Clean It Up

UK General Cleaning Forum => General Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Anna Warren on October 03, 2010, 05:20:19 pm

Title: Staff let me down
Post by: Anna Warren on October 03, 2010, 05:20:19 pm
Tommorow I supposed to start with a new customer , 4h/week . It supposed to be done by my first employee. However, when I called her to comfirm ,she said she coudn't come because of other arragements. I've got my own houses to go and I can't come by myself. I called all people I could think of and no result. What can I now?
Title: Re: Staff let me down
Post by: Pristine Clean on October 03, 2010, 06:43:28 pm
Hi Anna,

sorry to hear of your problems. Unfortunately its not unheard of in our industry.  If you only gave them a few hours that's why the let down. You need at least 16 hours to get someone reliable ... in my experience.

If you have no family or friends that can help, you need to go and do the work yourself. Part and parcel I am afraid.

Just tell them that you have had to place the employee or employees at another site but only if they ask.

Best of luck.

Where are you based?

Dave
Title: Re: Staff let me down
Post by: Anna Warren on October 03, 2010, 07:24:57 pm
Nearby York. I asked my sister-in-law, she'll cover. I'm so relieved. It's my first customer I wanted to be served by employee, it really annoyed me. I have no enough work yet to employ somene for 16h, but I'm working on it.
Kind regards.
Title: Re: Staff let me down
Post by: martin19842 on October 03, 2010, 08:11:08 pm
hi there

may i make a suggestion, put new people onto existing sites, therefore when you get a new site you do it, and therefore you dont get let down.

then as the staff get to know how you want them to work it means they know the standards so then you can put them into a client site confident that they will deliver.

regards

martin
Title: Re: Staff let me down
Post by: Anna Warren on October 03, 2010, 08:33:02 pm
Thank you for that.
Title: Re: Staff let me down
Post by: Grant Whyte on October 03, 2010, 09:42:02 pm
Hi Anna

We're learning the hard way too. Dave's and Martin's tips are good advice.

We're new and small, so each new site, whether domestic or commercial is first serviced by me and or my wife. We get it to the right standard and then introduce a new cleaner working alongside us until we're satisfied. It means slower growth but we're charging good rates and so far 100% retention rate among our contract clients. We also tend to work in pairs because some contracts go on for more than a couple of hours and after two hours everyone starts to flag a little. Each site is two - six hours only so we're usually in and out within 2 - 3 hours for each site, this helps with productivity and quality. It's with clients where there's been some give and take that when absolutely necessary we'll have one person alone.

All the best

Grant