6.1 Introduction
You have established or will be establishing a cleaning business.
A part of your business is meeting clients and displaying correct behaviour when working in their homes or workplaces. The following examines a few concepts about how you can do this well, and impress your clients.
6.2 Presenting Yourself to Your Clients
There are certain things you should always do when you meet with your clients, whether it is a new client or a repeat client.
This section will discuss four points to keep in mind when presenting yourself as a professional cleaner.
Dress Professionally
You may have a uniform to wear for your cleaning business. This uniform should be kept clean and professional looking. Even if you are not meeting on the job, you still need to dress professionally when meeting with clients. Any outfit will work as long as it is presentable, clean, unwrinkled, and business-like. Business casual attire, for example, would be appropriate for a meeting with a client in your office or other location. Visiting the place of business for the first time or for reasons not related to work would also see business casual dress as appropriate. Taking care in your appearance indicates that you care about presentation and cleanliness, and that you are a respectable business person.
Be Friendly
Always be congenial when you meet clients. Acknowledge the client by saying, “hello". Be confident when addressing the person. Also make eye contact and smile. These might seem common sense, but sometimes it is hard to follow through on simple behaviours, or it can be difficult to uphold this manner when faced with a difficult client. Always use pleasantries and maintain a professional attitude when meeting clients, difficult or otherwise.
Have a Professional Attitude
As stated, a professional attitude is a must. While you also need to be friendly, you want to assure the client that you will not take up too much of their time, and you are ready to listen. Even if you do not agree with what a client is saying, you still need to be professional and explain things in terms they can understand. Explain what or why you do something, based on your training and proper cleaning techniques, to ensure a quality job is completed every time. You are an expert and have the knowledge. Along with this expertise and knowledge you need to have confidence when addressing clients in a business-like manner.
Listen To Your Clients, Acknowledge Their Thoughts
If you receive complaints - you need to listen and acknowledge. Again, this is where professionalism comes into place. Listen and use body language, then nod your head in acknowledgement. You can also give quick verbal understandings. You should always let the client fully communicate their concerns or needs, completing their thoughts before you start addressing the issue. You may want to write certain things down or make notes to ensure that when you respond you cover all the important points.
It is easy for clients to become upset over little things if they misinterpret what you say, or you did not hear everything they were saying to you. By being professional during meetings you can assure the person you are the right individual for the job, as well as clear up any issues the client may have.
6.3 Working in A Client's Home or Workplace
This section will be looking at two different locations, so it will be broken down into each one for a better understanding of proper procedures.
Working in the Home
For many reasons it is often easier if the client is not home when you are cleaning. However, this may not be the routine for some of your clients and they will remain in the house while you are working.
There are definitely certain behaviours to display if the client is not going to leave.
- Explain your normal routine and ask if the client would prefer you to start in a different part of the house.
- Interact when you first get to the home by saying hello, making small pleasantries and then gathering all the equipment, from your vehicle or from within the residence.
- Do not linger or take long breaks between tasks.
- Do not talk about things that are of no consequence to your job.
- If the client seems to want to chat, spend a few moments chatting, but professionally indicate you are there to work and have a time frame to get the job done - communicate this politely, not rudely.
By following these suggestions you indicate that you are professional and do not mind the client remaining in the home. You show that you can work around their needs while getting everything done.
If the client is not in the home or leaves when you arrive, then your behaviour still needs to be professional. You still need to say hello and offer the usual pleasantries before beginning the work. Once the client has left, go about your business. You should never stop to play with any toys, games, clothing or other items belonging to the client. It is a job and the home should be respected as if the client were present and in the house.
Working in the Workplace
The hope with commercial cleaning is that the place will be closed when you go in, except if you work in hospitals.
If the place of work does not close or requires you to clean during operating hours, then some ground rules must be adhered to:
- Find out the best routine for cleaning various spaces based on the workplace. These should be established before you begin cleaning at the location for the first time.
- Do not talk with employees, except to be friendly and professional. You can always say hello or smile to acknowledge a person is there, but you should not interrupt their duties. Take cues from the manager.
- If necessary, create a routine that allows you to attend to employee areas at lunch times. For example, collect the office rubbish when staff are at lunch or service the areas where people are out to lunch, and go back later when others are out.
There are a few points to discuss in more detail.
If you are going to be around employees you need to do so quietly and with respect. If you can reach the rubbish, dust, and clean the floors without causing major disruptions then do so, as long as you have permission from the person who hired you for cleaning. Obviously, if you run a vacuum while employees are on the phone that will make their job difficult to do. So you do have to choose what to do and when best to do it by closely monitoring the work environment and communicating with those in it.
