Archive for Sams Carpet Cleaning – Page 3

Meet Jake Custer

This month we’re featuring one of our fantastic technicians: Jake Custer! Jake has been with us for years and is a much-appreciate part of the Sams family. Let’s take some time to learn more about him!

Q: How long have you been at Sams?

A: I’ve actually been here nearly 10 years coming up very soon.

Q: How did you first hear about the job?

A: One of my friends was working at Sams and referred me to the job.

Q: What exactly do you do as a Technician?

A: Oh, a lot of things depending on the day. Of course there’s a lot of cleaning, but also repairs, resurfacing floors, and cleaning out air ducts. It really varies day to day. And I like that!

Q: Why is working at Sams different?

A: I’ve always enjoyed art and creating things, so I like how at Sams we make something nice out of something which may not have been so nice. There’s a lot of the satisfaction in leaving a place looking great.

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

A: Oh, there are lots of stories, but there’s one kind of funny one that sticks out to me. Once, I was working with another employee, kind of a fun, goofy guy, and we were working at the house of an older man, very no-nonsense, probably military. My coworker was downstairs, and I had gone outside, but he didn’t realize I had gone outside, so when he heard someone coming down the stairs, he jumped out to surprise me. Of course it wasn’t me, it was the owner, who just looked at him said “Practice your karate somewhere else.” At Sams we are a hardworking team, but we also are like a family, and a laugh or smile always brightens the day.

Q: When you’re not busy at work, what do you do for fun?

A: Most of my time is with my kids. I coach my kids’ soccer, which is great. Spending time with my family is where pretty much all my spare time goes!

We’re so glad Jake took some time to have this conversation with us, and we hope you enjoyed it too!

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“An Evening Under the Stars” – Supporting Children with Disabilities

Sams is excited to announce that our very own Jeff and Susan Sams will serve as co-chairs for the annual United Services for Children gala which will take place on August 25th at the Ameristar Casino Discovery Ballroom. This year’s theme for the gala is “Magical Moments – An Evening Under the Stars.” Jeff and Susan will join with the United Services community to welcome guests in celebration and gratitude as they raise much-needed funds to help children with disabilities.  The community is welcome at the gala, so save the date for August 25, 2018 at Ameristar Casino Discovery Ballroom.

Jeff and Susan have been longtime supporters of United Services, which recently announced an initiative to build a universally accessible Children’s Museum in Lake St. Louis. The museum will be the first of its kind to be built from the ground up. Both look forward to playing a part in supporting these plans, as well as continuing their advocacy for United Services’ ongoing activities to serve children in the community.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Raymond Castile
United Services for Children
rcastile@unitedsrvcs.org
636-926-2700
 

August 25 Gala will support children with disabilities

United Services for Children invites the community to join us for an evening of celebration and gratitude as we raise money to help children with disabilities.

“Magical Moments – An Evening Under the Stars” is the theme of our 35th annual gala, to take place

Saturday, Aug. 25, 2018, in the Discovery Ballroom of Ameristar Casino-St. Charles. United Services will present the Champions for Children award to Joel and Janet Brett. Joel has served many years on the agency’s board of directors. He and Janet have staunchly and cheerfully supported the agency through leadership and hands-on volunteering, always going far above and beyond expectations.

We will bestow the Community Partnership Award to the Renaud Spirit Center – City of O’Fallon. The municipally operated recreational facility has been instrumental in helping us expand our pediatric therapy options, generously hosting our aqua therapy program.

Co-chairing the gala are Jeff and Susan Sams, owners of Sams Carpet Cleaning and Repairs in St. Charles.

Jeff established the business in 1985, serving commercial and residential customers throughout the St. Louis area. He and Susan are longtime supporters of United Services. With their energy and commitment, Magical Moments is sure to be an amazing event.

More than 300 guests typically attend the gala, the biggest annual fundraiser for United Services, a nonprofit agency in St. Peters. Incorporated in 1977, United Services provides pediatric therapy, early intervention and family support services for children with disabilities. The agency is a leader in preparing children of all abilities to reach their full potential.

