Jim Pemberton
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3 Key Reasons Good Cleaners Do Bad Work
by Jim Pemberton - Pembertons Learning Center
“Why good cleaners cause bad problems”
When you hear a consumer complain about another cleaner and how badly the job they did turned out, do any of these thoughts cross your mind?
“He must be one of those “bait and switch” crooks who go in cheap and rush through the job!”
“He probably is new and doesn't know what he's doing!”
“I'll bet he is using old, worn out equipment!”
While those things MIGHT be true; in most cases it just isn't! Many cleaning related complaints are caused by veteran cleaners, who use fair pricing and marketing polices, as well as good equipment and products..
That thought might make you feel uncomfortable, because you are likely a veteran cleaner using good equipment, and couldn't imagine that you could cause such a problem.
But You Could!
Here are some of the true reasons "good cleaners do bad work"
1. Fatigue:
Like it or not, we all are subject to getting tired when we work hard, and cleaning is often hard work. Its difficult, to nearly impossible, to have the same energy and strength on your last job of the day as you did on your first.Tired cleaners skip steps, fail to pay attention to detail, and often don't bother walking back to the truck for drying fans, towels, etc.
"THIS FURNITURE BLED BECAUSE STEPS WERE SKIPPED DUE TO FATIGUE"
2. Distraction:
Its difficult to “turn off” all of the stresses and worries of the day when you are working, especially if you are an owner operator. With cell phones you are not just receiving calls, but also texts, email and Facebook notifications. The temptation to take every call, and look at every message can be overwhelming. You need to recognize that there isn't any way you can give your customer the service that they deserve if you constantly take calls and/or need to check texts, emails, and social media notices.
3. Attitude:
Whether or not we realize it, the pressures of business and life sometimes cause us to have a bad attitude about what we do, and if we aren't careful, it can show up in our work. Demanding customers, scheduling conflicts, problems with co-workers, employees, and family all can put us in a “bad mood”. You simply are not doing your best work when you are in a negative frame of mind!
How can you avoid these problems and give your customers “your best”?
1. Keep Your Energy Level at its Peak:
Do what the doctors have told us for a lifetime: Eat right, exercise, and get plenty of rest. During busy times, its easy to take on evening jobs even when you have to work early in the morning. You might be able to do that once in a while, but if you make a practice of doing it, its unlikely you are giving your “morning customer” their money's worth. If you are committed to being a “owner operator” who will be active performing cleaning services through your middle age and even senior years, recognize that a good exercise program is essential so that you can stay in shape and keep fatigue at a minimum. Remember: the hard work of cleaning is not a substitute for proper exercise.
2. Keep Distractions at a Minimum:
Cell phones have enabled cleaners to eliminate having the phone answered by office staff, or customers needing to wait until the end of the day for return calls. However, they can rule your life if you aren't careful. You need to decide how you would feel if someone taking care of a service at your home and business was constantly taking calls, sending texts, and checking the phone while they worked for you. Its discourteous, and its simply not possible to do your work properly if you are constantly stopping to answer or check your phone. Discipline yourself to ignore messages until you are at a “stopping place”, or turn off your phone.
3. Check Your Attitude:
One of the best things my father taught me was: “You can't help how you feel, but you can help how you think and how you act.” Life brings on a variety of stresses and things that can ruin your day. You have little control over that. But if you are going to be at a customers' home, business, or facility, you have to leave your problems “at the door”. And you'll also learn that when you control how you think and act, you'll also feel better as a result.
SUMMARY:
You will find that the work you do is more influenced by these three parts of your life than it is by the equipment and products that you use, or the soil level of the carpet you clean! In forty plus years of being a part of this industry, I have watched cleaners succeed, and have watched them fail.
Those that succeeded understood that being the best person they could be on the inside had everything to do on how they experienced success on the outside. If you want to succeed in today's "online digital review" business environment, where the balance of marketing power has swung dramatically in favor of the consumer, you need to be seen as a sincere and caring business person that they can turn to for help in solving their problem in your field of expertise.
by Jim Pemberton - Pembertons Learning Center
“Why good cleaners cause bad problems”
When you hear a consumer complain about another cleaner and how badly the job they did turned out, do any of these thoughts cross your mind?
