Taking Customer Service Just A Little Too Far

JACKSONVILLE, FL - Police say a man needs to learn that 911 is not the appropriate place to complain that Subway left the sauce off a spicy Italian sandwich.

Police said the man dialed 911 twice last week so he could have his sub made correctly. The second call was to complain that officers weren't arriving fast enough.

Subway workers told police that the man became belligerent and yelled when they were fixing his order. They locked him out of the store after he left to call police.

Complaining About Your Maid

Isn't it funny? You'll complain about a botched order from a fast food restaurant. You'll complain if the wait is too long at your local convenience store. And you have no problem complaining if you're cable TV goes out.

But when it comes to housecleaning, you're scared to death to complain. Why is that?

The reason is pretty simply to understand. When you're ordering food at that fast food joint, you're a customer. When you're standing in line at that store, you're a customer. And when your cable goes out during your favorite TV show, you're definitely a customer.

But when your maid makes the same mistake three weeks in a row and you stay silent, you're far from a customer. All you are is someone's side money. Someone's extra cash until something better comes along.

You didn't hire a business. You just hired someone without a job.

You're Looking For The Wrong Kind Of Maid.....

...if you think that professional means perfection. As definite as death and taxes, you can bet that we will make mistakes. Every day and at every customer's home. All it takes is a little digging to find something.

This is one of the biggest hurdles that we cross with new customers. New customers know that their last maid was late all the time. New customers know that their last maid decided to cancel at the last minute one too many times. Most importantly, new customers know that their last maid rarely treated them like a customer.

That's why new customers decide to call us in the first place. But new customers also realize that our rates are higher than their last maid. Yes, we show up on time every time. Yes, we never cancel your appointment. And yes, you certainly get treated like a customer now.

But with such high rates, shouldn't the quality of our cleanings be exceptional? Some would answer yes. But the reality is that our cleaners are not computers or robots. In other words, they make mistakes - no matter how hard they work or how well they are trained.

The quality of our cleanings is good. So good that we've received countless numbers of customer testimonials proving that our work is pretty good. But our work isn't always great.

So what makes us great? And more importantly, what makes our rates worthwhile?

We're great because we guarantee our arrivals. We're great because we show up on-time every time. We're great because our employees go through an extensive nationwide criminal background search. We're great because we've got you protected against any worst case scenario. And we're great because we let your feedback determine our employees' paychecks.

But the real reason that we're great is much bigger than how we dust your nightstand. It's bigger, but very simple.

We listen. We listen to you more than any other cleaning service in your area. We encourage you to talk to us. We beg you to talk to us. And in some cases, we demand that you talk to us. And we listen for one reason. Because the more we listen to you, the happier we make you. It's been proven time after time.

No, you haven't found the world's greatest housecleaner. But yes, you have found the world's greatest housecleaning company!

What About Your Pets?

We hear the question almost daily. How will you handle my pets when you're cleaning my home?

We see mad cats. We see big dogs. We've even seen nasty looking snakes. And in each case, the answer is the same.

Our employees love your pets. We know this because we don't hire anyone that doesn't love pets. One of the most important questions that a potential employee must answer is this simple question:

Are you pet friendly?

And if the answer is no, we don't hire that person.

Of course, that doesn't mean that you can let your pet snake crawl around while we're cleaning. And your dog may love you, but your dog has no idea who we are. In addition, those loud vacuums can sometimes create some wild reactions from your cat.

So the best course of action is to speak to us directly. We'll come up with a solution. In some cases, our solution is to just keep the pets in a kennel or empty room. And in other cases, we just deal with it - especially if your dog or cat is very friendly. Each homeowner has different needs, so there is no one end-all solution. But one thing is for sure...

Our employees love your pets.

The Constant Pursuit Of Customer Satisfaction

Customer service is the backbone of our company. We think customer service is what separates us from everybody else. From our Pay For Satisfaction Plan to our constant desire to listen to our customers, we really think we've cornered the customer service market.

But then again, we're far from the best in the world. Check out this article about Zappos, a shoe company that knows their business is much more than just selling shoes. Their customers say it best....

A Zappos customer had ordered a pair of sandals. When they arrived, she found that they didn't fit. She tried to order the right size, but Zappos was sold out of her size. So here's what the company offered: she could return the sandals (for free), Zappos would refund the purchase price and they'd send her a $25 coupon toward her next purchase. But wait — there's more! Zappos also offered to try to locate a pair of the sandals in her size from another vendor. (Hah! Sure, they will!) Fifteen minutes later, the company called my wife and told her they'd found her sandals, in her size, at another online merchant — "and," the Zappos clerk told her, "they're even cheaper at this other site!"

The article says it best, "companies don’t engage emotionally with their customers—people do. If you want to create a memorable company, you have to fill your company with memorable people."

Customer Satisfaction At The Car Wash

Wonder what this customer would pay if the car wash used our Pay For Satisfaction Plan?

A 76-year-old man, dissatisfied with the job a car wash did on his ride, allegedly rammed the wash's manager with the vehicle and backed into another car in an attempt to re-enter the tunnel for a more thorough cleaning. The manager stated that the customer was upset because his $14 car wash didn't remove scuff marks from his white-wall tires. The $14 service included a tire cleaning service and the marks appeared to be permanent, the manager said.

