Nearly all of my work is residential,and thats the way i like it.
A number of home owners have suggested that i do in/out clean of their home then lockup and stash the key when im done.
Sole owner operator,yes im honest but i explain that it is best if they are home when i am cleaning interior.
Good policy?
Do first time customers offer you the key to there home and say just lock up as you leave?
If you have the right customers and your an honest person you dont have anything to worry aboutā¦ itās easy to smell a trouble maker when youāve been doing it for a long time. When you get employees watch them and get to know them.
I can understand your worry as a solo operator. My wife and I work together so at least we can vouch for each other. I might feel the same if I was working alone.
Iāve never felt uncomfortable when given the go ahead to be there alone. I figure thereās a reason, probably based on recommendation or our phone conversation that convinced the homeowner to trust me.
that the customers feels that way obviously says something about you, if they are comfortable with it, i dont see a problem
People ask us a lot or just assume that we will require them to be home while weāre cleaning the inside. Most are overjoyed to find out they can leave and run errands, pick the kids up, get an oil change, or go to the strip club if they like. Weāre in a service business and convenience is king. Let 'em leave and lock up for them. If they asked, 99.9% of the time itās because you did something right and they trust you.
I donāt have a problem with it at all. Many times this has happened, really it is a compliment of good, quality, honest service.
We even have a client that allows us access to a home out of state and trust us while we are there doing the windows and even a little vacation
I have the same policy.
Just say a robbery takes place while you are there (even something like a lawn mower being stolen from the backyard) or even a fire starts from bad wiring or the dog knocks over a $3000 lampā¦ I could go on for awhile, but my point is that if any of these things were to happen, fingers will be pointed at you and all you got is your word.
If its a customer you have been serving for 5 years or family or friends then it is a little different.
It is a complimentā¦ and a liability. Now I need to rethink this whole thing.
Speaking of honesty, we can vouch for our side of things, and we know who we are and what we would never do, but,
in solo situations, given the wild āmental stabilityā that can exist and be masked well by some until itās obvious it was masked, combined with the crazy times with crazy crimes going on, does anyone have concern over a false accusation?
what if accused of something against a minor, male or female?
what if accused of something against the woman of the house?
what if the homeowner was extremely well off, or connected and respected in the community?
Getting older in age and seeing some of the crazy things in life and on the news, I may be getting paranoid about the .0000000001% chance, but just wondering if anyone working solo has had a concern about the āstabilityā of who they work for?
its not a matter of if, its a matter of when you are accused. it will happen at some point. not having any criminal record is a good thing. number of years in service is also a big bonus. you would be very surprised how many people have hidden cams. and sometimes things like that are a setup. just be very profesional when you are in a room alone. dont act any different than you would if you had a very anal customer that was standing over your shoulder the whole time. i was accused once in the 11 years i worked for a carpet company. i was lucky enough that the other tech i was working with found the watch behind the night stand
i never ever enter a house when there is only a minor home. if a minor opens the door for me, i ask for the parents and dont enter till they invite me in.
if iām left alone in a house, i need locking instructions before i agree to work. there is no ājust pull the door closed, dont lock itā. you were the last one that was in the house as far as the customer is concerned. if someone comes in after you and before the customer returns, you are the prime suspect.
and donāt feel safer because you work with your wife mistersqueegee, if i stole your tv and you asked my wife, do you think she would say yeah?
+1ā¦especially the part about minors.
My wife wouldnāt of that you can be sure.
Same here. If my wife knew I had stolen someoneās TV- she would probably help the cops slap the cuffs on. She didnāt marry a thief;)
I would, thankfully, never need to lie about anything my husband had done, but he also knows that if ever the case would come up, I would still have to be honest and answer them truthfully, even if that meant trouble. I would also expect him to do the same if the roles were reversed. Whenever there is something suspicious, such as a watch on the floor on the other side of the bed, I tell the customer. I never pick it up or touch it, but just let them know that itās there. Customers constantly test us, to see if we are going to be honest. We are, every single time.
We never worry about this in commercial. If we are doing interiors that will be quick thereās alway a manager, itās corporate policy to always have someone there.
If we are in a place at night usually they provide security for our protection.
Me personally I would not have a problem being in a home and told to lock up. I do not provide residential service and would not feel comfortable about leaving employees. Just wouldnāt!!!
Often wondered how larger operations deal with this?
Thanks,thats roughly 50/50.
TV ,iāve got two so i donāt need someone elses.
It was just the chance of rotten luck, if someone ransacked the home after i have left.
I ALWAYS WORK LIKE SOMEONES WATCHING.
I did a 2.5 million dollar house yesterday and the customer left for 1 1\2hrs, no big deal. I had so many damn widows to do I had no time to look aroundā¦
2.5 million dollar house probably equals hidden security cams. Which I personally wish every customer had. That way if there is ever any doubt what happened to an item or some type of damage, the customer would hopefully review the video and see that you were busy doing what they were paying you for.
If they are comfortable not being there while I am there I am comfortableā¦It comes down to your gut instinct!.. A competitor had the code to get in a home, did the job, left and 5 miles down the road was pulled over cause the HO called the cops saying he stole all his guns, the HO was arrested for insurance fraud!
If you are by yourself you rolling dice, if you have another person with you, 99% you are fine. If the kids will be home, there must be two of them or me and a helperā¦ cause a false accusation would end your career, you must protect your butt.
