I find myself adjusting my favorite quote (Groucho Marx)
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Id never want to be a member of a club… That would allow ME as a member.
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I wouldn’t want to enter someones home, that would ALLOW ME to enter their home, right now.
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Im not doing any “inside” until June (and thats a TBD date)
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Im warning that" even at THAT POINT I may be coming directly from another persons inside of their house.
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I had a customer “out” themselves via voicemail, stating that they were have a party for the holliday, yesterday.
???
Personally? I think the “nightly janitor” is about to become the most popular person in the office.
- shutting down subways for cleaning
- people are realizing how filthy they truly ARE
- parents are realizing their “little angels” flopping in school MAY not be the teachers fault. Lol
- Cleaning Companies are about to get a huge pay raise.
We may not be “Clorox wipes” in demand… But expect phones to start ringing.
So… Insides? What is your stance?
I’m in a low-impact area (VT), and I’m not planning on doing any interiors of inhabited homes until the fall, at least. I am doing a few vacation homes where no one has been staying for weeks.
We started to do insides last week on Thursday , felt weird is all I can say
I’ve been doing insides if they ask. Personally, I refuse to live in fear. I’m taking precautions, but not afraid. I ride a motorcycle for recreation - taking calculated risk is all part of the deal. Think about how many things you do daily that entail risk of some measure. Be smart. Be careful. And get to work.
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We have done a few interior jobs in the past few months of residential units, however, that will change. We live in a low impact area of Colorado, but tourism season is getting active and many are visiting their second home. Given the expectation of rising cases, we are only doing outsides.
Even in “low impact areas”
- are their disclosures that we/you may have entered a good 2 or 3 other homes that day (maybe week, depending) union entering?
Does that still equate to “low impact?”
It’s not about YOU refusing to live in fear…
It’s about my 90 years old grandmother, who I can’t see, because I might enter someone’s home who ALSO refuses to live in fear.
Or maybe think it’s all a “hoax” but don’t reveal that until I’m already knee deep in their previously thought of as little ‘angel’ kids, who they can’t no longer stand the sight of, being trapped 24 hours/day.
It’s not about US.
- personally? I think I had this shit. Back in April. No kidding
But my body has been thru much worse (hard living 80’s)
I worry about those cleaner living/fragile body members of society.
Like my grandmother, who spent Easter alone.
THATS why we are concerned, and DO live in (some) fear.
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I agree to a degree with you. Stay away from your Grandparents or others who are vulnerable. I am. I’m not running around licking handrails for the thrill. But I’m not staying in my room under my bed either. I’ve got a life to live and a business to run. Maybe the Texas mentality is different, but I can’t live waiting for the government to pay my bills. Maybe they will, but likely they won’t.
Exercise caution, practice good hygiene and shield yourself from the dangers. If customers want outside only, fine by me. If they want to reschedule - fantastic. If they want everything done, then I accommodate with a measure of reasonable precautions.
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I’ve only had one customer not want interior done and I have a considerable client base of 70+. I’m on a record breaking sales month for May and none of them seem too concerned at all. I even had a customer that went down the road “we’re all going to die someday and I’m not sure why we are shutting down the economy to make 35 million people suffer?” She’s 72 and her husband (retired doctor) is 80. He actually agrees that this situation will not go away without herd immunity. They both conclude the economic price we will pay will far outweigh the deaths. Very interesting conversation to say the least.
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Why the arbitrary timing of June?
My arbitrary timing was last week…
Why then? Because there is no reliable source
to say when the timing is right.
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A “one size fits all” approach may not be the best angle on this thing.
Our locations were all hit with varying degrees of severity, states used different containment timing/protocols, we may have different client base ages to juggle, our own ages/health no doubt vary greatly.
Here we won’t even blanket statement our own client base; too many factors.
A long way of saying: Do we do interiors right now? It depends.
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A very balanced outlook.
I’m not doing interiors for a few reasons that might not apply to others:
- My wife has asthma and gets very anxious at the idea of me working inside a stranger’s home.
- I’ve got plenty of exterior work to keep me busy
- I’m on good terms with a competitor who I know is doing interiors, so I can always refer anyone who really needs/wants that.
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I’m in NY I’ve been doing insides if asked, but a good amount just want there outsides.
I am not refusing work, too many weeks went by where the entire Planet (except for Sweden) came to a screeching halt. I do not have deep pockets that can just shut down like for long extended periods of time. I have one customer who requested exterior only. Her husband in very poor health - if there is a risk that I could have the beginnings of a flu bug or a covid bug and that would be devastating for them; I also don’t want anything his compromised immune system might share!
I also had one customer request I wear a mask inside yesterday; that was an easy accommodation for me to make.
I am not going to live in fear - how much did anyone stop their lives during the 2017-2018 flu season that killed 61,000 people? Or the 2014-2015 season that killed 51,000 people? Those were also huge numbers. Yes, this virus is more contagious and people at risk have to already know they are at risk and do their part to avoid infection. For 97% of the population we will be fine - that doesn’t mean don’t take necessary precautions - it just means our bodies have a 97% better chance of fighting it. I didn’t die with the flu, and it can be really bad on the respiratory system, and several seasons it has been bad for the populace. The “hit-parade-media” has everyone believing that the apocalypse is here and after you.
Eat healthy, take your vitamins, drink plenty of water, avoid crowds, stay home if you feel sick, get better, and enjoy life.
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I stopped offering interior window cleaning before this virus stuff anyway. I make way more money and it’s less hassle.
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I like this approach, much easier money cleaning exterior only.
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Most of my calls are asking for outsides, right now.
And it’s to be expected. It’s the ones who don’t seem to be concerned, who kind of worry me.
Just, simply by dismissiveness of it.
- I actually had a dust meantion that he was having a party this Holliday weekend (bad move on his part) And was just wanting us to clean up spider spray/killer.
Point is… you just don’t know ‘where these people are, mentally’
- are they the “oh, it’s all a hoax, I feel fine” and refusing to wear masks or gloves?
- where were they yesterday?
- and are they ok with the fact I MAY have just called me from inside a strangers house, 20 miles away, just an hour ago?
I’m not “freaking out”… I’m asking my peers, and my friends what you u guys think, about it all…
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