Im getting ready to do this residential job, and the lady is not saying it directly but is making comments. SHE DOES NOT TRUST ME!!! Is common being Im a new company. how can i make her feel like she really has nothing to worry about. I want to say she feels this way because …when i estimated her house I did it from the inside but only a few windows because she wanted me to do it from the outside.(which i know i probly should of done it that way at first, but im new to residential). then after she we set the date for the job which is for tomorrow, I said being she will not be there when i do the job i would have to come over the night before and take her screens off. and she said ok. but then called me back later and said ill take them off for you . on top of that today i called to confirm about tomorrow i left a message and she called me back and said"thats fine and blahblahblah,(just fast forwarding the message) at the end she said i have an alarm system so be aware of it". how can i make her feel more confortable
It will take time to make this person comfortable (if it ever happens). I’ve had customers that seem to trust us from the get go and some that are very leery. In time (most come around after a cleaning or two) they learn you are a reputable company. Some have been burned by a previous company and unfortunately we have to do damage control. Just be punctual and thorough and it should be fine.
It does not really have anything to do with how new your company is or whatever. Some people get a little weird when others they do not know go strolling throught their home. I have been followed from room to room and stared at the entire time. I hated every second but got done and got paid.
Luckily this does not happen much. I found that being very personable has helped limit the frequency of this happening.
Don’t worry about it, that is part this business.
You get her to trust you by doing a great job cleaning her windows, sticking to your estimated price. Follow up the day after with a phone call making sure she is happy with the work you have done and offer to come back if there is any problems.
x
I agree with everyone’s response here. You are a stranger to her, she doesn’t know your character. If you are a good man of good character, just be yourself and do a great job. If you were not able to count all of the windows and find that you under bid, I would keep it at what you bid, however perhaps when you send or give her a receipt, make sure that is noted and she can see that you kept to the original price regardless, that is being honest.
Another thing that was not mentioned here which may be a good thing to mention when you are giving a quote or a sales pitch, mention that you are licensed and insured. Sometimes that helps ease their concerns a bit.
Joie ~ N. CA
LIke everyone else that answered , it will just take time for ppl to get used to you. I have this one lady that follows me around every time i do her house. Her husbands keep telling her to leave the man alone so he can work. LOL 
yeah, you’re always going to have the extremes…
I’ve had two different ladies give me their garage door codes and had me clean their windows while they werent home, and just left a check on the table. i never met them in person…
they were both referrals but thats still too much trust, imho
i find that the people more often mistrust the employees, and watch them like a hawk… i guess the owner they speak to on the phone and “know” seems more credible.
On the bright side, she trusts you enough to go ahead and book you for the work. You can always build on that.
New or not, When you do the job, BE CONFIDENT. Someone who approaches things confidently, and looks as if they belong there and know what they are doing, will illicit trust and confidence from those around him.
Why does she have to trust you?
You should start evaluating your own behavior (speech, personal and equipment appearance, confidence level, etc.), not hers. Residential WC’ing is a customer service industry above all else – it’s about developing and nurturing relationships.
How old are you?
+1
All you can do is act professionally and courteously, and be intuitive enough to address their concerns.
As Larry said, look at the image you are projecting (if that is the case). Like it or not, people read a book by its cover more than ever these days. Its just human nature ( a defense mechanism actually) . This is what keeps most of the riff raff outta the residential market. I love it!
She sounds like she was ripped off before it you ask me.
Uniforms make a huge difference. I get ours from http://www.customink.com/
Just a simple t shirt with a logo. After I got T shirts I stopped getting grilled at every job I did, most people just greet me at the door now and surf the net while I do their house. This saves a lot of time and I rarely get followed around to each window by a suspicious homeowner (this is truly distracting and annoying). A friend of mine suggested clip on ID cards, I think this is a good idea.
I have been cleaning windows for about 4 years now and have only given a handful of price quotes in person. Usually if I am cleaning a house and some one lives down the street.
When I have done it in person I walk around the outside of the house and give my quote. As I charge by the window.
I wouldn’t worry about the trust thing. Look professional, and do a great job and you will be fine.
I agree with you…
Look, I have tattoos all over, and a shaved head. BUT…if I am able to bid face to face, I GET ALMOST EVERY JOB.
Just treat her like you would your mom. Know what she thinks before she says anything…like someone said be intuitive. Its not difficult. Also, personally I NEVER clean the inside windows without someone being there, unless they are a long time client and even then there are exceptions. If there is a kid under 18, NO EXCEPTIONS! Nobody enters the house unless there is a parent or gaurdian there.
Just tell them you would feel more comfortable if they were home anyway, and you could start the exteriors first and be done in time for the interiors when they got home.
Get t shirts, blast your truck with your logo, never use slang when youre speaking, be confident, and just be a gentelman and professional. Dont take offense, just try to understand her.
Of course, if she wont respond, well you could always just walk.
