As kids return back to school, we are reminded of the importance of a good education. School doesn’t just teach facts and figures. You learn skills that allow you to accomplish many basic tasks. Math, reading, problem-solving and learning to work with others are skills most of us learned in school.
Perhaps the most important skill school teaches us is how to learn. We learn to read, ask questions, test theories and discuss ideas as a means of expanding our knowledge. Imagine what would happen if a child never acquired these skills. It would be difficult to learn to drive, fill out a job application, read a menu, count money, use a computer or smart phone, travel abroad or shop.
But learning doesn’t stop when you graduate from high school or college. You still need to acquire specific skills and knowledge in your chosen field in order to achieve excellence. Oftentimes, specialized training is needed. Can you imagine hiring a surgeon who only received on-the-job-training? What about an automobile mechanic who watched some online videos to learn how to fix your car?
Professions like cosmetology, plumbing, home building, childcare and many others require training, certification and in some cases, licensing. It should come as no surprise that training and certification are available for professional carpet and upholstery cleaners, too. This training and certification is provided through the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification or IICRC.
Unlike those other professions, however, training and certification are not legal requirements for carpet and upholstery cleaners. Consequently, most carpet cleaning companies do not invest the money and time in their employees to get this valuable training.
Bluegreen is a professional carpet cleaning company. We believe in the value of classroom learning and field training for our technicians. In the classroom, technicians learn to identify the types of carpet, rug and upholstery fibers. This is important so the proper cleaning solutions are selected to ensure safe, effective cleaning. They learn cleaning chemistry to enable them to identify soil, spots and stains so they can effectively remove them. In addition, they about learn fiber dyes and the carpet and upholstery manufacturing process.
In a typical 2- or 3-day IICRC course, our technicians get practical hands-on demonstrations by a seasoned instructor with many years in the industry. This allows the students to reap the benefits of decades of experience without the risk of problems on the job.
There are separate courses for certification in each of several cleaning categories including: carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, leather cleaning, odor control, ceramic and stone tile cleaning as well as carpet repair and reinstallation. Once the course is completed, our technicians must pass a monitored 150-question exam to qualify for certification in that discipline.
But that is not the end of it. The IICRC requires ongoing education to maintain certification. So our technicians keep learning even after they have achieved certification. This assures you, our valued clients that we are up to date on the latest in the cleaning industry.
In addition to the IICRC certifications, Bluegreen has a field training program each technician must complete. This training is an on-going process to ensure that all of our technicians provide a consistent, professional customer service experience every time they come into your home. As you can probably imagine, education is not free. It requires a significant investment of time and money to keep our team at the top of our profession. At Bluegreen we believe you are worth it.