To many homemakers, getting their carpets cleaned is worse than going to the dentist. Here are the 5 most common complaints people have about carpet cleaners and what to do about them.

-------- Problem: Bait and switch sales tactics. Many carpet cleaners make all sorts of promises to get into my home; then they try to pressure me into buying all sorts of extras that I really don't want. (A quick search on the Internet will reveal dozens of hidden camera consumer reports on these scammers)

Solution: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. You can't clean a carpet for $9.95 per room and stay in business. Ask what is included with the clean and what is not. At a minimum, the price should include:

- Pre-vacuuming, particularly along the baseboards

- Pretreatment of traffic areas

- Steam cleaning equipment that is truck-mounted (not portables or bonnet cleaning)

- Grooming to set the fibers and promote quick drying after the clean

- If you have pet stains or other specific issues, get a rough idea of how much they charge for these services (Hint - Find out if they work in teams. It doesn't take 2 people to clean your home; one is there to do most of the work while the other is there to "work on you" for the up-sell)

-------- Problem: Waiting all day for the cleaner to show up. I have a busy schedule and hate to be at the mercy of a carpet cleaner who will not give me a firm time.

Solution: Keep searching until you find one that guarantees a specific time. Alternatively, if your time is worth a lot, offer to pay an additional amount for a timed clean - let's say $50.00. Carpet cleaners like all personal service providers, sell their time. Simply out bid others for your preferred time slot.

-------- Problem: Inexperienced or incompetent cleaner. The cleaner either doesn't want to do what I ask of him, or doesn't know how to do it.

Solution: Remember, that just because the company has been in business for a long time, some of their technicians may only have a few days of experience. When you make your first contact with the cleaner's office, ask which technician has been with the company the longest. Then simply request him by name. If he doesn't arrive at your home, reschedule the work. I predict that he'll be there for your next appointment.

-------- Problem: They don't stand behind their work. They did the work, but it's still dirty in a few spots, and now they won't return my calls.

Solution: Again, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Before you select the cleaner, a few screening questions can minimize these types of issues. Clarify what their guarantees are, and how they work. Give them a few hypothetical scenarios and if you sense there might be an issue, move on to the next company. If any service provider doesn't have a 100% money back satisfaction guarantee posted on their website, you haven't found the right company.

-------- Problem: Theft and personal safety. I'm worried about strangers in my home. Will they steal, will they damage my stuff, will my children and I be safe?

Solution: Many small companies don't conduct pre-employment screening. They also fail to conduct criminal background checks or to verify previous employment. Refer back to the tech's experience level - any employee that causes problems of this nature is probably not with the company anymore. Also ask if they are insured and if they run background checks on the people that will do your work.

When speaking with prospective cleaners, open-ended questions work best. A good format for a question is: "I have a concern about _______, how do you handle that?" Ask clarifying questions, like "Can you tell me more about _______?" or, "Can you give me an example of _______?"

P.S. You can apply these examples to most home service providers and not just carpet cleaners.