The majority of upholstery and carpet cleaning businesses begin as home based operations and those that are successful might end up moving into a brick and mortar location. Most also initially target the residential sector which costs much less in start up costs. These businesses, as a rule, start up as carpet cleaning businesses and branch out to other services. Some of the services that could be incorporated with a carpet cleaning business are:

• Upholstery cleaning
• Spot and stain removal from upholstery
• Fire restoration
• Drapery cleaning
• Smoke damage cleanup
• Carpet restoration
• Wall cleaning
• Carpet dyeing

Who are your Customers?

Potential customers are everywhere and will embrace companies that offer multiple domestic cleaning services. For you, this means that your company growth will be more successful when offering a variety of related services but it also means that your initial costs will be inflated. Those that enter this niche will find that it is very productive and rewarding.

Upholstery and carpet cleaners are necessary at places such as:

• Apartment buildings
• Condos
• Offices
• Schools
• Banks
• Restaurants
• Hotels
• Churches
• Bowling alleys
• Transportation terminals

Financing your Business

Most people that are starting a cleaning business rely on personal money or family loans to begin their venture. After a period of being in business most will reinvest profits to expand their future growth but some will be able to rely on financing options once you can show the bank that you have been using some of your own finances to fund your business.

When it comes to finding capital to further fund your business there are some options such as:

• Credit cards
• Liquidating assets
• Borrow from a friend or family member
• Find a partner
• Government programs
• Be home based

Image

There is no doubt that a commercial location will allow you to portray more of a professional image but when you think about it, how often will your customers actually visit your office? The truth is that they normally don’t. So, if in the event that you choose to fund a brick and mortar building you should not find something elaborate since in the long run it will be over priced and unnecessary.

What might be a bit more important when it comes to displaying professionalism is what your customers will see which is your equipment and your vehicle. If your equipment and your vehicle are run down and shoddy looking then that will display a reflection of you.

When it comes to image keep in mind that it is made up of several components:

• Appearance
• Neat and organized invoices and statements
• Clean and organized equipment
• Integrity
• Insurance
• Your vehicle(s)

In the event that you do have to use your own vehicle or that you hire employees and they have to use their own vehicle you should purchase some magnetic signs to put on the vehicle that display your company name and phone number. These look professional, are affordable, and are a form of advertising.

Like any other business, the customers make or break the cleaning service business. However, what makes this type of business thrive is not the number of clients, but in the number of loyal clients. Thus, in marketing this type of service, one should not only focus on obtaining more customers but give equal importance to keeping them. The level of competition in this kind of endeavour is very high, and it is necessary to come up with ways to build customer loyalty.

The pointers below will provide you with effective strategies to make your clients stick with you.

1. Give your customers loyalty cards. Most customers appreciate small incentives or discounts when shopping, especially if they have been to that store before. On the other hand, it wouldn’t hurt for you to have regular customers whom you can count on. So, why not provide all your clients with loyalty cards? Indicate the dates the client hired you, and slash 50% off on their 10th appointment or do it for free. This creates a win-win situation for you and your customers; your client will save money by using your service, while you get nine cleaning jobs for sure.

2. Create a referral bonus program. Give your customer an incentive for every friend, relative, or colleague, he refers to you. For every successful referral the customer gives, offer a discount or a freebie. By doing so, you will not only be able to expand your customer base, you will also make old customers pleased.

3. Give your clients freebies. Most customers appreciate receiving free stuff. You can use this to your advantage by giving your clients free gifts that will make them remember your business. For example, give your customers a free bathroom deodorizer every time they get hold of your services. This will not only make your customers happy, this will also make them think you give them the best value for their money.

4. Send well wishes to your clients during holidays and special occasions. Customers do not only look for material incentives. They also value good ties with the people they do business with. By sending your customers personalized greeting cards or notes on special occasions (Ex. Birthdays, holidays, anniversaries), they will certainly feel that you are giving them importance.

