julia

  • Posts: 81
WORKERS LEAVING CLIENTS EARLY
« on: February 23, 2007, 06:50:45 pm »
Hi
Could anyone please give me any advice on how to handle this problem.  I have had a couple of reports from clients stating my ladies are not staying for the full time ie 2 hours and that they leave sometimes 15 mins or so before they should.  Also I have cleaners that do 15 hours per week in a office block and they are leaving sometime 15 mins per night earlier and Friday 45 mins earlier. 
I have tried to speak to all concerned but so far without success.
Could any please offer any constructive advice so that I can sort this out without losing any of my clients and of course cleaners.
Thank you inadvance for any tips.
Regards
Julia

Jan K

  • Posts: 665
Re: WORKERS LEAVING CLIENTS EARLY
« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2007, 07:00:37 pm »
just advise the cleaners that if they are able to complete the clean to a high standard in quicker a time than is aollocated then you will drop the time allowance and of course they will be paid less as you cannot justify charging the client more :)
anyone with facebook can add me at this link ...  jan 'minkeedj' kindon  .... if you can be bothered lol

Ian Rochester

  • Posts: 2588
Re: WORKERS LEAVING CLIENTS EARLY
« Reply #2 on: February 23, 2007, 08:32:29 pm »
Agree with above, also do you do Quality Inspections at regular intervals, check that they are doing the job properly, if they are leaving early and failing to achieve the required standard of clean, then you have yourself a discipliniary matter to deal with.

Do you have procedures, guidelines, expected standards of work that your staff have been trained on?

Do they understand that if they are paid for 2 hours work, then you and the client expect 2 hours work from them.  If they fill in a timesheet saying they were there for 2 hours but in fact were only there for 1.75hrs, then they are defrauding the company and the client. 

Whatever the results, it needs to be nipped in the bud before they start taking advantage of you and take it for granted that they can leave whenever they want.

In future, when you set up a contract, ensure that it is priced to achieve a desired standard and not based on hours on site, what one person achieves in a hour can be totally different to what another may achieve.

newbroom

  • Posts: 307
Re: WORKERS LEAVING CLIENTS EARLY
« Reply #3 on: February 24, 2007, 03:14:33 pm »
Hello Julie,

If problem persists then for the short term insist that phone in from client landline on entering and exiting clients premises. Obviously you will need clients permission for your staff to do this.

Also if you have records that staff are performing required  hours only pay them for hours worked.

Do you state in staffs t&c that you do not operate a job & knock policy.

Cleaning Resource

  • Posts: 495
Re: WORKERS LEAVING CLIENTS EARLY
« Reply #4 on: February 24, 2007, 05:56:08 pm »
If it is a building that the cleaners have to set the alarm when leaving, then you can usually get a print out of the times it was set, check this against the signing in book if it does not match then get writing a warning....... :o

J. Deans

Re: WORKERS LEAVING CLIENTS EARLY
« Reply #5 on: February 24, 2007, 07:23:59 pm »
There is obviously a problem if your clients are complaining, but what about the block of flats? If no one is complaining and your cleaners carry out their tasks to a good standard, I would allow them to leave early, as a perk for a job well done. You are still getting paid the same regardless and it motivates your staff.

It's still the old issue of how to charge your clients.

Next time you price up a job, have an idea of the hours required, but don't tell the client. Simply price the job to cover those hours as a one-off charge. Then, so long as the work is carried out to a high standard, the client has no reason to complain about what time the cleaners leave.

I would definately change the way you operate, as you don't want unhappy cleaners hanging around doing nothing. Might as well go back to clocking in and out. I for one hope we are more enlightened these days!

julia

  • Posts: 81
Re: WORKERS LEAVING CLIENTS EARLY
« Reply #6 on: February 24, 2007, 11:41:47 pm »
Hello All
Thank you all for your points of veiw this is very much appreciated. 
I don't personally have a problem with my staff leaving earlier, its my clients that do "we pay by the hour, we expect an hours work".  The office they clean are extremely well done, but as part of our renewal the client has included inside windows which I have agreed to complete.  I have asked the girls to clean one window per night each and by the end of 4 weeks all windows will have been cleaned, then repeat the windows on the third month etc etc.  They say they dont have time to do the windows, but they leave 15 minutes early most days and 45 minutes on a friday so they do have time.  I tried to explain that if they worked in a office and got paid to do 4 hours work then the boss would expect them to be there for 4 hours working.  All I expect is for the work to be done completely ie the windows.  I wouldn't care if they completed all the windows one Friday night and left early every other night but the windows are not getting done, and I cann't manage to get this across to them. 
I hate confrontation but feel that if i keep having to ask them to do something there will be conflict between us, which is what i am trying to avoid.  I know you are all probably thinking is what a whimp but I am not.  I dont want to loose the girls as they are very good and very hard working.  Without good cleaning staff i wouldn't have a business so I value my staff very highly.
They do set an alarm, but there is not a print out that I can get.
Oh well I will have to think of something else.
Many thanks to you all.
Regards
Julia

DREAM CLEAN

  • Posts: 619
Re: WORKERS LEAVING CLIENTS EARLY
« Reply #7 on: February 25, 2007, 08:27:56 am »
Hi,

I have that problem and I turn up about 10mins before they are to leave, If they are gone then I call them and ask why they have left so early, a few times like that and You'll find they'll hang around untill the full hr to avoid that problem.