Please visit www.unitedservicesforchildren.org for more information on the gala, including tickets and sponsorship opportunities.

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Get to Know Kim Simpson

This month we’re shining the light on our wonderful Kim Simpson. Kim is our Job Controller here, and she plays a big part in helping Sams run smoothly! Let’s take a moment to get to know her a bit better!

Q: How long have you been at Sams, and how did you first hear about the job?

A: Two years this month actually! I found the job on Craigslist believe it or not.

Q: What exactly do you do as a Job Controller?

A: A little bit of everything, from interviewing, payroll, and receivables, but my main job is to make sure our Technicians are taken care of, getting help if they need it, and getting where they need to be. I also assign our daily schedule to our Technicians and adjust accordingly to make sure everything is finished throughout the day.  I am on the phone a LOT!

Q: Why is working at Sams different?

A: We’re family here, with each other and with our customers. We treat our customers like family because that’s how we would want to be treated. We pride ourselves on customer service, and always go above and beyond to make sure our customers are completely satisfied with our service.

 Q: What is it like to work here?

A: It can be crazy! But it’s also fun, even if it’s stressful sometimes. All in all, we joke and laugh and argue and laugh some more, just like family.  Jeff is great to work for. We all have families and understand when things come up from time to time, so we always try to accommodate everyone with their needs.

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

A: In the time that I have been here there have been a lot of things of course, but I remember knowing it was going to be a great place to work about the second of third week I was here. We had been having a lot, and I mean a LOT of rain, and we had thirty or so new flood calls within the work day. As the new girl, that was quite a bit of work that needed to get done! I had to call every single guy to help, and each and every one of them was so nice and helpful. They all had full days of work already, but with their help we got it all covered! They are truly some of the nicest guys to work with.

But maybe the most memorable experience is when I recently had a heart attack at work. I was in the bathroom, pants down and everything, but I was able to get them up and get that door opened! In all seriousness, I owe my life to Jessica. She called 911, and one of our techs was here and held my hand until help came. Everything went super-fast once the help came. I had a stent put in in 49 minutes, and I actually asked if I could go back to work. Needless to say, they told me no.

I had to stay a few days, but during that time I got a lot of texts from everyone at Sams making sure I was ok and that they were thinking of me. That’s what I mean when I say we are all family; we are all here for each other.

Q: When you’re not busy at work, what do you do for fun?

A: Well lately it’s been doctor’s orders to exercise and rest, but mostly I enjoy being with my loved ones and traveling. Life is short. Take the trip, buy that thing you’ve always wanted, and live life fully while you can.

We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Kim! As you can see, she’s a wonderful addition to our team, and we’re very thankful she was able to take the time out of her busy schedule so we could get to know her better.

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Employee Spotlight: Greg Sutter

We look forward to our employee spotlights all month long, it’s a great way for us to get to know our employees on a deeper level and share them with you! There’s more to Sams than just our yellow vans, we have employees who are like our family, and we love to share them with you. This month we sat down with Greg Sutter, a Senior Technician Specialist with Sams for our latest employee spotlight. Lets dive into our conversation!

 

Q: How long have you been at Sams, and what do you do?
A: I started at Sams in 2002, so I’m coming up on 16 years! I am now a Senior Technician Specialist, but I of course started out as a Technician.

Q: How did you find out about the job?
A: Well of course this was before the time of online postings, so I saw the job in the Suburban Journal. Back in the day, this is how we had to search for jobs, we had to open the newspaper! I thought it looked interesting and after meeting the team I thought it would be a great fit, and years later, I’m happy I opened the paper, before print media was dead!

Q: So what exactly do you do as a Senior Technician Specialist? What do you do on a day to day basis?
A: I work on all of our specialty repairs, from carpet repairs, carpet cleaning to tile and grout. Every day is a little different, I’m never doing the same thing!