5. Extend your clients’ network. Look for opportunities where you can assist your clients with other professional needs they may have. You do not need to snoop around to get this kind of information; simply instruct your staff to have open eyes and ears. For instance, you can hand-out brochures for a private lending company you service, or refer a day-care facility you clean for to your clients with small children. Small gestures like these will definitely be an additional reason for your clients to continue doing business with you.

These tips are only a few examples of how you can get the trust and confidence of your clients. Use them wisely; keep in mind that the incentives you give your clients should be balanced with your profits to avoid losses or complications.

Make your cleaning service business stand out through excellent customer service

A successful cleaning business is not only dependent on the quality of the services it offers, but also on excellent customer service. Having efficient employees is not enough to keep your customers happy and satisfied. It is also imperative to provide your clients dependable before and after sales service, may this be through email, telephone, or SMS. Customer e-mails, text messages, or calls should be returned in the soonest possible time. Make your customers feel that resolving their concern is your top most priority.

In reality, it wouldn’t always be possible for you to stay in the office and answer phone calls or inquiries. As such, it is important that your office phone is able to forward calls to your mobile phone. By doing this, your customers will still be able to reach you or leave messages. Check your mobile phone every now and then so you won’t miss any voicemails or SMS. Remember that most of the time, not being able to attend to a customer in a timely manner results in losing their business.

Customer complaints are part and parcel of any business. What’s important is to assure your clients that their concern is of value to you, and that you will do everything you can to give them an appropriate resolution. Have your employee repeat the job or send someone else who will do the job better. The faster you solve your customer’s complaint in an efficient manner, the better your reputation will be.

Good customer service starts with a polite and warm greeting. Advise your employees to greet every person in the household or office they will be cleaning with a smile. It will also help to have a positive attitude at the start of their task and even while they are working. Your employees should also be aware of the customers’ expectations or requests if any. They can also offer extra service like changing linens or dusting furniture, as a sign of appreciation. If the client is rather new, you can give them a gift certificate or offer a flower arrangement. Little perks like these could mean a lot to the clients, and make them well pleased with your service.

On special holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, you can also give the client a discount on their next cleaning appointment with you.

Courtesy and professionalism are also essential ingredients in giving customer satisfaction. In answering calls and e-mails, always respond with a positive and professional tone. When meeting prospective clients, have brochures and business cards at hand at all times. Make sure that the brochures have useful information about the services you offer, and your business card has your complete contact details.

Always exude confidence and professionalism. This way, your clients will feel that they’ve done business with the right people and that they are in capable hands.

See: How to start a cleaning service

The qualities of an acceptable cleaning service must be the main consideration when starting a business on janitorial services. One way to know more about cleaning services is through research. Researching on said qualities can be done by obtaining information from prospect customers regarding their expectations from the service provider, or from businessmen who also deal with janitorial services and already have experiences in the field. Upon doing research, you will be able to know what your target market wants that will serve as a reliable foundation for your business.

Sometimes, people who have just started their business get intimidated with the ones who came earlier than them. Existing businesses rendering cleaning service for companies must not be seen as hurdles for individuals planning to start their own janitorial service establishment because in reality, the demand for such services is high. In addition, earlier established janitorial service businesses are not always preferred by companies because of their less flexible rates than that of the newer businesses. Newly-opened cleaning services usually offer lower rates to be able to readily gain customers. Even though cleaning services demand comes from different bodies, like medical institutions, academic institutions, warehouses, offices, churches, and stores, the qualities they are seeking from a cleaning service are of the same nature, which includes the following.

1. Organization. Before starting to give service to the client, planning on the process including the schedule must be given enough time by the provider. The said planning includes investigation on the target area to be cleaned, the efficiency of the processes to be administered, equipments needed, and approximate cleaning time. These matters, including further requests, will be identified upon setting an appointment together with the client.

2. Professionalism. Wherever they will be, appropriate behaviour must be observed when doing transactions with the client, not only by the employees of the janitorial service company but also by the owner of it. Wearing of clean proper attire like service uniform can be done to show professionalism by the employees. Service uniforms can also serve as a useful advertising tool if their uniform has a logo or name of the janitorial service company. This advertising strategy is not only effective but also a far-reaching one.