Ian Rochester

  • Posts: 2588
Re: WORKERS LEAVING CLIENTS EARLY
« Reply #8 on: February 26, 2007, 05:01:40 am »
Tell them that you are having to reduce their contracted hours by 15 minutes a day and that you are bringing in a window cleaner once a month to do the inside windows as they are unable to do them.

Have you added any extra to the price for doing the inside windows or have you just accepted it as an add on from the customer?

newbroom

  • Posts: 307
Re: WORKERS LEAVING CLIENTS EARLY
« Reply #9 on: February 26, 2007, 06:18:23 pm »
Hi Julia

Even if the alarm doesnt have a print out you should be able to go back at least 10 days using the alarm log via alarm keypad.

julia

  • Posts: 81
Re: WORKERS LEAVING CLIENTS EARLY
« Reply #10 on: February 27, 2007, 05:13:21 pm »
Hi Lionheart

Unfortunately I have had to take the windows on board as part of the price.   We used to get paid extra for doing them, but  as a cost cutting exercise we have been asked to do them a couple per night!!  This isnt a problem as there is time to do them.  The company had some quotes in which included the windows and as my quote was only £5.00 per week different ie higher they decided to keep us on for the next 12 months.  Didn't really want to loose the contract as I had nowhere else to put the staff so made a decision to do windows.
Thank you for your help and advice.
Julia

J. Deans

Re: WORKERS LEAVING CLIENTS EARLY
« Reply #11 on: March 02, 2007, 05:43:34 pm »
Hi Julia.

That's an old trick that you probably fell for.
They would only be looking for quotes (cheaper or otherwise) for 2 reasons:

They need to save money (ie: cut in cleaning budget or across the board)
or:
They are not happy with your service.

Obviously, they want their windows cleaning and if you don't do it, they would look around for a window cleaner. But not someone to price for the other work you do.

I think you were conned into doing all their windows for just £5 a week!

Sometimes you must stand your ground and 'call their bluff', but in your case, you were not in a strong position because of your staff leaving early. Catch 22!

It's ironic that your staff caused this problem and that you are worried about them if you lost the contract!

Sack em all!

Prestige1

  • Posts: 332
Re: WORKERS LEAVING CLIENTS EARLY
« Reply #12 on: March 03, 2007, 10:11:47 am »
I see on some threads saying its ok to leave early if the jobs ok! I fell for this at first and the flood gates opened nearly every job staff was rushing and leaving, it does'nt work. you have to have a strong policy and under no circumstances leave early, its still a big problem for me lost a job last week 2 girls 2 hours left after 45mins! both written warnings and now both must ring ofice on free phone on arrival and departure. put to your staff they are cheating you and the customer, I try to re-enforce this at every opportunity, I find I can attribute nearly every complaint to staff leaving early. I am thinking of asking all staff to follow the above procedure. regards Phil
Who Dares Wins

Fox

  • Posts: 824
Re: WORKERS LEAVING CLIENTS EARLY
« Reply #13 on: March 06, 2007, 06:46:05 am »
I cut my staffs wages if they leave early, I tell them the client will only pay for hours worked and if my bill is getting docked because of their behaviour so will their pay, hit them where it hurts!  Oh I'm a really horrible boss me! I have even put our own clocking in machines on sites (they are only about £100).

If I have problems with staff I ask them if they recieve their wages every Fri, the only answer is yes - I then tell them that I have completed my part of the deal and I expect them to carry out their part by doing the cleaning to the standard they are trained to.

Fox

Re: WORKERS LEAVING CLIENTS EARLY
« Reply #14 on: March 08, 2007, 05:08:10 pm »
Hi Julia,
At the moment I do all the cleaning and am wanting to employ, however this is one of the many concerns I have with trusting employees.  Perhaps it would be a case of telling the cleaners that they will be payed less due to leaving early??  I can also understand wanting to leave early as the work can be finished sooner - however it is then up to the cleaner to have the initiative to find something else to clean.  This would impress the customer and keep the cleaner busy.  Such as cleaning out the kitchen cupboards, do the windows, there is always something to clean.  Hope this helps is some way.
Claire

Paul Kettless

  • Posts: 221
Re: WORKERS LEAVING CLIENTS EARLY
« Reply #15 on: March 08, 2007, 06:05:43 pm »
Hi Julia,

You have mentioned that you value your staff, and this is a credit to you.  However, the simple fact is that your staff do not offer the same in return....

The fact that a member of your staff is a good cleaner is not enough to keep them on, as they are portraying your company image.  I had a fantastic cleaner, she was without doubt the best one that we have had, the problem was that she did not know how to keep her mouth shut, and her punctuality was terrible.

We had no option but to let her go... :(  As other have already said, I would be doing spot checks, and deducting pay when they leave early, as you have given them adequate warnings.

If they still continued, I would commence disciplinary proceedings.

Hope this helps
Paul
Complete Cleaning "you really can tell the difference"

cruciblecleaning

  • Posts: 14
Re: WORKERS LEAVING CLIENTS EARLY
« Reply #16 on: March 14, 2007, 09:47:46 pm »
If you are billing and paying hourly then the cleaners need to understand that they work the hours they get paid for.  If they were doing the job and the customer was happy then fine, but they sound like they aren't.  I'd personally get the customers agreement to let them use the phone to ring your mobile and then put the phone down when they are leaving (not to be answered but you'll have a missed call with the number to confirm that's when they left so it won't cost the customer anything on their phone bill.)