experiencing our own services

We all have our COVID stories and what happened over the past year causing changes, some sudden, some gradual, but everything affected everything and the domino affect still feels like it's going some days.

Our business was no different.   We had a roller coaster ride in 2020.   Starting in March with what we thought was going to be a "2 week" shut down caused many (thankfully not all) of our customers particularly Residential Customers,  to pause services.  

With a team of 30 we began to wonder if we would have hours for everyone to work, and what this would do to our business both long term and  short term.

On the day time Residential Team specifically, we were seeing a lot of pause in services due to the fact that a lot of people were working from home, kids were not in school, and that shifted life for everyone! Having cleaners come into their homes was either too chaotic and didn't work with families now hunkering down at home, or needs had changed and they were able to do the cleaning themselves as we all waited on daily updates on return to school and work plans.   We get it.  We knew why it was happening, we just didn't know if and when things would pick up again.

On the day time team  we operate with a team of four.  These are team members who have been with us for 4 or more years and we didn't want to lose them!  What could we do to provide work and hours for our team?

Talking to our leadership team and our Facilities Manager we decided to do something we would never have thought of doing before.... for many reasons.... but this was no ordinary year, and no ordinary situation, and we needed to find hours for our amazing team members in order to keep them....so we added our own personal homes as well our own office to their schedule in place of other customers who were pausing services.   

I will sum up the point of my story with ten "pros" and my one and only "con".  Experiencing weekly cleaning services was supposed to be short term for our household,  until business picked up again, (which it did and we are THANKFUL for that) but guess whose house didn't come off the schedule.... Here is what I love (and struggle with) in having my house cleaned by other people:

PROS:
1. My family and I are better "picker-uppers" -- because we have to be.  We are lesser slobs.  We clear our counters and piles and clothing, we do our dishes, we put things away... the night before the cleaning team comes.   It keeps up accountable.
2. Our bathrooms feel cleaner, smell cleaner, look nicer --- I personally believe in weekly cleanings for busy families simply for bathrooms and kitchens alone being a weekly disinfection need.
3. Shiny kitchen sink -- this is my favorite thing.  Our team doesn't just clean the sink they make it shine and hell hath no fury like a mom who doesn't get to see that sink shine on cleaning day before the kids make mac and cheese.
4. Stove top and inside microwave stays caught up 
5. Floors are maintained much much better and more often, than we ever did ourselves! 
6. My time can be spent on higher pay off activities for our business.
7. My time can be spent on higher pay off activities with my family.
8. My girls like the look and feel of the rest of the house being clean and it motivates them to do better in their own rooms (we don't have the cleaners do our bedrooms because we want the kids do their own. period.  no negotiations.)
9. We have two dogs and the upkeep of the pet hair and dander are more valuable than we imagined.
10. I don't have to keep as many cleaning supplies on hand because the team brings the right tools for the job each week.

CONS:
1. We have to pick up and it's not always easy or convenient.
That's it.  That is the only thing that is a con for our family.   

I want to say to our customers who have joked about "cleaning before the cleaners come"  I feel that.  I get that.  I do that.   It's a lot.   But it gets me going and keeps me organized by having them come.  Yes more organized almost by "force" but still more on top of it over all.   I feel less stressed, I feel happier that disinfection takes place in my bathrooms, kitchen and floors each week.   I use my time for things that make a bigger difference over all for our team and for my family. 

I do want to say that had it not been a "COVID Year" I don't think I could have convinced my husband that paying my own company for weekly cleaning would have made sense to him.  In fact, I know it would not have because we've had "that" conversation in the past.   Me whining about juggling too much and wanting more quality help than what the kids can do, and what I had time for, etc, etc,...

When I told him my initial plan last March was to just have it done for a month or two to help fill schedules, he was on board for a short term commitment.   Here we are 11 months later and  we both now find huge value in this weekly service.   

I will save the following details for another article, but want to say how much our team has grown and learned having experienced the service through the eyes of our customers.  We have always tried to see through the lens of our customers, but now we have a true inside look a lot more close up.  

Do you need an estimate for Residential Cleaning Services?   I know who to recommend.     Fill out an online quote form and join me in balancing life a little bit more.