Take 5 with Cleanfax – an ISSA Podcast: Recent Episodes
ISSA
Take 5 with Cleanfax is a video and podcast program from ISSA specifically for the contract carpet and floor cleaning and disaster restoration industries. The series focuses on management and marketing topics, technical tips, emerging news and more, all in five minute segments for busy business owners, managers, and technicians. Want to be a guest on the show? Connect with Jeff Cross, Cleanfax Media Director, at jeffcross@issa.com.
The moment a job ends is the one time a customer sees a company with nothing left to gain. Most contractors waste it on a text message.
Two days after the job, the text goes out. “Hi, just following up. How did we do?”
Across town, the customer squints at her phone. Who is this? What did they do at my house? Is a real person on the other end of this thing?
Nobody gets into cleaning or restoration because they love confrontation. But guess what — this business is built on tough conversations. Today, we will cover four conversations every owner and manager dreads... and exactly how to have them without losing sleep, losing your cool, or losing your best people.
A customer calls three days after a carpet cleaning job, upset that the carpet smells like urine. The crew did nothing wrong—the dog came back to the same spot and had another accident. Nobody on the job cut a corner. So, does the company apologize?
Every business owner tells themselves an occasional lie—but those lies often sound so reasonable that they're easy to believe.
The restoration industry is facing some real challenges in 2026, but the latest Restoration Benchmarking Survey Report shows there is plenty of reason for optimism.
You walked the job. You measured every room. You wrote a clean, fair, professional proposal. And then your prospect looked you dead in the eye and hit you with the five most expensive words in our industry: “Let me think about it.”
It is time to grab your gloves, a pen, a clipboard, and something sharp…because we are about to perform an autopsy.
You are hungry. You walk into a restaurant that looks pretty fantastic. You glance at the menu, and there it is — a glossy photo of a burger that seems almost too good to be true. You order it with high hopes. Then the server sets down something that looks like it lost a fight on the way to the table. Same restaurant. Same name on the menu. Totally different sandwich. Today on Take 5 with Cleanfax, we are sitting with a question every owner needs to ask: Is your company pretty on the outside but ugly on the inside?
When business is steady, referrals are coming in, and the schedule stays full, it is easy to believe everything is fine. But comfort has a way of quietly slowing innovation, weakening culture, and making companies vulnerable to change.
In the cleaning and restoration world, there are a lot of people who know what they’re doing technically. They have the skills. But knowing your stuff and being seen as a professional—those are two very different things.
Ever had a customer hear your price and say, “Oh… that’s it?” That’s not a win. That’s a warning sign. In this Take 5 With Cleanfax, we dig into one of the most common traps in the cleaning and restoration world: pricing too low and calling it “staying busy.”
In this episode of Take 5 with Cleanfax, we tackle a common—and costly—habit in the cleaning and restoration world: over-explaining to your clients.
There’s a small sound in the Jeep. Just a little tick. Nothing urgent… until it is. In this Take 5 With Cleanfax, we turn a simple (and expensive) lesson into a bigger conversation about something every business owner deals with: tolerating small problems for too long.
Think about the last time you ate at a restaurant where the fork had something crusty on it you couldn't identify. Then you headed to the restroom, and it looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in a year. You back out slowly from the restaurant, touching as few surfaces as possible on the way out. Did you go back? Of course you didn't. Nobody does. Your clients are doing the exact same assessment of you.
Why do small companies lose jobs to bigger competitors—even when they know they could do better work? In this five-minute episode, we break down the one advantage small companies have every single time… and why most don’t use it.
There may be no more dangerous phrase in business than "We've always done it this way." It sounds reasonable. It even sounds like loyalty to a craft. But often, it's a quiet barrier between where your business is and where it could be.
Listen to business coach John Clendenning describe strategies for tracking marketing results.
Listen to DRYmedic Restoration Service's Ben Gergis discuss challenges with aging homes and the increasing severity of weather events.
Listen to Kelly Brewer, the new CEO of Insurcomm, describe her journey and the future of the company.
Listen to industry pro Amy Prihoda discuss how she taps into the power of selling indoor air quality to her clients.
Listen to Joe Burnich with Big West Marketing share why a pricing page might be a game changer to your company website.
Listen to Joe Burnich with Big West Marketing share in under five minutes his favorite do's and don'ts.
Listent to Tim Hull, the president and owner of Violand Management Associates, outline the plan for this year's event.
