Cleaning fees is a tough subject to bring up with your cleaning clients and is not always fun. Many maid service owners lack the confidence to clearly state cleaning fee’s without breaking down and offering their services at a much lower price than what they want. These discussions can be difficult to do, but are so VERY important for the success of your business!
When fee’s are clearly explained and combined with excellent customer service, it can lead to strong customer relationships. On the flip side, failure to clearly discuss fee’s can lead to mistrust with clients.
Why do many Cleaning Business Owners hate to discuss cleaning fees?
Cleaning Business owners often times, do not want to talk cleaning fees with their clients upfront for fear of pushing them away. There are lots of cheaper options out there, so many try to avoid it.
Don’t Loose your Value
But you know your value, so stick to it. You don’t want the client to start the conversation and end in a bidding war, or worse end up cleaning a home for less than your value. You have set your prices so that you know you will cover expenses and make a certain profit. Any fee’s less than that you will be loosing money.
Don’t Loose your clients trust
Hiring a cleaning business is personal. Home owners invite you into their home based on trust. Create a trusting relationship that will last for many years. Clients do not do business with companies they do not trust!
Set your Cleaning Business up for success by being upfront with your clients when discussing cleaning fee’s.
5 Steps to Discuss Cleaning Fees with your clients
There are a few steps you can take to start having the conversation with clients from day one. Discussing fee’s with clients can be easier if you follow along with these 5 steps.
1. Take the Lead on Discussing Fees
Take the lead on discussing service price. You should start talking about the fee’s before the client does. Don’t let the client or potential client ask the question. This can take the discussion in an awkward turn.
While it may be difficult to start the conversation on fee’s, it demonstrates leadership and starts to build the trust between yourself and the client.
Related Topic: How to Quote Cleaning Services
What you don’t want to happen is to have the clients start the discussion. They will most always come lower than your asking price. But then when you tell the This can lead to the client negotiating and setting their own cleaning fee’s.
2. Always be upfront and consistent on what your price includes
Continuing on the lead with your price discussion, you want to be very clear on what services are included in your cleaning service. Clearly define what is and what is not included in that service.
Always have a Cleaning Service Checklist to provide to the customer. This way they have a list of what is included in their regular service you are quoting them on.
Related Topic: What to Charge for House Cleaning Services
If you offer any extra services make sure to leave a price list of those services. This way when the client asks you to clean the oven during a clean, you can refer back to the price list on the extra charge. What you don’t want to do is let clients assume there is no extra charge. This creates a sticky situation, one which does not end very well.
3. Discuss the value of the service
You know your value, now communicate with the client. What value do you bring to the table?
Is it the time your client will save by not having to clean their home? Is it the awesome reliable customer service your client will receive? Or is there a special product you use that others Cleaning Company’s do not?
Whatever it is, make sure you communicate it when talking about price.
In my Cleaning Business no one in the area could mop floors like us. We used a heavy duty steam cleaner that cleaned tile floors quickly and very effectively. Our clients never had sticky floors (you know that feeling when you walk over a recently mopped floors and your shoes stick to the floors!) and never had any cleaning residue left over.
It was a true value proposition that other companies could not offer and we made sure our clients and potential clients knew it.
4. Ensure your client understands your fee schedule
After you have clearly explained your fee structure, ask the client or check with them to make sure they understand. Provide print outs or hard copies of what your additional fees are.
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You should be leaving each new client with a new client welcome kit. These kits should include information about policies, cleaning checklists, and pricing for additional tasks. This will provided needed information to your clients so they know want to expect with future services.
- I have samples of forms to include in your new client welcome kit in my Resource Library —-> Click here to sign up to access the library
- I also have ready to use Forms for your New Client Welcome kit for purchase —-> Click here to purchase the New Client Welcome Kit forms.
If you are providing a quote to a potential new client, always provide a cleaning checklist so the client knows what exactly it is your company cleans when they visit a home. Make a clear list of what is included and what is extra.
5. Put it to Pen
When you quote a client a price, always document it. This will avoid any miss communication. You can document it in an electronic format or on paper. Provide a copy to the client for their records. In the future when the client asks for extra tasks, you can always refer back to what was quoted originally.
After providing a quote to a client, follow up with a letter thanking them for the opportunity of provide them a price for cleaning their home. Include how much it will cost to clean their home on a weekly, biweekly, and monthly basis.
If the client does not sign up for a while after the initial quote, you have a copy of what was originally quoted. This way if they do call you in the future, you will have it ready. It is ok to put a time limit of how long a quote is good for. It is safe to use a 90 day rule.
When your quoting a customer for pricing following these steps will increase trust. Consumers buy from those they trust. If you can develop trusting relationships, you can quickly build your customer base!
The last thing you need to know about discussing cleaning fees with clients
The take away with discussing cleaning fees with clients is to
- Be open
- Always be upfront
- Have consistent pricing
If you stick to these rules you will be successful in taking to clients about pricing. You will dodge the haggling some clients like to get into.
As always this is your business, don’t let clients set the prices. And always maintain trust and credibility with having a consistent price structure that all clients will come to expect and understand.
What are your biggest struggles with talking cleaning fees with clients? Leave a message so we all can share in our experiences ?.
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I charge by the hour. I am not sure how to on a house/apartment so I usually charge hourly. Move In/out cleaning i charge by the hour because I’m not good with pricing.
Hello Karen, charging by the hour when you are still getting use to cleaning is not a bad idea. Move In/Move Out cleanings can vary in the level of cleanliness. It also depends on what services you offer during the cleaning service as well. Generally the homes are empty, but if they are not, cleaning around furniture can also add a level of difficulty. If you downloaded my pricing calculator you can update the cleaning times that I have in there to better match the time frame it takes you to clean these types of cleaning services. This can help you to come up with an estimated flat rate for the price.
If you are charging the flat rate, always tell the client that it is an estimate and the price can vary on the level of cleanliness in the home. For instance if the home has not been kept up with regular cleanings, it will take you longer to clean, than if the homeowners cleaned on a regular basis. If you start cleaning and find ‘surprises’ and determine the cleaning service will take longer, then be up front with the client right away that the final price will increase. This way they are aware before they receive the invoice, or final price.
I wish you all the best with your business and pricing your cleaning services.
Roberta | http://www.WellKeptClutter.com