The manager also stated that there were cars in line to enter both in front of and behind the disgruntled customer. The manager stood in front of the customer's car and began waving other drivers in. The angry customer, who would not move away from the tunnel's entrance, then accelerated onto a piece of car wash equipment before backing into the car behind him-- twice -- leaving a scratch on that vehicle's front bumper.

In an attempt to get back into the tunnel, the customer began ramming the manager with his front bumper. "He rammed me in the knees with his car three or four times," the manager said.

The disgruntled customer said he should be given an "increased courtesy" because of his age. No charges were filed; however, a no trespassing notice has been filed by the car wash.

Customer Service From A Service Company Usually Stinks

Isn't it ironic that most service companies provide the worst service?

Take a look at the top 10 worst customer service companies from last year. Nine of the top ten companies provide services!

When you hire a service company, you expect service. And when you don't receive service, then you're not happy. That's how you think.

However, a bank thinks that it's job is to just hold your money. A cable company thinks that it's job is to just provide you with television programming. And a cell phone company thinks that it's job is to just provide you with phone service.

But that's not what you think. You already know that your bank is holding your money. All banks do that. What you really want from your bank is service. Anything less isn't acceptable.

We're paid to clean your house. And that's what will happen when you hire us. But anyone can clean your house. Our job is to make you happy. What makes you happy may not make your neighbor happy. But that's our job - to figure out what makes both you and your neighbor happy!

Of course, some service companies get it. Take a look at this story for proof.....

You Can't Be Good At Anything If You Provide Everything

Seth Godin reminds us that you can't be good at anything if you provide everything. The cleaning industry is no different. The story begins a little something like this.

You start a cleaning service. Then one of your customers asks if you know anyone that does a little painting. And then one of your customers asks if you know of a reliable carpet cleaning company. And with each question - the answer is yes.

The answer is yes because you decide to perform the work. And all of a sudden, you've become the universal cleaning company.

How silly would it be if your accountant doubled as a painter? Silly enough that you probably wouldn't hire him for either service. But it happens everyday in the cleaning industry.

The reason is simple - literally. It's simple to start a cleaning service. It's simple to start a carpet cleaning company. It's simple to start a painting business. And in many cases, it's simple to earn your business.

The best seafood restaurant in town doesn't serve hamburgers. Neither does the best cleaning service.

The Three Levels Of Customer Service

Glenn Ross recently published an article that described the three levels of customer service.

Three Levels Of Customer Service
Failure to Meet The Customer’s Needs—This usually results in loss of the customer and the revenue he or she generates for you. It frequently leads to negative word-of-mouth advertising.

Meet The Customer’s Needs—The customer has a need and you meet it. The customer is satisfied and may return to you time and time again. However, a competitor can steal the customer away from you.

Exceeds The Customer’s Needs—This is when the customer goes “Wow!” This not only increases the customer’s loyalty to you, it usually generates positive word-of-mouth advertising and turns the customer into an evangelist for you.

So how do we exceed your expectations?

We exceed your expectations by doing right what everyone else in our industry does wrong. We show up on time - every time. We'll never just quit and leave you stranded. And most importantly, we listen to you - and we prove it by letting your feedback determine our employees' paycheck. Basically, we're the opposite of almost everyone else you have ever hired before.

We're the anti-cleaning company. Not because we are against cleaning. But because we are against the cleaning industry.

Things That Don't Work And Why They Don't Work

The postal service doesn't work. It doesn't work because it's not really a business. The postal service doesn't care if you're unhappy. There's no reason to care because you need the postal service more than the postal service needs you.

The BCS National Championship doesn't work. It doesn't work because it doesn't have to work. Money is being made even when the system is broke. Why change anything when your customer base can't do anything about it? Especially if you're still making billions of dollars off those unhappy customers.

The healthcare industry doesn't work. It doesn't work because it forces the good guys to pay for the bad guys. Your hospital bill is so high because the hospital assumes that a few of you aren't going to pay for your visit. As a result, the hospital overcharges to compensate for the loss. And there's no reason to change because it's working. At least in their eyes.

The reason all of these things don't work is because there are no choices. Combine that fact with the other fact that they are making more money than ever and you can see why nothing will change anytime soon.

The only way to change anything is to incorporate choice into the equation. Choice means that competition is alive. And when competition is alive, the free market works at its best.

For example, think about the cleaning industry. You have sooo many choices when it comes to cleaning. And when there are lots of choices, you (the consumer) gets rewarded with a broad spectrum of choices. Those choices range from cheap cleanings to higher quality cleanings. You get to choose. Everyday!

Choice works.

Quantity vs. Quality

It was discussed here just last year.

The person that cleaned your hotel room probably makes minimum wage. The person that cleaned your hotel room has cleaned that same hotel room forever. The person that cleaned your hotel room hates that job.

Hotel maids have no incentive to deliver customer satisfaction. Hotel maids are expected to clean fast, not good. And that's exactly what happens.

It's safe to say that you get what you pay for. A $35 room probably should be dirtier than a $200 room. But even the $35 room could provide better service and quality. Here's a profound approach to providing incentives to an employee: pay for performance.

Pay the hotel maid based on customer feedback. Pay the hotel maid for quality instead of quantity. The same goes to every other cleaning company out there.

Talking To Your Customers

According to this article, a man called police to report that while he was at work his apartment had been cleaned.

Not "cleaned out" - simply cleaned.

The man, who recently moved into the building, left his apartment at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday and when he returned that night at 10:30, the entire apartment had been scrubbed down.

