Warning Signs of Difficult House Cleaning Clients: Are They Worth The Effort?

Jean Hanson

Wouldn't life be wonderful if we could all have a crystal ball and predict the future? In the cleaning business, just to know whether or not you should take on a new client would be good enough! I'm sure we have all had those “clients from heck” who we could only wish we never took on. There are many reasons certain customers are just not worth the effort needed to keep them happy. What signs can you look for to avoid these people?

The first signs are those you get before you even start cleaning for them. One such clue is when they only want phone quotes. These people are just price shopping, looking for the cheapest service available. You don't want to target these types of accounts. Those people looking for the cheapest price are not likely to be concerned about quality or the value they can get from a reputable service. For one, you don't want to negotiate or low-ball your price dependent on the individual customer. You may not be capable of making a profit from these accounts. Secondly, you do not want to reduce your quality level in order to get the business. Your reputation is at stake, and a poor level of service can affect how you are perceived in the marketplace.

Another warning sign is a client who has contracted with several other cleaning services. They may also be price-shopping, looking for lower prices. Also, you need to wonder about other reasons. Are they too picky and never satisfied? Who canceled, the customer or the client? Did they not pay or not pay on time? Were the working conditions intolerable? Personality clashes? There is usually some reason this happens, so be careful when deciding to take on these clients.

Once you have a contract and start cleaning, there are also signs you need to look out for. You may get that person who is just never satisfied with anything. They may have the cleanest house possible, but they are never happy. These chronic complainers take a lot of time and energy, so being able to identify them early on and “fire” them is important. Similarly, there are those customers who want something different done every time you come in. These people are difficult to have as clients, since so much of what we do relies on systems and repetitiveness. “Special requests” hinder those efforts, causing an increase in labor hours and a corresponding decrease in profits.

An additional warning sign to look for are those customers who pay late. If they are paying late early on in your relationship, chances are this will continue. Are you able to put up with late payments? Cash flow is always an issue in the cleaning business, since so much of our costs are for labor. Regardless of whether the customer pays or not, you still need to make your payroll and other expenses. Can you even do this and do you want to deal with the anxiety of wondering when you will get paid. Identifying this early on in your relationship will prevent you grief down the road.

Clients who like to put down their prior cleaning service should also be a red flag. There are obviously legitimate reasons to fire one service and hire another, but when a customer keeps bad-mouthing their old service, look out! You may be the next on their list if they choose to let you go at some future date. Getting rid of a bad reputation in the marketplace can be difficult, so anything you can do to avoid from that happening in the first place is obviously a good thing.

The bottom line is it may be necessary to turn down or “fire” certain clients who are not worth the effort to keep them. It comes down to this: if it takes too much time and energy to keep them, then don't. Some might say it is foolish to turn away work, but problem clients require too much time. Use that time to obtain new customers and retain your “good customers.”

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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.