Archive for Sams – Page 2

Ho Ho Ho, Don’t Let Your Area Go

Area rugs can pull together a room’s entire atmosphere, and you’ll find them decorating the most beloved, and the most high-traffic rooms of your house. During the holidays, those area rugs will probably experience even more traffic than usual, and before you know it your beautiful rug may be creating a different atmosphere than you were planning for.

Don’t give up on your area rugs—we can save them! You will be surprised what we can do to clean your hand-made and machine-made area rugs.  Whether you just got your rug, or if it has been in your family for years, we treat them with the utmost care.  Your rugs can keep looking refreshed and revitalized for many more holidays.

FrenchTown Rug Cleaning Co., a division of Sams Carpet Cleaning & Repairs, is one of the few fine and area rug cleaning companies certified as a Master Rug Cleaner! This is the gold standard in training and certification for Rug Cleaning Professionals, meaning we’re the kind of team you can trust to care for and clean your rugs!

You may want to have your rugs picked up and cleaned to PREPARE for your holiday parties, or you may want to have them picked up and cleaned AFTER to recover from your holiday parties. In either case, we have free pick-up and delivery whether it’s before or after the holidays (minimum charges do apply). We’ll wrap them up until you want to put them down again after the winter months, or right away to help you celebrate.

We understand that area rugs are important, many have history to them (or the amount of time it took to pick them out could have a history of its own). It’s important to keep these treasures clean to have them continue to be beautiful for years. Give us a call today, and let us help you make your home clean and cozy. Learn more about FrenchTown and our services HERE.

 

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Sams Carpet: Year 21 for the BEST Carpet Cleaning Company in St. Charles County

We did it again! We were voted the Best Carpet Cleaning Company in St. Charles for the 21st year in a row!

TWENTY ONE YEARS! We can officially celebrate with a drink and a cheers: a cheers to you, to our employees and our community. We are blown away and feel incredibly grateful and proud .

We cannot thank you enough for your support and votes! We wouldn’t have won this honor for the 21st time if it wasn’t for your amazing support. It’s easy to say that we have the best customers, but it goes beyond that. We have the best community and your support and love means so much to us.

On December 14th we attended the Best of St. Charles County event at the Foundry Art Centre and as always, it was an incredible event! Each year this is a great opportunity to socialize with other award winning companies and meet businesses and business owners in the St. Charles community. And of course, a big thank you to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Suburban Journal for putting on this great event.

You can see the full Best of St. Charles County list HERE.

From all of us at Sams Carpet Cleaning, THANK YOU for your support year after year, for taking the time to vote, for recommending our services to your friends and families and for being beyond our customers, but becoming our friends. Without your support and friendship, we would not be the company we are today. Thank you for helping to shape us, and for supporting the St. Charles community.

 

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Employee Spotlight: Dejuan Evil

The exciting day is here, the one that we’ve been waiting for all month long… our latest employee spotlight! We love taking take the time to talk with one of our wonderful employees each month, learn more about them and their thoughts on working for Sams Carpet Cleaning and Repairs. This month, we sat down with Dejuan, one of our Account Executives, and you can’t help but love the guy. So without any further ado, lets meet Dejuan!

Q: How long have you been at Sams and how did you get your start?

A: I’ve been here for 3 years, and you can actually blame Chris Scoles for me being here! I’ve been friends with Chris for 24 years and he’s actually the one who told me Sams was hiring! I had been to a few Sams events and gatherings prior and knew a few of the employees, so I knew it was somewhere I would like to work. Chris had always spoken highly about the company and culture, so it felt like a natural fit. To say I’m happy that Chris told me about the job would be an understatement.

Q: What exactly do you do as an Account Executive?

A: I wear several hats, I go out and give estimates on projects, from residential to commercial, and I also work with a lot of the apartments and commercial clients. My job is a bit of a mix between marketing, new business and sales. It’s nice to not be trapped behind a desk, I’m able to get out of the office, meet people and see projects firsthand.

One of my favorite parts of the job is that I have the opportunity to meet people and network. As a people person, I love getting out there and seeing the people I get to talk to on the phone.

Q: What is it about the Sams experience that is different or enticing?

A: I would have to say it’s our quality of work and the skills and years of experience of our technicians. Many of our technicians have been here for over a decade, they understand what it takes and have pride in the quality of their work. Our repairs are outstanding and our customers are happy, which is exactly what we want! We also have wonderful customer service, they go above and beyond for our customers.