“He must be one of those “bait and switch” crooks who go in cheap and rush through the job!”
“He probably is new and doesn't know what he's doing!”
“I'll bet he is using old, worn out equipment!”
While those things MIGHT be true; in most cases it just isn't! Many cleaning related complaints are caused by veteran cleaners, who use fair pricing and marketing polices, as well as good equipment and products..
That thought might make you feel uncomfortable, because you are likely a veteran cleaner using good equipment, and couldn't imagine that you could cause such a problem.
But You Could!
Here are some of the true reasons "good cleaners do bad work"
1. Fatigue:
Like it or not, we all are subject to getting tired when we work hard, and cleaning is often hard work. Its difficult, to nearly impossible, to have the same energy and strength on your last job of the day as you did on your first.Tired cleaners skip steps, fail to pay attention to detail, and often don't bother walking back to the truck for drying fans, towels, etc.
"THIS FURNITURE BLED BECAUSE STEPS WERE SKIPPED DUE TO FATIGUE"
2. Distraction:
Its difficult to “turn off” all of the stresses and worries of the day when you are working, especially if you are an owner operator. With cell phones you are not just receiving calls, but also texts, email and Facebook notifications. The temptation to take every call, and look at every message can be overwhelming. You need to recognize that there isn't any way you can give your customer the service that they deserve if you constantly take calls and/or need to check texts, emails, and social media notices.
3. Attitude:
Whether or not we realize it, the pressures of business and life sometimes cause us to have a bad attitude about what we do, and if we aren't careful, it can show up in our work. Demanding customers, scheduling conflicts, problems with co-workers, employees, and family all can put us in a “bad mood”. You simply are not doing your best work when you are in a negative frame of mind!
How can you avoid these problems and give your customers “your best”?
1. Keep Your Energy Level at its Peak:
Do what the doctors have told us for a lifetime: Eat right, exercise, and get plenty of rest. During busy times, its easy to take on evening jobs even when you have to work early in the morning. You might be able to do that once in a while, but if you make a practice of doing it, its unlikely you are giving your “morning customer” their money's worth. If you are committed to being a “owner operator” who will be active performing cleaning services through your middle age and even senior years, recognize that a good exercise program is essential so that you can stay in shape and keep fatigue at a minimum. Remember: the hard work of cleaning is not a substitute for proper exercise.
2. Keep Distractions at a Minimum:
Cell phones have enabled cleaners to eliminate having the phone answered by office staff, or customers needing to wait until the end of the day for return calls. However, they can rule your life if you aren't careful. You need to decide how you would feel if someone taking care of a service at your home and business was constantly taking calls, sending texts, and checking the phone while they worked for you. Its discourteous, and its simply not possible to do your work properly if you are constantly stopping to answer or check your phone. Discipline yourself to ignore messages until you are at a “stopping place”, or turn off your phone.
3. Check Your Attitude:
One of the best things my father taught me was: “You can't help how you feel, but you can help how you think and how you act.” Life brings on a variety of stresses and things that can ruin your day. You have little control over that. But if you are going to be at a customers' home, business, or facility, you have to leave your problems “at the door”. And you'll also learn that when you control how you think and act, you'll also feel better as a result.
SUMMARY:
You will find that the work you do is more influenced by these three parts of your life than it is by the equipment and products that you use, or the soil level of the carpet you clean! In forty plus years of being a part of this industry, I have watched cleaners succeed, and have watched them fail.
Those that succeeded understood that being the best person they could be on the inside had everything to do on how they experienced success on the outside. If you want to succeed in today's "online digital review" business environment, where the balance of marketing power has swung dramatically in favor of the consumer, you need to be seen as a sincere and caring business person that they can turn to for help in solving their problem in your field of expertise.
