Cleaning Business Life
Cleaning Business Life
is your go-to weekly podcast, co-hosted by Shannon Miller, founder of Klean Freaks University, and Jamie Runco, CEO of Above All Cleaning Company in Northern California.
This podcast is designed to support cleaning business owners at every stage of their journey—from launching a startup to scaling to seven figures. Whether you're just starting out or already running an established business, you'll find actionable strategies, proven systems, and expert advice to help you streamline operations, boost profitability, and grow with confidence.
In each episode, we cover critical topics like:
- Building effective systems and structures that drive sustainable growth.
- Product reviews and recommendations to equip your team with the best tools.
- Exclusive interviews with industry leaders sharing tips and success stories.
- Q&A sessions addressing your most pressing business challenges.
- The latest industry trends to keep you ahead of the curve.
Join us weekly to elevate your cleaning business and gain the edge you need to thrive in a competitive market!
Want to get a hold of us, please email us at cleaningbusinesslife@gmail.com
Cleaning Business Life
CBL EPISODE #93 I got punched, why you need a code of conduct policy.
Could you imagine being physically assaulted by a client while trying to provide a service? That's exactly what happened to me, Shannon Miller, and in this gripping episode, I lay bare the harrowing details of that day. Joined by my co-host, Jamie Runco, we plunge into the critical importance of establishing a code of conduct and setting clear boundaries in the cleaning business, especially when dealing with clients with mental health issues like dementia. Jamie shares her own struggles with verbal hostility, shedding light on the daunting task of maintaining professionalism under pressure.
Picture this: a chaotic scenario involving a client, an aggressive dog, and the imminent threat of violence. I had to urge my colleague Lori to escape quickly, all while managing the liability concerns of being a business owner. The situation escalated to a police intervention, leaving an emotional and physical toll that required a heartfelt conversation with my husband about its implications. Through this intense recounting, we stress the necessity of regular safety reviews and protocols to ensure everyone's safety.
We also tackle the pervasive issue of workplace harassment and bullying, emphasizing the need for strong professional boundaries and leadership's protective role. Drawing on personal stories, we discuss practical steps to prevent harassment, including using technology to block unwanted advances. The episode wraps up with advice on implementing policies for client protection, highlighted by a touching anecdote about caring for an aging pet named Adrian. This episode is packed with real-life experiences and invaluable insights for everyone in the cleaning business, so don't miss out on the essential lessons we share.
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oh, it actually said recording in progress we got it this is um shannon miller from um cleaning business life, and I am joined by my co-host, miss jamie runco of northern california of above all cleaning services. See, she's doing the whole arm thing above her head in celebration.
Speaker 2:What was that? The Yellow Brook Road.
Speaker 1:The irony of that show, we won't even go there. Today, we're going to talk a little bit about code of conduct. I actually had to institute a code of conduct after I was punched in the face by a client, an elderly gentleman who is a mere 82 years of age, and I think it's important to revisit this at least once a year so that you guys are aware that these types of situations can happen, and I'll tell you what happened, what led up to it, what my mistake was and how I resolved it going forward. Um, because I panicked and I didn't handle it the right way, even though the police were involved and I was not able to press charges, even though I got punched right in the face, he hit me so hard he knocked my glasses off and just to prevent you from having to go through what I went through over some mental illness that I didn't see. So it's an interesting dynamic. Jamie, have you had to institute any code of conduct or boundary permitters with violent or hostile customers?
Speaker 2:No, not, I've been fortunate enough to not. You know, words have been exchanged and I will admit that I it was really hard to maintain the professionalism your face didn't hold out. Huh. Whenever the ghetto comes right out of you, huh.
Speaker 1:I have it too.
Speaker 2:It sounded like I was came from a trap house or a sailor right, but it was hard to stay face and yes, we deal with a lot of mental illness and it is hard to catch that. And a lot of our elderly clients are have dementia and there is or the beginning stages of dementia and they can get hostile and they can get hostile. So I'm curious to know what. What led up to, what was your clues? Now that you're looking back on it, what was your clues? That, um, how this happened.
