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?

Join the NextDoor app. That way you can put an ad on there for free and choose whether to include just your area or a slightly wider area.
I'm on my local NextDoor site and there are high numbers of people wanting cleaners and I'm sure you'll find plenty of clients in your immediate and wider area too.
It's great to have ambition and I really hope that your company does well when it gets off the ground. A bit like Charlie who owns Pimlico Plumbers. Get some professional expertise by working for a cleaning company for 3-6 months to learn all the tips and tricks.

Wow. Didn't realise cleaners were so cheap. Surely the travel time/money takes out any profit. stick to local even walkable or cycleable. Chuck a few leaflets through doors near where you are working emphasising reliability/ high standards/ honesty. Be friendly and don't gossip. If you chat to customers about other clients then they will know you talk about them also.

Decide your rates and stick to them, you are not a market trader in the Far East. Haggling is not the way to go, here. Let any clients know, if you give them a special price, that it's for them only, and not to pass it around. Your rate is fair especially considering the travel. Good luck.

When our cleaner has been everything looks sparkling clean and the house smells really nice, not overpowering just fresh. It definitely needs to look better than if I'd just done it myself.

Open windows when you are cleaning to air the house(not just because of covid) but make sure you close them all. Security is very important.
Wash your hands regularly too because people's homes are germy environments again not just in covid times.

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland

Ps I think you might struggle with a cleaning business not driving. You will either spend too much time travelling to make your chargeable hours worth while, or you will have to be very lucky to get enough clients in a small area (and even then, you will be wasting a lot of time walking house to house with equipment and cleaning bottles.

Not sure this holds true in London as driving is all well and good but affordable parking is a nightmare / often not available. The cleaners I've had all stick to local areas available by tube / bus.

I certainly wouldn't want to pay for parking for my cleaner as that would make it super expensive. Although when we moved we did offer to pay our cleaner half an hour extra as we were outside her catchment area but we wanted to keep her because she's brilliant!

You can't charge extra on the grounds of your inability to drive, that's your problem not the fault of the customer. I think that running a business is going to a huge learning for you. Sadly based on your thought processes you are destined to fail.

I meant to say invest an extra £10 in your business.
There is no guarantee that a client will have shammy or microfiber cloths buy some with a small bottle of enviroment friendly glass cleaner bring a back pack you won't be caught out again.
They wash easy.

@Livedandlearned regarding Facebook groups, do you mean the buy and sell ones? I've just joined a few.

@EmeraldShamrock Yes I went to Tesco before going to the clients house and bought 4 microfibre cloths and gloves. She said she didn't use bleach, just had a few sprays. Next time I'll add glass cleaner tbh.

I think if I went back there again, I'd probably do a better job, as I now know how she likes things to be done and where everything is. She had a lot of small ornaments, like ALOT! books and papers lying around. Took some time to clear everything before I could clean, it was also a very dusty house it wasn't easy but I'm glad I had the experience.

I remember being on the floor scrubbing a stain on her bathroom tiles, and her coming in all the time telling me to remember to clean then shower head and mirror, and I thought to myself wow is this what every clients is going be? Is this really how it's like to run a cleaning business.

She would just randomly come in and tell me to remember this and that, clean this and that and I haven't even got to that yet.

And then she asked me if I've cleaned the shower screen, I said no even though I had because I could see she wasn't impressed. You live and learn I guess, I'm just grateful for the experience, just makes me better for my next client.

Yes but and sell groups as well as local community groups but maybe you don't have them in your area. When I first started my business I created a business page clearly stating my rates and the services that I offered. I got my friends to share the page and I posted little adverts with links to my page and it all went from there.

But I live in a smallish town so I know a lot of people, it may not work for you in London.

I'm just so sore today, feels like I've been to the gym.

[quote cleaningdilemma11]@Livedandlearned regarding Facebook groups, do you mean the buy and sell ones? I've just joined a few. [/quote]
Download the Next Door app and see if you can get on that for your local area. We have a lot of people on our looking for cleaners and cleaners often reply directly.

Okay, I work with start-up businesses and you need to decide on these things:

• How far are you willing to travel? At what point does it become not worth the money?

Then you advertise saying you cover XYZ postcodes only. You can always widen the postcodes if you take on someone else at some point in a different area

• If you're going to be £15 p/hr and that's above the market rate then you'll probably need to be a more premium service or at least have a brand that appeals to a more premium client (as it happens it's not that far above market rate for us in Hampshire)

• Decide on an introductory rate now and how many clients you're willing to take on for that introductory rate. Also whether you're happy to give that rate on an ongoing basis or for a period of time.

TBH £10 p/hr isn't much on an ongoing basis so I'd be tempted to say something like 'The first X clients can be £10p/hr for their first x months'.

Decide on all these things today upfront rather than on a case by case basis where you may end up taking on clients that you wish you hadn't in a couple of months times.

A 1hr 30min round trip seems insane IMO!

You'd be better off spending that time aggressively marketing within a closer area...

And local community groups eg we have one on Facebook called “[local area] appreciation society” which is just local chat. Or there is often a “[local area] Mums” group.

...and yeah, do you really want a load of referrals that are also 45 mins away?

It will be a total ball ache (ovary ache?) and absolutely not worth it.

@cleaningdilemma11

Sorry for the fuck off, obviously not going to tell her that . I've just told her it's £12 an hour and that's it, so waiting for her to reply. You're right, I can't charge £15 an hour when I don't drive and just starting up. So many cleaners doing it for £12 an hour in my area and most of London with years of experience and references, why would they go for me who's charging £15 an hour, with no experience and reference?So I've changed it to £12 an hour.

I also have another client asking me to come down and do after builders cleaning on her small 3 bed flat. Do I charge a fixed price or hourly?

You need to do some 'mystery shopping' OP and see what others are charging!

This kind of thing I believe tends to be a fixed price.

I hink if I went back there again, I'd probably do a better job, as I now know how she likes things to be done and where everything is
Of course you would it takes time to get to know what your client wants. Tbf she was a very difficult client better luck next time.

Also...

Have you got the relevant insurance?

Have you got a contract?

Both things are important (my best friend runs a cleaning business)

Good luck OP & I would have hated someone following me around like you had,

Remember this should hopefully work in your favour, don't be afraid to say no to people

You will be fine

@CheetasOnFajitas I'm on the Nextdoor app, and there are people in my area looking for a cleaner. As soon as someone put a post on there saying they're looking for a cleaner, there's 10 replies from other cleaners saying they have 5-6 years of experience in cleaning and references. I can't compete with that

All I've done is put a post on there myself saying I'm looking for new clients and just hoping someone will reply.

I'm also grateful for the MNers who messaged me asking me to come clean for them. I'm grateful that they've asked me to come even though they've read my whole thread, and slightly embarrassed at the same time thank you ❤️

@wheresmymojo yes I have a 1 million insurance cover, no contract though.

I don't even know what to do with this, don't know if this is a genuine client or not.

I guess they're nudist?