As cleaners we sometimes have those nightmare scenarios where we are hovering outside a client’s door and they are hesitant to open. For whatever reason it may be, building trust and confidence is at the center of this reaction. Sometimes new clients are tentative to work with unknown people. Some clients who are classed as being vulnerable are wary of new people. Today we will give you a few tips to smooth the introductions so you take off flying with your new client.
When you have a new client the onus is on you as a cleaning company to create a sense of security. Small gestures will go a long way to do this very complex task. This is something we have highlighted when we discuss our company culture and ethos
At Everyday Cleaners we recognise that a lot of clients may have had bad experiences in the past. For that reason we endeavor to smooth the transition from unknown to a place of good rapport.
As such, when we have a new client, we have one motto. Communicate, and communicate some more. Reaching out both audibly and visibly is important in this exercise. We like to send an initial confirmation email to introduce ourselves once we have established contact.
Our team reassure our clients even more by sending confirmations 24hours before the service. We pay special attention to details they have highlighted as essential in the service. This goes to show diligence in meeting their requirements. Ultimately doing this assures them we are indeed the right company for the job.
Starting off well
One of the ways we feel we create a greater sense of assurance for our clients is by letting them know essential information. Everyday Cleaners assign our cleaners as soon as a job is approved. Once we get a cleaner assigned we inform our client who is coming and when to expect them. This ties into the communication culture we mentioned.
On the day of the service, we also send through the designated cleaner’s credentials. All our cleaners have IDs and uniforms so our clients can match the face at the door. Our feedback shows a very good response to this specific action. Informing your client of any changes which follow on from this action is essential too.
For instance if your cleaner is unable to fulfil the commitment because of illness or otherwise, update the client yet again. An informed client is a happy client. Some steps in creating a rapport require you to create space to involve your client.
We had to learn this the hard way when we did not update our client of a change and had to reschedule the whole booking . This is because the client concluded that the cleaner was not legitimate and needed more convincing.
Though inconvenient , it showed that the policy we had in place worked. The funny thing is we ended up sending the same cleaner to the house the next time. We can tell you that now the client and the cleaner have built a very good rapport.
Clients have said they are far more trusting of their cleaners when they know exactly who has been sent ahead of time.We also send them the contact number from which the cleaner will contact them so they can be assured as well. All these measures have proved to be effective in building good relationships with our clients.
One more thing that is essential is punctuality. Be punctual to every service. This shows real respect and courtesy to everyone involved. On the rare occasions we are late for whatever reason we update clients from the company headquarters.
As a company this shows you are accountable for the people you hire. Everyday Cleaners trust our cleaners to show integrity and courtesy. A good company should gain confidence in their workforce by give culture training to their staff. This ensures that your cleaners know what to do when things go wrong.
Clients have always responded well to being treated with respect. If a cleaner is uncourteous, it is a very long day in a hostile environment. Teach your cleaners in the way they need to go so when they are deployed they will not depart from it. As members of the service industry , cleaners should all receive sensitivity training as it helps everyone.
Good policies and procedures show quite obviously in how we deal with clients. Having effective policies in place can only be a good thing. This is because good policies direct effective interactions which guide your cleaning team to act accordingly in every eventuality.
A robust system of guidelines also makes you predictable to your clients. This is good because they can track consistency. They can guess what you are going to do over time. Familiarity is always a good thing because it breathes confidence and trust, and trust brings assurance and builds relationships.
Transparency
Another company can create a greater sense of assurance for their clients is by letting them know essential information. Everyday Cleaners assign our cleaners as soon as a job is approved. Once we get a cleaner assigned we inform our client who is coming and when to expect them. This ties into the communication culture we mentioned.
On the day of the service, we also send through the designated cleaner’s credentials. All our cleaners have IDs and uniforms so our clients can match the face at the door. Our feedback shows a very good response to this specific action. Informing your client of any changes which follow on from this action is essential too.
For instance if your cleaner is unable to fulfil the commitment because of illness or otherwise, update the client yet again. An informed client is a happy client. Some steps in creating a rapport require you to create space to involve your client. We had to learn this the hard way when we did not update our client of a change and had to reschedule the whole booking . This is because the client concluded that the cleaner was not legitimate and needed more convincing.
