To "steal" customers from cleaning platform?

[WhenwillitsnowLondon]

I'm currently cleaning part time whilst DD is at school. I earn £9.50/hour self employed and get customers through an instant booking cleaning app. I have to pay travel and lunch from this so really not making much.

I've had a few repeat customers and very tempted to ask them if they'd like to take me on for as much as they pay the company that they found me on.

Would this be cheeky? I feel like I'm slaving away for peanuts now

Depends, have you agreed to any terms when you signed up to the app? Worst case you get regular clients who drop you, then you can’t sign on to the app anymore because you’ve gone against their terms of service.

have you agreed to any terms when you signed up to the app?

No theres nothing like that on the app. I can pick when and where I work. I guess the customers would need to cancel on the app and pay me directly instead

So you’re paying to advertise as such. In that the app finds you the customers?

Are you working under your own insurance or theirs?

I guess it’s no different to when my Dh was lodging away from home and booked b & b on booking.com. After a repeat booking they asked him if he’d go direct.

Are you working under your own insurance or theirs?

I have no idea.They didn't even ask for any ID. Just gave them bank details and I started working within a few days of applying online. Nothing is clear when you join.

They'd be more likely to do it if you were slightly (say 50p an hour) cheaper than the company otherwise there's no benefit for them in going directly with you.

All sounds very casual! I’d get some insurance if I were you, and make sure someone else always knows where you’re meant to be, just so you’re safe.

The platform are probably charging about £15 an hour, if you went middle ground at £12 your clients would probably go for it. You'll need insurance though.

So you don’t have Public Liability? I’d do something about that if I were you. Suppose you damaged something or caused an accident?

Are there benefits to them of going through the app? Even if it’s just someone to mediate in a dispute. If so, you’d be better off charging less than they pay through the app, so there’s a benefit to them of dealing direct with you. Charging the same as the app there’s no incentive for them.

I did this a few years a go OP. I worked for a cleaning agency and the customer paid me £9 an hour and had to pay crazy fee's to the agency as well. Once I had been with them all a while, one actually asked if I would do it without the agency involved for £12 an hour. I said £11 and asked my other 5 clients if they wanted to do the same and they said yes. I bought an annual insurance policy for £150 and off I went!

The agency do nothing but introduce you to the customer so why should they get fee's month in and month out when you're doing the work, you're taking the payments and you've to arrange everything with the customer yourself? They are actually charging the client around £3-£4 an hour for every hour of work you do so why not say you'll do it directly for the customer without the agency for £12 an hour? That way they pay one person and will actually pay less. Ok so they won't have anyone to clean for them if you're off ill or take a holiday but I found all my customers were fine with forgoing a cleaner for a couple of weeks holidays a year and the odd sick day

So you don’t have Public Liability?

No, didn't know I needed it. I'm new to this

Are there benefits to them of going through the app? Even if it’s just someone to mediate in a disput

I'm sure they do this. I haven't had a problem with damaging any property so far. I'm a careful cleaner.

annual insurance policy for £150

That's not bad. I'll look in to it

What do you mean you have to pay travel and lunch? For yourself? That's normal! I've never had a job that has paid for my food or travel, everyone just pays out of their wages.

You need public liability as a priority. If you cause an accident or injury you'll be facing possibly a hefty bill and or legal action.

I have to travel from one house to another. It costs money.

Maybe I should go in to another line of work. I'm on a pittance

My cleaner asked me this and I was more than happy to pay her direct once I'd figured she would turn up every week.

The only reason I'd pay an agency is if I can't get someone reliable they send someone come what may.

Where in the world are you?

This is why I don't use any of the apps or similar for my dog walking business!

I'm in London

I cannot believe an app is the only way you would get cleaning work. In London, there must be heaps of people looking for a good reliable cleaner in your area and on more than £9.50 an hour, i would think more like £12.50 direct to you. Why don't you advertise on your local FB or in newsagents or wherever in your area and then only pick places you can walk to easily and save travel costs? I have looked for a cleaner twice and it's really hard to find good people.

Paying for travel between clients is normal if you are self employed, but you can put some of the costs down against tax when you do your tax return.
Liability insurance is a must without it you are taking considerable risk.
But what I am most astounded about is that there are people who use an app to book a cleaner so have no assurances about how trust worthy the person is, insurance etc.