Police later discovered the apartment's previous tenants had forgotten to cancel their cleaning service. Police said the man had recently moved into the apartment and had not changed the locks.

One word: communication.

Without communication, you don't know if your customers are satisfied. And without communication, you may not even know if your customers have moved!

On Not Expecting Much........

We're not cab drivers. But this story about a Dallas based cab driver says a lot about our philosophy on customer service in the housecleaning industry.

Our philosophy: You've probably hired a housecleaner before. You probably weren't very happy. You're not expecting much out of us. But we're going to surprise you. We'll show up on time. We'll listen to you when you speak. And we'll let your feedback drive our business. Basically, we'll do the opposite of every other cleaning company you've hired in the past.



Hat tip to Maria at the CustomerAreAlways Blog.

Cleaning Services Analyzed

A newspaper in Minnesota recently published an article on area housecleaning companies. The article's intent was to inform its readers on what to expect from local cleaning companies if they needed to hire a cleaning service for the upcoming holidays. Click here for the full article.

The paper concludes that its better to hire an individual rather than a large company. The paper concludes this by hiring three local outfits. Here's a few snippets from their experiences with the three companies....

The First Company-The first company selected was Mary's Maids, which quoted her $26 an hour and estimated four hours based on her description of the home. She was told to provide cleaning supplies. A team of two arrived at 10:45 a.m. and started cleaning upstairs. She left the house and returned at 12:15 p.m. to find them both still working upstairs. They said they had to leave by 1 p.m. and wouldn't be able to get to her first floor, which they guessed would require another five hours to clean. To top it off, the upstairs didn't appear to have been cleaned. 'I could see the dust on the shutters over the bathtub,' Ratzloff says. Same with the top of a dresser and the hallway chandelier. The team said they spent 90 minutes on her shower, and Ratzloff couldn't tell.

The Second Company-Randle went to the company's Web site to request a service quote and then spent two days playing phone tag with an agent. The first available opening was nine days out. Randle explained she had $100 to work with and the living room, dining room and kitchen were her priorities. That's about all she could get, since the company charges $70 an hour (average time to clean a whole house: three hours). Randle requested a call 20 to 30 minutes before the team arrived, but they showed up unannounced. The two cleaners vacuumed and cleaned glass tables, a dining table, TV and computer very well, she says. The kitchen countertops and outside of the refrigerator were also sparkling. But an entire side of her entertainment center and baseboards were left dusty. In the kitchen, they missed mopping around the stand-alone stove. When the company followed up the next day, Randle expressed her concerns. 'I was told I couldn't expect much with the money limitation I gave them'.

The Third Company-Patterson called to schedule an appointment and was quoted a price of $99 (the company bases charges on size of home and type of flooring rather than by the hour). Patterson was told the service would include high dusting, wiping down kitchen cabinets and appliances, hand-washing floors, wiping windowsills and vacuuming under everything. One cleaning person arrived on time and cleaned the house in about 2½ hours. Patterson's first impression: The house looked and smelled great. The inside of the microwave sparkled. But upon further inspection, she discovered the kitchen cabinets and hood above the stove had not been wiped.

Several conclusions can be gathered from this informal study. But the article's conclusion that smaller companies are better than larger companies is not one of them. Here's my view of the "study".

1. To make a conclusion that smaller companies are better, shouldn't you have to at least hire one small company?

2. Your budget determines the quality of your cleaning. Two Maids & A Mop would not have even cleaned these three homes. Our one time cleaning jobs are straightforward. You either get a deep cleaning (hourly rate with no constraints) or you get a one time cleaning (two hour maximum for two maids). Our one time cleaning doesn't promise the world. It only promises time. You get what you pay for.

3. Customer service stinks in the housecleaning industry. Poor communication will almost always create a bad customer experience. All three of these companies performed awful in that respect.

Bad Apple Alert

Jerry Prola takes special care of his cream colored carpet, getting it steam cleaned regularly. So when he saw a coupon from Premier Carpet Care for a $90 cleaning, he thought he'd found a deal. But the day after the steam cleaning, he noticed streaks and blotches, and a stain.

Prola said the carpet cleaners caused the stain by not putting blocks under the furniture. So Prola called Premier Carpet Care to fix the problem. They charged him another $35 for the second cleaning, and the stain still didn't come out.

"I tried calling them for over a week, and they didn't reply, and so I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, and they didn't contact them either," he said.

That's when Prola got in touch with Consumer Watch. When Premier Carpet Care didn't call us back, we found Dry Master Carpet Care in Alameda. Joe Russell, owner of Dry Master, went to work on the stains, and less than an hour later, the blotches and the stain were gone.

"He had a furniture stain, and or rust stain, and it appeared like it'd been spot cleaned, cause it kind of spread out a little bit," said Russell.

Jerry was thrilled with the results. But he has a different message for Premier Carpet Care.

"Just more anger than anything at the company for not following through, for not even returning a phone call, it's absolutely ridiculous," he said.

Premier eventually called and said it emphasizes customer satisfaction, and offered to come back out to fix the problem. Since that was no longer necessary, they sent Prola a check for $90. The tip before hiring home cleaning services, ask friends and check out the company on the Better Business Bureau website.

Full Article

It's ironic that the author states that the best way to prevent this from happening is to contact your local BBB. It's ironic because this guy called his local BBB to inform them of his problem. They did nothing. Just like his initial carpet cleaning company.

Calling your local BBB can't hurt. But the best way to prevent this from happening is to ask your cleaning company one question, How can you ensure my satisfaction?