Speaker 1:Well, let me preface it this way before this particular incident happened, the most aggressive anyone ever got with me was usually over the phone Cause they were upset about, you know, quality issue. This particular person called me out of the blue set up the appointment. He said it wasn't that dirty. I took it at face value. It was her second home and so you can only when I only work in the solo methods. You can legitimately only work two to three houses if you're solo. And when she walked in I said, hey, what was her name? Lori, you know, because I make them check in with me, especially if it's male. I'm not saying you can't have problems with females, but you're more than likely need to check on your cleaning techs if they're new to you or if they're doing one time cleanings, because we are working with solos. So I said, hey, how's it going? She's like oh my God, it's really bad. And I said let me, can you snap some photos? So she snapped some photos and I looked at them like, oh, wow, this is way worse than I anticipated. And so I called the homeowner that's the next step of the renegotiation process. And I said you know, this is a little more in depth than what you described over the phone, we're not going to be able to finish this job today. I don't have any extra bodies to send over there, because usually with the more intense deep cleanings I like to have two people on the job for a lot of reasons For the workload psychologically it's not so overwhelming and daunting for one person. They're less likely to freak out. There's a lot of things I've learned along the way from doing almost 1200 top to bottom deluxe cleanings I'm sorry, 12,000.
Speaker 1:So that this whole procession happened. He goes well, you know, my wife's coming back from the hospital tomorrow and I said we'll do our best to try to get as much done as we could. I'm not sure what happened if he had said some remarks to her, but it kind of shut her down. There was some sort of energy thing that was happening that I couldn't describe. And then the next thing, you know, I told my husband I'm like I'm going to go across town, I'm going to go to the gym, I'm going to go across town and check on Lori and he said I go, I have a weird feeling, blah, blah, blah. So I went over there in my gym attire and my glasses and he has a little like shih tzu dog and he lives on a busy street. So I knock on the door. I'm like, hey, I'm Shannon.
Speaker 1:I came to check to see how Lori's doing and he said, oh, she's not done and he was laying down on the bed. So I'm talking to him while he's laying down on the bed. It was the most after he let me in the house, he just plopped back down and, um, which was an odd behavior in itself, so I walked over to the bedroom to finish my conversation with this in person, Cause I wasn't cluing in like danger, danger, danger. So, um, he's on the bed and he's pretending that he's sleeping, but he's kind of listening to me. And then this is an off behavior, right, but I'm marching on, I keep on talking, right? No, I get it.
Speaker 1:I said, oh well, it doesn't look like Lori is going to be able to finish today. I can schedule her tomorrow morning. He goes no, she's staying until she's done. I said, look, I don't remember what his name was. Look, she can only work so many hours in a day. After like eight or nine hours, no one can give you a good job. It's just not physically possible. This job is, um, I, as I explained earlier, this job is going to require more than what we have allotted and I didn't have an extra body. And I go. Tomorrow morning I can come back with her. This is um. I would you know my guilt of stepping in to compensate what you should never do, um, because I didn't have enough bodies the following day either. And we can. We can bang it out before your wife gets home.
Speaker 1:He leaped up from the bed Like he was a 15 year old teenager this is a man in his eighties got right in my face Like we're nose to nose, and he starts to vomit all of these words Like he is a sailor at me, telling me how he's going to ruin my business, how he's going to beat the shit out of me, how he's going to do this and that and these really awful things. And then all of the hair on my arm stands up. That's the. You're in danger. That's your spidey senses, right, and it's. It's right now talking about is making my arm, the hair on my arm stand up and I was just like fuck. I like I've stepped in the poo. What am I going to do? And he's like she's not leaving. I'm making her stay here and we're still in, like, we're in the foyer and the bedrooms. Over to the left it's a small condo, a three bedroom, two bath condo. And so he takes a step forward and we actually bump noses because I didn't move. And so he walks over and he like, runs this is an 82 year old man. He runs over to where Lori is and he's like you're not leaving until you're done. And I said look, we're done. What you just did to me caused me alarm. What you're doing to her is causing me alarm. I'm, I'm, you know, I'm here for her safety and I'm all.
