Many carpet cleaners have been burned with hiring employees and later retreated to owner-operator status once again. Or maybe you’re just scared to trust someone else with your precious customers. (You really need to learn to let go!)
It all comes back to one key question: 1) Do you want to build a Critical Mass Business that will run smoothly without you? If so, you absolutely must compete for the ‘Very Best People’. (VBP)
Resource: Our 3-hour, online SFS: Hiring the Very Best! LIVE seminar will transform your employee recruiting systems. Click HERE for the class curriculum, to see upcoming dates or to easily register online…
Meanwhile, you need help! One tip that worked great for me was to…
Recruit techs from a service business background such as waiters, bartenders, hardware store clerks, etc. These workers are usually well groomed, have a higher level of customer service and good communication skills. When someone impresses you with their service hand them a card and suggest that they give you a call.
I can’t stress enough the need to “hire right”. Just like with a good marriage, with the right person life is easy. Hire the wrong people and your daily business life will quickly become an ongoing agony!
As I tell every SFS training class, “Life is too short to work with ‘marginal workers’! Plus what do you owe your customers? STOP sending losers into your client’s homes.”
Remember that some fantastic Very Best People are searching for a long term career right now. Sure, for many candidates “cleaning” may not be a high status profession but hey- money talks!
Plus if a VBP candidate has suffered through corporate layoffs the close-knit family environment you offer may be just what they are looking for. (Explain to each new employee that they can ‘create their own job security’ by making themselves indispensable!)
The great recruiting advantage here for you? Customer contact jobs in the hospitality and retail sector are usually low paying. So you can offer more money to your new hire and still make a profit! Remember that your workers should view it as both a privilege AND an opportunity to work for you.
As L.L. Bean always said, “I always felt if we paid 20% better than anyone else we would have employees 40% better that any of our competitors.” So are you paying your people at least 20% more than they could make doing comparable work for anyone else in your local area? If not… why not?
Steve
RESOURCE: You’ll learn so much in our different online SFS LIVE seminars! Plus you can implement our concepts easily with our turnkey SFS: ‘Business Infrastructure’! Click HERE to see upcoming classes…
Note: Every week we share a timely, practical tip like the above. So if you’re not already signed up for these weekly QuickTIPS, do so now.
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This week’s FOCUS: See yourself with the “Customer’s Eyeglasses”
Should I wear a bow tie when cleaning?
A phone not answered is money lost!
Record your telephone staff- Painful but very productive
Switch places (literally) with the Customer
Personal hygiene wins Cheerleaders
What can carpet cleaners learn from Disney?
A high class technique to create restoration Cheerleaders
“Introduce” your technicians BEFORE they ring the door bell
Download: Recession Proofing Your Restoration Business
Download: A “Beauty Makeover” check list for your cleaning business
Also new this week:
I have had good and bad success with employees. I find that when I hire someone with past cleaning experience I am also hiring there past companies bad habits. I prefer to hire no experienced people. That way I can train them my way and the way I want it done. It has worked well so far.
— I would like to agree with you! By hiring fresh technicians, you can create a unique company culture where they are trained with your strict codes and standards.