As a side note, the first cleaning company could have done so many things differently. What do you think the first company should have done to change the outcome?

Turning Negatives Into Positives

Industry Negative
The barriers of entry are essentially zero. No start up capital is required. No education is required. Nothing except a little sweat.

TwoMaids Positive
That means that a lot of customers aren't going to be happy. When something is easy to start, it's just as easy to quit. And that's exactly what happens. A cleaning business dies every minute. And then another one starts. And all along the way, we're still here.

Industry Negative
There are no limits on pricing.

TwoMaids Positive
Our claim to fame isn't pricing. Being cheap is a business owner's last resort. You sell yourself cheap because you know you've got nothing else to sell. We sell our pay for performance plan. We sell our guarantee for on-time arrival. We sell our commitment to customer satisfaction. And our customers know that we're not the cheapest in town. And they're fine with it.

Industry Negative
Negative stories surround our industry. Thefts. Broken items. We've even heard of one customer that caught her maid sleeping on the customer's own bed!

TwoMaids Positive
Three words - pay for performance. Our employees get paid based on our customer's satisfaction level. The happier you are; the more our employees' are able to earn with our company. Our employees know that only one thing matters: customer satisfaction.

Industry Negative
Maids just aren't real professional.

TwoMaids Positive
If you're reading this, then you already know how we turn this negative into a positive. If you don't get it, click on the following links.....

The Pay For Performance Plan - Explained

The Customer Advisory Board

Three Quick Facts About TwoMaids

The Survey Says.....

A recent survey was conducted on our customer base to determine what the number one concern was when selecting a maid service. The results ranged from affordability to dependability.

Now we like to tout our strengths pretty loudly here. We like to tell people that you should select us because we'll show up on time every time. We like to tell people that you should select us because of our pay for performance plan. Basically, we like to tell people that you should select us because we care more about making you happy than any other cleaning company.

And that's all fine and good. But that's not what most of you really want. All you really want is consistency. So that raises an interesting question.

How can we better provide a more consistent cleaning? The challenges are obvious. We employ people and people aren't consistent in nature. Of course, doctors are consistent. Even a fast food restaurant is relatively consistent (that's why you go to them). And each of these industries employ people. People just like our people.

In my mind, it all boils down to this...consistency is the result of superb training and constant motivation.

So our job is create a better training program. Of course, this is easier said than done. Your house is a challenge. It's big. It's different every time. And it contains hundreds of little areas for us to screw up in. We already have an adequate training program. But maybe it needs to be refurbished. We'll be working on that in the coming months. And when we're finished, we'll detail our plan here.

The second tool that we can use to create consistency is employee motivation. Three words: pay for performance. We think that our pay for performance plan speaks for itself. You get paid based on your work ethic in our company. Our customers' satisfaction level ultimately determines our employees' compensation level. We're the pioneers in this field. We started it and now people are following our lead. It works. And it's obvious why. Money talks.

So, our job is to better train our employees. Stay tuned for our plan....

The Dissatisfied Maid Service Customer

You've hired the wrong maid. Here's one of the reasons that you're unhappy.

1. Safety Issues
No, you're not concerned about your physical safety. But you are concerned about your stuff being broken on a regular basis. You can accept mistakes. But over and over again? You're tired of this mess.

2. Theft Issues
You've just noticed that your favorite ring is gone. And you know that the only other person that has been in your house today is your maid. You're tired of this mess.

3. Quality Issues
It really started out great. Your house looked wonderful after her first visit. But it steadily got worse over time. It's gotten so bad that you have to clean when you get home now. But it's hard to complain. After all, you know how much your maid needs her job. You know this because she's become your friend over these last several months. You're tired of this mess.

4. Reliability Issues
You're sitting there again. Waiting on your maid. She's late again. Just like last week. You're tired of this mess.

5. Affordability Issues
You know that your neighbor pays less for her home to be cleaned. You also know that your house is the same size as her house. What gives? You're tired of this mess.

We know this because you tell us everyday. We're the last refuge for many dissatisfied maid service customers. And that's fine with us because we want you to be educated. You need to know that hiring a maid has little to do with housecleaning. Once you know this, call us.

On Being Cheaper....

Seth Godin says it best......

Here's what I think: Cheaper is the last refuge of the person who's not a very good marketer. Cheaper is easy and cheaper is fast and cheaper is linear and cheaper is easy to do properly, at least at first. But cheaper doesn't spread the word.

Cheaper is a short term hit, not a long term advantage. Cheaper doesn't create loyalty, because the other guy can always figure out how to be cheaper still, at least in the short run.

Even free isn't cheap enough to win in the long run. Not if other people can figure out how to match what you've got.

So, if you can't be cheaper, be better.

And that's exactly what we're trying to prove to you. We're better. No, we're not the perfect housecleaner. We make mistakes every day. We're better because we care more than your last maid. We prove it with our pay for performance plan. We prove it by begging for your feedback every day. Our claim to fame is customer service. That's what your paying for. Not the perfect cleaning. But the perfect customer service.

If you want that, we've got it.

Acting Like A Customer

If you're going to be a customer, then you need to start acting like a customer. And once you start acting like a customer, then you'll start getting treated like a customer.

Take a look at this article detailing one guy's decision on whether he should fire his cleaning lady. (Caution: contains a few inappropriate words)

He says it way better than I could ever say it...

