[ag]

Hi all

Just wondering what happens regarding bank holidays on commercial cleans. I just agreed a weekly price with a place, but on the weeks where there is a bank holiday, do I charge them for the bank holiday day even if no one cleans. I reckon that I do what do you think?
Also what do you do regarding bin emptying on commercial cleans. Do you actually take the refuse sacks out of the building into the main bin for dumping? We have one client whose refuse day is the same day as we clean, and the bin is never there, so I dont really see bringing their bins in off the road as part of the job. How would you clarify this with a client?
thanks
Agnes

[dhnjj]

Hi

I dont charge my clients for bank holidays not worked but i pay my staff as part of their holiday entitlement. If the staff work a bank holiday i pay them an enhanced rate.

As for the refuse sacks the staff take them out to the clients bins. none of mine are left out on the road but if they were i would be requesting the cleaners to dispose of the sacks in the bin regardless of where it was.

however i wouldnt have them dragging the bin back! Imagine if one of my cleaners got squashed lol

give me a tesco trolley anyday 


Dave

[ag]

Hi Dave

So do you charge the enhanced rate to the customer for bank hols?

I dont really know how to appraoch about the bin issue as they are put out the back of the facility out a long alley way? I feel that if you start doing this and that for the customer its all starts adding up. A few times doors have been locked and we havent been able to get out with the bags. So we are just left with refuse sacks and no where to put them? its just been a bit of an issue for us. anyway, thats the way it goes. Teething problems...
Thanks
agnes

[Bertie Boo]

Hi Agnes

If it's your client and your business then its up to you to negotiate whether or not you charge for bank holidays. When i cleaned an office block i never charged for work not done but thats not to say another company would follow my example. If you want paying for it then say so, if you dont think that they will be happy with paying it then make sure that the price you charge allows for any time where you can't work...At the end of the day it isnt the companies fault (not that i am saying you said it was or anything) that we have bank holidays and certainly the owner of the company who's offices i cleaned made it quite clear that his life would be a lot easier without them lol.

I dont think that if they agreed to pay for the bank holiday you could charge more for it (whether worked or otherwise). So the choice is this: ask them to pay for it OR make sure you budget for it in the usual price OR suggest that you still go there on bank holidays and do other work aside from the usual daily cleaning (if neccesary).

As for the bins issue, yes, ok, if you do X, Y, and Z and it's not in set in stone then naturally things that you do above and beyond whats been agreed will add up BUT i would have thought that this issue with bins should be brought to the attention of the person who hired you so that you can talk it out between you. The problem is that by asking these questions on a forum (and i'm not for a minute suggesting that you should'nt ) is that because there is no right or wrong answer the replies will be biased by the personal feelings of those who write back.

I, for example, am quite likely to go too far beyond the call of duty to please a customer, but then i work alone so there is only me to consider. Someone else who has staff ( like you i expect?) may need to take a slightly firmer approach BUT at the same time obviously being flexible still (after all they are the client), the last thing you need is a 'them and us' scenario...Without knowing your client personally i cannot say why it is that you dont know how to 'approach' this one? Are they not nice people to talk to etc?

cheers

stephen

[Fox]

Hi

Bank hols - I have a line in my quotation which states that the quotation is for cleaning Mon to Fri (or whatever) and that all days including bank holidays and shutdowns are excluded from our quotation which has been prepared to take that into consideration (not those exact words but similar).  So we charge the same 52 wks of the year regardless of bank hols.  If a client wants a clean on a bank hol we charge double. 

As for the bins it has already been suggested to talk with the client which is the soundest advice.  If it was us I would just leave the black sacks at the allocated place which would be where the bin is normally kept and not bring the bin in, at least then it makes it easier for the client to dispose of the rubbish.

Also as previously suggested we all have different views and ways of doing things, find one that suits you.

Fox

[Cleaning Resource]

Hi, I have in my terms and conditions that no credit will be given for bank holidays or any other public holidays, if a client requires cleaners to work a bank holiday my charge goes from 11.50 ph to 28.75ph so far no one has complained.

fox mentions that she charges for 52 wks of the year, I always work my quote out on 56 wks to a year to allow for the 4 weeks holiday you have to pay your staff.

As fox has said about the rubbish,  I too would leave the rubbish where the bins are usually kept.

[ag]

HI Guys

thanks a mill for the advice. Very helpful - its all about getting those terms & conditions right from the start isnt it?
Cheers
Agnes

[Bertie Boo]

Hey guys, interesting replies coming to light...

so, am i right in thinking that it is better to give a 'consistant' quotation that states  that public holidays and shut-downs will be charged for at the normal rate as opposed to one that is slightly 'inflated' to cover such periods?

I (i presume wrongly?) always though this might give rise to feelings (on the clients part) of being charged for nothing (so to speak) - a bit like shops that charge you for carrier bags, you know, like you KNOW the shop is cheap as chips BUT it still hacks you off (a bit) to be charged for a carrier bag, whereas if you went to Asda or Tesco etc you'd not be charged for the bag BUT the price of the bag has been accounted for on the price of the goods, and yet somehow because you are not being told you are being charged for the bag then somehow its ok..? I think that makes (some) sense ?!!?!?!?!?


In other words 'what the eye can't see the heart can't feel'?

Cheers

Stephen

[Fox]

Hi Stephen

I know where you are coming from but when I speak with a client about this I always say that our quotations are worked out on a yearly basis and then split into 52 for ease of invoicing that seems to explain things well.

Fox