Speaker 1:At the time my mentality was you know, no man left behind. We're going to, we're not, we're going to leave together. Right, it's not going to happen. So I'm telling I'm going to go, lori, this job is over, grab your shit and let's go. She's running around with her head cut off like a chicken and I'm just like Lori, get it together. I don't even care if you leave it, let's go Right. Cause I didn't know if this guy was going to go into the other room and grab a gun. I didn't know what was going on. Something's happening right, locking the door. He's the doors open.
Speaker 1:I want to leave and at this point his little doggies running around in little circles, right, and I'm like I don't want the dog to get hit, cause everybody knows how much I love dogs. And um, he's, he's charging at her and then he comes over to me and I'm trying to diffuse a situation. I'm looking at her and she's just running around with her head cut off. I'm like get it together. If you can't grab your stuff, just leave it and we'll get it later. I don't care. Yeah, he's like you need to get off my property. You need to get off my property. I go, I'm not leaving Lori behind. Sorry, it's not happening. So he comes back and he clocks me so fucking hard on my face.
Speaker 1:It was, it was unprovoked, I like. I like the last time I got into physical altercation was like sixth grade Right and I was just like this motherfucker has just hit me in my face and I could feel my glasses. They spun and did like a 360 and they hit the wall Like it scratched them. That's how hard he hit me and my neck. My neck snapped back and then that's when all of the adrenaline kicked into gear. Finally, it took everything I had, because from a business owner standpoint. I cannot have a physical altercation with a homeowner inside their home. He could sue me for everything and I could lose everything. So Lori is still in the background. I can see her running in the background with her head cut off. I'm like what is the fucking problem? Get the shit or leave the shit, let's just go.
Speaker 1:So I pushed the dog back inside because I don't want the dog to get run over and he's getting ready for round two of hitting me in the face, right handed to me, about how he's going to ruin my business and how I'm just a woman and all of these trigger points.
Speaker 1:And I when, when the adrenaline kicked in, the bully came in because, for those of you who don't know, I was a handicapped child.
Speaker 1:I had all kinds of ridicule happen to me and it's usually on reserve, it doesn't pop out every once in a while, but I had years and years of grooming, of kids picking on me, and when that comes out, that's the ugly side of Shannon and it doesn't come out very often. But he provoked it and I said all kinds of mean and hurtful things that I probably would be embarrassed to tell my mother about. And there was this exchange that happened because I'm still waiting for Lori to get it together to come to the front of the house so we can leave. At this point I'm on the front porch, I am calling the police and he is now demanding and, mind you, there's no parking on this road. He wants me to get off his property and out of his driveway. So at this point he's coming in for round three and he and I are having a tussle in his driveway. He's not allowing me to get into the car, he's yanking on my arm and he's telling me I need to get off his property.
Speaker 1:And I'm like dude get off of me and I can still see Lori. She's in the background running around with her head cut off. So I eventually get in the car. At this point the adrenaline is shaking so hard I'm trying to. I have to go off his property into the busy traffic. I pray that his dog is inside. I still can't see Lori. I have to go off his property into the busy traffic. I pray that his dog is inside. I still can't see Lori. I had to go around the corner and call the police. They sent over four of the largest fucking Prescott police officers I have ever seen in my entire life. And the first guy comes up to me. I'm like, oh good, they sent someone big. And then I ran around the corner and I vomited in the bush and he's like are you okay?
Speaker 1:I'm like, oh good, they sent someone big, and then I ran around the corner and I vomited in the bush and he's like are you okay? I'm like right, this was like all of the adrenaline and all the other stuff. I'm like no. I've been, I've had that right and so he's the police officers, like can I see your ID? I'm like shaking trying to give him my ID because I'm just like so rattled over being punched and assaulted by this guy that there's really a cleaning right.
