How can a cleaning business stop wasted visits and lockouts?
Send an automatic reminder the day before every visit that asks the client to reply if anything about access has changed, and set a clear late cancellation and lockout policy that clients see before they book. For one-off and end-of-tenancy cleans, take a deposit when they book, so a locked door doesn’t leave you with nothing for that slot.
By Sammy Morgan, who runs M1 Studio in Chichester. Updated .
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- Industry
- Cleaning businesses
- Problem
- No-shows
- The fix
- Online Booking & Deposits, £1,800
- Do it yourself?
- Yes, the first steps below
Why it happens to cleaning businesses.
- Access depends on the client
- A key under a pot, a key safe code, an alarm code, a concierge. When any of them changes and nobody tells you, the visit is wasted.
- A lost slot can’t be refilled
- Cleans are booked around travel between homes. A three-hour gap at short notice rarely gets filled, and your cleaner is still paid.
- End-of-tenancy keys go through others
- Keys may be collected from a letting agent or handed over by a tenant who has already left. One missed handover and the team is stood outside.
- Regulars forget to say
- A weekly client goes on holiday, starts working from home or cancels at the door. Without a reminder, you find out when you arrive.
What to do, in order.
Write down your access policy
What happens if you can’t get in, how long you wait, and what you charge. Put it in your terms and your booking confirmation, so clients agree to it before the first clean.
Keep access details safely
Record key safe codes, alarm codes and parking notes for each client somewhere secure. Code keys rather than labelling them with addresses.
Confirm the day before
A short reminder asking “Anything changed with access tomorrow?” catches most problems while there’s still time to move the slot.
Take deposits on one-off cleans
End-of-tenancy and deep cleans are the costliest to lose. A deposit at booking, with your cancellation rules shown, protects the slot.
Set it up properly
Online Booking & Deposits takes bookings and deposits on your website with reminders and your cancellation rules. Missed-Call Rescue adds reminders for regular rounds.
Where M1 can do it for you.
Fixed prices, or a fixed quote before any work starts. No VAT is charged. Any running costs are listed before you agree.
- Online Booking & Deposits £1,800
One-off and end-of-tenancy cleans booked online with a deposit, reminders and your lockout and cancellation rules shown when people book.
Bookings taken online, with a deposit paid up front.
- Missed-Call Rescue £800
Automatic reminders before regular cleans, so clients tell you about holidays and access changes before your team sets off.
Missed calls get a text back, automatically.
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Before you decide.
Something else? Ask Sammy on WhatsApp.
Can I charge a lockout fee?
Many cleaning businesses do, where the charge is in terms the client agreed to before booking and it’s fair for the time lost. UK consumer law expects terms to be clear and fair. M1 doesn’t give legal advice, so check your wording with an adviser if you’re unsure.
Should regular weekly clients pay a deposit?
Often not. Regulars usually respond better to a reminder the day before and a clear cancellation policy. Some firms take payment in advance each month instead. Deposits suit one-off cleans best. See no-show deposit.
How much do wasted visits cost me?
Try the no-show cost calculator with your own numbers. Online Booking & Deposits is a fixed £1,800; the booking tool’s monthly fee and card fees on deposits are paid directly by you and listed before you agree.
Keep reading.
Know what to fix. Then decide.
Sammy writes down what’s holding your business back and what to fix first. The Foundation Blueprint is yours within 5 working days of your answers.
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