Please help me respond to this cleaning client!!

[cleaningdilemma11]

I’ve just started my cleaning business, going to see my first client on Sunday. I normally charge £15 an hour, but because she’s my first client I have agreed to do it for £10 an hour for 4 hours, and then it will be £15 an hour. She didn’t even ask, I suggested it in return for a review/reference. She wants a regular 4 hours clean every week so I was ok with it doing it for £10 for a first clean.

Now client 2 has just texted me asking if I can come for a “trial “. She asked how much I charge, and I said £15 an hour but will do it for £10 in exchange for review/reference, she then said that’s out of her budget but if I’m willing to do it for £10 an hour for her she will recommend me to her sister who also needs a cleaner?

She lives 45 mins from me, I don’t drive but we both live in London. So I don’t know what to do, do I say yes and take what I can until I get enough customers to be picky or do I just stick with my price and tell her to fuck off?

I give discounts hoping I can get reviews on my Facebook page and build up enough credibility to get more customers, I don’t know if that’s right though? Can anyone help me?

I think you're getting way ahead of yourself. You've only just started your own business and don't have a full local client base yet so you need to put concerns regarding other staff on the back burner.

You need to be in line with other cleaners to build up your client base and you need to keep it local to start with. Once you have that base you can start to think of taking on another member of staff that drives so you can send them further afield and then you can charge £15 and pay them £10.

You need to walk before you run and you need to take your attitude down a notch if you are going to work in domestic service so put the F bombs back in the cupboard.

Until you have your 5 star service under your belt and that will take a minimum of 2 years to achieve THEN your entitled attitude won't be so misplaced.

How does this work with the Covid rules of not being in other peoples houses?

Im a cleaner in a hotel, £1200 a week holiday let and 2 private properties.

Re. final polish of taps, shower, sink bath etc.. at the hotel we use clean towels but elsewhere a glass cloth (not a duster type cloth as it'll leave fibres behind) and a lot of rubbing..
Tip: when finished look at the object from every angle, what might look spotless from above isn't necessarily spotless from the side or underneath in terms of bath taps!

Hope you're masking up while cleaning if the owners are present.

How does this work with the Covid rules of not being in other peoples houses?

we don't have that rule where we live - not all the country is living by the same rules

Tooold Same principle as if a plumber, builder, Open reach engineer etc came in to the house to work.

OP, i also sanitize my hands before entering the property! and leave coat, bag etc by the door (i.e not in the kitchen)..

@Toooldforthisshit49

How does this work with the Covid rules of not being in other peoples houses?

OP is in London and it's allowed.

I’m a cleaner... stick to a 10 mile radius. Just say no it’s out of area. The time it will take to get there & the cost etc will have an impact on reliability and you’ll make nothing on it.
I started with introductory offers and then increased prices after a year once they knew you are a good cleaner and reliable.

Thank you all. It was just a really bad day today. She had a window cleaner spray, I should just have used that to finish it off and make everything shiny. I spent literally an hour on each room, scrubbing, even using a tooth brush to get into the corners. Regarding the sink, I honestly don't know why she said it was dirty. She told me they had their bathroom done, and it was a new sink one of those lovely white square ones, I used the spray and a wet microfibre cloth then dried it with a dry microfibre cloth, it wasn't dirty but for her it was 🤷‍♀️

Last thing I did was mop the kitchen, I used the wood flooring cleaner and a mop, it was beautiful nice and shiny. As soon as it dried she started sweeping the floor and I'm just like I literally swept and mopped the floor??

I wish she could just have waited until I was gone, even if she decided she didn't want me back again. It just annoyed me that she was right behind me all the time redoing everything I just cleaned.

I wish I could show you the pictures. I have so much to learn, will definitely be watching YouTube videos about cleaning, learning everything there is about it.