Speaker 1:So they give the conversation. The guy admits that he totally does it. He he like, repeat, he verbatim his story matches my story. So I finally laurie, pops out of the property and I'm like, oh my god, where have you been Right? We're like paddling it out with like with air swords, like star Wars, with the lightsaber Right, and they, they file a report and then we leave the property. I don't even bill him for the rest of the money he owes me. I go home and my husband looks at me and he goes. What happened Then? I had to rehash the story. He's like he clocked you and you didn't defend yourself. And then I had to explain how I couldn't defend myself. I just had to take the punch because of the whole liability of being a business owner. So that is the very short version, nothing happened to him.
Speaker 1:Huh right, I went to the da and the da decided that I could not press charges against him, even though he hit me twice. Um, you were on his property. Is this because I was on his property? Had it happened in the street or in a gas station I could have pressed charges, but because he was the homeowner and this happened inside his property, they considered that defending their property in the state of Arizona and I had no recourse or anything to stand on.
Speaker 2:Wow.
Speaker 1:Let me explain what I learned after all of this. So after my face healed because he hit me on the side of my face and my eye swelled up for I don't know a good two weeks I had a black eye, my jaw hurt.
Speaker 1:Not a black eye, oh my gosh and I, because he clocked me. At first I was shocked. I just, yeah, they're not supposed to be able to move that fast, but he was. He was pretty agile for an 82 year old man and I was just like the shock on my face must have just said it all like I couldn't believe that he hit me. I couldn't believe an old man hit me. I couldn't believe that this guy got up quick enough to round out and just like clock me one it was just all jobs are off and like where was the?
Speaker 2:you know whole. Men don't hit women, it's just oh, man, I am so sorry. So what was that? Implement the code of conduct with you.
Speaker 1:That whole incident implemented the code of conduct. So for me and you guys should all consider this, because I have found, at least in my industry or here in my area, because we're mostly senior based most of the altercations that I've ever had with someone have always been male. It's an older and I hate to say it's an older white male. I'm not trying to be derogatory, but it is what it is. So you need to have this in place on your onboarding paperwork. So the policy in place now, after I got by by someone who I thought would never harm me or hit me, is that you act accordingly and with professionalism. And if you cannot convey what that professional is, is it stated like if you curse at the cleaning tech or you threaten the cleaning tech, or you get on top of them and start screaming at them, or you touch their stuff or you try to touch them what are some of the other things? You're you're blocking them from getting into the car, any of this other stuff.
Speaker 1:The code of conduct for us is that we, because we take a deposit, a 50% deposit, on day of booking to secure your spot, we'll actually just drop what we're doing. We'll gather all our stuff up, we'll walk to the car, you pull off the property and then you give me a phone call and I decide whether the police need to be involved or not. That is the hands down, the non-aggressive approach, instead of trying to defend laurie, which I couldn't figure out still to this day. Why so so many attempts to get out the front door? I got it now, right, right, and she told me after the fact that she goes oh, I did, it was. I saw him hit you and she goes. I thought it was next and it just made me freak out anymore and I'm like oh my gosh, lori, that wasn't my intention. I, I. The whole point of not leaving without you is because I didn't want to leave you behind, because I didn't know he's going to hold her hostage until she finished cleaning the job.
Speaker 2:Who knows what that means Gary, and this is also why we put in the paperwork and, although it's not, it don't have to be nobody home, but we prefer that nobody is home while we're cleaning and, if we are cleaning, be in the other room, and you know, post COVID days, there's all the a lot of people work from home, so there is a shuffle around. I'm going into this room, okay, you can go into the room that we just cleaned, and you but, um, this is, this needs to be all on your onboarding paperwork for your clients um, that was my mistake is I didn't.
Speaker 1:I, you know, I felt that she didn't need to be left behind. I did not want to leave the property without her, even though I was forced to do so. And at that point your mind is like overcompensating on all of the you know sitcoms and all the crime scene videos and sitcoms and everything you've seen.
Speaker 2:You just right, cause you don't know, this guy's threatened to kidnap my employee Cause I had this was my W2 at the time and well, it really felt that, really felt like it really felt like a little too aggressive, really aggressive, a little too aggressive, like she's not leaving until she's done. You're giving off all these red flags.
