Take 5 With Cleanfax – an ISSA Podcast

Hosted by ISSA

Business NewsInterviews guests

Website RSS feed

Episodes

Latest episode

Oct 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

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.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

October 12, 20264 min

How to Disappoint Customers the Right Way

A homeowner walks you into the living room, points at a brown blotch next to the recliner and asks, “Can you get that out?” You ask how long it’s been there. She thinks for a second. “The Super Bowl party. The year the bean dip went airborne.” You ask, “Which Super Bowl? She shrugs. “The one with the halftime show.” That stain has been in this house longer than her old Buick. At this point it should be paying rent, and you’re about to tell her it may not be moving out.

October 5, 20265 min

The Stain Hiding Under the Sofa Says Everything

It’s 4:40 p.m. on a Friday, and a technician is finishing a living room carpet cleaning job at the end of a long week. He pulls the sofa out to clean underneath it and finds a coffee stain the size of a dinner plate. The stain isn’t on the work order. Nobody knew it was there. The customer will never look behind that sofa, and nobody back at the shop will ever hear about it. He can slide the sofa back into place and head home, or he can spend a little extra time on the stain. Whatever he chooses says more about the company he works for than its website ever will.

September 27, 20265 min

Do Your Techs Pass the Front Door Test?

Your technician pulls into the driveway, and the homeowner is already waiting at the front door with her arms crossed. The last company she hired left a stain by the fireplace and another one by her husband's chair. Nobody from that company ever called to check on her. This time she called your company. Before your tech unrolls a single hose, though, she has already decided how this visit is going to go. What happens in the next few minutes on that doorstep will either change her mind or prove her right.

September 21, 20263 min

When Success Doesn't Feel Like Success

A full schedule and a wall of five-star reviews don't guarantee an owner who likes the life the company built.

September 14, 20265 min

They Are Watching You

Repeat clients may know your company, but they are still evaluating your crew on every visit.

September 7, 20266 min

The Competitive Advantage Your Rivals Can’t Buy

In a crowded cleaning and restoration market, every company is chasing the same customers—and making the same promises. Bigger ads, bolder truck wraps and claims of being “the best” may attract attention, but they rarely build lasting trust. What truly makes a company stand out is surprisingly simple: reliability.

August 27, 20265 min

Why Good Customers Quietly Disappear

The job's done. The carpet is dry. The hard floor you cleaned is shiny. The invoice is paid. Everything looks fine. Then a year goes by. No call. No repeat booking. No bad review, no angry phone call, nothing you can point to and fix. The customer just quietly moved on, and you never found out why.

August 24, 20265 min

That Deadly Moment When You Stopped Learning

You have been doing this 20 years. You know the work cold. There is a real chance that this is the most dangerous thing about your business right now.

August 14, 20264 min

Procrastination Charges Interest

Procrastination in a cleaning or restoration company is rarely a calendar problem. It's a fear response, and it charges interest.

August 7, 20265 min

The Follow-Up That Doesn't Feel Like a Follow-Up

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?