3. Accessibility. The manager must be readily in-touch with the customers when they have concerns and queries in order for them to be confident that their provider is committed to their job. Contact numbers and addresses of the business must be readily available for the clients in case they have important things to say or to follow-up. Inability to respond to the concerns of the clients will lead to their disappointment to the company.

The above mentioned qualities are just the basic qualifications of the cleaning service. It is still very important to ask the prospected people and the ones involved in the transactions. Further research about what customers want is indeed a great factor to the cleaning business for them to function well and serve the needs of the clients.

See: How to start a cleaning service

Once you’ve purchased the materials and equipment, acquired the necessary insurance, and hired your crew you will be looking for customers. Your cleaning clientele will have questions for you – the whole thing from the training you give your workers to your charge to what they ought to do with their pets when you come to clean. Following are questions you ought to be prepared to respond to:

1) Can I rely on your company? Are you insured and bonded? Your cleaning business should be bonded and have legal responsibility insurance, as well as workman’s recompense for your personnel. Be ready with a flyer or file that lists your insurance/bond corporation and the types of reporting you have. You have to also do background checks on all workers.

2) Does someone require being at home when you clean? This is usually the customer’s option. If the client will not be home you have to have the key in a secured place and if they have an alarm you will need the alarm code.

3) Do I give the cleaning chemicals and equipment? As a cleaning business it is your responsibility to give your own materials. Purchase specialized cleaning chemicals and kit from your local janitorial furnish house. You’ll be able to put aside money by buying quality kit that will last and inexpensive chemicals that go a long way with dilution manage systems, rather than using ready to use products.

4) How do I pay for your services? Make sure you state your payment policies clearly. If you necessitate payment at the instance of service, the client needs to depart you a check or credit card number if they will not be home.

5) Will I forever have the same team cleaning and maintaining my home? You must always aim to have the same persons or team clean the home. This will mean quicker cleaning moment as your employees will be proverbial with the home. It as well helps the client feel comfy having the same persons in their home.

6) What if something in the residence gets broken or conked out? Accidents do occur. Teach your employees to account any spoilt or broken items right away to a supervisor. A memo should then be left for the client clearing up about the mistake and that your company will take care of the spoilt or broken item as quickly as achievable.

7) How many individuals will be in the residence to clean? Your line-up must consist of 2-3 individuals.

8.) What services does your suburban cleaning company offers? Record the services integrated in standard cleaning (vacuuming, or dusting, even the cleaning of kitchen plus bathrooms, etc.) and also point out what particular services you give (carpet cleaning, or window washing, etc.) and the extra charges for those services.

9) What instant will you clean the home? It may not be probable to provide the customer the detailed time that you will be in the residence, but confer them the hours you clean, say Monday thru Friday, 8 am to 5 pm, and the estimated time you imagine being at their home.

10) Should I do something before you disembark to clean? Your work is to clean the house. Yet, you may request that your customer pick up toys, or clothing and other domestic type stuff that will dawdling you down.

See: How to start a residential cleaning service

You have been in the cleaning business industry for quite some time now. Can you still remember the time when you first started your cleaning business? All you wanted was to earn a little extra profit and provide your family with a better life. Now that you have carved your niche in the business and have established your customers and clients, you might want to consider offering them with more services.

Of course, it follows that as you expand your business and hire more employees, your company grows simultaneously. Because of this growth, your expenses automatically increase as well. At the beginning of your business, you have probably tried offering your services for a relatively smaller price because your primarily wanted to establish your clients and have them accustomed with the services that you are offering. Now is probably the best time for you to gradually increase the prices for your services.

You have to keep in mind that increasing the prices of your services is common among all other types of businesses. When your expenses double or triple, you also have to adjust your prices in order to keep up and continue to generate revenue for your business.

