How do you guys approach this? Resi jobs are great for a lot of reasons but, this is the biggest hang-up for me. It means i do all my work on the weekend cause that is the only time they are home. The reason i promote clean cut professionals is so people have confidence and trust in us.
Any words of wisdom? I obviously dont press the issue when i meet resistance but, maybe some negotiating skills would help.
Never been a problem for me. I am constantly amazed at the number of people who open the house for us to come in and then they leave. Usually we just go out the garage door and shut it behind us.
I simply let them know we need access to the interior to do the job. If they are unwilling I ask when they can take time during the week to be there so I can do the insides. If they say they can’t I move on to a new customer. I don’t have the time (or the desire) to schedule interior cleans on the weekend. If someone wants to hire a service technician in any field they have to realize this means access during the week. If they don’t trust you they will have to do the jobs themselves.
Ive really never ran into someone that couldnt be there or have someone else be there to let us in during the week. If they suggest a weekend, I just say we dont work weekends. Ive never ran into a problem of someone having an issue of us being there alone. i think I have an advantage as a woman as not being as threatening to a female customer alone in house (no offense intended guys). But ive also had most of my customers 10 years and they know me, and I go with the clean cut looking employees…very important. First impressions, judging a book by its cover, whatever, but i think it helps…jmo.
How can you clean the insides when they’re NOT there?
Only one time in my life has someone told me, “I’ll leave the keys under the mat”, she was a previous customer. She brought that up I didn’t even ask her. I wouldn’t I didn’t feel comfortable actually. At the same time, the people that follow you room to room for the entire job get on my nerves sometimes. But I still need them to be home so I get paid or I’ll just clean the outsides and leave a bill (for previous customers).
I guess there was one exception to this, back in the day when I owned a window cleaning franchise by a company that also had maid franchises, they had every bodies key and security code. So I did a few jobs when the maid were there but one time we were supposed to clean and empty house. Get to the house, security system was off, fine. But there was this other door and we had the key to that as well so we opened it… alarm starts beeping. It turns out it was the entrance to a 2nd floor apartment that WAS occupied. We didn’t have that code… cops show up.
The cops didn’t even get out of their car, one was eating a subway sandwich:D
Well said.
Sometimes I have to tell a customer that we do not work weekends before they will schedule during the week. If they still say they cannot do it during the week and it is a deal breaker if it can not be done on the weekend, I’ll ask the guys if they mind working on the weekend. I try not to do that if at all possible though.
40% don’t Care 60% take off work or find a day to work from home.
Today I met the HO for the first time - and said make sure you lock the door behind you…
then again I don’t look like a hoodlum.
Make sure they can trust you. Appearance goes along way.
I’ve never had a problem. If they don’t want us inside when they’re not there they simply don’t schedule when they’re not there. We have dozens that trust us inside and we just lock up when done. I don’t ever request it though.
The same for me as well. Hidden keys, alarm codes the works. But I come referred from a friend, family member, neighbor.
I get a few who don’t even seem to consider getting me access if they’re not there. Any who expect me to come on the weekend are informed that I add 15% on for weekend work, since this is normally family time.
For the most part people seem to be pretty trusting around here.
Clearly most want to be home while the work is going on or at least begins, but I have numerous clients who trust us in their home without them there. I have one client we do 3 times a year in and out and I have NEVER met her.
I never have and never would make a trip out on the weekend to do someone’s inside work.
Before this year we never worked weekends, but this year we have been.
Well i’m still trying to figure it out, but she said something about the dogs. It’s not a big deal on this one but theres no way im going to give up every weekend for the rest of my life. So im just gonna have to tell people theres a charge for weekends. Or maybe just build report a little more. A lot of the clients i’ll be getting are probably use to having cleaning people come through when they are not around. i think I look like a pretty presentable person. … even advertise it on my van lol
I wish I could get people to have their housecleaner or themselves do the windows inside. I’d be so glad to show and supply them. In a perfect world, yeah not having to go inside would be great ! So much less liability to be concerned with, whether or not you got insurance or not.
Some of funny stuff people leave laying around there house. Oh maybe a 5 or 20 bill here and there, cute little undies, untidy spaces, on and on.
Yeha I’d be so glad to show my customers how they can do the inside of their homes so much easier with a squeegee ,dishsoap and blue shop towels than say with smelly windex and paper towles
I’m not saying i dont want to clean the inside. I find the insides arent as fun to clean but, its not such a big deal. I’m insured up to 2,000,000 aggregate. And really my wife has a 3 days work week so giving up a weekend isnt such a bad thing but, when i have kids or something then it becomes an issue.
LOL - This post reminded me of a job I did years ago. She owned a bar and a restuarant (Different locations). When inside I usually require the homeowner to remove all things off window ledges… but she didn’t and was a good customer (did her businesses as well) so I did. 5 or 6 different things I moved had stacks of bills (20s, 10s, 5s etc…) underneath them. Probably over 1k by the looks. I can’t imagine how many other hiding spots she had 
I’m fastly learning that cleaning windows is the easiest part of the job. Getting around stuff to access those windows and popping screens is by far the worst part of an otherwise fun job
we let them know we have many customers who allow us into their homes w/o being present then leave it up to them… we have customers leave us hidden keys, gate/garage/lock box codes, blank checks…
