If you’re just starting out as a housekeeper, your head might be full of everything that you need to remember! After all, there’s plenty to learn, whether it’s about your products, techniques, equipment or even just the needs of your clients. However, before you even begin to worry about remembering all of these other aspects, you should first work on making sure that you uphold the three key values that every housekeeper should live by in order to do a great job!
Here are three major qualities that every housekeeper should possess, and how you can make sure that you are bringing these into your own work, too.
Timekeeping
This is key! Of course, punctuality is important in any line of work, but it is an especially crucial aspect of your job as a housekeeper.
First of all, clients book the services of a housekeeper at a time that is convenient to them, whether they are in the house with you or not. Perhaps your client schedules you to show up to their home at a time when they know they will be present, which may be the only few hours of their day where that is the case. On the other hand, perhaps they need you at their home for a certain time so that they are able to let you in before they leave to run important errands.
Either way, if you are late for work, this may affect your client personally – not to mention simply looking very unprofessional. Your client may lead a very busy life, given that they have hired a housekeeper to ease some of their workload, so you don’t want to be seen to be a liability. Most housekeeper’s clients don’t have time to deal with the hassle and would rather find a new housekeeper than put up with one who seems flaky or unreliable.
Timekeeping is also important throughout your working day, ensuring that you are never devoting too much or too little time to individual tasks. The goal of all housekeepers during a working day should be to complete all necessary cleaning tasks to a standard that your client will be happy with, so keep an eye on your timekeeping to make sure you can get everything done!
In short, show up on time and make sure you get all tasks done in a timely manner and to a high standard – you can’t go wrong with that in mind.
Good Customer Service
If a client is inviting you into their home, you definitely want to make sure that you have a warm and friendly presence!
Customer service is an incredibly important skill in many lines of work, and cleaning and housekeeping are no different! The standard of your cleaning is important and is, ultimately, how your client will judge your level of competence as a housekeeper. However, good cleaning skills are the very foundation of the job that you do and there will be plenty of other cleaners out there who can offer the same standard of clean, perhaps even at a more competitive price.
So, how do you ensure that your client keeps coming back to you and, in turn, perhaps even recommends your services to others? How can you stand out from the rest? By providing outstanding customer service, of course!
Outstanding customer service isn’t just about the work that you do, but about the way that you provide it. Are you friendly and approachable towards your clients? Do you go into each and every working day with enthusiasm?
If you stay enthusiastic, work hard and are always there to greet your client with a smile at the beginning, middle and end of a working day, your client will be far more likely to have you back in their home.
High Cleaning Standards
Being adept with the two skills above is what will make you stand out from the other cleaners available to your client, but your cleaning skills are ultimately the foundation of the work that you do. Make sure that your cleaning standards are high and that you do not let them slip during your working day in order to keep your clients happy!
While the majority of us do have extensive experience cleaning in our own homes, the standard that we accept in our own spaces might not be up to the expectations of paying clients, so raising the standard of your clean as much as you can is a good way to ensure that your clients are always satisfied with the work that you do.
If you can, try to go the extra mile. It’s sometimes the case that you’ll need to do a job twice in order to make sure it’s done properly.
You should also get into the habit of surveying your own work at the end of each day. Look over the areas you have cleaned through the eyes of a paying client. Is there any dust leftover? Any marks or spots you might have missed? Have you cleaned up any hard to reach places that may sometimes go unnoticed?
Remember, your client is paying you for your services and you want to keep them coming back to you, so you need to ensure that the standard of your work is one worth paying for – not just once, but time and time again.
You’ve got plenty of time across your career to develop and improve your techniques, knowledge and services, but if you set out with these three core principles in mind – good timekeeping, great customer service and a high standard of clean – you’re sure to impress those first few clients on your books!