However, before increasing the prices of your services, you need to consider how much you are currently charging for the different types of services you are offering. It isn’t wise to increase prices abruptly because your customers might not like the idea so it would be good to gradually increase the prices of your services.

One of the most important things you need to take into consideration before you actually increase your prices is your customer’s current satisfaction rate. If they are satisfied with your services, you can gradually increase your price. However, if they aren’t might as well consider an increase in price some other time. Because not only will you lose your clients, you might even be branded corrupt or taking advantage.

Once you are certain that now is the perfect time for an increase in the prices of your services, properly inform your customers about it by sending them a letter, informing them personally whenever you visit their place for cleaning or you could send out flyers and notices. By now, you have probably established a good working relationship with your clients that you can be transparent enough in letting them know the reasons for your price increase. If they are satisfied with your services, you clients will most likely never complain about it.

Just see to it that when you increase your prices, you also increase and improve the quality of your work. This way your clients will still be satisfied and gratified even if they have to pay a little bit more. business.

Increasing the price of your services is necessary at some point. Of course you need to earn an income and not simply provide free or probono services to your customers and clients.

Even if most of your customers will find the price increase reasonable, don’t feel bad if there are some customers who will decide to beg off your services after you inform them of your price increase. Bear in mind that just like you, your customers are also looking for better options. If they couldn’t find any other cleaning business as good as yours, you are almost certain to have them again in no time.

See: How to start a cleaning business

Service-providing business encounter a lot of customers complaining for something regarding the service you are offering in the market. And like in the business of cleaning, this sort of scenario is very familiar. Almost everyday, the complaints are so demeaning at times and the toll is almost always reaching its limit. It’s just that, you have to handle them carefully and with a different approach in such a way that you give your relational skills a very hard test. You have to spend a lot of time on these since your clients are a very important factor for your business to grow and to profit.

First, you should act on them immediately. Don’t pass it off for another day or so before returning to the complaints or you will incur a bad reputation. Get straight to the point. If they don’t like the solution you used on their homes, then tell them you are now prospecting another one and so on. Don’t just linger and wait for them to get tired and stop complaining. You have to give them the assurance that their complaints are being handled thoughtfully. This will eventually give them the impression that they are important and that you value them more than anything else.

“The customer is always right” as the saying goes. Even if you feel that the complaints you are receiving is not that reasonable at all, stay cool and still hear them wholeheartedly. Sometimes they just want to unload what feelings are inside them. Although there are really hard-to-deal-with customers, nevertheless, give in to their desires as long as it is still according to your set standard. Even on those times, that is not reason enough to underestimate them. You have to see the situation and balance it with your rational thinking. Don’t act on them emotionally; you will just mess up the situations if that is so. Have a clear mind and say to yourself that these are blessing in disguise for you to improve your services to other people—your important clients.

In connection, never be defeated with those hard-to-deal-with customers by losing your composure and becoming angry, after all you are in the field of servicing others. And if you really want to keep them as well as incur more clients, you have to watch yourself. Once they are done with their concern, it is your time to show your side. Then make sure you meet with them by ensuring that their suggestions are valued.

In case of property indemnity in one of your clients, you should speak with your staff right after the report is done. You may want to talk to the concerned staff to know her side and give pieces of advice so that the next time she cleans the house of a client, she will not commit the same mistake. After that, don’t forget to inform your other staff that they should also careful with their own cleaning jobs. Also, you should make sure that your insurance as well as the bond is all set for this kind of settlement.

Cleaning services are a dime a dozen in the market right now and customers are finding it easier to change cleaning service crews for another because they have that option. Clients have become more demanding and because of the impossible promises that some cleaning business advertisements make, your cleaning business may not be a victim of pure service competition but a battle of who can get the most customers through underhanded means. The high turn over rate for outsourced cleaning services may seem discouraging but you can still keep your business in fighting form by following the traditional way of cleaning mixed with an aggressive campaign.

The easiest ways to keep your clients are listed below:

1. Keep your customers happy – First and foremost, a good relationship with your client is a must to keep them in your fold. People are very emotional in nature and when you have rubbed them in the right spot, they will consider you a friend and an indispensible business associate. Do everything you can short of being an obvious sycophant.