"I don't like confrontations. I like that Krakovia feels comfortable with me. I've never shown disapproval and now that we've been together for two years, I find it harder than ever to suddenly be the boss."

"Of course I'm more frustrated with myself for not knowing how to fix my relationship with Krakovia. After Krakovia left ("See you Thursday after next, Mr. Mo!") I resigned myself to breaking up with Krakovia by leaving her a message canceling her next visit, then never calling back to reschedule. Unhealthy, I know, and nonsensical considering I was so concerned about her feelings."

If you were a customer, you could just complain. You could complain about anything you wanted to complain about. Because you're the customer. And it's your service provider's job to make you happy. But you're not a customer.

You're a friend. And you can't go back. You can't go back to being a customer. You left the world of customer service a long time ago. Of course, you did hire an individual maid.

She's not a company. No matter what her business card says. She's an individual. And this is what happens when you hire an individual.

When you hire an individual, the world of friendship always overtakes the customer service world. It's called human nature. And it's inevitable.

The Cleaning Lady vs The Cable Guy

You've been there before. You've gotten that crazy timeframe from the cable company. You know, something like "We'll be there sometime between 12-5". You hate it. It's ruins your day. But you can't do anything about it. Nothing.

You can't do anything about it because you need your cable. And there's only one choice when it comes to cable television in your area. So you're forced to sit and grumble for 4-5 hours. And then you're forced to pay your cable bill month after month.

The housecleaning industry is a lot different. There's literally hundreds of so-called cleaning companies out there. A new one is born everyday. But the cable industry does have a link to the housecleaning industry. The link - you have to wait just as long for your maid as you do your cable guy.

Of course, you don't have to wait for your maid. You could force her to treat you like a customer. You could demand that she arrives on time. And if she doesn't-then you could fire her. After all, there's more than one maid in your area.

But you don't. You keep sitting there. Same, old tired thing week after week. You do this for one of two reasons.

1. She's cheap.
She's so cheap that you're willing to overlook the terrible customer service. She's so cheap that you don't expect her to treat you like a customer. But then, you're not really acting like a customer anyway. You're fine with it as long as she keeps charging you next to nothing.

2. She's become your friend.
She's now your friend. And you can't really discipline your friend. No matter if she's late. No matter if she screws up. You can't do anything about it. You're no supervisor. You're not even a customer. You're her buddy.

Of course, you're going to hit your tipping point someday. It might be that her late arrival makes you late to an important meeting one day. It might be that her constant lack of attention irritates you so much that you just explode one day. It might be that you hear about your neighbor's housecleaning company and you get a little jealous.

Your neighbor is talking about punctuality. Your neighbor is talking about customer service. Your neighbor is even talking about professionalism. Your neighbor is talking like a customer. That's the difference.

Your maid isn't a monopoly. You don't have to keep sitting there waiting on her all the time. The choice is yours.

Three Quick Facts About Two Maids & A Mop

Fact #1- If you hire us for long enough, we promise that we'll make a mistake.

Your house is big. It has a bunch of rooms. And it has a bunch of stuff in each of those rooms. We're going to forget to pick up your rug one day. And we're going to forget to wipe down your bedroom baseboard one day. We're going to forget lots of things because we're just like you. We're human and we make mistakes.

Fact #2- We won't know that we make a mistake unless you tell us.
The best medicine for one of our mistakes is communication. If you tell us, we'll fix it. Plus, we'll document it so that we can limit the occurrence of the same mistake. But we can't know that we messed up if you don't tell us. Customer feedback is the only thing that separates us from everybody else. Without your feedback, we're just like everybody else.

Fact #3- When you tell us that we messed up, we'll fix it-FAST.

Of course, it's according to how fast you tell us about one of our mistakes. The quicker you communicate to us; the quicker we're able to respond. The bottom line is that we won't to correct our mistakes - no matter how small or trivial. Because we want you to be happy. And you can't be happy if you still have dirty floors after we leave your home. Talk to us and we promise that we'll run to your house in order to make you smile.

On Buying Customer Service....

When they saw the letter from Boston Magazine earlier this month, Elias and Caroline Mavroidis thought they had arrived.

Completely without warning, their family business, South End Cleaners and Tailors, had won a "Best of Boston" prize as the best neighborhood dry cleaners. The letter came with a certificate and an invitation to a fancy party to mingle with the rest of Boston's finest.

The next news to arrive wasn't nearly as gratifying. Their landlord stopped by to tell them that he was increasing their rent from $2,900 a month to $5,000. If they chose not to pay, they had to vacate the Tremont Street property by Oct. 1.

That's wasn't all the bad news. The landlord, Wayne Doherty, also told them that he planned to open his own dry cleaners at the same location once they departed.

A similar situation happened to Sam Walton after he opened his first Ben Franklin store. The landlord saw how much money his property could generate and he wanted in on the action. Of course, nobody knows the name of that landlord today. And my guess is that nobody will know the name of this landlord either.

Customer service can't be transferred. Customer service can't be bought. Customer service can only occur when your passion meets your work. Without the passion, it's just fake. And fake never lasts.

If the landlord were smart, he would have done everything in his power to retain this customer. Because this customer was successful. And if your job is to rent business space, then you better hope that all of your businesses are successful. Because if they're not, then you're out of a renter.

Of course, this landlord doesn't have the same kind of passion for his leasing business as his renter does for his dry cleaning business. Hopefully, we'll get a follow up a few months from now. My guess is that the landlord wins this battle. But a better guess is that the dry cleaner wins the war.