Paying attention to the situation is the best way to ensure correct behaviour in any workplace. Be on hand to clean but also take the initiative to know what is right or wrong. Some employees may look for a distraction to avoid work. They may want to chat with you as you are trying to work. You can explain that you are working, just as they are. Do not become involved in conversation that hinders your schedule, even though they may have free time. You should do this in a professional manner without being rude or causing offence.
Obviously, if the workplace you clean for a client is empty of staff, then you can go about your routine as you wish, without being concerned about interrupting an employee. However, it is still prudent to make certain no employee is perhaps working late in a side office or elsewhere. If you do see someone working late you may knock or approach to ask when they may be leaving. This is deemed professional.
You need to indicate your concern is simply to find out when you should come back to that area and that you will vary your routine so as not to disturb them. There are several ways to approach this situation carefully.
6.4 Communicating With Your Clients
Communicating appropriately with your clients is an essential part of any business, but it is especially important to the cleaning industry.
You will be invited into spaces that not everybody can enter, see nor touch the things you can, because of your cleaning tasks. Hence, some of your clients may be more sensitive to what you do and what you say. Here, we will discuss some key things to practise in conversations with your clientele - especially difficult ones.
Speaking in a Positive Manner
This does not necessarily mean to 'be nice'. Rather, it focuses on your word choice when you enter into conversation with someone. When talking with someone, think about the way you impulsively phrase things.
What kind of words do you usually use and combine together?
Do you speak to someone in a way that makes someone feel good about their interaction with you after the conversation is over?
In an argument or conversation regarding a controversial topic, do you get angry easily and speak in a way that reflects this?
Be aware of what you normally do.
What you should do in a serious discussion is use positive language. This does not mean to compliment the other person all the time. It actually refers to how you should phrase a question or sentence to avoid accusation or condescension.
A negatively phrased statement would be, "You can't do that". Saying a phrase with "can't" has a slightly accusing tone by suggesting to someone that they are not capable of doing something.
A positively phrased statement, in contrast, would be, "Can you do that?" This takes out the negative word "not", and phrases the statement in such a way that the person will not feel guarded or threatened.
Another way of positively speaking with someone is to use active language. This is particularly important if the subject matter is very private or embarrassing to the person you are speaking to. Active language suggests to the other person that you are patient and not invasive or threatening to their sensitivity.
A phrase using active language would be, "Maybe you should throw this in the rubbish next time you use it".
On the contrary, passive language can sound like you do not care about another person's sensitivity, which can make them feel threatened.
An example of passive language is, "Throw this in the rubbish next time". Can you see the difference? Imagine someone speaking the passive and active phrases to you on a topic you were sensitive about: which would you prefer them to say to you?
Speaking to Avoid Misinterpretations
A misinterpretation of something you or your client says could leave either of you upset, or could lead either of you to do something the other did not want in the first place. Everyone has experienced a moment where either you or the other person has misinterpreted what was said. How did the situation play out? Most would agree that the situation could have been avoided altogether.
Misinterpretation almost always occurs when someone does not communicate effectively. This is inefficient and wastes time and energy for both parties. Being absolutely clear in what you say is essential to avoid misunderstandings. Think about what you want to say before you communicate it to someone else.
Communicating With Your Body
Body language really does have an impact on how people talk with one another. You may not be aware of it, but if you pay close attention the next time you speak with someone, note what your body language 'says' to them (and change it accordingly if necessary).
When speaking with someone you should make positive word choices instead of negative ones. Just like verbal communication you should choose positive body language over negative body language. These have different terms when we speak of the body; positive body language is also known as 'open body language' and negative body language is known as 'closed body language'.
Open body language occurs when your body is openly facing the person you are talking to, letting them know that you are open to communicating with them.
- Arms loosely at your sides and uncrossed
- Legs apart, not crossed
- Feet side by side, pointing towards the person you are talking to
- Good and frequent eye contact when the person speaks to you, and you to them
Closed body language occurs when your body is closed off from the person you are talking to, which means that you are not engaged in what they are saying and do not wish to speak with them.
- Arms crossed
- Legs crossed
- Your head is turned away from the person who is speaking to you
- You avoid looking at the person you are speaking with
Module Summary
You have learned that you must approach a client meeting with professionalism, no matter the place at which you meet the client.
You now have a good idea of the types of behaviour required of you and your employees in different circumstances, such as the home or workplace. You also know the best ways to communicate with another person and how your body should suggest your willingness to converse.
Now all you need to do is take what you have learned, assess the clients you have, and make working routines that will suit the clients. As you take on more clients you earn from experience what questions to ask them regarding the type of job you are being hired for. After all, you could be hired by a client that is always home when you clean, or alternatively to work in an office building that is always open.
By reading through the above you can establish the best course of action to maintain professional behaviour in any situation.
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