You may be detailed, picky and a perfectionist in your field of cleaning, but every now and then you come up against a client that says you missed something. You know you didn't miss it but you don't want to make your client wrong and take the chance on offending them. You also don't want them to think you're incompetent.

Here are suggestions to help you with your sensitive dilemma.

Have them show you. Meet with your client right away and have them show you exactly what they're talking about. Have them point out the troubled area, acknowledge what they're seeing, clean it in front of them and say something like, "I'm sorry, how did I miss that, I will take care of it!"

Cleaning is a perception. What may be clean to you is not clean to your client. Clarify what clean means to them. If they want their white baseboards cleaned but you discover that no amount of wiping will get them sparking white, then be proactive and show them. Otherwise, they might come back and ask why you never cleaned them when you know you did.

Is miscommunication the problem? Perhaps the client is saying you didn't clean under the rim of the toilet. You know you clean under the rim every time. When you go to the client's home to ask her what she's talking about, she points to the bottom of the outside of the bowl, not inside the rim of the toilet seat! The best way to make sure you're not miscommunicating with the client is to go to their home and have them show you what they're talking about.

Is lighting the problem? Depending on the time of day, a cobweb may not be obvious when you're cleaning, yet with the sun shining through later in the day, the customer might wonder how you could have missed it.

Create a checklist of tasks you perform in the home. Check off everything you did that day. If you have employees doing the cleaning provide a work order and have them leave that for the customer. Homeowners like to know that that the tasks you said you would do when they hired you are actually being done. By leaving a checklist, you're communicating with them in a subtle way that reinforces that you're doing what you said you'd do.

Understand that some clients want to be in complete charge over their home. This can come out in a variety of ways and accusing you of an incomplete job can be one of them. The checklist and follow-up will help with this. Any type of additional communication will help clear the way to a better working relationship.

Seeing is believing. If the client is home while you're cleaning, let them see you clean the things you're being challenged with.

Don't sweat it. If you have hurt feelings because you were accused of missing a task just remember, you're running a business. You were not accused of stealing or anything worse. The client wants to feel in charge. Re do what they requested and assure them it's been taken care of.

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Jean Hanson helps owners of residential cleaning companies build a more profitable and successful cleaning business through her online community at MyHouseCleaningBiz.com. Read inspirational cleaning success stories at http://www.cleaning-success.com, and sign up for House Cleaning Profit Tips at http://www.MyHouseCleaningBiz.com.