Click here for the full article

The Dreaded $8 Price Increase

Two of our locations recently raised their rates. The overall increase was about 10% for each current customer. So if you were you used to paying $87 per visit, you'll now be paying $95 per visit. That represents an $8 increase.

Raising your rates can be a tell-tale sign to the overall health of your business. For some, we're the only choice. We're the only choice because they are tired of receiving the same old tired cheap maid. They're tired of the maid showing up late all the time. They're tired of the maid getting too comfortable in their home. And they're tired of hiring a new maid every month or so because the last one keeps quitting without any notice. These are the customers that we want to use our service.

We want them to use our service because they understand the importance of our dedication to customer service. Making a customer happy isn't easy. It comes at a price. The price of customer service is ultimately determined by the quality of your employee base. If your employees care, then you have a decent shot at making a lot of customers happy.

The odd thing is that we still have several customers who don't care about our pay for performance plan. They don't care about our guarantee to show up on-time every time. They don't care about any of that because they only hired for one reason anyway. Of course, the reasons are diverse. Some people hire us because we were the only company to pick up the phone. Some people hire us because they like our catchy name. Some people hire us because we were the first link in a search engine. And some people hire us simply because we were cheaper than the other guy (yes, it happens sometimes).

But something happens between $87 and $95. It's called memory loss. You forget that we were the only company that talked to you when you could talk. You forget that we were the only company that consistently showed up on-time every time. And then you really forget just how bad your other maid service company was at satisfying your needs.

In fact, the only thing that you remember about your old maid is that she was a lot cheaper. And then you tell yourself that it's only housecleaning. Anybody can do it. So you terminate our services because of an $8 increase.

But then something funny happens right after that decision. You start remembering why you hired us in the first place. And then you call us back.

And that's when $8 doesn't seem like such a bad deal any longer. And that's also when you become one of our real customers. Because you now understand the importance of our dedication to customer service.

For you seven customers that decided to terminate our service because of our recent price increase......we'll see ya soon.

To Discipline Or To Not Discipline......

The cycle goes a little something like this. You sign up a new customer. You promise that she'll be satisfied. Then you perform the work.

That's when the problems begin. One of the employees responsible for cleaning the house isn't into the job that day. It's hot outside. It's Tuesday. And it's the last house of the day. The employee just wants to get this thing over with.

So she goes through the motions. And of course, she makes some mistakes. And of course, your new customer is upset. She's thinking, "What kind of first impression is this? If they'll do this the first time, what will they do the tenth time?"

So she cancels the service. And then you get to deal with the employee. But here's your problem. You can't really afford to discipline the employee because you're afraid that she'll quit. Sure, she just lost your newest customer. But her two legs and two arms are prized possessions right now.

The reason is simple. Nobody else wants to work for you. If you discipline this employee, she may just quit. And if she quits, then you have an even bigger problem. Because you need her two legs and two arms. Without them, you're in big trouble tomorrow.

So you do nothing. No verbal warning. No written reprimand. No discipline at all. And of course, it happens again a few days later. And of course, you're forced to make the same decision.

To discipline or to not discipline.

There's an easy way out of this cycle. Give your employees a reason to care. Give your employees a reason to care about your job more than the job down the street. Because if they don't care about your job, then you can't expect them to care about your customers.

The Advantages Of Premium Pricing

A discounted price for your maid always means that you should expect a discounted maid service. Something is going to have to be a little less than stellar. Click here here to read last week's article regarding discounted pricing.

Of course, you should expect more if you pay a premium for your maid service. Here are some basic things that you should expect if you pay more than your neighbor does for a maid service.

1. We're going to be on time every time. That's what happens when you treat your maid service like a business.

2. We're going to listen to you. That's what happens when you treat your maid service like a business.

3. We're never going to reschedule your cleaning at the last minute. That's what happens you treat your maid service like a business.

4. We're never going to quit cleaning for you. That's what happens when you treat your maid service like a business.

5. We're going to raise our rates at some point. That's what happens when you want to keep treating your customer like a customer.

Yes, the last point is the same last point as the discounted pricing argument. However, there are stark differences.

An individual maid raises prices because she knows that she can get away with it. After all, all of the professional cleaning companies are already charging a lot more than her.

A professional maid service raises prices because we need to continue to attract and retain the best employees. Premium customer service has to come from some place. That place is you.

You decide what your expectations are when you write the check. For some, the individual maid is all they need. But for others, receiving premium customer service is worth the extra few bucks.

The Disadvantages of Discount Pricing

There are some things that you must accept if you're main priority is discounted pricing for your maid service.

1. She's going to be too early or too late at some point. That's what happens when you don't value your customer.

2. She's going to quit cleaning for you someday. That's what happens when you get offered more money from someone else.

3. She's going to get comfortable. That's what happens when you become friends with your customer.

4. She's going to reschedule your cleaning at some point. That's what happens when you get sick and you're the only employee.

5. She's going to raise your rate at some point. That's what happens when you know that the professional cleaning companies are charging more than you.

There's a reason we know that one of these five things is going to happen to you. The reason is because you tell us everyday. You get sick of it and you decide to pay a little more. You decide to pay a little more because you want to receive a little more.

You want to feel like a customer.

On Staying Connected....

Imagine that your favorite band is coming to town next week. You've been following this band for several years now. You know all the words. You know all the band members. You even know their story- how they got started- why they're popular now, etc.

