Sometimes it’s the simplest things that make a big impact. That is what Mike Williams has discovered over the years running his drain cleaning business, Just Drains, in Philadelphia.

“We get a lot of repeat customers, and the first thing they say before we get started is, ‘Make sure you put some of that stuff down the drain before you leave,’” Williams says.

That “stuff” being cherry deodorizer from Chempace.

“Every time I use it I get more customers,” Williams says. “It’s a fantastic product. I’ve been using it for seven years. I believe everybody in the industry should be using it because in the drain business, you have the issue of the smell. If I come into a home to get rid of blocked-up sewage, the customer is going to want me to take all of it with me. I don’t want to leave the house smelling the same way. That’s where Chempace comes in. We’ve had jobs where a drain has been stopped up a year. Once we get the drain open and put the deodorizer down, people are asking if they can buy it from us. That’s how great it is.”

Williams says he also uses another Chempace product, Sewer Foam, on his grease jobs.

“This is a billion dollar industry,” says Williams. “You don’t have to have a lot to become financially secure, but you need to do it right. And it’s the little things that a company like Chempace provides that help get you there. These are the pieces of the puzzle that you need.”

ShuBee is another company Williams says he relies on to improve customer service, as well as make his job both easier and safer. Just Drains buys ShuBee’s Tyvek coveralls, shoe covers and Ugly Gloves.

Williams has always used shoe covers on service calls, but since discovering ShuBee seven years ago, he has stuck with the company because he says its shoe covers hold up better than what he was using previously.

“Once you put those on, it speaks volumes to a customer,” he says.

Williams was using standard cloth work gloves before converting to ShuBee’s Ugly Gloves, which have a PVC-coated canvas outer shell as well as PVC chips embedded in the fingers and palms.

“In the drain business you can go through gloves quickly because it’s a filthy job, but the Ugly Gloves don’t break down,” Williams says. “We do work in a lot of morgues, and when you’re having to deal with blood and all that, it’s great to have gloves where you’re confident nothing is going to be able to pierce your skin. And the other great thing about them is you can grip the cable on a drain cleaning machine a lot better. I love them.

“ShuBee has great products and they’re good people,” he adds. “It’s good to deal with people that are not talking at you. They’re talking to you. There’s no pressure sales. They’ll ship stuff out and let you try it to see if you like it first before buying.”