Getting rich in the cleaning business is not really all that hard IF you can master one thing.
We all know what that “thing” is when starting our cleaning business. In fact we all start out doing it perfectly, then the wheels come off for a variety of reasons.
It happens so slowly it’s hard to detect at first. What starts as a minor distraction soon becomes a train derailment. It happens to all of us at some point, sometimes more frequently than we would like to admit.
You are probably wondering what this “thing” is right now aren’t you? Though you already know the answer, I’ll remind you anyway…
Solving your potential customer’s problems.
You need to have the answers to the problems they are experiencing. When you have that part down, the rest will fall into place (and the money will follow). At the end of the day that is what you need to be an expert at. It is that simple!
Your potential clients don’t need facts and figures. They want answers! Nothing more. In order to have those answers you need to have exceptional knowledge about the cleaning business. Next you have to have the ability to distill that knowledge to them in a way that makes sense.
Each time you meet with a potential cleaning client you have the opportunity to learn what that particular customers problem is. You just need to listen carefully. Though most clients share similar experiences, each one is totally unique.
If you can zero in on one or two of their most pressing problems (and have the answers that solve those problems) you will get the job. To better drive the point home I included some examples. They are based on a five night per week job, but the concept works with any cleaning frequency.
Make use of them by following this format:
- Listen to customers problem.
- Look at a solution that will solve it.
- Give answer to client.
- Customer problem – No quality control. My business looks good one day then horrible the next.
Solution – Have a supervisor (or you do it) check each job after completion for the first two weeks, then weekly after that. As an added layer of protection, make sure each employee follows a checklist. This checklist gets signed and dated on each occurrence of job.
Answer – I understand completely. That is why “Your Company” does a nightly checkup of each job for the first 2 weeks of service, then once per week after that to ensure the highest level of quality. In addition each staff member follows a checklist created just for your account that must be signed and dated each visit.
- Customer problem – The last cleaning company stole items from the premises. I’m worried about theft.
Solution – Screen all employees by calling former employers. Get employees to sign waiver allowing you to perform police background check. Get bonded and have general liability insurance.
Answer – I’m sorry to hear that. My company deals with theft in a pro-active way. We hire honest people by carefully screening each applicant. We follow up with each former employer of the applicant to start. Then each potential employee must sign a waiver that allows us to perform a police background check which we perform before hiring. In addition we are bonded and carry general liability insurance as well.
- Customer problem – The last company used to send different people everyday. I heard the turnover was high at that company. I don’t want that to happen again.
Solution – Pay higher wages than your top competitors. Offer incentives for people to stay with your company. Create a family atmosphere that large companies can’t match.
Answer – Many companies face that problem. We combat that by paying the highest wages, which also gets us the cream of the crop as well. In addition we offer employee incentives, such as bonuses to keep them with us. Lastly we foster a family atmosphere within the company that is hard to duplicate elsewhere.
- Customer problem – Whenever I call my cleaning company about a problem they do one of two things. They either don’t get back to me fast enough or if they do, they never solve the problem fast enough. It could take a week to fix something.
Solution – Check you messages each hour on the hour and return the call immediately. Have the cell phone numbers to all staff members so they can be notified asap. If you can’t reach a staff member for some reason, fix it yourself.
Answer – That is a common problem in the cleaning industry. I prevent that from happening in my company by guaranteeing a return call within 90 minutes, no exceptions. I also keep my staff members cell phone numbers stored in my cell in case I need to get a hold of them asap. If for some reason I can’t get a hold of someone I go and fix the problem myself.
Well there you have it. A bunch of common customer problems that you now have the knowledge to solve. As you gain some experience you will be able to add to your repertoire, becoming a master in the process.
Above all, never forget why the customer called you in the first place…to solve a problem. Money, and lots of it come with solving other peoples problems. In fact, if you are not careful, you just may get rich.
Great article