A few months ago our business ran into a big problem. Though I thought things were going smoothly, there were some issues that needed fixing below the surface.
It all started with a small complaint from an Airbnb host.
We had been cleaning his property for over a year and up until this point, had never received any complaints.
His issue? He didn't like the way we were staging the towels in the bathroom.
Easy, simple fix.
The next step for our team was pretty straightforward. Create a property-specific requirement in our cleaning software so every cleaner would know how the towels are to be staged at this property going forward.
Problem solved (or so I thought)
The next week, we got a text from the same host. The towels had been staged and folded incorrectly again. Even after updating the checklist for this property, cleaners continued to stage incorrectly.
So we tried again. This time, we sent DMs to the previous cleaners letting them know about the change and what we needed to do moving forward.
I bet you can guess what happened the following week. Yep, another text (this time he was very frustrated).
I realized pretty quickly that sending DMs and changing property-specific requirements aren’t enough to force change. These changes needed to be communicated clearly and often.
Because of this experience, we started doing weekly virtual team meetings. Each Wednesday at 8:15am all cleaners, VAs, QC inspectors, etc. jump on the same Google Meet link for a 15-minute call.
In that meeting, we recognize outstanding performance, announce changes to the process, and remind the team of policies.
On our first call, we brought up how towels are to be staged at this particular property.
This time, the problem was solved for real. No more angry texts from the host and no more non-compliance from cleaners.
This weekly 15-minute all-hands call has several purposes. Not only does it help the team run smoothly and allow management to remind them about policies and standards, but it also helps to create a spirit of unity and collaboration amongst the team members. On every call, we always shout out new 5-star reviews and give praise to cleaners who are making a big difference. The team loves the shoutouts and congratulating each other.
One tricky thing off the bat was getting everyone on the call.
At first, this meeting was optional. My fear was, “These cleaners are 1099. You can’t make them do anything.” While that is true in a sense, it doesn’t prevent me from sharing our expectations for the job.
Just like a plumber doesn’t plumb a house without first meeting with the general contractor, our cleaners don’t do a job without meeting first with us. It’s part of the package. If they don’t get clear expectations from us about how to succeed, our relationship won’t last long.
If you want to get more jobs from us, you need to know the details of the job. We share those details on this call every Wednesday. If you don’t come to the meeting, you won’t know what “done” looks like to us. And we won’t offer you more jobs.
The best contractors have good working relationships with their clients. Just because someone is 1099 doesn’t mean you can’t have expectations and set up a time to discuss those expectations.
Since implementing these Wednesday morning meetings, there has been a significant increase in compliance with our standards and, because of that, an increase in customer satisfaction and retention.
So if you struggle to hold your team accountable to your standards (1099 or not), consider doing a weekly 15-minute meeting to ensure everyone is on the same page. You’ll thank me later!
Until next time!
Logan
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