Speaker 1:Right. To me that means kidnap, right Cause you're. You're already not me, You've already hit me and it's just. But it's funny because if you tell the story to guys, guys are like oh oh, you just took a punch, no big deal. Women are like man, he fucking hit me.
Speaker 2:I just I, or just as a professional, I, I, you know, I, I see the, the, the differences in the professions, um, and it is mostly women for house cleaning that run businesses, but in like roofers and plumbers, and I don't know if I see them taking off gloves and boxing, but some of the stuff that I hear that goes on with my husband's job, oh yeah, it's just just what you guys, I just it's crazy. I will say that I just commented on somebody's post. This was an unwanted and this is a form of sexual harassment and this person has done nothing but shown professionalism. She is, she does like touch therapy, it's almost like a masseuse, but not I don't know exactly, but regardless, she's a professional and she has a business downtown, professional, um, and she has a business down downtown and, um, this guy asks her about a certain sexual position. Oh my gosh, if that and I, just I went left.
Speaker 2:I, because I have been asked you. You get the phone call. Hey, do you think we can pay you extra if one of your cleaning techs can go topless?
Speaker 1:Oh my God, we're not that kind of professional of professional.
Speaker 2:You know some of these girls they. But I have done nothing but shown professional that we are actual company. Uh, you know, come across like that, you're automatically 86 for life, you're banned. I'm so sick of. Oh, it's just, it was just. Ha ha ha, you know laughing, no big deal. What's the big problem? I told her. I said that's a form of sexual harassment. It is, that's it. That was so unwanted, you know, that was just so unwanted here I'm gonna, and there are.
Speaker 1:For those of you who are considering a business model like that, that could be a topic of a conversation that we have at another time, and there's protocol that has to be followed with that business model. We're talking about the normies, right? The rest of us who don't have that business model? It's unwarranted, it's never mentioned in any of our ad copy, it's never even a glimpse. But yeah it, it comes up and then they it's just like when someone says it's not that dirty, it just needs to be broom swept Right. How many times have we heard that no big deal, it's no big deal and they try to, like um, downplay it. So it's like if it sets off alarms on you that you're just pacified I. What do they call that? It's when they're cooking frogs. They turn the heat up a little low and then they turn up the heat a little more and they turn up the heat, gas lighting. There we go and then the frog goes oh my God, I'm being cooked and he jumps out right, it's just that whole thing.
Speaker 1:But there is, it is considered abuse. So the the thing is you nipped it in the bud and that that's that, right there, 80s. When they call again, cause I never, when you ban them. People change their phone numbers, but it says 86 for life or whatever it is on my phone and I have quite a few of them, believe it or not. Or it says an inappropriate name in my phone that never, fucking no way. Dot dot dot, right, because there's something that happened with them and I usually have notes inside the contact to remind me who or what.
Speaker 1:But, yeah, there's, there's people out there who take it. They take it too far. We're seeing our society right now and, by the way, this happened to me in 2017. And it's amazing to me that I could recall that much of the story. What is it? Seven, that I could recall that much of the story? What is it? Seven, eight years, nine years ago? Right, it's 2017, 2024, eight or nine years ago, cause 2019 would be six years, right? So, yeah, nine years. I'm sure I have the math right on that one. We all know I can't add and do these at the same time. So you figure out the math. I'm sure it's right.
Speaker 2:Years ago. It's 15, 16 years ago.
Speaker 1:Right so here.
Speaker 2:We'll do this officially, because now I'm curious well, yeah and then, but I I want to say that we're not. Uh, this isn't just for men, because there are is it really okay, creepy women as well out there. Are creepy women as well, bully women out there. This isn't just, uh, not sitting here.
Speaker 1:Male bashing, this is for males and females and it's just any person who oversteps what the code of conduct is is bad, female or whatever it is you identify as I don't care.
