How to Break Up with your Cleaner

In my last article, I covered "5 Tips for Selecting Your Next Cleaner". I lay out an analytical and emotional approach to selecting the right cleaning service for your home or office. But what if you have a cleaning service now and they don't exactly meet the criteria of a legit company or they're not COVID prepared & educated? Don't fret! I have this follow-up article for you on how to break up with your current cleaner.

First off, let me make this disclaimer. I don't want any cleaning service to lose their job. We are not competitive with each other as most of us in the industry realize that there are way more houses and offices than cleaning companies. Secondly, if you're happy with your cleaning service, please ignore this advice!​

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1. ​Give them One More Chance! This only applies if you haven't already given them this grace. If communication is weak, your cleaner may have no idea you're unhappy or on the brink of firing them. Have a conversation with the owner or customer service manager to discuss your issues and get them resolved.
2. Have the Replacement Cleaner Chosen! Use my previous article mentioned above as a guide to select your next cleaner. Don't fire your cleaning service and then get into a position where you NEED a cleaner! This puts you into an emotional place and you'll likely make an emotional and incorrect decision. Plan this out. Have a replacement waiting in the wings. This gives you the power back!
3. Do it in Person! I have lost many clients over my 15 years of cleaning. I never take it personally. However, I do have some pet peeves that rub me the wrong way about people. Please try to put yourself into our shoes for a minute as you read this. Your cleaner has been serving week after week cleaning up after your family or business operations. It's a physically demanding job that literally gets no love. We clean your dirty bathrooms and bedrooms, remove trash, dirt, dust, hair and we do it with a smile. Don't you think we deserve the respect (for all we've done) to hear your decision in person? I've been fired over the phone, in an email, and by text. The less personal, the more we take it personally! I have even been ghosted! A doctor's wife hired me for about 6 months. One day, she stopped communicating with me. I couldn't confirm the next cleaning and to this day, she never told me what happened or why. That was in 2008. I remember! Treat your cleaners with dignity and respect. This is a hard job!
4. Give Notice! It's true that this is our business and you are totally in the right to fire us. It's your business decision. But keep this in mind. Have you ever been let go at a past job? Do they call you into their office, ask you to clear out, and your income stops immediately? Usually, there is a certain time period the boss gives you to find something else. This isn't always the case, but which bosses do you remember the most in a positive way? I remember the boss that fired me at GE in 2005 and gave me 2 months of full pay and benefits so I could find another job. I did find a better one... my cleaning business. Anyway, I recommend that you give your cleaner at least 2 weeks notice and a month is better. I had a client (Emily) that hired me in July 2018. They had job changes and income loss in mid-2019. Emily told me in person that they had to let me go. I was so appreciative. She also told me why. Then she told me that I can work out August, which was 2 more visits. This gave me a month to replace her as a client and not lose any income.
5. Give the Real Reason! Most cleaning service owners realize that they are not the right fit for everybody. They also would like to learn from their mistakes (as it's the best teacher). This is super difficult to tell the real reason why you're letting them go, but I encourage you to tell them. It's the right thing to do. Why? They will hear things like: "You didn't have proper insurance and I was not willing to take the chance." Another might be... "You sent different people to clean every time. I want the same person." Or worse... "I don't trust you." "You broke too many things." (I got this one before!) "You're always missing the details and I'm tired of asking you." "I could never get a hold of you (the owner) after the initial call." "I felt awkward telling you when I wasn't happy." As an industry leader, I personally want cleaning companies to know how they messed up, so they can improve and make us all look better. Please tell them why! I beg you!