2. Create a feedback system – You clients will surely appreciate a professional and courteous help desk and a person who will listen to grievances and respond to these grievances quickly. If you are running your business on your own without other employees, a good tactic would be to have a feedback sheet where the customer can list down possible complaints or praises to the service you have rendered. Additionally, you can create a separate electronic mail address and voice mailing system dedicated solely to your cleaning service where your clients could easily forward anything that they have in mind. If you were a customer, you would surely appreciate a businessman who knows that customer satisfaction should be a priority.

3. Keep your cleaning satisfactory if not excellent – Admittedly, there will be days that you miss some spots or are too tired to be able to take care of all the details. But you will have to keep these days at a minimum or else you will run the risk of the client thinking that you are beginning to let go of the quality of your work.

4. Give yourself ample time to rest – do not spread yourself too thin by getting more clients than you can effectively handle. It will be hard for you to turn down a client, that is true, but if you do not and you start getting too tired because of your busy schedule, it will be hard for you to keep your cleaning skills at maximum level.

5. Keep abreast of new and better ways to clean – the internet is your friend and researches on new and improved ways to clean or better cleaning agents are easier to find if you just look for them.

The key to maintaining a long lasting business relationship with your client is always being in top form for the work you turn in. It is not hard to build a solid cleaning business if you know how to treat your clients well. Additionally, you will also need to take care of yourself.

See: How to start a cleaning service

In establishing your own janitorial cleaning service, one of the things you would need to research on is what your clients would consider a good cleaning service. To learn about this, you may conduct your own research by asking potential customers what they would expect from their hired cleaners. Another choice would be to ask other janitorial cleaning business owners. In trying to have a good cleaning service, you first need to know what to give so that you can properly deliver excellent service and even exceed the expectations from your business. It is through this that you get a stable base of clientele – giving the customers what they want.

Although it may seem futile to sell your services to businesses in areas where there is already an established and running commercial cleaning service, do not despair. There is a huge market for the cleaning business, besides; you might be surprised that companies welcome newcomers since they know that a start up business will most likely be more flexible in fees than the older cleaning companies.

There are a variety of businesses that would require a cleaning service provider; there are offices, stores, warehouses, hospitals, schools, and even churches. However different their particular cleaning needs may be though, the fundamental qualities that they would look for in a cleaning service are the same.

1. A client wants an organized cleaning service provider. Give time to really plan on how the cleaning will be done. The best way to do this is to set up a meeting with the client before the agreed upon cleaning schedule. This way, you can take a look at the area to be cleaned; can list down all the cleaning tools and equipment you might need to bring along with you, estimate the duration of cleaning appointment, and to take note of any specific cleaning instruction from the client himself.

2. Run your business professionally. You and your employees should always observe proper decorum when dealing with clients, both in your own office and the client’s space as well. Make sure that your cleaning crew would be in proper dress code when showing up for cleaning jobs. A cleaner should always look neat and tidy because he is in the cleaning profession. If you could, it would also be nice to provide uniforms for your staff with your logo and the name of your cleaning company as well. The client will surely appreciate this as your crew can be easily identified. This would additionally be an advantage for you as it is a form of advertisement that is free and far reaching.

3. Be accessible. Clients need to be assured that you, the manager and business owner, will be readily available for any concerns they might have. Regularly following up on the cleaning jobs you have done, answering all queries promptly, and returning calls as soon as possible are good ways o ensure that your clients feel that you care for the business you have with them.

See: How to start a commercial cleaning service

When you are in the business of providing service, there is nothing in the world that can stop your customers from reporting complaints. They will find every excuse to give you a negative feedback as soon as the cleaning job is over; sometimes, up to even after a few days. The way you handle customer complaints will measure how good your people skills are.

Complaints will be about everything that is involved in the cleaning process; from your cleaning staff’s appearance, to the equipment and cleaning solutions your cleaning service uses. Typically, you will be giving out feedback forms for the customer to fill out but your clients also have the option to call you up and raise their concerns to you personally.