Speaker 2:All of that, but what's great now, though, is that we have a thing on our phone Especially if you have an iPhone, you have an option to block them, and that's what I do. My block list is very long. I won't tolerate to be bullied, and I will not tolerate for my employees to be bullied or talk to down derogatorily. They're relying on me to be the leader of the, the, the leader of the ship, you know.
Speaker 1:And that seems like that's what you were doing for Laurie. To this day, I still see her in town every once in a while, but to this day I was just like I don't. She panicked and it was just. You could just see her arms in the air. It was like I can panic, like what do I do? What do I do? What do I do what I do? And when they and when you have w2s at least for me, um, the, the mama bear aspect comes out of you and there's no once the mama bear comes to the surface, it's really hard to pull it back. Um, because you're protecting your cubs and I'm not saying that these were my children, it's just that protective, I understand become your babies, right?
Speaker 2:no, we're, we're, yeah, no, we're taking care of them, they're taking care of us and, yes, I, I can relate to that a lot, right, right, they are. They're, like you know, our cubs. We are the mama bear, you know.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:So it's just something to consider adding to your policies in place, and it can be a little, you know a little bitty paragraph, not even a paragraph, just as long as it's in there.
Speaker 1:It's like three sentences long. It says, you know something to the effect of code of conduct. We expect you to treat us with the same professionalism that we provide you. Failure to have that happen will result in a consequence. Please call the office for more details.
Speaker 1:I don't get into the nitty gritty because if you do, then people go well. I don't like clause A and you're like clause A, clause A on page two of your service agreement. That's an issue for me. What are you going to do about it? It's just like you just make it light and fluffy, Like it's just there. I usually make them well, in the old days I used to make them initial it. Now it's just when we do the jobber, we send it over. It's just like I authorize you, you authorize my, my LLC, to charge your credit card and I hope to God that you read it and they don't dispute their credit card charge. I go oh, that was you. I'm like you suck because you didn't read what you signed. So, but you hope that they read it and if it, sometimes it could be a dementia thing and you've had them a long time and Mr Smith is starting to lose it and he's becoming aggressive.
Speaker 1:So you have to decide at what point you stop the relationship, because if a customer hits your W-2, it's a workman's comp claim. Sure is Hands down, it's a workman's comp claim, and then they could have PTSD and then it could be. They need more than lots of other things. So look out for the benefit of your company. You guys hear me talk about it all the time. I want everyone, absolutely everyone, to create a legacy that they can either gift to their family or sell on another day. That is my intention for the whole industry, regardless of where you are on the spectrum. I want everyone else to have you. We work crazy hours making giving birth to this thing. Oh, hold on. Hello, Hi, before we start the procedure, they did his blood work.
Speaker 3:He's got one liver inside, ok, so the rest of his blood work is good. So, yeah, there's a lot of seal hernia and it allows the patient to get in that area, right, right is it later in life at all?
Speaker 1:I'm sorry, yes, that was what. Dr steen was, the one who who neutered him and did a repair on him at that time. So that's what happened then. I didn't actually if this all went back in basically and then you use their muscles, et cetera.
Speaker 3:If there is a percentage of the dog that will recreate, that's probably the biggest issue to deal with is that it's just recreating and then shifting them and those types of things. You can't see them recurring, so the range varies. There's definitely evidence that the success would exist, so the range varies by the horse and that's that way that you can see it there.
Speaker 1:Okay, so you say that there's a 20 to 30 chance of failure on this surgery? Okay, 10 to 20, right.
Speaker 3:So I mean that's super high, but if your dog's great, then it's obviously a minute high for them. So having surgeons do it lowers that risk, just because it's very low Basically, okay, okay. So, yep, and they can't turn you in on the other side. Let's back in with the heart and everything else you've got going on. You know, being on the right, the park and everything else you guys going on. You know, okay, the other big thing. So right oh I'm.
Speaker 1:I've touched so much fecal matter. It doesn't. We usually just wipe it off after it's it's washed every time he does it so yeah, he'll be prepared.
Speaker 3:You like, I've taken out my dog because they all get stomach problems.
Speaker 1:OK, drop stool or come out Right.