Listen to Richard Rykbos outline his own company's strategy to the very best clientele.
Listen to Kyle Kluth share what Pinnacle Eco Clean does when they get the inevitable phone call.
Listen to website and SEO expert Joe Burnich outline a plan to make changes to Google accounts without getting penalized.
How do you conduct a walk-through or inspection of a customer's home? Kyle Kluth with Pinnacle Eco Clean shares solid tips.
Listen and see what advertising strategies you could be missing out on to gain new business.
Listen to business coach Jeff Carmon outline how to deal with clients when it is time to raise your prices.
Listen to Steve Toburen describe strategies to get paid on time each and every time you complete a job.
Listen to Samuel Sales talk about his father's passion for the carpet cleaning industry and how he will be missed.
In this episode of Take 5 With Cleanfax, Phillip Rosebrook with Partner Business Mentors outlines how important accountability is to success and company growth.
Being accountable for our actions is important, as it can foster trust, transparency, and credibility within the organizational and among stakeholders.
Accountability ensures that individuals and teams take ownership of their decisions and their consequences, leading to a culture of responsibility and integrity.
In addition, accountability facilitates continuous improvement and learning by encouraging reflection on both successes and failures, driving innovation and efficiency. Ultimately, a strong culture of accountability is essential for sustainable growth, resilience, and long-term success in the dynamic and competitive landscape of business.
Google Business Profiles serve as a vital tool for companies seeking to expand their customer base and enhance profitability. By providing a comprehensive online presence, including business information, reviews, photos, and location details, Google Business Profiles enable companies to significantly increase their visibility to potential customers.
In this episode of Take 5 With Cleanfax, Katie Harris with Spot On Solutions shares strategies about Google Business Profiles that will help cleaning and restoration companies to get their companies in front of customers looking to buy their services.
As a cleaning or restoration business owner, what type of marketing strategies do you use? Most likely the traditional methods, all aimed and focused on getting referrals. Have you considered the power of video? In this episode of Take 5 With Cleanfax, business coach and strategist John Clendenning lays out a plan you can easily use for video marketing.
As we start to see a rapid increase in the use of Artificial Intelligence, or AI, many wonder how to onboard and maximize it to help with various company management tasks. One way AI is becoming useful is by responding to telephone inquiries with AI chatbot technology.
Some business owners or managers may be on the sidelines, watching and wondering; others are actively onboarding AI technology and seeing results. In this episode of Take 5 With Cleanfax, tech expert Frankie Fihn, the founder of Get Flood Jobs, demonstrates one way AI will revolutionize a common task: Answering the telephone.
Should technicians work alone, or should you send them out in pairs? Is a lead tech combined with a helper, with the added costs, a solid financial decision? In this episode of Take 5 With Cleanfax, Steve Toburen, director of training of Jon-Don’s Strategies for Success and founder of the digital training company Home Front Success, shares thought-provoking strategies any company sending out crews should consider.
After watching the interview, sign up for Toburen's free, every-Tuesday-morning QuickTIP, just one idea on how to "make more money" as a residential services provider.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been around for some time, but recently many have noticed it is gaining traction and momentum when it comes to creating content beyond text or marketing copy. In this episode of Take 5 With Cleanfax, Frankie Fihn, the founder of Get Flood Jobs, explains the possibilities that AI has for cleaners and restorers. Access the first episode on this topic.
Artificial intelligence is impacting how we do business, and especially with marketing. Websites need content, and SEO demands keywords partnered with quality messaging. AI is a way to do that. In this episode of Take 5 With Cleanfax, Frankie Fihn, who runs Get Flood Jobs, shares why it is crucial for business owners to embrace AI now and into the future.
John Clendenning is the CEO and founder of Carpet Cleaner Marketing Masters. He knows what it takes to effectively leverage social media platforms, and with the array of options available, it's smart business to be strategic in what you do. In this episode of Take 5 With Cleanfax, he discusses what small cleaning and restoration companies can do right now to create effective social media campaigns.
What happens when your technician is working in a home and just ... has to go? You know, to the restroom. Does he just "hold it" or ask to use the customer's restroom? This episode of Take 5 With Cleanfax digs into this important, always serious, dilemma.
Don't miss the article on third-party administrators by Nate Cisney, a partner with Restoration Made Simple Consulting.