1. Always handle complaints as soon as you receive them. If it is in written form, then you should contact the complainant immediately and state that you have received their input. If the comment does not require immediate attention such as advice on the cleaning solution you should use next time, then just say that you will look into the possibility and get back to them as soon as possible.

2. Always keep the proper decorum when talking to clients even if you think that the complaints are unfounded. There is nothing wrong with hearing your customers out, especially if their sole purpose is just to vent out their feelings. Some customers are more difficult to handle as they may have a different style in cleaning their spaces. All you have to do is to tailor your cleaning service to their requirements.

3. Never lose your temper when talking to a difficult client. You are in the service industry and your aim is to please your client so that they stay in contract with you. There may be times that your customer may be hearing you but is not actually listening to what you say. Their objective at this point is to put across their concern. It would be best to wait until the customer is done talking and then follow up with a query on how he thinks the situation could be rectified. Afterwards, consider his suggestion and then give your own. Make sure that the solution you give incorporates all or a part of the customer’s recommendation.

4. If the complaint is about the cleaning you have done, including damages to property, you need to talk to your staff immediately and clear up what had happened before setting up a meeting with the client. Make sure that your insurance and bond are in order so that you can quickly settle the issue.

5. When a client criticizes one of your staff, maybe on their uniform or not wearing one, or general attitude toward work, talk to the client immediately and ask what exactly happened. If the complain is valid, then you should talk to your employee regarding the matter. To make sure that you do not suffer from any liabilities in case you decide to fire out the employee later on, then you should issue him a memorandum. However, if you find that the client just has some misgivings about your cleaning crew member and you cannot pinpoint the real reason, what you can do is to find a replacement for that crew member and send the other to a different cleaning gig.

See: Start Cleaning Service

If you have just started out on the cleaning service business, you are probably wanting to find ways on how to impress you clients and making them into your regular customers. There are plenty of ways to accomplish this and this article aims to give you a few more tips on how to make customers call you up again for a regular cleaning gig.

1. Always be courteous and professional. Courtesy and professionalism are two of the most important characteristics of a person that you want to deal with constantly. Always put a smile when answering the phone even if your clients can’t see you. A smile can be heard in your voice as you talk them and this will encourage the caller to hire you for their cleaning jobs. You should also be an expert at organizing your schedules so you will not show up late for your cleaning jobs. Moreover, you need to have a cleaning plan before going to your clients’ place so you’d be able to do the job efficiently. Clients are often turned off when you show up without some of the things you need to do your job.

2. Be interactive when making a cleaning plan. When customers call up to hire you for a cleaning job, make a short visit to their house and inspect the premises beforehand. This way, you’ll be able to talk to them personally and tell him or her about the things that you will do and how long it will take to complete the tasks. Coordinate with homeowners on what time would be convenient for your cleaning job. And you should also inform the owner if you will be the one cleaning or if you will have some other person to do the service. Ask and welcome suggestions from the owners and do not keep on talking without listening to what they say. Keep in mind that it is their home and they should have the last say on how things should be done inside their premises.

3. Respect privacy. When cleaning houses, always keep in mind that it is someone else’s private space and you need to respect their belongings. Home owners may also have rules on which parts of the house should not be entered or touched. And remember that anything that you see or hear inside their house is not yours to share to anyone else. Never talk about the house, its contents, and the people living in it with anyone, even to your closest friends or family.

4. Pay attention to small details. Coins picked up can be easily forgotten, so check your pockets for small things that you may have found in corners or under the carpet before leaving the premises. These things may not even matter to most people, but if you follow this action, you will find your clients commending your trustworthiness. They will easily refer you to other people.

5. And finally, while you are cleaning and the clients are present in their homes, smile and encourage small talk. But be sure that it will not affect your cleaning schedule. If you need to move over another part of the house while the client is still engaging you in a conversation, politely excuse yourself and move in to the next area.

See: Start a cleaning service