Thank you again ❤️❤️

And for those asking, I wore a mask the entire 4 hours. I was so thirsty 😂

@ivykaty44 and @Jellykat sorry forgot rules are different in England, even so not sure I'd want to be in lots of different houses right now 😷

Take a bottle of water with you.
If she didn't offer you a drink she is one of THOSE clients!!!
Sounds Like a Nightmare, I personally probably wouldn't want to go back!

Mopping tip, the hotter the water the quicker it dries and less smears

I'm sorry your first customer was like this. It's all a learning experience and you'll take tips like glass cleaner with you into your next job, but honestly, this client sounds like a nightmare and I wouldn't go back even if she wanted me to. She'll do that every week. You don't need that.

I have a cleaner. She does some things not as well as I would. She does others better than I can ever be bothered to. I'm mostly just grateful that she is honest and hardworking and a nice person to have in the house, and most weeks I'm too busy to clean myself, so everyone is happy.

She doesn't do dishes or clean the kitchen sink, btw. She's been cleaning a long time and made it clear from the start that this area is one where most homeowners take the pee with their cleaner and I'll get better value from her if I just tidy round before she comes and let her CLEAN everywhere else, and I do the sink. It's a fair enough observation and it didn't put me off at all, so have a think about what your boundaries are.

Of all the things you could choose to be, you decide to be a cleaner and you don’t know how to shine surfaces?!

Anyone who will watch you graft for 4 hours whilst wearing a mask and not offer you a drink is not a nice person and not someone you want to be working for. She sounds like a right royal pain in the arse.
To avoid situations like these I would recommend you learn to clean for the purposes of running a business. Its really not like cleaning your own house. Everyone is different and you need to be consistently good and know your stuff. £15ph is easily achievable if you are a good, reliable cleaner. Also if you are seriously considering this, don't underestimate how knackering cleaning is.

OP tbh it sounds like she was a pain with unrealistic expectations, especially if you were buffing surfaces after you’d cleaned them. I always use a dry microfibre cloth or a clean tea towel, and a glass cloth on stainless steel. I was a self employed cleaner for 2 and a half years but before that I cleaned for an agency for 6 months so I could learn how to clean professionally and I can honestly say it was the best thing I did as I became much quicker and learned some tricks of the trade. I really recommend you work for a company for a while alongside someone else so you can learn from them. I found 6 months was enough experience to become self employed and I also found it invaluable when I was quoting a client as I had a very accurate idea of how long a clean would take me.

The rule about other people's houses is for socialising.
You can work in someone's house

Interesting information about regulations. ( I always learn lots viewing MN posts). DBS to clean in a school or youth centre, sure, but a Disclosure and Barring Service check to work in a private client's home whilst they are there? Is that regulated activity? LoisLane66

I agree with @Lougle:

I'm just a bit baffled. What inspired you to offer a cleaning service at top rate charge when you have no experience of cleaning?

What made you decide to start your own cleaning business, OP? What is it you're looking for in a way of earning a living? It might actually help you to work this out.

@Diverseopinions

Interesting information about regulations. ( I always learn lots viewing MN posts). DBS to clean in a school or youth centre, sure, but a Disclosure and Barring Service check to work in a private client's home whilst they are there? Is that regulated activity? LoisLane66

The client is often not there. Or may need to nip out, or they may have DC or other vulnerable persons in the home. When I was a cleaner I had keys to each house, knew the alarm codes, knew when the client was away on holiday, etc.

4 hours hard graft in a mask ,without water? Have we returned to the Victorian Era?

I don't know your circumstances OP but I wouldn't accept this.

Next time bring a drink.
I don't think you put much planning into this. You've covered financial insurance etc next sit down create a plan.
Always start at the top and work your way down. Spray the bathrooms let it work while doing the bedrooms.
The secret slob on YouTube has lots of great tips she is pleasant too.

I live in Lindon, my cleaning lady doesn't drive. I pay her £11 per hour, she was recommended to me by word of mouth.
Stick to your prices, references will build up in due course BUT your prices shouldn't be higher just because you don't drive.

• London

@EmeraldShamrock thank you, will do. You live and learn.