The culture at Sams for employees is awesome. We all get along and have fun, it’s something I haven’t seen at other places I’ve worked. We’re all friends and are there for each other, you have to love the atmosphere.

Q: Do you have any memorable experiences from over the years at Sams?

A: It’s hard to pinpoint just one… my favorite thing is seeing the looks on a customer’s face when they’re happy and surprised that their carpet looks new. Part of my job is following up with clients, so hearing their joy and excitement is the best. On a none work related note, my favorite memory would have to be Susan’s surprise 50th birthday party! I was the DJ and Bartender for the big event and it was hilarious and so great to see Susan cut loose and have fun with her family and friends.

Q: What do you do for fun outside of work?

A: Well, I have 2 daughters, one is a freshman in high school and the other is in 5th grade. I coach their basketball and soccer teams, which I absolutely love, and I also play basketball myself. Now that my girls are getting older, I am in this new, unchartered territory of BOYS. My oldest daughter was on the homecoming court this year, and that was new, exciting, and terrifying.

We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Dejuan! He is an outgoing, funny and caring guy who we are incredibly lucky to have as part of the Sams family. Check back next month to see who will be our NEXT employee spotlight!

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#ThankfulThursday: Nik Carrino Rides 120 Miles to Support Multiple Sclerosis Research

For many people, Thanksgiving is about food, family and traditions. But don’t forget the true meaning of Thanksgiving: to be thankful for what we have, where we are in life and for those around us! It’s the time of year we’re we reflect and give back, and no one does it quite like Nik Carrino, our Restoration Project Manager/Account Executive at Sams.

Nik recently completed his third year of riding in Bike MS this past September. Bike MS is a 2 day, 125 mile bike ride for the Multiple Sclerosis Society that started and finished at Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey, IL. Nik first heard about Bike MS in 2014 when  speaking with our accounting partner Kristin Robinson of Hollander CPA Group, about riding bikes with a cause. Kristin and her husband Dean had formed a team in memory of their friend who had passed away from Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The team, called “Roln On”, was formed to help raise money for research and free the world of MS.

MS is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. The cause of MS is still unknown, scientists believe the disease is triggered by an as-yet-unidentified environmental factor in a person who is genetically predisposed to respond. The unknown behind MS is one reason why raising money for research is so vitally important.

Nik originally signed up to join team “Roln On” to challenge himself and see what it was like to ride a bike for 100+ miles, but after the first year, he was hooked. Not because he loves riding or that his body felt good, but because of how it affected the community. He was so moved by the people cheering him and his team on, the support from friends ,family, businesses other bikers’ inspirational stories and learning more about the cause. Nik will go the distance for MS, it takes advance training, preparation and commitment, but what powers Nik and his fellow teammates is the support and commitment to those impacted by the disease. Every mile they ride brings us closer to their goal of a world free of MS.

This Thanksgiving, think about who and what you’re thankful for, whether it be a family member, friend, your job or your community. This Thanksgiving we’re thankful for people like Nik who are going out of their way to give back. You can see it yourself by checking out his Bike MS page. He is already signed up and raising money for the 2018 Bike MS. A big thank you from all of us at Sams to Nik, Kristin and Dean for their support of the MS Society, you guys are outstanding and a huge asset to the community.

 

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Employee Spotlight: Chris Scoles

Chris Scoles is our Operations Manager/Account Executive here at Sams Carpet Cleaning and Repairs, and to say that he is a busy guy is an understatement. Just tracking him down for this conversation meant he had to sit still for a couple minutes! We’re excited to introduce you to Chris, an integral cog in the Sams machine. Now, without any further ado, join us for our get-to-know-you conversation with Chris!

Q: How long have you been at Sams and how did you get your start at Sams?

A: I used to drive by the Sams building everyday on my way to work and had a friend who worked there as a technician. I told him if they were ever hiring to let me know because I was looking for a change. In July of 2001 he gave me a call that they were hiring and the rest is history!

Q: 16 years later, what exactly do you do at Sams?

A: I started as a field technician, I spent several months training and cleaning customer’s carpets, flooring and air ducts. Over time, I moved up, started learning other parts of the job and became a team leader. Fast forward a couple more years and I am now the Operations Manager!

Q: What exactly does an Operations Manager position entail?

A: I’m in charge of the team, I get them ready to go each day and prep them on the jobs assigned. I take care of the everyday tasks, training new employees, maintenance on the machines and vehicles. I’m also the Account Executive for several of our larger apartments and I’m constantly out in the field giving estimates. I’m constantly moving around and if you’re looking for me, it changes from day to day where you’ll find me!

