How do you incentivize cleaners to go above and beyond?

[Dave Stokley]

We have been experimenting with things like paying a $5 bonus for every 5* review and additional bonuses for 5* review streaks. Since we have 12+ cleaners on our team we've also been discussing a regular email/newsletter type of things with each cleaner's stats (ratings, % of 5* reviews, etc.) and recent positive reviews to try to stoke some competitiveness and pride. Curious to hear what others are doing, especially those with larger teams...

[Paul Sandhu]

I let my cleaner sleep with me.

[Luke Carl]

Quote from @Paul Sandhu:

I let my cleaner sleep with me.

 Boom

[John Underwood]

Quote from @Paul Sandhu:

I let my cleaner sleep with me.

 Ans she still cleans the houses!

[John Underwood]

Pay them well and set expectations.  Give them a warning and move on to someone else if they don't meet expectations.

[Leslie Anne Morris]

I let my cleaner dictate the cleaning fee that we then pass on to the guest.  Win win.  

[Michael Baum]

We pay a more than fair amount for cleaning, but I also let her and her family use the house a couple of times a year.

She will be staying with her family as her in-laws are coming in and they have a small place. Plus she now has her 16yo sister living with her so room is at a premium.

She will take care of the cleaning so all good!

[Paul Sandhu]

The floggings will continue until houses are cleaner.

[Joel Case]

Quote from @Paul Sandhu:

I let my cleaner sleep with me.

 I let my cleaner sleep with me and now rates have doubled....

[Christian Ehlers]

Paying on time can be helpful too! Especially smaller cleaning companies or those that own their own small business, many get paid through Venmo or services like that, so being their fastest and most consistent paying customer can really help! I also send them any positive review that mentions the cleanliness to thank them. 

[Jon Martin]

 I let my cleaner sleep with me and now rates have doubled....

 Hate it when that happens :/

[Eliott Elias]

I won't fire them if they do a good job. Too many people that are hungry for work out there

[Josue Vargas]

Tip them well, or not.  Hire a different company if they are not performing.  

[Dave Stokley]

Thanks for all the responses! 

Perhaps my title was a little misleading, as most of our cleaners are excellent. What I'm really looking for is anyone who has some sort of performance-based incentive program. 

We are already doing everything suggested (except sleeping with them), including letting them set rates, paying them well and on-time, and being very clear on expectations. We are even developing a "new cleaner training program" and asking them to help us design and evaluate it. 

[Mike Shemp]

Your cleaner will be getting tips at the holiday time from all of their clients.  Be the client that tips the most.

Mike

[Matt Mertz]

We have one property, a big cabin (sleeps 16) with a $375 cleaning fee.  We give our cleaners a $50 bonus if the guest leaves a 5 star review (overall).  That's a 13% bonus and it's a nice round number that feels like a substantial bonus.

I don't have any historical data since we've had the same cleaners and we've only been live since December 2021.  But I can say that they do an incredible job and have a sense of ownership in the house.

Every stay has been 5 star except for one 4 star (when we started).  Every Airbnb review is 5 stars.  For some reason we get a small minority of guests that don't review on VRBO (I suppose because those guests are older and less tech savvy).

Additionally we plan on giving them a big Christmas bonus this year because we appreciate the good work they do for us.  There's no math or incentives involved.  It's just gratitude.

As for your strategy, the first thing I thought was that I wouldn't be motivated by a $5 bonus.  But I don't know your market and pricing.  

I like 5 star review metric bonuses (after all, a clean house is the foundation of a 5 star stay) but it has to motivate your cleaners.  Increase the bonus or perhaps lump together 2-3 5 star stays into a larger bonus.  I don't know.  I'm just saying if I was a cleaner and I got a $5 bonus it would not impress me (and in fact may do the opposite).