSTICE STAR TURKEY WASSAILING WHITECHRISTMAS WINE YULE