Not every potential client is the right fit for your business. Learning to identify problem clients before you accept their booking will save you time, stress, and potentially dangerous situations. This chapter covers the essential screening process that protects both you and your business.
What You Will Learn
- Why the in-home walkaround is mandatory before accepting any client
- Phone screening questions that reveal potential issues
- Warning signs of difficult or problematic clients
- How to set clear service boundaries and expectations
- Safety protocols when meeting new clients
- The importance of meeting all household members before starting service
The Non-Negotiable Walkaround
You must see the property before providing a final quote or accepting a booking. This is not optional. Would a builder agree to construct an extension without first visiting the site? Would an electrician quote a rewiring job over the phone? The answer is no, and the same principle applies to your cleaning business.
When a potential client insists on booking over the phone and wants you to commit to a price without seeing their home, treat this as a significant red flag. Clients who refuse a walkaround often know their property requires more work than average. They may be hoping to lock you into a low price before you see the actual condition of the space.
If someone pressures you for a phone quote, you have two options. You can firmly explain that you only provide accurate quotes after seeing the property, or you can provide an inflated estimate with the clear statement that the final price depends on an in-person assessment. Most legitimate clients will understand and appreciate your professional approach.
Initial Phone Screening Questions
Before you schedule a walkaround, ask these essential questions during the initial phone call:
Basic Property Information
- Address (verify its in an area you wish to service)
- How many bedrooms and bathrooms does your home have?
- What is the approximate square footage?
- How many people live in the household?
- Do you have any pets? If yes, what type and how many? Will they be loose during cleaning?
- Are there any expensive items, or items that might be easily breakable?
Service History
- Have you used a professional cleaning service before?
- If yes, why are you looking for a new cleaner?
- When was the last time your home was professionally cleaned?
Household Access
- Who will be home during the cleaning service?
- When I come for the walkaround, will I be able to meet everyone who lives in the home?
This last question sometimes surprises clients. If they ask why you need to meet everyone, explain that all household members should meet their cleaner before service begins. This prevents surprises and ensures everyone’s comfort and safety. This policy protects both your safety and theirs.
Scheduling Flexibility
- Do you need us to arrive at a specific time, or can you work within a two-hour arrival window?
Cleaning schedules can be unpredictable. A job that should take two hours might take three if the property is dirtier than expected. Traffic delays happen. Requesting a two-hour arrival window allows you to run an efficient schedule without constantly rushing or disappointing clients.
Assessing the Property Before You Arrive
If you do not know the neighborhood or property, use Google Maps street view to look at the house before your walkaround appointment. This preliminary check can reveal useful information. Is the exterior well-maintained or neglected? Does the visible yard appear cluttered or hoarded?
If you have already distributed flyers or door hangers in the area, you may have already screened out properties that appeared problematic from the outside. This advance knowledge helps you make informed decisions about which clients to pursue.
Safety During the Walkaround
Your personal safety matters. When you visit a new property for the first time, take these precautions:
- Bring someone with you if possible
- If you go alone, tell someone exactly where you are going
- Share the property address and the appointment time
- Have your contact person call you ten minutes after your scheduled arrival time
- Check in with them immediately when you arrive and when you leave
These safety measures take minimal effort but provide significant protection. If something feels wrong during the walkaround, trust your instincts and leave.
Conducting the Walkaround
The walkaround serves multiple purposes beyond determining your quote. You are assessing the property condition, establishing expectations, and evaluating whether this client fits your business model.
Property Assessment Walk through every room you will be expected to clean. Note the current condition honestly. Is the space reasonably maintained, or are you looking at a hoarding situation? Are surfaces cluttered with items you will need to work around? How much time will this property realistically require?
Setting Service Boundaries During the walkaround, clearly state what your service includes and excludes. This prevents future conflicts and ensures the client understands your role.
You clean surfaces, floors, bathrooms, and kitchens. You are a cleaner, not a tidier or organizer. You do not do dishes, laundry, or extensive decluttering before you can access surfaces. You may empty garbage cans and take bags to the garage, but you do not handle cat litter boxes, diaper pails, or other specialized waste.
If the client needs services beyond your scope, be direct. You can recommend other professionals if appropriate, but do not allow scope creep to make you uncomfortable or unprofitable.
Explaining Your Pricing Model Use the walkaround to explain how your pricing differs from competitors. Many cleaning companies charge inflated rates for initial deep cleans, sometimes double or triple their regular rate. You do not operate this way.