The band is planning on playing in the amphitheatre downtown. On your way to the concert, you notice a flyer posted on a light pole. It's an advertisement for a cover band that plays all the same songs as your favorite band. And they're playing right across the street from the amphitheatre. And of course, the tickets for the cover band are a lot less than tickets at the amphitheatre.

So what's your decision? Do you save the money and listen to the same songs across the street? Or do you cross the street and see the real deal?

Only you know the answer. Economics doesn't normally get weighed as heavily when you have a connection with something. Of course, economics gets weighed heavily when you are not connected to something.

That's what happens every day with our customers. They see the ads on the light poles. They know that we're not the only game in town. And they know that our rates are higher too. What keeps them coming back is the connection.

We're connected because our customers know that we care. They know that we listen. They know that we want to communicate. That's keeps us connected.

And as long as we're connected we'll have customers. And as long as we have customers we'll keep trying to stay connected.

The Customer Application

We've always joked about the idea of forcing customers to apply for our service. Sort of like our employees have to do when they want to work for us. Of course, we've never really applied the concept to our business. But the idea isn't such a bad idea.

Here's what our customer application would like....

1. Have you ever hired a maid service company or personal housekeeper?
2. If so, what was the worst thing about each of your past housekeepers?
3. On a scale from 1-10, how important is it for you to receive the same exact cleaning crew each time?
4. How often will you be able to provide feedback on your housecleaning?
5. Why do you need to hire someone to clean your house?

There are specific reasons for each question. Think of it like a flow chart. Each answer takes you in one of two directions. At the end, you have one final conclusion.

What we're looking for in a customer is someone that has hired a maid before. She has had bad experiences in the past with her housekeeper. She realizes that we will send different people from time to time. She wants to provide feedback on our service. And she needs us because she doesn't have enough time in the day to take care of everything.

That's our perfect customer. That's who we make the happiest. Everybody else dislikes a little something about our company. It could be that they think our rates are too expensive. That's because they've never been burned by an unethical housekeeper in the past. It could be that they really want the same people in their house every time. That's because they're home every day and they critique our work too stringently. It could be that they just want to pay us to clean and then be done with us. That's because they don't really understand why they hired our company in the first place.

The customer application is still a mere joke right now. But the time may come for the joke to become reality. We want to make everybody happy. And we can't make you happy if your idea of happiness is different than our idea.

Remembering The Janitor

Who says that your cleaning company has to be faceless?

Click here for proof that you don't have to be a doctor in order to be appreciated.

Customer Service By The Book

We've got procedures. We've got rules. And we have policies related to our customer service strategy. It's all in our operating manual.

But we don't have a set answer for every customer service situation. Because every situation is different. Each of our managers knows that she has full authority to do whatever she thinks is necessary to make a customer happy.

Sometimes that means providing a discount for mistakes made in a previous cleaning visit. Sometimes that means providing a full refund. Sometimes that means going the extra mile to thank a customer for a referral. Every situation is different. And every response is different too.

The only rule of thumb that we have is that our response should always exceed the expectations of the customer. If the customer thinks she should receive 50% off her next cleaning, then she'll probably get 75% off her next visit.

You hired us to clean your house. That's really all you thought you needed. But the root of every satisfied cleaning visit starts with customer service. And there's no reason to think that every root should create the same kind of tree.

If you use us long enough, you'll see it firsthand. Because we're going to mess up. And we mess up, expect to be satisfied. Yes, you'll be satisfied if you let us satisfy you. No, we have no idea how we'll satisfy you.

We'll just wait until it happens. It's worked for us this long. No reason to change now.

Gettin' The Same People Is Important

We hear you loud and clear. We know what you want. But the truth is we want it a lot more than you do. Trust me. We want to send the same people to your house each and every time. Need proof that we really want to send the same people? Check out this customer service saga from beginning to end.

THE BEGINNING
Oct. 10, 2006 - Both Dorothy & Charlotte deserve 10. Both are great thanks for great service.
Oct. 24, 2006 - I would rate Jennifer & Kaylin 10. This was their 1st visit wish I could have same each time. Service very good.
Nov. 6, 2006 - Girls were great -Dana & Regina-Thank you for your good work.
Nov. 20, 2006 - Give both Jessica and Christi 10's. They were great. Hope I get them again. Thanks for the good service.
Dec. 3, 2006 - I am very sick. Can you schedule the maids to come any time after noon tomorrow-or any other day this week?
Dec. 5, 2006 - Thank you for changing my appt. in such short notice. Give the girls a 10.
Dec. 19, 2006 - Johnnie and Tracy both deserve a 10+. Great work and service.

THE BEGINNING OF THE END
Feb 13, 2007 - Please listen to me!!!! We need the same two ladies each week. This week's girls were the best yet. They should both have a grade of 10+. Look forward to still using your service.
Feb. 26, 2007 - Lisa and Leann did a marvelous job. Both 10's.
March 26, 2007 - 10+ for both Kathy and Patty. Please, may I continue to have them!!!!!
April 9, 2007 - Patty and Monica - both 10.
April 24, 2007 - Great service 10 for all three. They all 3 worked hard.
May 7, 2007 - Dorothy and Cory were just so great-10.

THE END
This is to advise you that as of today, your services will no longer be required--the reason for this is.....

1. 2 months ago or so, we asked for you to send us the same people for each cleaning. You said that would be impossible, but we know that some of your customers get the same people every time.
2. Every time you send different people it is like starting over from scratch as to what to do or not to do. It also exposes our home as to location.

