[suffolkclean]

We have around 15 customers for regular domestic cleaning, cleaners last 6 months max, I spend so many hours per week in arranging it all, setting up systems to get the work all done properly, giving cleaners there lists of work. All for £4 between cost of cleaner & what we're charging minus insurance, my time and me having a heart attack.

Any advice?? I get the impression this is the way regular domestic cleaning is - if so I think we may sell it
WOT DO U THINK

[Pristine Clean]

Stick with it!  cleaners do come and go.

You see the thing is, when companies hire a cleaner, most of the time companies are offering part time hours. Not full time unless you have a large enough customer base either domestic or commercial to offer full time.

Most are either taking a part time job as they want a bit of extra cash for crimbo or to pay a bill or save up for hols. When they have done that.. unless you can offer them something better... they will drift either to permenant work or something that has potential. By potential I mean a career. Where they can earn better money, work there way up probably have some respect from other people, not just other cleaners.

Unfortunatly unless you ware a suit, cuff links and a silk tie bought from House of Fraser... not all but most office staff wont even respect you one bit.

And lets face it, something breaks like an ornament, or cup cleaners or something goes missing they get the blame. And also the job itself is not that great it? Cleaning toilets... etc

The high end of it is that we get the work in, hire a cleaner and if all done correctly we rake in the profit. Sounds ignorant I know but that is the truth. The cleaner looks at it, like the cleaner doing all the hard work. they are being paid small amount. - maybe they see a company car - Jaguar 4.2. (That mine)

They dont realise all the hard work we have to do to get there in the first place.
like the advertising the leaflet drops, the cost in setting up and insurance and alot more.

So I would advise that you stick with it... however i found it an issue with domestic so i left domestic alone.. moved to commercial and never looked back. Commercial are not so fussy, plus no one is there most of the time.

just cover the work until you find another cleaner... alway take down numbers of anyone that calls looking for a job.

[suffolkclean]

Thanks for the advice, I'm doing as you suggested and steering clear of regular domestic cleaning. It really isn't worth the hassle. It will change my life - I know that sounds dractic but its caused me so much stress, had a cleaner lasted 4 days, had a cleaner couldn't work more than 6 hours a week due to benefits then left me for a job for 18 hours a week!!, had a cleaner who tried to steal our customers then tried to take us to a tribunual!! All the pensioners want the same cleaner FOREVER as they don't cope with change.

[myvanwi]

Thanks for the advice, I'm doing as you suggested and steering clear of regular domestic cleaning. It really isn't worth the hassle. It will change my life - I know that sounds dractic but its caused me so much stress, had a cleaner lasted 4 days, had a cleaner couldn't work more than 6 hours a week due to benefits then left me for a job for 18 hours a week!!, had a cleaner who tried to steal our customers then tried to take us to a tribunual!! All the pensioners want the same cleaner FOREVER as they don't cope with change.
This all sounds very familiar. especially older people not coping with different cleaners. We are all having heart attacks at the moment because when we have work we dont have enough cleaners and when we have enough cleaners we cant give them enough work. Its a nightmare working out the logistics when there are changes happening daily. Your right its really not worth the hassle we are trying to move towards commercial cleaning but it is an even more competative market.

[suffolkclean]

I suggest you steer clear of both. From what I've seen regarding costs for commercial too the margins are so tight it also is not worth the agrow. We are concentrating on Big one off cleans, which obviously isn't regular but much more profitable and sooo much less hassle than regular cleaning.

If I were you I would try to advertise for One off cleans get some of those and you can stop the regular side of things. I was so worried about telling our customers we weren't doing it anymore but they were so understanding and wished us luck.

Now I have my weekends and evenings free of the diary planning which cleaner is going where for all the regular cleans!!

[The Great One]

Hi 

This is one of the many reasons I stayed away from domestic cleaning, absolute minefield and constant stress.

98% of my business is LA's.

Empty properties which we just do, although summer is just deadline after deadline, you just get on with it without having to worry about stealing or ornaments etc.

Much less stress and more profit in each job.

Regards

Martin

[myvanwi]

L.A.'s and one off cleans are definately the way to go. In fact the first thing we are going to do when we get into the office on monday is to concentrate on just that. How much do you charge for L.A. cleans and how did you manage to get so much work from them?

[kelly acs]

This post reminded me of when I started out. My partner was running a car valetting business which was breaking even (just). I started giving out flyers in my town advertising cleaning. Got a few office cleaning jobs and a job cleaning a couples house once a week.

I'd never run a business before but I did have the sense to draw up a specific list of services for them and I made it clear that if they wanted anything extra doing just to leave me a note.

Anyway all was good for the first few months. Then one day I got a call from her saying she had gone under her bed to look for a box of photos and that all the boxes were dusty and she didn't want me to do it anymore. NEVER had she once asked me to clean the boxes under the bed.

Looking back I was mad doing that job I was pregnant and cleaned her 3 bedroom house (and it was massive) for £20 a week!

How things have changed thank god!