Instead, explain that you charge the same rate from the first visit onward. However, the first few cleanings will take longer because you are bringing the property up to your maintenance standard. On the initial visit, you may focus on the main living areas and skip one or two less-used rooms such as guest bedrooms or a basement bathroom. On the second visit, you will add those rooms while the main areas require less intensive work. By the third or fourth visit, the entire property should be at your standard, and your time at the property will decrease as efficiency improves.
This approach benefits everyone. The client avoids the sticker shock of an expensive deep clean. You establish realistic expectations about timing and effort. As the property reaches maintenance standard, you earn the same fee while working more efficiently.
Emphasize that you charge by the job, not by the hour. This means you benefit from increased efficiency rather than being penalized for it. This pricing structure motivates you to work effectively and rewards you for developing systems that save time.
Using a Walkaround Checklist Bring a structured checklist to each walkaround. This document helps you gather consistent information and presents a professional image. MaidHost provides a free walkaround sheet that covers all essential details. Having this written record prevents misunderstandings and gives you documentation of what was agreed upon.
Warning Signs of Difficult Clients
Experience teaches you to recognize clients who will create ongoing problems. Watch for these red flags:
Price Shopping and Phone Quotes Clients who focus exclusively on price and refuse an in-person assessment do not value quality service. They view cleaning as a commodity and will likely expect more than they are willing to pay for. These clients often become your most demanding and least satisfied customers.
Excessive Complaints About Previous Services Most people can articulate one or two reasonable complaints about a previous cleaner. “They often ran late” or “They consistently missed the guest bathroom” are specific, verifiable issues. These complaints may even highlight areas where you can excel.
However, if a potential client recites a long list of grievances about multiple previous companies, proceed with caution. When someone has had problems with every cleaner they have hired, they are likely the common denominator. Some complaints reveal unrealistic expectations, such as expecting window cleaning to be included in every service at no additional cost, or becoming angry when a cleaner did not reorganize their entire kitchen.
Disrespect Toward Service Workers Pay attention to how potential clients speak about previous cleaning services. Contemptuous or dismissive language suggests they will treat you the same way. Professional relationships require mutual respect. If someone cannot speak respectfully about their previous service providers, they will not respect you either.
Refusal to Discuss Household Members If a client becomes defensive or evasive when you ask about meeting everyone in the household, consider this a warning sign. Legitimate safety concerns require transparency about who will be present during your service.
Special Requests That Expand Scope Some clients test boundaries during the walkaround by mentioning numerous special requests or additional services they expect to be included at no extra charge. This pattern typically continues after you start service, with each visit bringing new expectations and complaints that you did not do something they never mentioned before.
Handling Special Requests and Additional Services
When a client mentions wanting services beyond your standard offering, address this directly during the walkaround. For example, if they want interior window cleaning, determine exactly what they mean. Do they want all windows cleaned, or just the large picture windows in the front room and the kitchen window?
If this is a service you can provide, explain whether it will be included in your regular rotation (such as doing certain windows every other visit) or if it requires an additional fee. If window cleaning would add an hour to your service time, calculate the additional cost and give them the option to include it or decline it.
If window cleaning is not a service you offer at all, say so clearly. You can recommend another professional if you have established a referral relationship, but do not feel pressured to add services outside your business model simply to please a client. This approach leads to scope creep and unprofitable work.
Building a Referral Network
As your business grows, develop relationships with other service providers who serve the same client base. Connect with carpet cleaners, window washers, handymen, and other home service professionals. Let them know you will recommend their services to your clients, and ask if they will do the same for you.
Most service providers welcome this arrangement because it provides free marketing and qualified referrals. Local business networking groups facilitate these connections and provide opportunities to build your referral network systematically.
Making Your Decision
After completing the walkaround and discussing expectations, you may need time to calculate your quote and consider whether this client fits your business. Do not feel pressured to commit immediately. You can tell the client you will send them a detailed quote within 24 hours.
If something about the situation concerns you, trust that instinct. You are building a business that serves you as well as your clients. Accepting problematic clients who drain your energy and resources works against your goals. It is better to decline a booking than to accept work that will cause ongoing stress.
Key Takeaways
- The in-home walkaround is mandatory before accepting any client
- Phone screening questions help identify potential issues before you invest time in a property visit
- Safety protocols during walkarounds protect you from potentially dangerous situations
- Clearly state what your service includes and excludes during the walkaround
- Explain your pricing model: same rate from the start, with the first 3-4 visits bringing the property to maintenance standard
- Recognize warning signs including price shopping, excessive complaints about previous services, and disrespectful behavior
- Use a structured checklist during walkarounds to gather consistent information
- Build a referral network with other service providers who serve your target market
- Trust your instincts and decline clients who raise red flags during the screening process