Speaker 3:And then obviously you know, watch that, watch that decision if you see any infected or down or and definitely have them check it completely. A lot of the little dogs don't like the big hard ones Don't report to the surgery. So we want them to be. There are inflatable ones, like those donuts, and soft ones too, if you just like the hard ones, those are options kind of short, shorter nose.
Speaker 1:So those will probably be compared okay the big things. Okay, I wasn't sure, you know, I just want to make sure I didn't want to overdose him either. So I'm like I wasn't sure, you know, I just want to make sure I didn't want to overdose him either, so I'm like I don't know. Okay, all right Okay. Okay, okay oh yeah, no, oh yeah.
Speaker 3:No no.
Speaker 1:Okay, okay, okay great. Great. Thank you so much, all right, bye, bye, that's the surgeon.
Speaker 2:Well, and how? What's your dog's name?
Speaker 1:Adrian.
Speaker 2:How is Adrian, though? What's going on?
Speaker 1:They have to. He has um. Not only this, this dog has cost me a lot of money over his lifetime because he was abused, Um. So he has a, a liver issue that he takes medicine for, and now the last time I took him in, he now has a heart issue, and this happens a lot with older dogs. He's getting up there in age and I knew that he was going to have a shorter lifespan, but then he had the hernia with the intestine, so there's a muscle wall that holds the intestine together. Well, his intestine goes in and out and then poop gets stuck in there. So for like the last year, I've done nothing but give him this medicine, for that helps keep his poop so it's like diarrhea right, so that it can go, it can pass easily without causing him to bear down. So she wanted to assess him before they did surgery and she also wanted to let me know that there's a 10 to 20% rate of failure and I'm hoping that he doesn't fall on that spectrum, because this is a $3,000 operation for my little dog who's 10 pounds. So, um, and if it, if it fails, unfortunately, um, that's, that's going to be the end.
Speaker 1:I've done everything I can do for him and then I had to sign a DNR because I he's either going to make it or he's not. Like with Max, I was like I want you to resuscitate him with because Max died in February or January. I also have another dog who is getting up there and who also has a heart thing and I'm not going to do anything extra for him. He's just going to go when he's going to go. But it's just like this whole I had to like come to terms with am I okay with this? And I was like, of course, no, I apologize, we'll, we'll clip this part out.
Speaker 1:No, I figured she said it's going to take a while to do the surgery. I was surprised that it took him this long, cause I dropped him off at seven 30 this morning and they were supposed to start at nine and here it's nine 49. And she said that the surgery is going to take like an hour hour and a half to do, cause they have to go in there and do it. I think I'm just going to give him baby food going forward and it'll keep the stool soft enough where he doesn't have to bear down, even though he's a total scrounge. He had a dead mouse in his mouth this morning. I was all you're such a scrounge, give me that I'm like throwing it to the chickens, right, look, mommy, I found this dead mouse you want me to have it in my mouth, like and they're so proud.
Speaker 1:Oh, totally, I dropped it. Look, do you want to see it? It doesn't move anymore. I'm touching it, I'm touching it, right. So, um, so, with the um, let's get back on track. We'll finish this one, take a little mini break and then do the second one and we done. Um, yeah, here, let's get back on track. We'll finish this one, take a little mini break and then do the second one and we're done here. Let's do this, so I know when to clip it. All right.
Speaker 1:So we were talking about code of conduct, and there are certain things that you should do to protect yourself and your cleaning crew and making sure that you have it stated in your policies in place. Whether you do that on your website, whether you do that in addition to your website, it's on your onboarding paperwork. All of my stuff is mentioned inside of my quote that I send over through Jobber. I used to do it, the old school method where I did a docusign. It becomes really expensive and not necessary anymore because Jobber has finally caught up to 2024. Up to 2024. That's great, you know, for us, yeah, jobber's great, right.
