5 Keys to Diagnosing Customer Dissatisfaction in Your Cleaning Business Before It Happens
Sometimes we take our commercial cleaning customers for granted. When they're quiet, we may assume everything is fine. Then we get an unexpected complaint or they suddenly cancel their service, and we feel hurt and blindsided.
In fact, there were probably warning signs long before they pulled the plug. Knowing what to watch for and taking proactive steps from Day One can help prevent customer dissatisfaction in your commercial cleaning business.
1. Know Your Ideal Customer
The seeds of dissatisfaction can be planted even before you start cleaning a client's location. Too often, commercial cleaning companies pursue prospects who aren't a good fit for their business and this leads to disharmony down the road.
Develop a clear picture of your ideal prospects and go after them rather than relying on whatever work comes along.
When you focus more narrowly on your perfect client, you'll create loyal fans that are happy to refer you. Why? Because you understand them well and take good care of them.
It's also important to accept that you will lose an occasional customer. View it as a valuable learning experience rather than a tacit judgment of your worth. Use the opportunity to analyze and better hone your understanding of your ideal client.
Perhaps the lost customer had a complex facility with elaborate requirements that your business lacks the resources to manage. Or maybe they had a history of dissatisfaction with other providers that should have been a red flag. Look for common themes and use the data to revise who you target in the future.
2. Build a Solid Foundation
At the beginning of a business relationship, expectations must be set. When you approach a new prospect with your price and proposed list of cleaning specifications, make sure your offer is clear. Any discontent that seems to appear “out of nowhere” often has its roots in early miscommunication.
Ask your prospect clarifying questions. Ask about tasks or areas that require special attention or handling, and the prospect's overall expectations for the service. Are there certain offices or conference rooms that don't need to be cleaned on every visit? Which doors need to be locked at all times? Asking the right questions provides great insight into their attitudes and needs, and shows your respect for their feelings as well.
This is the time to lay the foundation for a strong and lasting relationship, by actively listening, taking good notes, and creating a detailed service listing that they understand and agree to. Doing so gives your staff the information they need to do consistently great work and your client confidence that their building is in excellent hands.
3. Give Your Customers a Well-Trained Staff
Subpar work will quickly create unhappy customers. If you want your staff to consistently do exceptional work, don't skimp on training. Supply them with a checklist for routine work, offer education in cleaning techniques, equipment usage, and safety requirements, and create a process for handling accidents and customer complaints.
Train your staff to display courtesy and professionalism in their actions, dress, and communication. Show them appreciation for their demanding work by giving frequent recognition, offering fair pay, and occasionally sharing extras (gift cards or time off, for example).
Don't overload your crew by taking on more work than they can reasonably handle, and use care in matching them to your clients. If you make the effort to create harmonious matches between your staff and your customers, you can avoid many relationship difficulties down the road.
4. Make Communication Easy
A breakdown in communication between you and your client is a recipe for disaster. Establish straightforward policies and practices that make communication easy.
Give your clients many avenues and incentives to communicate with you and your staff. Create a process that honors their preferences. Some clients might like a notebook or printed form in their office where they can leave comments for the cleaners. Others might prefer to communicate via text or email. Each customer is different, and it pays to make yourself aware of individual preferences and act accordingly.
By the same token, make it easy for your staff to express their concerns to you. They will be the first to notice a problem if something doesn't seem quite right with the client. Create a receptive environment and straightforward procedures for your staff to report problems. This can prevent a small flame from growing into a raging fire that results in lost clients, unhappy employees, and an overall decline in service.
5. Ask Your Customers for Feedback
It's easy to take existing customers for granted when things seem to be running smoothly and there are no overt complaints. But circumstances change, customer needs change, so you must proactively assess your relationships and always strive to improve them.
Don't assume that a quiet customer is a happy customer. Some people are uncomfortable with complaining, and others think you should just know what they want without being told.
A quiet customer may love your service, or they may be planning to ditch you as soon as they find a replacement. The only way you know is to stay in touch.
Make it easy and rewarding for customers to tell you what's going on. Call or email them on a set schedule, offer them a gift card for completing a satisfaction survey, and reward them for longevity by offering a discount or gift when they've been with you for milestones like one year, two years, 5 years, etc.
In your periodic (at least yearly) satisfaction surveys, ask how the service can be improved. Ask for constructive criticism so your customer will feel comfortable revealing their true concerns. Making these surveys anonymous can also help.
Customers stay with cleaning companies they like. The ones who care for their facilities and improve their work lives. Who make them look good, free up their time from demanding tasks, and create an inviting atmosphere for their employees and visitors.
The better you understand your customers and the reasons they remain with you, the more likely you are to create long-term relationships.
Customer Service Training Program for Cleaning Technicians (PDF Download)
Your customers generally judge you, your reputation, and your quality of service by the way your employees handle themselves and deliver on the promises you make. Do your employees really know how to represent your company in the way you want it to be represented?
The Customer Service Training Program for Cleaning Technicians will pay big dividends with your customers!
Why is customer service training so important?
- 96% of unhappy customers don't complain, however 91% of those will simply leave and never come back. – 1st Financial Training services
- One unhappy customer will tell 9 to 15 people about their experience. - White House Office of Consumer Affairs
- 70% of buying experiences are based on how the customer feels they are being treated. – McKinsey
- It takes 12 positive experiences to make up for one unresolved negative experience. – “Undertanding Customers” by Ruby Newell-Legner
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