Careclean Essex is a family-run business which was established by Julie and Kevin Barber back in 1984. They were inspired to start a carpet and upholstery cleaning business after they had someone round to clean their second hand sofa! In today’s blog post, we chat to Kevin to find out what an average Careclean day is like for him, and what he gets up to when he’s not working…
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So what does a day in the life of Kevin Barber consist of?
“When Julie and I first started Careclean Essex, we did all the jobs from: cleaning to quoting to finances to answering phones to maintaining the vans etc etc! As the company has grown, so has our team, which has enabled us to take on more defined roles.
I facilitate the general running of the business, manage and train staff and oversee Careclean’s marketing and customer-management. However, aside from these key areas, I still get involved in all areas of the business and particularly enjoy interacting with our customers.
As part of this, I spend 3-4 days per week quoting. During quotes (or Healthy Home Audits as we like to refer to them), I visit potential customers’ homes, find out their cleaning needs, examine their carpets/upholstery and advise them on maintenance and the types of clean we can offer. I leave them with a Healthy Home Report, which includes a range of cleaning packages for them to choose from. I really enjoy these visits as i’m out and about meeting people in my local community.
When I started Careclean many years ago, I used to do all the cleaning, however now we have a few fantastic cleaning technicians who do most of this. However, I can spend 2 days a week cleaning if we are particularly busy.
After a day of quoting/cleaning, I drive back to our office. I catch up with Deb and Karen in our office, updating them on how the quotes went, booked jobs etc. Whilst in the office, I also deal with any enquiries that have come in for me.”
What do you love about your job?
“I love my job because it is so varied. From cleaning to training new staff to creating customer newsletters, everyday is different!
My favourite part of my job is the lovely relationship I have with our customers. It’s always great to have a coffee and chat with our regular customers, and also to meet new ones!”
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?
“Travelling with my wife, and spending time with my children and grandchildren. My personal hobby – when i get the time! – is lawn bowls. I also love a challenge… I have climbed Kilimanjaro and also cycled from John O’Groats to Lands End, raising £6000 for Cystic Fibrosis.”
…and before we finish, do you have any funny work-related stories you’d like to share with our readers?
“I have plenty! But how about this… I was cleaning in a block of flats recently, and ran downstairs to grab something from my van. When I returned to the flat, I was confused to find a lady I didn’t recognise. However she was very friendly and offered me a cup of tea. After a nice little chat, it turned out i’d gone to the wrong flat! I apologised and resumed my cleaning in the correct flat!”
Thanks Kevin Barber! Keep a look out for our next ‘A Day in the life of…’ article coming soon!
Find out more about Careclean’s services
- Click the following links to find out about our: Carpet Cleaning, Upholstery Cleaning, Leather Cleaning, and Rug Cleaning.
- Want to hear what other people think of us? Click here to read our latest reviews.
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Careclean was established in 1984 by Julie and Kevin Barber and has a vast knowledge of carpet and upholstery cleaning and maintenance. We post a weekly blog, which often includes carpet and upholstery cleaning tips and guidance on keeping your home clean and healthy. Click here to check out our blog. You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date on all the latest news and offers.
