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Transcript of December 2015 january 2016
ncca December 2015/January 2016
The official journal of the National Carpet Cleaners Association
newslink
Independent Inspectors
Consumer Rights Act 2015
Features:
The Service Industry
Contents
03
03
04
06
08
12
14
16
17
18
20
22
From the Editor: Get prepared for the
Christmas rush!
From the President
Consumer Rights Act 2015 - are you
compliant?
Add-on sales
Jingle Bells
Experience isn’t everything
Help to stamp out logo misuse
Notice: Membership renewals 2016/17
The service industry - how green is your
grass?
Independent inspectors
A stitch in time...
Time off for good behaviour? A review of
the new sentencing guidelines
Published monthly by:
The National Carpet Cleaners Association,62c London Road, Oadby, Leicestershire, LE2 5DH.Tel: 0116 271 9550E-mail: [email protected]: www.ncca.co.uk
Nicky Law
Keith Robertson
Nikki Law
Paul Pearce
Glyn Charnock
Martin Johns
Keith Robertson
Dave Wheadon
Editor
Editor in Chief
Design Editor
President/Admin Director
Technical Director
Company Secretary/1st Vice President/Training Director
Corporate Director/2nd Vice President
Membership Director
Marketing Director
Director
Nigel Lay
Allan Simmons
www.facebook.com/nicky.law.315www.twitter.com/NCCA_floorcare_
newslink page 2
©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.
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.
newslinkpage 3
he run up to Christmas is a very busy time for T 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
embership renewal notices and invoices for M 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.
Continued on next page
From the Editor: Get prepared for the Christmas rush!
Notice: Membership renewals 2016/17
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
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.
Nicky LawNewslink Editor
Nigel LayFrom the President
newslink page 4
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
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.
Continued from previous page
he NCCA is run by a Board of Directors T 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
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.
newslink page 6
Cecil Aigin (Honorary Member)
The service industry - how green is your grass?
remember a conversation I
had, many years ago, with a I 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
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
The grass isn’t always greener
on the other side, but it is greener
where you water it!
newslinkpage 7
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 membershipTo 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:
newslink page 8
id you know D 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.
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.
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
The Contract
Glyn CharnockConsumer Rights Act 2015 - are you compliant?
newslinkpage 9
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.
If you are supplying a service to a customer, you
must meet the following standards:
ŸCarry 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
Implied Terms
be a risk of not being able to achieve that result.
ŸProvide 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.
ŸCarry out the service for a reasonable price.
ŸCarry out the service within a reasonable time.
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.
Remedies
Continued on next page
newslink page 10
Dealing with complaints
Displaying your identity
Alternative Dispute Resolution - ADR
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.
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.
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.
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 non-
TrustMark 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!
Continued from previous page
hilst there are hundreds of tactics
and strategies you can try in order W 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
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
David CokerAdd-on sales
newslink page 12
Diary Dates 2016
NCCA COURSESCarpet & Upholstery Cleaning 22nd - 23rd January18th - 19th March13th - 14th May8th - 9th July16th - 17th September18th - 19th November
Advanced Spot & Stain Removal19th February24th June7th October
Health & Safety for the Carpet & UpholsteryCleaner10th March6th 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 bookingforms and further details.
IICRC COURSES (TUTOR: PAUL PEARCE)Held at NSPCC Training Centre, LeicesterTel: 0116 271 9550
Commercial Carpet Maintenance Technician9th - 10th February
IICRC COURSES (TUTOR: ADAM JANKOWSKI)Held at National Flood School, SurreyTel: 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, YorkshireTel: 01274 597333
(Dates for 2016 courses coming soon)
Visit: www.iicrc.org for further details on allIICRC Training Courses.
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 LtdForest Row, East Sussex
Proclene LtdGloucester, Gloucestershire
B K Cleaning ServicesFownhope, Hereford
Edkum Cleaning LtdLuton, Bedfordshire
BN1 Cleaning ServicesBrighton, 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.
JingleBells JingleBells 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
newslink page 16
n the wall of a neighbouring office is the
following statement "Experience is the Oworst 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
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
Terry Guilford (The Ultimate Floor Sanding Co)Experience isn’t everything
page 17 newslink
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?
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.
Help to stamp out logo misuse
newslink page 18
Lewis Scroby (NCCA Standards and Fair Trading)Independent inspectors
re there any members out there that
have received a complaint from a 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
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.
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).
Member referral report
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: Website:[email protected] www.chemspec-europe.com
newslink page 20
Ken WainwrightA stitch in time...
urphy's Law states that if anything is
to go wrong, then it will happen at M 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)!
Ph
oto
grap
hs
©K
en
Wai
nw
righ
t
page 21 newslink
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.
20% off RESEARCH and CITRUSproducts for all NCCA members at
Cleaners Warehouse!Go to www.cleanerswarehouse.co.uk
(A registration page has been set up onthe site for NCCA members)
NCCA Member Benefits
Adelante Merchant Services01628 820500
BeValued - Home Options (specialist claimsmanagement - insurance work)
Call Shaun Mulvey on 01323 418432
Control Account PLC01527 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
Payatrader01296 660177
SiteWizard (website creation)08450 608860
Thompson LocalCall 03330 145 045, or email
[email protected] quoting“Scheme 1” in the subject line
TrustMark (Ring NCCA Office)0116 271 9550
Corporate Member Benefits
newslink page 22
James Appleby (Eversheds LLP)
Time off for good behaviour? A review of the newsentencing guidelines
s reported in last month's article, there
is a significant 'shift change' on the A 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.
