How do you help your cleaners avoid getting to that place of overcommitment and burnout? Let me share some tips on how you can hold onto your great cleaner.
I recently had a bit of a blow-up with one of my cleaners. She was chronically late and unreliable, so when I finally made the hard decision to stop working with her, she did not take it well at all. Lots of ugly and unprofessional name-calling ensued, leaving me rattled but also more confident than ever that I had made the right choice.
But something about this experience really got me thinking. When I started working with her she wasn’t like this at all. She was friendly and professional, and always got the work done in a timely manner. What had changed to sour our relationship so drastically?
She would say I didn’t appreciate her. I would say she had gotten complacent and overcommitted. Perhaps the best answer lies somewhere in the middle.
Here are 4 tips to help you keep a long-term, healthy relationship with your short-term rental cleaner.
Set Clear Expectations
Have a checklist (preferably with photos of how you want certain things to look if you’re picky). The integrated checklist on Turno is a fantastic tool for this. Walk her through the checklist and make sure she understands. If you see her slipping on quality, say something. Don’t let her believe that she can get away with a half-done job.
Be Kind and Understanding
Speak to her kindly and respectfully, with plenty of “please” and “thank you’s.” Give her as much notice as possible for the cleanings you’ll need. And be understanding if she goofs up once or twice – she is, after all, human just like you are.
Be understanding of her situation. Your cleaner probably has a family and other clients to juggle. She may be trying to get to your cleanings without reliable transportation or may be facing other similar challenges. Don’t assume that her world revolves around you.
Express your Gratefulness Often
Express your gratefulness often. If your cleaner is doing a good job – tell her! Bring it up if you’re communicating about work. Text her out of the blue just to say you appreciate her work.
Give her a bonus at the end of the year, or even mid-year if she’s done a really bang-up job. It’s worth it to invest in a good relationship with a cleaner who will be with you for a long time. I find it most convenient to send one-off payments through the Turno app.
Pay Her Fairly
Don’t jump on the cheapest cleaner you can find. In fact, when I find a cleaner who’s good at what she does AND cheap, I insist she raises her rates with me. Cheap cleaners are forced to overcommit themselves to pay their bills, which will eventually lead to poor work and cleaner burnout.
Plus, insisting on paying more than what the cleaner is asking will go a long way towards making them feel like a valued and important member of your team (which they are).
