‘People always mention chipmunks’, says Alvin with a grin. ‘You know : Alvin and the Chipmunks – the band. And it’s like – yep, I was waiting for you to say that’.
Alvin’s the newest recruit to the Carpet Bright UK team: he completed technician training just before Christmas 2015 and already he’s built up a loyal customer base across Surrey and South London who’ve been won over by his positive attitude and scrupulous attention to detail.
‘In my previous job’, he confesses, ‘my team called me the Queen of Clean, because I used to tell them off for making a mess. This job’s great for me – it lets my inner perfectionist come to the fore.
‘The nicest thing about my job with Carpet Bright UK is meeting a customer who’s pretty stressed: they’ve spilled something and their carpet is damaged and they’re worried nothing can be done. Then I use the right product and give it some TLC and suddenly the mark isn’t there any more. It makes people happy’.
Alvin was born in Croydon and originally worked in retail for some big clothes chains: he was the trouble-shooter who was sent to sort out under-performing branches and solve problems.
‘There was lots of variety,’ he remembers, ‘and never being in the same place too long suited me. The job taught me how to get the best out of people’.
It was his people skills that got him picked to head up the team at the Visitor Centre next to East Croydon station.
‘On opening day we didn’t know how many customers would come in, or what questions they would ask’, he remembers. ‘We just had to respond minute-by-minute to the situation. We used to advertise a lot of small businesses in the Centre, so I learned a lot about start-ups. I loved working with the business owners – they were so enthusiastic!’
So a fast-growing company like Carpet Bright UK and a role where he’s out on the road and every day is different suits Alvin down to the ground. Or maybe down to the carpet.
What does he do to relax?
‘I’m a big cricket fan’, he says. ‘I play for Selsdon CC. And I love cooking’.
Food is a passion for the whole family. They are originally from Guyana, and Alvin’s compiling a recipe book to preserve his relatives’ knowledge and love of the country’s traditional cuisine. His potato balls with a fiery chilli sauce are a favourite amongst his friends.
Alvin had only been with Carpet Bright UK a few weeks when he visited a customer on 23rd December, and couldn’t quite manage to get a mark out of her carpet. ‘I tried everything’, he says. ‘I knew she was disappointed but I’d done the best I could. That night I went home and it really bothered me’.
He woke up next morning with a new idea. It was Christmas Eve – but he headed back to the customer’s house and asked for one more try: a different way to apply an industrial spot removal solution.
‘She was pretty surprised when I knocked on the door – but when my solution worked it was like a Christmas present for her. I went away feeling so pleased that I’d done a good job’.
Carpet Bright UK’s Queen of Clean can make your home feel like a palace, leaving your rugs and carpets spotlessly deep-cleaned, looking bright and smelling fresh. To make a booking you can click here or call 020 3011 5590.
