The Northern California/Nevada chapter held a meeting on sales techniques at the Sacramento location of Pro-Line Carpet Maintenance Supply on April 12. Pro-Line graciously provided dinner. The panel of speakers covered a wide range of topics that they said guaranteed more money would be put in attendees' pockets beginning the next workday.

Lew Clements of Deep Steam Cleaning brought plenty of examples of well-developed sales tools (inspection sheets, "thank you" cards, reminder cards, etc). Everyone had lots of questions,and the audience pitched in with great sales tips from their experiences. The panel also included Monte Hoover of Gillespies/Abbey Carpet and Mike Perras, the executive director of CFI and a master cleaner and restorer.

Winners of the door prizes at the meeting were Jim Fuller and James Mikhaylevski.

The San Diego chapter of CFI recently completed a cleaning event for charity for the local Habitat for Humanity organization. Volunteer companies cleaned six homes for Habitat residents for free. Carpet Cleaners Emporium and Bridgepoint Systems donated cleaning supplies for this event.

The newest IICRC certification course, Rug Cleaning Technician (RCT), made its first appearnce in Southern California. Taught by MasterBlend's Aaron Groseclose at Cleaners Heaven in Laguna Hills, the course covered the basics of rug fiber and construction identification, as well as the concerns and methods for cleaning handmade and machine-made area rugs.

CFI members received a discount on the course, and the full classroom comprised mainly local cleaners, as well as one who came all the way from San Jose. CFI President Eric Bollman, as well as four other board members, came to strengthen their certification skills. CCT and UFT are prerequisites to the RCT course. To view pictures from the course, and to find out future scheduling of this course in the western states, go to the CFI website at www.carpet9.org.