Q: Why did you choose Sams?

A: Sams treats their employees very well. There is a mutual respect between the bosses and the employees and we have built a great core of technicians. If anyone has a question, you know you can turn to another employee who has been there for many years who would have the answer. Our customer service is awesome and we really care for our customers. I also love the freedom I have here, I get to travel around the city and I’m constantly busy, which I love.

Q: What’s the Sams difference?

A: I would have to say our training program. We would never send a new employee out in the field until they are fully trained and ready, it might be 6-8months before they’re in a house cleaning. We train our technicians about the SCIENCE behind carpet cleaning and repair and we ensure every technician masters the skills before sending them out. We also use high quality machines and equipment that are only available at Sams.

Q: Do you have any memorable experiences at Sams, maybe celebrity run ins or encounters?

A: I have cleaned several Rams players houses including Adam Timmerman, Orlando Pace and of course like Dennis mentioned, we cleaned Nelly’s house in Lake St. Louis on several occasions. We also regularly clean Nelly’s producer’s house, which it’s nice to see big talent in St. Louis!

Q: When you’re not at work, where can we find you?

A: That’s easy, on the golf course. I’m an avid golfer and if I can find the time, you will certainly find me at one of the golf courses in town.

Q: What is your proudest accomplishment over your many years at Sams?

A: That’s hard for me to say, I don’t want to sound like I’m tooting my own horn. Mainly I think it’s overseeing the training of our technicians and ensuring that they are on top of their game. I know our technicians have the skills and training that far exceeds others. Our technicians are talented, supportive and have years of experience that is beyond valuable. I’m proud of these guys and know they’re out in the field doing the best work possible.

So there you have it, now you know our beloved Operations Manager, Chris! A big thank you to Chris for taking a few minutes out of his always hectic day for this conversation! Be sure to check back next month for our NEXT Employee Spotlight!

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Ready for the upcoming Holidays?

Fall is OFFICIALLY upon us, and that means many things: pumpkin spice everything, leaves falling, cooler temperatures and of course, preparations for holiday parties! That’s right, it’s never too soon! There are countless events, holidays and get togethers this time of year and we want to help you stay on top of them and feel prepared!

Halloween is right around the corner, and if you’re someone who likes to throw a haunted house party, there’s nothing scarier than dirty carpets. Thanksgiving is all about being thankful, and this year you can be thankful for stain-free carpets. Christmas is all about family, and the last thing you need is your Aunt Mary calling you out on your dinghy floors. The holidays aren’t meant for embarrassing dirty floors but gathering with family and friends celebrating togetherness!

Now, let’s get into the fun part of the holidays… decorating! We know everyone loves to decorate their home for the holidays (raise your hand if you have a holiday decor closet/self in your house) and of course you want your carpets and floors looking clean and refreshed as well as clean air in your home to be that final touch.  Sams Carpet Cleaning & Repairs is right there with you.  So lets work together to make your home fresh and clean for the holidays that enhances your holiday decor.  From carpet cleaning, carpet repairs, tile and grout cleaning, upholstery cleaning, air duct cleaning to many more services to assist to making your home beautiful for the holidays.  Check out our full list of services HERE.

The feeling of stress and anxiety when it comes to the holiday season is not what we want to feel with the preparations, the food, the where to seat the in-laws question, the cleaning… it’s overwhelming! Let us take something off your plate and help ease the stress. Don’t wait to schedule because you might get that last minute phone call that your family is coming in and staying with you for the holidays (we’ve experienced it, trust us, it’s not fun).

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Employee Spotlight: Phil and Nik Carrino

You don’t often hear about siblings working together, and we have a feeling if you know of any, it might not be the friendliest of relationships or very long lasting. That’s not the case with our favorite brothers at Sams Carpet Cleaning and Repairs, Phil and Nik Carrino. These brothers have worked together for over 11 years at Sams and they still like each other!

To celebrate family, we decided for this month’s employee spotlight to highlight Phil and Nik and learn what it’s like for siblings to work together for so many years.

 

Q: How did you guys end up at Sams, how long have you been here and what are your job title/roles?

Nik: I’ve been here for 14 years, I saw a Sams Van in my apartment buildings parking lot all the time and knew that they did good work. I reached out to them to see if they were hiring and lucky for me, they were! I am the Water Restoration Manager and I often work with the Insurance Companies to help families quickly get their homes back into shape. If you ever have water damage or flooding, I’m your guy!

