August focus: Domestic Cleaning Service

 Cleaning – fortnightly roster pdf form

Step by Step Instructions on Building your Roster

This business is not just about cleaning. It involves:

• cleaning
• quoting (making sure that your client understands how teams of two work)
• communication by phone, face-to-face and written
• follow-up with the client
• diary skills

The client is worried about your:

• cleaning quality
• reliability and dependability
• trustworthiness
• communication skills
• level of responsibility

They are also influence by how comfortable it is to be around you. If you have tattoos that show all over your body and piercings all over your face and ears, they aren’t going to want you in their home. Sorry to sound like I am discriminating against people who have these things, but these are the facts of the matter.

Time Sensitive Inquiries

If you have received a message from a client and you are retrieving it from a messagebank service of some kind, hang up and dial the new client’s numbers immediately. Try all of the numbers that have been left by him or her, and if unable to reach them immediately, try again in one hours time. If your call keeps going to a messagebank, make sure that you leave a message with your name and number (remember not to say you are calling about their cleaning if you are phoning a home number in case the woman is doing this without her partner’s knowledge) so that they at least know that you have been trying to return their call. If not, I recommend that you keep trying every hour after that until you actually speak to the client.

Clients are time sensitive, so try for no more than 4 hours between the time that you retrieve their message and when you speak to them. It appears that you don’t really care whether you get the work or not if there is no immediate response and a definite confirmation from you. They then have time to change their mind and find someone else to do the work, which means that you will lose the chance to service what could be a good, long-term client. Plus, they usually phone four or five people to talk to so that they can get prices, and usually it’s the first person who calls them back that gets the job.

When presenting yourself on the phone to your client, speak in a positive and friendly manner. You should always arrange to meet them after hours so that you can do the quote while seeing what needs to be done at their home, and while there the client can get to know you, give you a key and show you how to operate the alarm system. This is necessary with both clients who work and won’t be at home, and those who don’t work and will be at home when you will be cleaning, as you should see for yourself what you will be doing when at the job. Most times also, the client is at home the first time that you do their work – at least to let you in.

It is not recommended that you mention to your client that your business is only new, or that you have only just begun doing domestic cleaning. By having used the techniques of selling your service over the phone you can undo all the good work you have done in one simple sentence. If you tell the client that you are only new to your own business they will assume that you are inexperienced at doing the cleaning as well, which may not be the case. If your client does assume this about you they may either look for signs that your work is not good enough, or not go ahead at all with their booking with you.

Your dialogue should approximately follow these lines:

“Good morning/afternoon/evening Mrs Smith. This is Belinda Jones of Belinda’s Cleaning Services (for example) and I’m calling to introduce myself to you and give you an estimate for your cleaning. If you are happy with that and you would like to meet me I can either visit you before the day that you would like the work done or we can meet on the day of service, if the day that you were hoping to book your cleaning for fits into my schedule. What time would you like me there?” Or  “I am available from 11am onwards on Thursdays, would that suit you? Good. Would you like me to pick up a key first or will you be home on the day?” (See article on Telephone Techniques.)

Wherever it is possible try to give your new client the day and time that they have requested. You may try to fit them into your schedule if you can by saying “That time is taken by another booking, how about (such-and-such a time)?”  If you can both come to an agreement on the day and time, then place them into your schedule as requested. Although, Once they are booked in it is wise not to change the booking once again to suit yourself until you have become established with that particular client, unless they have instigated the change first themselves.

There will be occasions when you are unable to find a time that suits both you and the client. It is important that you say to the client “Don’t worry, even though I am unable to fit you in now I will keep your number and call you when that time slot becomes available. If you haven’t found someone that you are happy with perhaps we could discuss the situation again then.” If you use a lovely friendly voice on the phone the potential new client will be happy to let you do this and you may call them if one of your Regular clients ceases to use your services in the future.

Once you have made arrangements and booked the day of service, aim to arrive about five minutes early if you can so that you make a good first impression. If this is not possible due to circumstances beyond your control, it is recommended that you phone BEFORE the actual time that you are due to arrive. Advise your client that you are either running late or unable to get there at all, and offer suitable alternatives for them. This shows that you are professional in your attitude towards your work and in the way that you run your business. Most people will make allowances for unforeseen circumstances as long as they are advised prior to the due time of arrival. However, if you simply don’t show, don’t call and don’t explain why you weren’t able to get there, then don’t expect to be going back to that job again!

It is good to have a friendly approach towards your client, as you are the stranger in their home. It is up to you to gain their confidence and trust. Then if left in the house by yourself, always stay for the full time booked – when your client pays by the hour, your integrity should be such that if your client is not at home you would work according to the number of hours booked, staying for the full time. If you have time remaining at the end, find things to do – sweep the verandah, change a light globe, place fresh flowers in a vase or empty dead flowers from a vase etc..

If you know how to iron you may fill in any spare time remaining by ironing a few shirts or pants. If there are clothes on the line and they are dry you can take them down, fold them and bring them in. It’s the little things like this that you do for your clients that will keep them happy.

 

You can read in next article about: Transportation – Getting to and from your Bookings

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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.