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Whitby Free Press, Wednesday, February 24, 1993. Page 11 YFREE PRESS Two more companies to locate in Whitby By Mark Reesor. An Ajax com pany's expansion to Whitby could mean as many as 70 new jobs by the end of the year. Custom Racks will occupy about 40 000 sq. ft. of a 65,000 sq. ft. buiÏdin on Burns St. President John Scelsa says 20 people are currently working on getting the new location ready. He expects to have about 25 employees at the new location by April and 40 by June -- if busi- ness continues to grow, he says another 25 or 30 workers cou d be hired by the end of the year. Applications for jobs at the Whitby plant -- eneral labourers, welders an dpeople with sandblasting and water- blastin experience are required -- can b:efilled out at the Ajax jobsOntariooffice. Custom Racks currently has a 25,000 sq. ft. plant in Ajax which em le 845 people. ce sa says the company needed the new location because it's outgrown its Ajax facilit. About half of Custom ck's business comes from General Motors. Scelsa says news that GM is laying off 1,450 workers to retool means more business for his company, since GM installs new racks when production lines are shut down. The company makes racks used to store car parts for ship- pin push carts, marina docks an metal steps, among other' CARP-CLENE- Ensure quality for the price "We'll clean three rooms of carpeting for only $39.99 -- don't pass up this terrific special," says the salesperson. The price' may sound great, but is the consumer getting a good deal? "Maybe," says Marilyn Gurevsky, a manager at the consumer services branch of the Ministry of Consumer and Commercial Relations. "But some offers of professional carpet cleaning can end up taking more money from your pockets than dirt from your rugs." Ethical carpet-cleaning firms may offer discounts early in the year if business is slow. But fly-by-night operators often use special offers te snare the unwary. A job quoted at $39.99 can end up costing $500 if the consumer isn't cautious. To make sure a special price is binding, the consumer should get a detailed, written contract, signed by the vendor, before the work is done. The contract should speçify the areas teobe cleaned, as wel as the price. "Many three-room offers are only good for a total area up to a certain number of square feet.(or metres)," says Gurevsky. "If the total floor-space of your rooms exceeds the limit you could be charged a much higher price." To get a good quality job for a fair price, start by asilng friends or neighbours for the names of companies they'd recommend. Don t just sign up with the first firm to ask for business over the telephone, through the mail or door-to-door. You may aise wish to call the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification for the names of companies that specialize in treatment of the type of carpet you wish cleaned at 1-800-835-4624. This international accredita- tion organization makes their computerized directory of companies qualified to deal with specific problems available to the public free of charge from their Vancouver, Wash. headquarters. Call a few carpet-cleaning firms. They should be happy to supply you with the names of some satisfied customers who are willing to give references. Before you invite three companies to give you estimates, take the time to contact these clients. Carpets are among the most valuable items in most people's homes, and protecting your investment means taking the time to ask some questions about cleaning procedures. The majority of manufacturers and fibre producers recommend that all carpets should be vacuumed with an industrial pile-brush before theyre cleaned. But most cleaning companies skip this step to reduce the time needed for the job. Regardless of whether the companies use dry foams, powders or shampoos, all products have a PH factor. This is measured on a scale from one to 14. Seven is neutral (water). The cleanser's PH should be higher than seven, but products with a PH rating above 10 may affect delicate colours. If the company's representative won't give you details about their cleanser, you may wish to think about dealing with someone else. Some carpet-cleaning problems can be easily avoided by taking proper care of rugs and broadloom. Experts ' at the Ontario Professional Carpet Cleaners Association (OPCCA) say to use a good quality vacuum cleaner and to start your cleaning from a.different point in the room each time it's done. This will ensure the carpet pile is being vacuumed in :nore than one direction, rernving more dirt and increasing the lifespan of the fibres. Most average-priced carpets require replacemnent about every SES PAGE 14 products. There was more positive econo- mic news for Whitby last week. Metropolitan Li e announced it's movng a sales office and 15 employees from Pickering to Whitby, mainly so it can be closer to GM, one of its main customers. Branch sales manager Paul Badham says he has "aggressive growth plans," and hopes to hire seven more people in the near future. The office will take up about 4,000 sq. ft. on the second and third floors of Montgomery Place on Byron St. S. Bi 1 Little, the buildings owner, is moving his offices downstairs to the first floor -- he'll also occupyhpart of the second floor, which will be expanded.. Metropolitan Life hopes to complete the move by March 1, and plans an official grand open- ing j une 4. Your most valuable RRSP contribution UNITEDAGFAUniversalcould be the one I make... cm WORKING VENTURES "Independent advice." CANADIAN FUND INC. Getthe most out of your RRSP Call now for your complementary RRSP check-up. Bolton Tremblay Maclienzig serving whitby and Oshawa since1986 TRIMARK T D666-RRSP Term Deposits iacl Insurance Funds TEMPLETON Derek Dutka Optional hospitality? In January at our annual general meeting, Pat Palmer who holds the post of president of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, included a reference to'hospitality' in his remarks. His reference was not particularly positive. •As an advocate of business, I realize the difficulties of maintaining, let alone starting, a business with the myriad of challenges from financing, cash flow, expenses, staff, taxes, etc., that one must face. However, an apparent casualty from my perspective and Pat Palmer's is our 'hospitality'. or customer service warmth when dealing face to face with the people for whom we exist. At the risk of certain wrath, I do acknowledge that there are some superb businesses out there with the kind of staff-who know how to 'wow' a customer the way it should be done, but it's still not as common a phenomenon as it could be, and should be. I still find myself transacting business with store clerks on regular occasion where virtually no conversation transpires and, if any, it's my own, where it's typically me who says "thank you" at the end. For sorne, the kind of thing I'm referring to here is an 'optional' when doing business but, unfortunately, is often implemented too late. A number of studies were performed at Texas A&M University in 1990 where people were interviewed about the purchases they made throughout the year. Interestingly enough, the actual product or item represented only 30 per cent of the satisfaction a customer experiences during a purchase. The other 70 per cent comes from non-product sources, such as the personality of the salesperson, the confidence the company inspires, the amount of attention, support and follow-up offered and the level of sincere appreciation given te the purchaser. The components of this 70 per cent also cement the likelihood for repeat business and, therefore, longevity. From economic forecasts, it appears skill that our survivability in the nineties will come from our competitive edge and our operational effectiveness. I would suggest that the 'edge' already exists in many businesses and is ready te be harvested at relatively low cost ... passionate attention to customer service. Se, if you haven't turned it on yet, I dhallenge your businesses te adore your customers, and te niake each one of their transactions an experience that will cause them to tell their friends in droves. For those who are already tprning it on, turn it up further and challenge others te catch you. Clearly, hospitality is not optional. Best of business. MUR --i qLC»FlC;eljGlrLoup