Phil: I’ve worked here for 11 years. I saw how happy my brother was working here so when I found out they were hiring, I jumped on it. I started out as a Technician, but I am now the Training Manager and Technician Specialist.

Q: Why Sams? What is about Sams that makes us different and special?

Nik: It really does feel like a family, and I’m not just saying that because I work with my brother every day. We look out for each other, we have the support of the other employees and we care for our customers as though they were family. For customers, I believe they really feel that difference and know they can trust us. Customer satisfaction is huge, we go above and beyond to make sure each customer is happy and taken care of to the best of our capabilities.

Phil: It’s not a big, faceless organization. Jeff and Susan get to know all of the employees on a personal level, which I think is pretty unusual. They even attended my wedding last year, and it was wonderful to have them there to celebrate with us!

Q: What do you enjoy most about working at Sams?

Phil: Definitely the people. It’s a fun work environment, relaxed and culture is huge. I also love the Sams commitment to the community and organizations that are important to employees.

Nik: I agree 100%, Jeff and Susan sponsor me at Bike MS each year and I’m extremely grateful for their support. We have fun coming to work every day and it feels laid back and comfortable, we can be ourselves and know that we have the support of everyone we work with. We enjoy coming to work, which is something we know not everyone outside of Sams can say about their jobs.

Q: Any favorite or memorable client stories?

Nik: There’s too many over the years. I love getting to know our customers, some of them have been using Sams for years and have known my brother and I since we started. We’ve even had several ladies make us cakes and snacks when we come out to their house because they’re happy to see us and that we came out to help.

Phil: It’s always my favorite when I see a homeowner’s reaction when they see their freshly cleaned carpet that they thought was beyond repair. Knowing that we helped them and possibly saved them the headache and giant bill of getting new carpet is amazing.

Q: So, the ultimate question. What’s it like working together as brothers?

Nik: Well, it’s certainly had its ups and downs. We used to live together AND work together, and we got tired of each other pretty quick. Once we moved out and lived separately, it was awesome! We get to hang out and catch up every day in small doses, which is the perfect amount.

Phil: I have to look at his face everyday… that can be good or bad, depending on how you look at it. But really, it’s pretty cool to work with your brother and know you have his support.

 

So there you have it, a closer look at our favorite brothers. Thank you to Phil and Nik for taking the time to talk to us and give us an inside look their lives at Sams Carpet Cleaning and Repairs. Stay tuned for our next employee spotlight!

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Where’s the Sams Van? Contest and Giveaway!

All the great thriller games start with discovery and mystery… Where’s Waldo, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego, Clue, Nancy Drew, and of course, Scooby Doo. All of these games have something in common, other than mystery, and that is a recognizable and lovable characters. You of course have Waldo, Carmen Sandiego, Miss Scarlet, Mrs. Peacock, Professor Plum, Nancy Drew, Scooby Doo, Shaggy and that’s just to name a few. Well at Sams, we have our own lovable character, the brilliant, vibrant yellow Sams Van!

We’ve started a game at Sams Carpet Cleaning, and at first it started out with employees and friends. We called it, “Where’s the Sams Van?”. We would have people text us pictures at a stoplight of our recognizable yellow van and say, “I found you!”, or in a parking lot, or even at someone’s house. We get a kick out of seeing these messages and love that our loveable yellow character is being spotted around St. Louis.

We’ve decided to take our game a step further, and open it up to you! So here are the rules:

• Spot a Sams Van
• Take a photo (bonus points if you get a selfie with the Sams Van and *bonus bonus* points for getting a picture with the Sams Technician)
• Share the photo on our social media

The photo with the most likes at the end of the month will win a $20 Sams Carpet Cleaning gift certificate and a $50 Lowes Gift Card!

Now, it goes without saying, but we still will, we of course want you to be safe! Please do not take a picture while driving, the last thing we want is for the Sams van to cause an accident. The winner must be residential and within our service area. You can check out services in your area HERE.

It’s that simple, all you have to do is keep your eyes peeled for the Sams van and you could be the lucky winner. Be sure to share the game with friends and families and the next time you spot a Sams van, best of luck! Snap the photo and share on our Facebook for your chance to win.

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Back to School, Back to Clean Carpets!

