August focus: Domestic Cleaning Service

Avoiding Difficult New Clients

You will come into contact with all kinds of people once you begin promoting yourself. I have seen homes that were so disgustingly dirty that my stomach turned while I was doing the quote. I have also recognised when people felt that they were better than me, just because I worked as a cleaner, and sensed that their attitude towards me was going to bring me trouble if I took on the job. The easiest way to avoid taking on a client that you can intuitively feel will do this is to give them a fee for service that is much higher than they were expecting to pay. Then the person subject to your quote can only say that your fees were too expensive, and ‘expensive’ is relative to whether or not the desired item or service has value to the intended purchaser.

Then if this person is happy to pay you to do the work, you will be receiving a bonus in pay for having to deal with someone who is difficult. Make sure they sign the quote when you give it to them, and have your terms of payment clearly stated at the bottom of your quote form. Another way to avoid the booking is to calmly and convincingly say that you are fully booked just at the moment on the day that the client wants but will call them when a space becomes available.

If after commencing with the booking you discover that the client is horrendous to work for, give them two weeks notice and then leave. If the house is too dirty, or there are always lots of people in the house when you arrive to do the work, or the client treats you poorly, or the dog attacks you, or for any other reason that upsets you and makes you not want to be there, then give notice immediately. Don’t be unprofessional by leaving them stranded without having time to replace you, but let them also know that you really mean what you say when you give your notice. Don’t allow yourself to be talked into staying if things don’t improve.

These forms of behaviour and other circumstances are grounds for giving notice or avoiding the booking:

• Client is becoming increasingly demanding.
• Client has not paid for any previous visits and is getting further behind (give immediate notice)
• Client is abusive and continually complains, despite how hard you try to please them.
• The client makes unreasonable demands on times and dates.
• You are being exposed to dangerous or litigious situations.
• You are being asked to do work beyond your capacity or capabilities.
• The job is too costly in terms of travel, owing to geographical distance.

Never be afraid to pass on taking on or continuing to do a booking. There are plenty of other houses to clean, and someone else will always come along.

Stride forward with a firm steady step, knowing with a deep, certain inner knowing that you will reach every goal that you set yourself, that you will achieve every aim.

You can read more in the next article about: Go

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Free From the Gilded Cage is the education arm of the Loving Heart Foundation Australia where we teach the basics of self-employment and basic budgeting skills. This is so that women can learn the skills needed to manage their own lives without feeling trapped in a relationship with a man who is beating them up. With these skills they can easily leave him.

Update: The first novel in our series of seven written to raise funds for those whom we assist is now published. It is the courageous story of a young teen growing up in a home filled with domestic violence, and how she manoeuvres her way through such a difficult situation. Click here if you’d like to know more about this novel.

Click here if you’d like to be taken to the site where you can purchase this novel.