In today's fast-paced digital landscape, an effective mobile website has become a cornerstone of success for cleaning and restoration companies. That is a simple fact. Ensuring that your website is optimized for mobile users is no longer optional—it is a strategic must. John Clendenning, the founder and CEO of Carpet Cleaner Marketing Masters, shares specific strategies you can use right now to get the most out of your mobile site, and get more clients, more jobs, and increase revenues.
Have you found that non-important activities sometimes get in the way of doing what you consider your essential business tasks? Steve Toburen, the founder of Home Front Success, has called this issue an "insidious danger of displacement activities" and can sidetrack business owners from doing what they do best: Running their companies and driving profitability. In this episode of Take 5 With Cleanfax, Toburen shares three strategies to ensure that displacement activities don't take over with you and your company.
Building a pretty website and hoping customers will stumble across it and do business with you isn't a strategy. In this episode of Take 5 with Cleanfax, learn what your website must have in order to get traffic from potential clients, and the content your site needs to convert those visits into real jobs.
Most restoration contractors focus on the residential segment when offering disaster restoration services. But there is an opportunity in the commercial market. Getting started and what you need to know to make this a profitable venture is spotlighted in this episode of Take 5 with Cleanfax. Tim Miller, president of BDA, lays out a few strategies for the industry to consider.
ISSA/Cleanfax Media Director Jeff Cross discusses with RIA President Katie Smith the state of the industry from the perspective of the RIA. Smith reports on the 2023 RIA International Restoration Convention & Industry Expo in Orlando, why RIA is thriving the past few years, the value of partnerships, and the future of the association.
With the tens of thousands of carpet cleaners at work every day, why would a consumer buy or rent their own machine and then clean their own carpet? Is it because hiring a company is too expensive? Or are there other reasons? This is the topic of this episode of Take 5 with Cleanfax, featuring Jim Pemberton, the president of Pembertons in McKeesport, PA.
As a business owner, you know what runs your company. You built it, after all. But there are moving parts of your company that you may not totally understand. One of those is how an internet search engine works, and how it either will drive traffic to your own website - or how it will drive traffic to your competitor. What's 'under the hood' really matters.
This episode of Take 5 With Cleanfax features John Clendenning, the CEO and founder of Carpet Cleaner Marketing Masters.
In this episode of Take 5 With Cleanfax, Jim Pemberton shares a few stories of how the customer's love of their pets and how their pets react to certain cleaning related stimuli affect how a cleaning professional should approach the job.
This episode of Take 5 With Cleanfax features John Clendenning, the CEO and founder of Carpet Cleaner Marketing Masters. He discusses the value of a cleaning and restoration website as part of an ongoing marketing program, whether or not you should use a free template available on the market today, and a select number of key strategies to grow your company.
Jim Pemberton is the president of Pembertons and is a recognized industry trainer and consultant. In this episode of Take 5 With Cleanfax, Pemberton brings up an interesting point about how the term "pet odor removal" might work against professional cleaners. He offers a unique view that may change how you approach this lucrative service.
John Clendenning is the founder and CEO of Carpet Cleaner Marketing Masters, and has learned over the years that both solid fundamentals with proven tactics are strategies to get clients, jobs, and drive revenue. This is true for any type of service company, especially those offering on-location cleaning services. In this episode of Take 5 with Cleanfax, he shares thoughts that will help any business owner or marketing manager figure out how to unlock a company's potential in any marketplace.
The Restoration Industry Association (RIA) has released a position statement on how to respond when overzealous insurance adjusters attempt to dictate restoration prices. In this episode of Take 5 With Cleanfax, Ed Cross, an attorney who works closely with the RIA, explains what business owners need to know and how to respond to this specific challenge.
RIA Position Statements are an exclusive RIA member benefit. They can be incorporated into verbal and written communications as powerful tools to overcome common collections challenges restorers face.
John Clendenning is the founder and CEO of Carpet Cleaner Marketing Masters, helping businesses to grow in this competitive marketplace. In this episode of Take 5 With Cleanfax, Clendenning explains where to focus marketing efforts and shares details that anyone involved in marketing cleaning or restoration services needs to know.
Ashlee Hofberger is an expert when it comes to finding, onboarding, and retaining talent in the restoration industry. In this episode of Take 5 With Cleanfax, she shares strategies every company can use right now.
In this episode of Take 5 With Cleanfax, Princeton shares strategies on how to bridge the gap between restorers and the insurance industry, specifically with adjusters.