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
Background
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.
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
Stage 2 - Consider the starting point of the fine and
the category range that it will sit within
page 23 newslink
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.
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.
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.
Stage 6 - Consider a reduction for guilty pleas
Summary
newslink page 24
Transfer and save with medical plans from HMCA
he Hospital & Medical Care Association T (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.
No medical examination is required.Ÿ
No age restrictions are imposed.Ÿ
No excess or deductible is required.Ÿ
Overseas and sports cover are included.Ÿ
A personal, UK-based, claims service is Ÿ
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
With a HMCA medical plan:
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:
HMCA is authorised and regulated by the
Financial Conduct Authority. All underwriters
provide cover under the Financial Services
Compensation Scheme (FSCS).
www.hmca.co.uk/ncca
+ Allied Insurance Services Ltd:
+ Alltec Network Ltd:
+ Amtech UK:
+ Ashby's Cleaning Equipment:
+ Bio Productions Ltd (inc. Stapro):
+ Camberford Law (insurance brokers):
+ Chemdry Franchising Ltd:
+ Chemspec Europe Ltd:
+ Cleanerswarehouse Ltd:
+ Cleaning Systems UK:
+ Cleansmart Ltd:
+ Cleantec Innovation Ltd:
+ Columbus Cleaning Machines Ltd:
+ Crisp & Brite:
+ Dri-Eaz Products Ltd:
+ Dry Fusion UK Ltd:
+ Furniture Clinic Ltd:
+ Get Booked Up Software:
+ Gleaming Insurance (insurance brokers):
+ Hi-Tec Cleaning Group:
+ Host Von Schrader Ltd:
+ Hydro Dynamix:
+ LTT Leathercare:
+ McGregor Lloyd (insurance brokers):
+ NSL Restormate: 01670 590099:
+ Nu Life Stone Care Ltd:
+ Oates Laboratories (Europe):
+ Print & Deliver Ltd:
+ Prochem Europe Ltd:
+ Rainbow International:
+ Restoration Express:
+ Robert Saunders Marketing Mentor:
+ Safeclean:
+ Sebo UK Ltd:
+ ServiceMaster Ltd:
+ Stainshield Ltd:
+ Textile Cleaning Solutions:
+ The Big Clean:
+ The Ultimate Floor Sanding Co.:
+ The WoolSafe Organisation:
+ Vaclensa:
+ Worldwide Cleaning Support:
0844 8156211 (I)
01763 208222 (C/M/F/T)
01444 232211 (C/M)
01795 436999 (C/M/E)
01444 244000 (C)
0208 315 5000 (I)
01482 872770 (C/M/Fr)
01274 597333 (C/M/T/D/F)
01772 434333 (T/C/R/M)
01334 656787 (C/M/T/F)
0115 8240034 (T/C/R/M/K)
0870 733 7733 (T/C/W/M)
01772 426527 (M)
01509 881137 (C/M)
01908 611211 (C/M/T)
01772 433711 (C/M/T/W/Fr)
01207 279964 (C/Tr)
01405 813665
0845 4740068 (I)
02866 341416 (C/E/F/M/T)
0151 347 1900 (M/C)
01622 664993 (Fr/T)
01423 881027 (T/Tr)
0121 706 0616 (I)
(M/C/Tr)
0161 480 7284 (M/C)
01772 433711 (C)
01628 633336
0208 974 1515 (C/F/M/T)
01623 422488 (M/C/Fr)
01252 726106 (M/C/T/A)
08450 537129 (K)
01235 444700 (Tr)
01494 465533 (M)
0116 275 9000 (M/C/Fr)
01372 841467 ©
01934 521155 (M/C)
0208 3934778 (M,C,W,K)
00353 91846488 (M/C/Fr)
01943 850817
0161 728 1800 (M)
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.
NCCA Corporate Members
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.
To find out more call: 03330 145 045 or
email: [email protected] quoting
“Scheme 1” in the subject line.
Promote your business on thomsonlocal.com with their NEW Trade Association product…
CLASSIFIEDS
EQUIPMENT FOR SALEChemspec hose reel for truck mount (plastic) - £200. Contact [email protected] for further information or contact Andy on: 07970
544806.
EQUIPMENT FOR SALE3 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 SALEOne 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 SALEs/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 SALEDue 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: [email protected]
WANTEDSebo BS36 vacuum cleaner in good condition. Please call Tim Stockdale on 01904 413612.
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 FORNEW 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 REQUIREDAn 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: [email protected]
newslink page 26
CLASSIFIEDS
newslinkpage 27
CLEANING AND RESTORATION EQUIPMENT2 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: [email protected]
WANTED - SHADOWING OPPORTUNITYManchester 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 SALEDowding & 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 SALEHost 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 SALEProchem 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.
Christmas Word search
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.
just
for fun!
BELLS FRANKINCENSE PANTOMIME BETHLEHEM GHOST PRESENTS CAKE GNOME PUDDING CAROLS GOLD REINDEER CAROLSINGER HEROD RIBBON CELEBRATION HOLIDAY SANTASGROTTO CHARLESDICKENS JESUS SCROOGE CHRISTMASCARDS JOSEPH SHEPHERDS CHRISTMASTREE LAPLAND SINGING CHURCH MAGI SOLSTICE CRACKERS MANGER STAR DECORATIONS MARY TURKEY DONKEY MYRRH WASSAILING ELF NATIVITY WHITECHRISTMAS EVERGREEN NAZARETH WINE FATHERCHRISTMAS NORTHPOLE YULE FEZZIWIG NUTCRACKER
Find these words