It’s always nice having your kids home for the summer, being able to spend more time together as a family, going on vacations and little road trips and having some help around the house. However… kids in the house for several months straight can mean that your house has become a disaster zone! Think about all the dirty shoes and feed tromping through the house, the snacks eaten in front of the TV and the number of times they’ve rolled around on the carpet playing with the dog. Yeah, after a summer of children in the house, there’s no better time to do a deep cleaning!

Now’s the time to treat yourself. You’ve survived the summer without any major melt downs, and that’s an accomplishment. You’ve entertained children, planned fun activities and been the mediator between sibling arguments. Buy yourself a nice pair of shoes, go to a movie you want to watch and sit back and let the professionals clean your carpets and floors. You’ve done enough this summer, let us take this task off your list!

So why is clean carpet so important? When kids go back to school, they typically get a nice, fresh haircut, a new backpack, some new shoes and clothes and are looking fresh and ready for the new school year. Why not get your house in that same, tip-top, back to school shape? Not only will your carpet look great, smell fresh and feel brand new, but you’re also protecting it and helping it last longer. Who wouldn’t want that?

As your back to school reward, give us a call today to schedule your cleaning. We look forward to helping you celebrate the new school year!

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Selling your home? Top deep cleaning projects (for your new house too!)

So you’re selling your house! As the savvy home seller you are, you know having a clean house is one of the most important aspects of selling it. Regular cleaning and tidying can go a long way, but deep-cleaning your house can make a huge difference in the impression potential homebuyers have of your house.  Regardless of how good the bones of your house are, or if you’ve updated the hardware on all your cabinets, if your home is dirty, that will be the impression most potential homeowners will walk away with.

Odor

Making your house light and airy is the goal for many people trying to sell their homes, but all the natural light in the world is not going to get rid of a funky smell. Some homeowners may not even realize their house smells because they have become so accustomed to living with it. If you’re in any doubt, invite over your most honest friend and see if you need to take care of the smell. Air fresheners only temporarily cover up smells, and some home buyers may be allergic to them or not like the scents you chose.

Check out Sams Carpet’s specialized services just to help with eliminating odors, whether it’s to help sell your old home, or make your new one more enjoyable.

Carpet

Dirty carpet in particular can turn away potential buyer, and some websites will go so far as to say you should completely replace your carpet before showing your home. Thanks to Sams Carpet, you won’t have to do anything that drastic, even if you have tough stains or holes! We have expertise in stain removal, or even patching or spot dying carpet for particularly tough areas.  Worried about ripples? We take care of that too!

Tile

Tile is great because it is difficult to get dirty, but likewise it can be difficult to get clean. Stains or dirty grout can turn away prospective homebuyers because it can seem like an overwhelming project, and some people assume you have to redo or cover up dirty grout. But we can tell you, grout can be cleaned and look amazing again. We know—we’ve done it.

Upholstery Furniture

Even though the person buying your home won’t be buying your furniture with it, it’s part of what they see when viewing your home. Stained or dirty furniture can leave potential homebuyers with a poor view of your house overall. We understand all upholstery is different, and know the best way to make yours clean and beautiful again.  Do yourself a favor and have it cleaned so your house looks great for showing, and you have clean furniture for your new home! It’s a win-win all around.

Air Ducts

An often over-looked aspect of cleaning, your air ducts may be restricting the airflow of your house, and even affecting your health. While most homebuyers’ first thought will not be “Oh, better check out the air ducts,” stale or dusty air still affects the atmosphere of your house and how your homebuyer will view it. Opening the windows is the most frequently cited suggestion, but if you are selling your house in one of the nine months of the year that it isn’t a nice 72 degrees outside, that may not be practical, and it doesn’t take care of the buildup of dust or the dust mites that are in your ducts.

Even if you don’t choose to have the ducts changed in the house you are selling, it’s a good idea to have the air ducts cleaned in the house you are buying. After all, nothing’s better than sitting back in your new home and taking a deep breath of fresh, clean air.

Pets

Anyone who has a furry friend in their home knows how pet fur has a way of getting…everywhere. They also know how difficult it can be to get out of carpets or couches.  While diligent vacuuming can keep the fur somewhat under control, it doesn’t always take care of the fur that has embedded deep in your carpets, or the smell your pet can leave behind. Any accidents they have can even go below the carpet into the padding, or even the subfloor. Save yourself the hassle and let Sams take care of it for a truly deep clean. Your future homebuyers will thank you.

Or maybe your new home used to have pets. Start clean with Sams Carpet, and help your new house feel like home.

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