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?

An introductory offer sounds good! We paid our cleaner £12PH but through an agency so she only got a cut off that. When she left I asked her to come privately and I'd pay her £15PH. She's worth every penny. We're in Bristol so I'd imagine London would be more expensive anyway!

We have gotten small discounts when we use the same cleaner or gardener as our neighbors, but that discount was split between the neighbors. We got a large discount from a gardener at our old home because he covered every single house on the street and did the work as one big job. Don’t ignore the cost of your travel, but you can’t expect clients to pay a premium. Instead, look to book jobs close together in location and time.

We are in the country now and cleaners bring everything, but in denser areas it was normal to use our Hoover and such.

Are you sure you want to be a cleaner OP? You sound pretty reluctant and, as the pay isn’t great, I’m wondering if there are any other options which may work better for you.

@CharlieBoo Yes you get all sorts it must be satisfying helping their MH too.
Hopefully they can stay on top of it.

It feels to me as if you need to get some clarity on exactly what it is that you want to offer, and also who you want to work with.

Once you have figured that out, your marketing will be a 100 times easier.

By all means kiss a few frogs on your way to finding out what direction you want your business to go in, but don’t undervalue yourself. As a complete one off, it might be ok to work a trial hour. But having someone over your shoulder to see if you pass their test might be quite uncomfortable. If you don’t feel good about working with her, just a polite note thank you’ is fine.

Good luck with your business, I’ve started a few and this stage is so exciting! And congratulations on starting.

I am a self employed Cleaner in the North West.
I charge £12.50, and use their hoover/mops etc
I take a bag of sponges/cloths to clean with and my own cleaning products, as I have ones I like and know to work well.
I advertised by leaflets through doors in my immediate area and in some local shops-I did get a few clients this way but honestly it is word of mouth and now I am having to turn them away.
You will get there!
Do not go to the 45min away lady that is just too far!
Start cleaning for your first lady, advertise locally and it will pick up.
Good Luck

I pay £15 an hour in the northwest, but I would expect my cleaner to travel 45 mins each way. Say no.

Honestly I think you need to do a bit more research, work out what going rate it etc. You might be better suited to working through an agency, then you just turn up and do the job, not find you need to post on an Internet forum for advice how to respond. You are expensive and inflexible - if you don’t need to money that’s fine but if you do I suggest you need to go the extra mile to prove your worth.

@zatarontoast

Just out of curiosity but would you be lugging a complete cleaning kit on public transport?

you use the clients cleaning equipment. most cleaners I've had have given me a list of what they like to use.

I'm an accountant and my advice to clients is not to lower your rate unless you're aren't picking up customers at the rate you've set. Don't let people batter you down on prices, they are usually the customers that will be a pain in the long run. Just concentrate on doing the job really well for the customers you have and word will spread. Otherwise, what will happen is that your capacity for clients will fill up (if you offer good value for money) and then you will have to offload all the nuisance or low-paying customers who you took on in the beginning because you thought you shouldn't turn a job down. Recognise your worth and stick to your guns.

stick to your price; you know your worth.

Try to get some good recommendations on your local NextDoor. That’s where I always find good cleaners and there are always loads of neighbours looking.

@gingerwhinger0

The client is asking her to work for 1 hour for free, at her own expense.

You have stated that seems completely reasonable to you.

You also appear to have a problem with the op being less than overjoyed at the prospect it ? I think some times our natural responses to someone else’s unreasonable behaviour, are perfectly reasonable.

Lastly, If you wouldn’t work a free ‘trial’ shift for a prospective new employer, why do you think it’s reasonable for someone else to ?

What is it exactly is it in the post you quoted that you believe is reasonable ?

Why are you being so nasty?

I didn't see where it was for free? I replied to you saying that.

I thought it was a one hour paid trial. If I got that wrong I apologise.

Not sure why the rest of your snippy response is merited. I did explain - sorry if you can't comprehend it.

@gingerwhinger0

Just for my peace of mind.

This is what OP wrote:

So client 2 has just texted me back asking if I can come today for a 1 hour trial? . I've texted her back saying she needs to book 2 hours minimum, trial or not 🙄. Wow

No mention of it being free.

OP then replies she has to book 2 hours minimum, not 1 and posts this:

"I’ve had many cleaners all which don’t match my cleaning requirement and therefore unfortunately I can’t pay for two hours yet until I see the trial run".

Where in the world is she going to get a cleaner to come down for a 1 hour trial? I'm confused, didn't know such thing existed. Never heard anyone do that

Nowhere is it mentioned that the client expected it for free.

I get that they may be a chancer who refuses to pay at the end, but based on the information OP posted, we have no knowledge that she wanted a free hour's cleaning.

Maybe you might read a bit before being snippy?

OP in London you don't have to drive to be a cleaner! Previous posters note: - central London is now (rightly) very very difficult and expensive to park and drive in. Congestion charge is £12 a day. Parking in the C charge zone is ££££. Residents don't necessarily get visitor permits. If they live in a new build in some areas they don't even have the right to a residents permit. I've had many cleaners in this area and none had cars. If you're doing 2-3 clients in a day and they are a bus ride or short train journey it shouldn't be a problem. If you have a set of regular clients why can't you use their products? I buy what the cleaner asks for, we agree and she writes what she needs and texts me, no problem, no need for lugging stuff

Stick to your guns in the price and good kuck

Don't ask for a review on the basis of a discount. That's tacky. Good cleaners will always find clients and reviews. Stick to your prices and clean with pride.

On my way to meet my first client, gosh I'm so nervous!!! never cleaned a strangers house before, what if I never hear from her again? 😂 I need to do this!! 💪

Good luck OP!!!!

Also why are you working on a Sunday!?
Don't do that in future! :)

What’s wrong with working on a Sunday?

The beauty of being Self Employed means you can choose your hours.
So why would you if you didn't need to?
Nothing wrong with working over a weekend, I have done it myself for years and years, now I am SE-nope!
That is all.

I'm home now, and I'm just so embarrassed. Got to the clients house, she was really lovely. We talked for a bit about the things she wants to have done, and I just cracked on. Nice 3 bed house, not dirty so I started with the kitchen, spent an hour doing the dishes, cleaning the counter tops, cupboards, oven. Then I went upstairs to clean the bathroom, when I finished with the bathroom she told me I didn't clean the cupboards properly, and her husband had to redo it. There were water marks on the fridge and cooker which she didn't like, I just forgot to make it shiny. Then apparently I didn't mop the bathroom properly and the sink wasn't clean enough, I honest spent an hour on each room cleaning from top to bottom.

Every time I finished cleaning a room, she would go in there and kind of redo it in a way. I just felt embarrassed. I know I'll never hear from her again.

I don't think I'm an awful cleaner, but it was my first time cleaning someone's else house, I guess I'll get better.

Anyone know how to make everything shiny, let me know 😢

@charliebear78 I actually asked if I could come on Monday, but she wanted me to come on Sunday. Her husband was home, so maybe she was nervous and wanted him there, I don't know 🤷‍♀️

Stick to your price. And read a book called “Never Split the Difference” by Chris Voss. X