We are sorry that it has come to this decision, but we feel must be made.

We hate losing customers. But the fact is that we'll never make everybody happy (who knew?). We have many advantages. But our biggest disadvantage is that we can't send the same people every time. It's not practical. People get sick. People go on vacation. People leave town. And the toughest truth to grasp is that people don't make a career out of cleaning toilets.

But it's also important to remember that when you get sick, we're able to reschedule the visit at your earliest convenience. When you need to complain, we get to perform the discipline. And when you work all day long, you know that you'll be coming home to a clean house because we guarantee our arrivals.

We're not going to get pregnant and leave town. We're not going to get married and quit working. And we're not going to get a higher paying gig and stop cleaning your house. We're going to show up. Each and every time.

You can bank on that.

Thank You

We have some of the best customers in the world. It makes me feel good to know that our service impresses someone so much that they say this.......

"The ladies that service my home were very excellent and a job well done. It was nice to come after a hard day's work feeling tired and exhausted in knowing that my place was clean, clean, clean. I was very happy and satisfied and was glad that I did not have to do a thing when I got home. I just wish that everyone would take advantage of this wonderful service that you have in the emerald coast because it is well worth it. On the scale of 1-10, these ladies are a 10 in my book."

Thank you for thanking us.

The Four Steps To Customer Satisfaction

Satisfying a customer doesn't start when we start cleaning your home. It doesn't end when we're finished cleaning your home either. Here's how it works...

Educating The Customer
Our front door can either be our telephone or computer. Those are the two places that you'll first be introduced to Two Maids & A Mop. It's our job to educate you about the housecleaning industry as a whole. It's our job to educate you about the reasons we're better than any other cleaning service that you'll call. And it's also our job to provide you with an outline of our service package.

Communicating With The Customer
Ok, you've spoken to us about our service. You know the price. You know about our pay for performance program. You know what to expect when we knock on your door in a few days. But the communication process doesn't stop with your first contact. The next step is to contact you one day before your initial cleaning visit. The goal of this step is to confirm everything that we discussed during our first contact. We want to make sure that you know what we'll be doing and we also want to make sure that we know what you expect us to accomplish.

Cleaning The House
This stage speaks for itself. But there are a few things that we need to do besides just clean house. Our goal is to provide a mistake free housecleaning. However, mistakes are bound to happen at some point. So it's our job to prove to you that our mistakes can be corrected very easily. We leave a checklist that details each cleaner's role in clean your house. We leave a card detailing the benefits of our pay for performance program. And we leave another card that tells you what to do if you notice a mistake.

Communicating With The Customer - Again
So the house has been cleaned. But our work is far from done. The next step is to make sure that you're happy. So we either call or email for your feedback. We do this every time for every customer. No matter if we clean your house once a week or once a year. We need to know if you're satisfied because our employees paycheck is 100% dependent on your satisfaction level.

This process works. But the process has to be delivered each and every time. It needs to be consistent. Consistency breeds satisfaction. Satisfaction breeds word of mouth referrals. A word of mouth referral breeds a new customer. And a new customer starts the four steps all over again.

The Little Things

Sometimes we get customers in the strangest ways. We just signed up a new customer that is set to be cleaned once a week in Panama City. Ten minutes ago, he didn't even know that we existed.

He had called the wrong number. He was checking on his car. Or at least he thought that we was checking on his car. He was trying to reach his mechanic but he called us by accident.

You can call it luck if you want to call it luck. But you can't have luck without a little hard work. We got lucky because we answered the phone. Sometimes the little things make the big things work.

The $65 Million Satisfaction Guarantee

A man is suing a dry cleaning company for $65 million. His reason: the dry cleaning company offered a satisfaction guarantee along with same day service. Neither happened. Check out the article here.

"He says he deserves millions for the damages he suffered by not getting his pants back, for his litigation costs, for "mental suffering, inconvenience and discomfort," for the value of the time he has spent on the lawsuit, for leasing a car every weekend for 10 years and for a replacement suit, according to court papers.
The man is demanding $65,462,500. The original alteration work on the pants cost $10.50."

Something to consider....

The man demanded $1,150 after his suit was lost. The dry cleaning company denied him that amount. After a few years, the company offered him $3,000. He denied them that amount. What if the dry cleaning company would have just paid him the initial amount? Mistakes are going to happen. When mistakes happen, step up to the plate and point your finger at yourself. Pay the piper. You can bet that this small business owner wished that he would have done that two years ago.

That being said, don't you just love our legal system?

We Only Have Five Customers

We'll clean more than 250 homes this week alone. But we really only have five customers. If you're reading this, keep reading and you'll find yourself in one of these descriptions.

The Overworked Customer
You work a lot. You work so much that you don't have time to clean your home. That's why you hired us.

The Retiree
You're retired. Some of you don't want to clean your toilets any longer. Some of you can't clean your toilets any longer. That's why you hired us.

The Wealthy
You're rich. You have the means to hire somebody else to do the dirty work. There's nothing wrong with you. The fact is that you don't want to clean any longer. That's why you hired us.

The Mover
You're either moving in or out of a home. The house is totally empty. And it's a big job. Too big a job for you because you've got all sorts of other things to worry about during your move. That's why you hired us.

The Business
You either own or manage a business. And you need someone to clean your office during the work week and during normal business hours. More than