Please read the following carefully and make sure you understand everything.
Estimated Reading Time for this Module: 8 minutes
It may happen at some point and knowing how to deal with breaking something in a home can determine how the client feels and how they react. Please look over the following to become familiar:
IF CUSTOMER IS HOME
- If you BROKE something notify the customer right away.
- Then, send a text to the office to inform of the situation.
- Send the pictures to 919.754.4300, and specify it was broken by you and include which home and where the item is located in the home.
- If you NOTICE something is broken in the home, notify the customer right away:
- Then, send a text to the office to inform of the situation.
- Send the pictures to 919.754.4300, and specify it was already broken and include which home and where the item is located in the home.
IF CUSTOMER IS NOT HOME
- Immediately, send a text to the office to inform of the situation, so they can contact the customer.
- Send the pictures to 919.754.4300 and specify if it was already broken OR broken by you and include which home and where the item is located in the home.
Use the following as a guideline on what to do if your vacuum breaks
Start troubleshooting the vacuum by:
- Check that the bag is seated properly and is not full
- Check if the belt is broken, damaged, or not seated properly
- Test a different outlet for power
- Check the roller brush to make sure there is no hair in it
- check the hose for a clog, carry a wire hanger in your car to help with this!
- Check to make sure your filters are not clogged.
You will come across some instances in kitchens and bathrooms where you will notice a lot of build up. When you are cleaning and cannot seem to get build-up off of a particular place or surface and it is taking longer than expected, remember to follow the steps below:
- Is it something that can be soaked or pretreated?
- If the client is home, communicate with them to explain the situation and inform them
- Text a photo to the office and include an explanation of the situation so the office can communicate with the client if necessary before the service is finished
- continue cleaning the rest of the home
Handling pet accidents (or pet waste IE: feces, urine, or vomit) is not within our scope of service. Technically, cleaning up any feces, urine, or bodily fluids would be considered a Bio-Clean and requires additional training and specialization.
If the client is home:
- Politely mention to the client: “Unfortunately, this is outside of the scope of our services since we are required by law to have special training and licensing to properly handle “Bio Cleans” or bodily fluids.”
If the client isn’t home:
- If you happen to see any pet accidents in the home, you are not required to clean or pick it up. Instead, send a text to the office letting them know which home and where the pet accident(s) are located
You will regularly get clients who will ask you to do things that are either outside of the scope of what we do or should be considered additional charges to their cleaning. Being courteous is great, but we do not want you to be taken advantage of or have to spend more time doing something that you are not getting paid to do. Please read the following so you know how to approach each situation. We want you to feel confident working undisturbed and earning the pay that you deserve!
***DO NOT start cleaning if it is not within our normal scope of service***
- Politely discuss with the clients that certain things aren’t within our scope of service and that you would not be able to tend to those items if it hasn’t been previously addressed during scheduling.
- If they are asking for additional services and you have the time:
- Politely say: “Okay! Let me call the office real quick to have them add that onto your cleaning”
- If they don’t want you to call the office but still want the additional service:
- Explain: “I understand, but I’m not allowed to do anything outside of what’s already included for your service. I’d be happy to let the office know to add it on to your cleaning, though!”
Sometimes doors inside the home will be close. There could be specific reasons the client is keeping those rooms or doors closed. Please familiarize yourself with the following do’s and don’ts:
WHEN TO ENTER:
- There are no indications that you shouldn’t enter
- There are no notes in BK phone app saying not to clean
- Ask the customer if it is OK to enter
- Knock first before entering
- Open door slowly
- Announce your presence before entering
- Close the door as you found it (in case there was a pet or reason it was closed in the first hand)
WHEN NOT TO ENTER:
- There is a note on the door
- The client has told you not to enter
- There are notes in the BK Phone App that say not not to clean the room.
We hope this never happens, but we want to make you aware if the situation ever arises. Please refer to the following if you notice something off about someone knocking on the door or loitering around outside.
Remember: WE are guests in the home, NOT the residents. We do not have the authority to decide on their behalf how to respond to guests.
Never allow someone into the house that doesn’t live there
- It is not your responsibility to answer the door to a client’s home. If already inside the home and there is someone at the door that does not live there, there’s no need to take any action.
If the customer is not home, then:
- Try calling the customer to find out if that person has permission to be there, say something like:
- “I have <Person’s Name> here, says that he/she has your permission to come into the house. Just wanted to double check with you if he/she is supposed to be here before allowing him/her into your home”
- If you are unable to reach the customer, tell that person you don’t have permission to let anyone in, say something like: “Sorry, but I don’t have permission to let anyone in”
- If they refuse to leave, call the office so they can contact the customer and wait for their instructions.
REMEMBER: If they claim to be the homeowner or someone who lives there. The homeowner or residents would most likely have access to their home regardless.
You pay is based off the price of the home. For that reason, we want to make sure you are being paid what you deserve. If you ever run into a situation where a recurring home is taking longer than it should, please refer to the following:
- Leave a comment on the house stating how much extra time you think it needs and why.
- When the comment is received, the home’s history will be looked at to see if the estimated time should be adjusted.
- You should be notified by the office after they have addressed the concern
A little known tip that will help you when you most need it is keeping a wire hanger on-hand. Sometimes it’s best to keep one in your bag or in the trunk of your car to help unclog your vacuum hose or tubes. Since vacuuming is a big part of cleaning homes, we never want to be left stranded without help. Consider keeping a wire hanger or asking the office to keep one on-hand for those last minute emergencies.
We want to make sure you have every opportunity possible to earn top pay for those who are motivated! Look over the information below to learn how to earn more tips by getting 5-star reviews!
- Make sure that the customer is very satisfied!
- IE: “thank you so much! the house looks beautiful!”
- let them know: “You know what, It would mean a lot to me if you would go online and leave a review on either Google, Yelp, or whatever you happen to be on. If you do leave a 5-star review, my manager sees that so that means a lot to me, and my company will give me a $10 tip in your name for leaving that 5-star review.”
A little dose of kindness and consideration goes a long way with clients. Look over the following to improve your odds of receiving a tip for your fantastic service!
- Be sure to politely greet the client with:
- “Good morning, Mrs. Smith! How are you doing?”
- “I’m all done now with your cleaning. Have a great rest of your day!”
- Be kind and considerate when cleaning when the client is home
- ask for permission and be considerate in:
- how you open and close doors/cabinets
- delicately place your supplies down, organized, and in order
- offering clients to pass by first
- being friendly with pets
- making them feel well cared for!
- ask for permission and be considerate in:
If you are cleaning a home regularly, doing these things repeatedly will have the client paying more attention to how well you work and conduct yourself – you’ll be surprised how much more in tips you are able to make!