Interviewing cleaners for VR

[Robert Tinker]

Any tips on interviewing potential cleaners? Do you do background checks, or ask for references? My thoughts were to ask for references, ie other hosts. How about checking their insurance?

[Luke Carl]

@Robert Tinker If you’ve got say less than 4 properties -they will be interviewing you. A person with one property should be kissing butt and willing to pay more than everyone else in order to get the attention of a worker who frankly doesn’t need you. I find once you get over 4 and especially up in the 10 properties area..... then you’re looking at hiring someone full time and life gets much better. 

Background check.... no. One doesn’t end up cleaning houses for a living if they’ve lived a clean life on the straight and narrow. I think I’d be disappointed if my cleaner hadn’t been arrested at least once. 

Questions to ask:

1. How do you handle the schedule (they need a system of SOME sort of system where you just drop them your calendar URLs and never think about it again. If they don’t have this system you can teach them whether it’s turnoverbnb or google calendar. I bought my cleaner a $400 laptop and it made my life way easier). 

2. Who buys the linens you or me? (You don’t care either way, you just need to know) 

3. Who will he cleaning my house? (Often times they’re a figure head trying to grow a business and they send their cousin or their sister in to do the actual cleaning. In my opinion it’s best to meet everyone who MAY be cleaning your property in person so they know boss. Again it’s a fine line, truth is THEY are the boss if you’ve only got one property) 

4. How much per clean? (This one I don’t even care what the number is. One time I hired the person with the higher number because I liked their vibe. She still works for me today). 

It’s no different than interviewing anyone for any position in any business. Read business books every day! 

Book Suggestion: Traction by Geno Wickman

I hope this helped! 
typed on an iPhone.