The First Rule Of Cleaning For Paying Customers

Years ago, on my first day of working for Merry Maids, I was assigned a trainer. 

He was a bit gruff because he was “volunteered” by the franchise owner to train green workers like me. 

He felt that new workers were slow workers and he was all about speed.

The First Cleaning Lesson

When we entered the first house with all of our equipment and supplies, he turned to me and said, “Always follow the work order for each house and don’t do what doesn’t need to be done.”

When I heard his words, I was confused.  Weren’t we there to clean the whole house? 

I thought he was promoting slacking off on the job.  However, I quickly learned the meaning and wisdom of his words. 

He was training me to focus on what was important. 

All cleaning should be done to the best of my ability, but I should not waste time on cleaning what the customer doesn’t value.

The Service Agreement Is Key

One purpose of the work order or cleaning checklist is to focus the house cleaner on what the customer feels is important. 

That is why the first walkthrough with the customer in their home and asking lots of questions is so crucial.  The answers you get from the customer then becomes part of the Service Agreement.

That Service Agreement points you (and anyone who works for you later) to those rooms and tasks that the customer feels is worth the money they pay you for cleaning their home.

Focus On What The Customer Values

For example, customers often tell house cleaners to skip spare bedrooms, guest bathrooms and basements. 

They want you to focus your limited time on rooms that really matter to them, like the kitchen, bathrooms, master bedroom, living and dining rooms. 

The customer may want extra special attention to dusting, washing wood floors or brightening the grout in the shower. 

If, instead you try to clean a teen’s bedroom or den that is not listed on the Service Agreement, you may not have time to give your full attention to the grout or the wood floors.  

Rooms and tasks listed on the Service Agreement are what the customer considers most important.

The Time Factor

For you, the house cleaner, the most important consideration is time. 

Every task takes time and the quicker you complete this customer’s home, the more time you have to clean the next customer’s home. 

Unnecessary cleaning is a colossal waste of your precious time and energy. 

Your time and energy equal money. 

You are in business to make money. You are not being paid to do work the customer doesn’t care about.

Giving A Little Extra

There are times when giving a little extra can be useful. 

A quick vacuuming of a hallway or laundry room floor not listed on the Service Agreement once every few months can be an inexpensive thank you gift to a longtime valued customer. 

Just don’t get carried away.  Try to balance your time and energy with results the customer cares about.

Over the years, that trainer’s first rule of cleaning has helped me to focus on what my customers considered most important:  the rooms and tasks on the Service Agreement work order or cleaning checklist. 

I clean everything on the work order and follow the rule of:  don’t do what doesn’t need to be done.