Getting To Know Your House Cleaning Clients, A Good Or Bad Thing?
Today I am taking a look at number 5 on the list of “13 Things Your Housecleaner Won’t Tell You”. As stated in my previous articles, this list was put together by Readers Digest & Good Morning America. For those of you who have not seen the link to the article, well here it is!
http://gma.yahoo.com/13-things-housecleaner-wont-tell-022929190–abc-news.html
Number 5 on the list is; Even though I smile and act interested, don’t use me as your therapist, gossip buddy or friend. Frankly, most of us have a lot less than you, and we can’t fathom why you’re complaining. Plus, you slow me down.
I’m going to start by saying, whoever said this is probably not in business anymore. House cleaning is a customer service business and the customer and their needs are at the forefront of your success. I understand we are house cleaners not therapist. However, when you enter someones home and you build a relationship with them, if they are comfortable, then they will share certain things about their lives with you. I don’t understand why them speaking to you about their lives would be an issue.
I also do not understand this idea that most of us have a lot less then you do, and we can’t fathrom why you are complaining. How much someone has or makes is not a guideline for how much or little stress someone has in their life. While having money or material items can enhance ones life, it certainly does not remove them from day to day stress or family issues or health concerns/problems.
Taking a few minutes when you arrive at a clients home to ask them how things were with their last cleaning and to speak to them as a human being goes a long way towards building a relationship. Lets face it, this business is 100% about relationships and if you don’t want to spend time building them, then this industry is not for you. I’m not saying you need a new friend every time you have a client, but taking a few minutes makes the difference.
This idea that if someone speaks to you, they are slowing you down is also silly. If you are so focused that you can’t spend 5-10 minutes upon arriving with the client, then that is just wrong. Also if you are rushing to get done, then it probably speaks to the level of service you are providing.
I think the Total Cleaning Plus vision explains exactly how we feel on this issue. Our vision clearly states; We strive to build life long relationships with our clients resulting in a better quality of life. That means spending time talking and getting to know our clients and not just treating them as client number 125. They are human beings and deserve to be treated as such.
Check back soon to look at number 6 on the list of “13 Things Your Housecleaner Won’t Tell You”. Number 6 is; Want to save money on high-priced maid services? Instead of booking a regular appointment, ask to be on our on-call list to fill last-minute slots at a discount. Or see if you can be a “training home” for new cleaners. If you have any questions call Total Cleaning Plus to get all your answers.
