[josie]

I have a domestic cleaning business and have employed a few staff, to go around in pairs so the job gets done in half the time, clean more houses in a day, and cuts costs. but my customers dont like it.. they want 1 cleaner doing say 4 hours work instead of 2 cleaners doing 2 hours work! now i want to start taking a step back in the cleaning and do other things my customers are not happy with anyone else cleaning there house other than me..  what do i do as they have been my customers since i started and i got to know them very well!

[Clean 'n' Tidy]

Josie,

God how I know this problem. I have had the same thing with my customers. What I have done is on days that I have been really busy is ring my customers up and ask if they mind me bring someone with me. Usually they don't mind as they already know me. I then tell them that for the next few weeks I will be really busy and I need to bring the same cleaner with me. this then gives them time to get to know the cleaner. After a few weeks I then break the news that I am giving up some of my cleaning so I can get on with the business side of things. this usually works well.

hope this helps.

kim

[Lesley J]

Hi Josie
I have been where you are now, you cannot do both well, do  the admin see new clients, answer the phone etc, and clean, we all start off small but if you do a good job it grows, you have to be brutal in the end, I know, I had some customers that wondnt let go and said they would cancel if I did not clean for them, they are still there, I speak to them on the phone and all is well, most of the time.
 Regards Lesley

[Jan K]

Hi Josie!

I am in a similar situation as you although I believe I am well and truly on top of it all. What I have done is advised my Clients that as the business is getting busier I will eventually need to bring someone else in to clean for them, but I will give them plenty of notice. Most of my Clients say they don't care as long as they get a clean and if I am recommending the new Cleaner and can be there if things don't work out then they are happy with it all

[Tim Downer]

Hi all

I obviously am not in the domestic cleaning side of the business.....however, we are all in the cleaning business to make money, whether we do this on our own or we start employing staff.
I have been following the postings from most of you girls on this post and others, and know that you have been going for a while now, time enough to understand what is the best way to clean houses, what works best, what doesn't....etc,etc.
I have to ask the question: "Who is running your business?.... You or your customer?"
You obviously have valid reasons why you need to send in two cleaners to complete the work needed.
But I do not understand how a customer cannot like having two cleaners come in to clean their homes. Looks much more professional to me!!....!!.....well on reflection, if they are used to paying X amount for 4 hours work and now having to pay the same amount for just 2 hours with 2 cleaners, maybe its just a mind thing and they need to be re-educated??
We used to have this in the carpet cleaning business.....when there is a change of a product or a particular way something was cleaned, they (the customer...)needed to be educated about it.....then they understood.
So what I think I am trying to say, is if you were to communicate with the customers about the reasons why you now send in 2 cleaners instead of the 1, I am sure they would accept this change of service more readily.
As Jan has said, most customers do not care as long as they get their homes cleaned.

Thats a lot of words for someone who doesnt know much of the domestic side of the cleaning.....but maybe it helps....maybe it wont?

Anyway, hope you get sorted one way or the other.

Regards

Tim

[josie]

Thanks guys for your replys, what i have done is told the customers that i will be giving up cleaning in one month, if they still want my services then great.. if not well they have just lost out!  plenty of other houses to clean with hassel free!

[Jan K]

Hi Tim

You are spot on about re-educating customers....sometimes it is difficult to persuade them that the 'better the devil you knowm than the devil you don't' attitude isn't always the best attitude!