[Ferenc G.]

Hi everyone!

We clean a small private phisio clinic once a week:
4 rooms for therapists, average 15 sq
reception area 20 sqm
gym 30-35sqm
hallways all together approx 15-20 sqm
disabled toilet
toilet

Originally quoted for 3 hrs per week to keep it clean, but they asked to reduce to 2 hrs after a couple of months to reduce costs. Obviously we told them we wont be able to do everything we used to do, have to cut corners, agreed on that about 4 months ago.
Today received a call from them saying they are not happy with the standard, they want us to improve it.

What would you do?
What would you quote for a job like that.

(I am seriously thinking about dropping them tbh., but want some opinions on this, before I start negotiating)

Thanks a lot in advance!

[BDCS]

I'd say OK and start on the 3 hours again - you cannot have it both ways

[Pristine Clean]

I'd say OK and start on the 3 hours again - you cannot have it both ways

Exactly.

Were they happy when you were doing 3 hours?

Explain this to them quality cleaning requires more time. They were the ones that wanted to reduce the time limit.

However may I ask, were the cleaners on site for 3 hours? The client can tell by alarm systems etc.

regards

Dave

[Rick Ward]

Perhaps I'm just getting bitter and twisted here but 3 hrs to clean several rooms where fat and sweaty people exercise is hardly enough anyway unless they carry out basic cleaning procedures themselves which I very much doubt. I would insist on maintaining certain standards as the cleanliness is representative of my business and therefore needs doing properly.

Last time I went to the physio he spent max 10 minutes messing about with my Knee and charged me £30 for the pleasure- and I play soccer with him- which has served to colour my view. I'm not teaching anyone to suck eggs but....... set your standards and stick to them.....imagine what they would say if you said just give me 20mins instead of half an hour!!!

[Robert Parry]

Hi,

Before approaching your client regarding this matter, perhaps you should consider the following:-

When you carried out your survey, you noted all materials, items, tasks to be carried out on your weekly visit, you of course supplied your client with your findings in writing within your quotation. Along with your terms of business, Health & Safety Policy Statement, coshh and a service contract etc.

Your client, then signed this contract agreeing to the specification and price, a couple of months passed and everything was going fine, you got paid, your client was happy with the standard of cleaning, and everything was fine.

I assume that your cleaner was on-site for the 3 hours as contracted, if not perhaps as Dave suggested they found this out after looking at the alarm logs, or if you carried this work out during the day, noted that the cleaner was leaving early. If this is the case, the client is only trying to gain maximuinm value from your service, as would any business.

The client, then asked you to cut the service hours previously agreed, in order to save money, you of course explained that you were prepared to do this, but you pointed out that it was impossible to complete all the cleaning tasks within the new time constraints, so you issued a new specification detailing the new cleaning regime, and got that signed off by your client. If all you did was verbally explain the position regarding the new regime, I would apologise to the client for not making clear the consequences of this budget cut, and re-do the survey taking special notice of what the client wants cleaned and to what standard, then walk him or her through each cleaning task explaining the time/cost implications, letting them decide which task/tasks are carried out by you.

This way, your client is in complete control of their budget and quality of service, and will obtain a far better understanding of the reality of the situation.

You may of course, decide that this is really too much bother to go to, however, the real pain in the economy is still to come, many of your clients, may well decide to cut their cleaning hours as well. Only those contractors who are prepared to go the extra mile, and adapt to the new financial reality will survive and grow in this market.

Ricks comments about "setting your standards and stick to them" will do you no good at all, after all it's not your standards that matter, it's your clients perception of your standards that matter!

Regards,

Rob

[Ferenc G.]

Thanks for the replies so far.

Cleaners are always on site, sometimes I am one of them, sometimes I drop them off and pick them up.
I dont want to lose any customers even if they are PITA and only a few hours/week, imo pennies make up the pounds. At the end of the day they always pay on time.

I guess I am going to offer a few options to them:
1. back to 3 hours/week
2. stick with 2 hours and make a list of jobs what we can do within 2 hours leaving no room for any more complaints
3. wishing them good luck to find new cleaners (want to avoid this as much as possible)

I talk to them on monday, lets see what happens.