Though inconvenient , it showed that the policy we had in place worked. The funny thing is we ended up sending the same cleaner to the house the next time. We can tell you that now the client and the cleaner have built a very good rapport. Clients have said they are far more trusting of their cleaners when they know exactly who has been sent ahead of time.We also send them the contact number from which the cleaner will contact them so they can be assured as well. All these measures have proved to be effective in building good relationships with our clients. You can find a well presented outline of this in the article where we discuss how to transform a client into a stakeholder in your company.
One more thing that is essential is punctuality. Be punctual to every service. This shows real respect and courtesy to everyone involved. On the rare occasions we are late for whatever reason we update clients from the company headquarters. As a company this shows you are accountable for the people you hire. Everyday Cleaners trust our cleaners to show integrity and courtesy.
A good company should gain confidence in their workforce by give culture training to their staff. This ensures that your cleaners know what to do when things go wrong. Clients have always responded well to being treated with respect. If a cleaner is uncourteous, it is a very long day in a hostile environment. Teach your cleaners in the way they need to go so when they are deployed they will not depart from it. As members of the service industry , cleaners should all receive sensitivity training as it helps everyone. Check out a few tips you can implement to show courtesy and go the extra mile for your clients.
Good policies and procedures show quite obviously in how we deal with clients. Having effective policies in place can only be a good thing. This is because good policies direct effective interactions which guide your cleaning team to act accordingly in every eventuality.
A robust system of guidelines also makes you predictable to your clients. This is good because they can track consistency. They can guess what you are going to do over time. Familiarity is always a good thing because it breathes confidence and trust, and trust brings assurance and builds relationships.
Tick every box you said you would
All that has been mentioned so far is important and splendid and great to do. However one thing is most important and that is doing what you told your client you would. After getting a new client can you actually provide a great cleaning service?
Are you able to make their life easier with the service you provide? Our number one concern as service providers is the quality of service after all. The service you offer to your clients is what proclaims your greatness when you are no longer in their home or business.
A pristine cleaning service shouts your name to friends, family and businesses alike. So it’s all great to put together a great package but the rub hits the green when you deliver what you promise.
Any company worth their salt will make a commitment of works before any service is carried out. At Everyday Cleaners for example we do an intake form which has an itinerary of works. This is so we have a good understanding of the work that we are committing to fulfilling. This is helpful for a few reasons and it gives us confidence in every service we embark on.
Firstly, a cleaner having an itinerary available means there is a clear schedule of work they can follow and tick off. This helps with signing off a service and meeting a client’s requirements .We normally use it as the criteria by which a job can be classed as ‘done’ if the finish meets the client’s expectation.
Secondly it helps a cleaning company to deploy resources appropriately, with some jobs requiring heavier use of some shared equipment like carpet cleaners and steam cleaners. Having an intake form allows for hiring extra equipment or moving resources to appropriate areas of the business on time.
We have found that this form is an essential administration tool for so many reasons. It helps us meet our obligations as we use it during the final walk through of each job . When it gets signed off by the client, it affirms to them that we have done all they have requested.
Thirdly it shows our level of commitment to getting the clients needs met first before anything else, which I already mentioned is part of our ethos. From there we can start showing off the extras which from that point on will definitely not go unnoticed. As long as you can show that you have done what they need, a client will appreciate any extras even more because you will have overachieved.
The extras always go down well. Finish your work with class and panache. Wow your clients by showing you are willing to go over and beyond the requirement to cater for their needs. A grateful client normally becomes your repeat client.
Not only that , they also become your biggest mouthpiece to their circle of people. Doing a good service only gives you good things. Being diligent can only give birth to new possibilities for your company.
A satisfied customer is always what you are working towards. To them a good cleaner is a bargain , a well kept service. Learn how a happy client is a powerful marketing opportunity . In that article we explain all you need to be convinced to do a great job every time. By fulfilling everything they need you position yourself and your cleaning company in the forefront of their mind for every service.
Finally our last tip is simply to engage your clients. Whatever the outcome of the clean, always ask for feedback. Enquire on how you did, and how you can improve, because you can always do better, trust me.
We know that clients love feeling heard. We make them a part of the process of the evolution of a good company by inviting feedback. Invite your own clients into the world of your work and grow together. This all circles round to that place of communication again.
Even when the feedback might be negative, having enough courage to ask for it means you are willing to hear them out. It means you are teachable and it most likely will earn you another shot at making things right if you have failed in any way.