David R. Princeton, CPCU, AMIM, AIC, CSRP , is the Principal Consultant at Advocate Claim Service, LLC, and works with the Restoration Industry Association on strategic planning, including presenting at the RIA 2022 Fall Technical Conference. More information here.
Carey Vermeulen is the IICRC President and Chairman for 2022-2023. In this episode of Take 5 With Cleanfax, he discusses his own journey with IICRC, the impact he sees from the certification process, and offers a glimpse into the future of the organization.
In this episode of Take 5 With Cleanfax, Sonny Ahuja with KiLLitOnLine.com shares tips and strategies for cleaning and restoration companies to really test their marketing campaigns and make sure they are optimized for success.
Whether you are testing your website, email campaigns, Google Ad campaigns, or others, a constant analysis of what works and what doesn't work is critical, especially as the cost of marketing continues to increase. To be competitive, A/B testing is a must.
Jon Isaacson is the host of the DYOJO Podcast and an avid supporter and volunteer with the Restoration Industry Association. In this episode of Take 5 With Cleanfax, he discusses the key differences between markup and margin in the restoration industry and how entrepreneurs can maximize revenues.
Marcie Richardson is the director of human resources and safety with Guarantee Restoration Services, and also serves on the board of directors with the Restoration Industry Association (RIA).
In this segment of Take 5 With Cleanfax, Richardson spotlights the key differences between training and development, and how a successful restoration company focuses on both and works to build a great team of employees.
John Clendenning is the founder and CEO of Carpet Cleaner Marketing Masters, and has implemented internet strategies over the years and driven leads and revenue for his own company. Has internet marketing paid off for you? If not, this is a must-watch interview.
In this episode of Take 5 With Cleanfax, Clendenning outlines what a carpet cleaning or disaster restoration business owner needs to do to maximize a company's marketing efforts, and at times step out of comfort zones to engage in unfamiliar marketing strategies.
In this episode of Take 5 with Cleanfax, an expert with the Restoration Industry Association (RIA) shares insights and strategies with challenges facing anyone engaged in estimating and pricing restoration services. Anthony Nelson is a member of the board of RIA and also serves on the AGA Pricing Feedback Committee, and understands the issues restoration contractors face with pricing. In this interview, he digs into how to use software to your advantage and especially how to provide pricing feedback to software estimating companies.
Most, if not all, disaster restoration companies have experienced insurance claims being denied, which means payment for their work is delayed, if not in complete jeopardy. Sometimes a legal battle then ensues. And now a new twist may be developing. According to Kevin Jones, the owner of the I-40 Structural Drying Academy, and a consultant in the restoration industry, as corporate funds dry up the industry may see more denied claims. There are solutions that restoration companies can consider as they deal with insurance companies, claims, and the entire process of getting paid in a timely manner. Jones outlines several key strategies in this episode of Take 5 with Cleanfax.
In this episdoe of Take 5 with Cleanfax, Jeremy Reets and Jeff Cross "Take 5" and discuss a stinky situation: Sewage cleanup. Reets is the owner and founder of Reets Drying Systems, and is a trainer and coach in the disaster restoration industry. In this segment of Take 5, he discusses several key points that anyone engaged in sewage cleanup must know and understand. From the types of loss to cleaning, disinfecting, and training, learn what just may keep you out of trouble.
Sonny Ahuja is a website and SEO expert and concentrates his efforts on the cleaning and restoration industries, and is a frequent author for Cleanfax. In this episode of Take 5 with Cleanfax, Ahuja shares three easy tips to maximize the impact of your Google My Business listing.
In this edition of Take 5 with Cleanfax, Sonny Ahuja, a website and SEO expert, shares details on how much you should spend on your Google Ad campaigns and how to maximize the results. When you spend money on Google Ads, you want to get the best return for your investment. His strategies will help you with your ad campaigns moving forward. In addition, Ahuja offers free consultations to industry professionals who need help with their online marketing. You can reach him at sonny@killitonline.com. Get more information at https://www.killitonline.com.
The 2022 Ralph Bloss Humanitarian Award nomination process has begun. The award is sponsored by Cleanfax and presented at The Experience Convention & Trade Show in Las Vegas each year, though the winner does not have to be present to win.Complete information can be found here: https://cleanfax.com/news/ralph-bloss-humanitarian-award/