Going to potential customer first time

[ForBrickSnake]

I've set myself up to be a self employed cleaner. I've had my first enquiry and suddenly the realisation of going to a complete stranger has filled me with dread! Partly because I'm doing this off my own back and what do other people do to keep safe?

Good for you! I think general consensus on MN (and in the real world!) is a good cleaner is worth their weight in gold, so don't take any nonsense.

In terms of safety, if you're concerned maybe set up find friends/location sharing with someone you trust for the first meeting? Make sure your phone is always charged in case you need it. Good luck! :)

My husband always know where I’m going. I put the address in our shared phone calendar. He can also track me on Find My Phone and I always text him once I have left the house.

You are very sensible to think of your safety, but if it really concerns you (and I can understand why it might) then take someone with you, although you won't of course wish to overwhelm the client and leave them stressing in case you've come to case the joint / carry out a distraction burglary

However, over a period of 40+ years, I've had several cleaner, many of whom hadn't run their own service before. In my experience, you may have a wider issue in knowing what to say to the customer in that first consultation, and knowing what information to extract in return so as to know if this is going to be the right client & house for you.

Over the years, I've met people who hadn't a clue what to charge me, or how long the job would take, or what they were offering, through to those who offered me the moon on a stick & at half the price of everyone else.

However, these days you have the internet at your disposal, and there are so many websites & groups who can help you with all of this.

All I can advise is don't oversell yourself, do not ever under-price yourself, and do not ever devalue any of what you do by announcing a sudden "special offer" or any such discount.

Good cleaners are like gold dust, and reliable ones are rarer still. No one is coming looking for a cleaner in the hope of getting a "bargain". You are either worth your price, or you're not.

Find out if your client had a cleaner before, and if they did, find out what happened to them. The answers will all be there. Good luck x

Thank you all for replies and taking the time to do so. I have printed a check list to take each time for a first visit before committing.

Will look into extra security via phone.