Speaker 1:So it took a while for me to even transition, because I had done it one way and even then I used to send it over in any. I couldn't press the file, send it over in an email, have them print it out, snap photos and send it back. That literally was labor intensive, low tech. So, but you have to do it because, let's be honest, I'm getting tired of the conversations with people of I did a one-time cleaning, I did not get a deposit, something went down and now I'm you know shit out of luck, since I've cursed so much in this episode. Don't put yourself in that position. Have policies in place that work. You know my. Whether you get it from me or from somebody else, the cleaning contract bundle is the way to go. Every single line item in those contracts is a blender that I made in my business. Learn from me, people Learn.
Speaker 2:From somebody that has been there. Copy, copy paste, make it your own. I've used your contract bundle. How many times has your contract bundle been?
Speaker 1:used. Oh my gosh, I think I um, it might be personally. Well, I've done 12,000 top to bottom deluxe cleanings. I believe I'm at 87 or 8,800 move in, move out cleanings. I've done roughly 2000 post-construction cleanings.
Speaker 1:I actually need to update this contract funnel because you cannot use a non-compete anymore and the conversation came up. I had it in my things to do and then I forgot about it. But I need to go in there. You can no longer make a W-2 or 1099 sign. A non-compete is against the law, do not get yourself in trouble. But you can make a 1099 sign, a vendor agreement, which is a very light and fluffy version of a non-compete.
Speaker 1:Technically, but not technically. It's worded differently. You can't use that anymore. Right, you cannot use that anymore. You cannot prevent someone earning their own way. It's ridiculous. That mentality is gone. It's just like when I was in management and I was salary and I had to work, they only paid you for 40 hours, but you were required to work 55 or 60 hours to get the bonus structure and if you didn't, then you weren't a team player and they just rode you all the time. I mean, I just think back to all of the horrible employers I have had over the years, um, and so things have changed, so it's important to be on top of it. Like the next big thing is the boi reporting. I haven't even looked at it, I'm just like. I've poked around at it, I've stepped on it, I flipped it over, like because I know it's coming. I know the BOI reporting thing is coming and you guys are all going to ask me about it. I haven't a clue. I'm like who has done the BOI?
Speaker 2:I've seen that and I kind of all I have done is looked at it. I barely even kicked it. So, um, yeah, make sure that, um, you get uh something with the code of conduct inside of your uh contract or your welcoming pack, whatever you want to call it.
Speaker 2:It's a contract at the end of the day, agreement is yeah, there you go and make sure you set those boundaries right up front and, like Shannon said, make sure that you know. Just make it light and fluffy. You don't have to sit there and itemize everything that you're not going to tolerate, Just say. If you have any questions, call the office.
Speaker 1:Right, it makes it way easier. And then there's no like alarm, right Cause you're always going to have and if your name is Karen, I still love you. We're always going to have a Karen who is not like this or not like that, or the wind doesn't blow in the right direction, and we're just cleaning service providers. We're not here to facilitate your personality or whatever's going on with you internally. We're just here to provide a service. We 99% of us, 99.999% of us like to clean, like to see the end result and we love helping our customers. Don't make it more complicated than that.
Speaker 2:Yes, we're not here to sell your house for you. No.
Speaker 1:It's just like don't worry, it doesn't need to be cleaned, it just needs to be broom swept. You're like, yeah, right whole life.
Speaker 2:We're so such a help in households and businesses. You know it's needed.
Speaker 1:It's almost a necessity anymore. And there's a science. Yeah, definitely, it's an accepted trade. We're no longer less than it is part of the household budget. Now. It's no longer considered a luxury item. It is a line item in your household budget. Now it's no longer considered a luxury item. It is a line item in your household budget. So if having a personal chef come over and make you meals and having a house cleaner come over and clean your home is something that you want, it needs to be a line item in your household budget. Don't go. I can't believe that's what you're charging.
Speaker 2:But it is very needed and it's, it's become essential. It's uh, it's no longer just a luxury item. Right, it is, it's a 23rd trade, 23rd trade, yeah, I think you'll get that one day.
Speaker 1:On that note we'll end this segment. Thank you so much for joining us and don't forget to download, leave us reviews and ask us questions. You guys take care. Bye.