Q: What is it about the Sams experience that is different?
A: We do a lot of follow ups with our clients and touch base to make sure they’re happy at all times. If they’re not 100% satisfied, we will come back and fix it, no questions asked, because our customers happiness is what matters. It’s important for us to go above and beyond for our customers. We build relationships with our customers, it’s not a onetime transaction. Training is also huge here, meaning our guys have the skills and knowledge to tackle any project. Early in my career at Sams, I took two classes at Jon Don, one on flooding and the other on spot dye. This training and the hands on experience in the field with carpet repair got me to where I am today. It gives me so much pride and a sense of accomplishment to know that I have the skills to do the job, but that I can do the job well and efficiently.

Q: You’ve been at Sams for almost 16 years! What is it like to work here?
A:
It’s SUPER fast paced, which is honestly wonderful. You can’t get bored and I’m constantly on the move from one job to the other. It’s not the kind of job where you’re sitting at a desk looking at the clock counting down the hours. I get to meet people every day and build relationships, I love that aspect of the job. We have a great team here and we’ve become friends. Some of us guys even had a hockey team for awhile that Sams sponsored and got us jerseys! We had a lot of fun and it’s great to work with people you actually want to spend time with!

Q: Do you have any memorable experiences from over the years at Sams?
A:
Oh yes, the most shocking would be when a guy had a loaded shotgun in his living room that went off and shot a hole through the ceiling to his bedroom upstairs! He quickly managed to repair the hole in the wall but needed to get the carpet repaired before his wife got home. We came in and repaired the carpet and got out of there before she made it home.

 

Q: When you’re not busy at work, what do you do for fun?
A:
I love spending time with my wife, Victoria, and our two daughters (12 years old and newly 1 year old). I coach my daughter’s soccer team and I love being outside and playing sports. I also play soccer in a 21+ league, I can’t keep up with the young guys anymore but I love getting out there and playing. I also enjoy shopping with my wife. With 2 little girls at home, I’m always running them around and staying busy.

 

A big thank you to Greg for taking time of his busy day to talk with us! He’s been a key player in our Sams family for many years and we are grateful for him and his dedication. Check back next month for our next employee spotlight!

 

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New Year, New You: Air Duct Cleaning for Your Health

It’s January, so naturally we’re all still on track with our New Year’s Resolutions (at least, for now, and we have good intentions)! Of course the most common New Year’s Resolution is to be healthy. Some examples you might hear, or you might have vowed you would stick to in 2018 are:

  • I’ll go to the gym 4 days a week
  • I’ll eat a salad a day, get my veggies in!
  • I’ll take the steps instead of the elevator and will park in the back of the lot
  • I’ll take care of my health: visit the doctor for regular checkups, take more vitamins, etc.

This year, focus on breathing clean air! You’d be surprised what you can see in your air ducts. When’s the last time you had yours cleaned?

They’re tucked away, it’s not obvious like a stain on your carpet or dog hair on the floor. You don’t often think about your air ducts and what’s going on with them. Your air conditioning and heat are working, so why would it even be a thought it your mind? That’s why we’re here to help you stay healthy and keep these things front and center. It’s important to clean your air ducts at least once a year, so what better time than now, start the year off fresh (and clean)!

You wouldn’t believe how dirty air ducts and dryer vents can get. Not only is air flow restricted when they haven’t been cleaned, but you’re breathing in that dirty, dusty air.

So how do we go about cleaning your air ducts and keeping you healthy? We use a powerful truck-mounted system that cleans out all the junk. A rotating brush scrubs the walls of the ducts, removing any build-up of dust and dust mites that could be making you sick. As it’s removed, the system collects the debris in our van outside, leaving your home clean and uncontaminated. We also offer a cleaning with an Anti-Microbial Disinfectant to inhibit the growth of molds, mildews and other odor causing bacteria, at no additional cost.

Are you ready to take back the health of your home? Give us a call today to schedule an appointment, 636-949-8229.

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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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