The Cleaning Guy

The Cleaning Guy Helping cleaning companies shine with proven tips and strategies.

10/22/2025

Sometimes closing a deal is simpler than people think.

I met with a prospect to quote their new facility. While we were talking, I noticed he was stressed — the common area bathrooms were filthy, out of supplies, and their floor was opening the next day. He said he had to clean it himself and make a Home Depot run.

I told him, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll send a team tonight to handle the bathrooms and restock everything.”

A few hours later, the signed agreement was in my inbox.

Lesson: solve a problem before they hire you, and they’ll never forget it.
Lead with action, not words.

10/13/2025

Most cleaning companies panic when they get a cancellation notice.
They either fight aggressively… or walk away too fast.

Here’s the smarter move: buy time.

When a client sends that email, don’t react emotionally. Respond professionally, thank them for the partnership, and ask for a short meeting to “understand the decision and explore options.”

This does two things:
1. It gives you time to regroup and assess what went wrong.
2. It opens the door to solve the issue and possibly save the account.

Many cancellations aren’t final — they’re emotional or based on one incident. The companies that win are the ones who slow it down and handle it with strategy.

10/10/2025

It’s crazy how RFPs haven’t changed in decades.
You get 100 pages… and 90% of it is irrelevant.

All you really need is a few pages to understand the job — the rest is just noise.

This process is outdated and painful.
And soon, it’s going to change.

Once we launch our software, RFPs will be a thing of the past.

10/08/2025

I’ve been traveling a lot lately and meeting some incredible people in the industry.

The cleaning world is changing fast — creative minds are turning big ideas into reality, and AI is making things easier than ever before.

I was just at the Elite BSC Conference in Louisville, and it reminded me how powerful it is to be around people who are on the same mission.

It’s a great community for the cleaning industry — and you’ll meet some serious players who are more than willing to share their knowledge with you.

If you want to grow, learn, and connect with others in the commercial cleaning space, this is where you start.
Join the conversations. Show up. Get around the right people.

That’s how you level up.

10/06/2025

Most cleaning companies never ask their clients for reviews.

Google reviews are free marketing.
They build trust, boost visibility, and make prospects feel confident before they ever talk to you.

Here’s the thing — happy clients don’t automatically leave reviews. You have to ask.

And the best time to ask?
Right after you’ve delivered a great result.

A simple message like,

“Hey, we really appreciate working with you. If you could take 30 seconds to leave us a quick Google review, it would mean a lot.”

That one review can lead to your next big client.

10/03/2025

We took over a facility and made a big impact fast.
The client was thrilled — so much that they asked for a quote at another location.

Our price? Double what their current vendor was charging.
Guess what? She still approved it.

Why? Because price is only an issue when value is missing.

When clients trust the quality, the price becomes secondary.
Stop competing to be the cheapest.
Start competing to deliver the most value.

10/01/2025

It blows my mind how many owners run their business without knowing their overhead.

That number isn’t optional. It’s critical.
You should know it down to the exact %.

Because if you don’t, you’re probably underbidding jobs and losing money without realizing it.

Pricing without overhead baked in is like driving without a gas gauge — sooner or later, you’re stranded.

If you want to run a profitable company, figure out your overhead.
Don’t operate blind.

09/27/2025

Most cleaning companies think they stand out because they “do inspections” and send clients a report.
News flash: every company does that.
Telling a client their building is clean isn’t impressive. That’s what they’re paying you for.

If you want to actually stand out, train your team to spot what the client doesn’t see.
• Lights out.
• Walls that need patching or paint.
• Exit lights with dead batteries.
• Trip hazards.

That’s value.
That’s how you become more than a cleaning vendor — you become a partner who helps them run their facility better.

09/25/2025

This is why I check in with every client, every month.

Not long emails. Just a quick message:
“How are we doing? Anything I can help with? Any feedback?”

Almost every time, something comes back:
• A referral.
• Another facility.
• Or like today — a client asking to increase service from 3 to 5 days.

That’s extra revenue… just for staying on their radar.

The lesson?
Monthly check-ins aren’t busywork. They’re money.

09/23/2025

In this business, you’re going to win and you’re going to lose.
Sometimes it’s not even your fault. What matters is how you handle it.

One of our best clients just told me they’re bringing back their old cleaning company. Not because we did a bad job — they love us — but because one of the owners is friends with that vendor.

We could’ve enforced the contract. Instead, we chose the relationship. We kept the day porter services, we kept the trust, and we made the manager’s life easier.

Losses happen. But if you handle them with grace, clients remember. And more often than not, they come back.

09/16/2025

The cleaning industry is underserved when it comes to tech.

Take just one example: getting leads and pricing a job.
Right now, it looks like this:
• Market yourself endlessly.
• Hope the right person finally calls.
• Schedule a walkthrough that fits both calendars.
• Drive across town, sit in traffic, pay for gas and maybe pay for parking.
• Take measurements, gather info, head back to the office.
• Crunch numbers, build the proposal, send it.
• Wait… and maybe negotiate if they even call back.

Hours wasted. One opportunity. No guarantees.

This is all going to change. Soon, it’ll be done with a click of a button.

The industry will never look the same again.
Stay tuned. Big things are coming.

09/15/2025

The fastest way to kill your reputation?
Over promise. Under deliver.

Most cleaning companies make this mistake. They tell the client, “We can do it all, no problem.”
Then reality hits — short staff, missed details, excuses.

Clients don’t remember what you promised.
They remember what you delivered.

Here’s the rule: say less, do more.
Under promise. Over deliver.
Make it impossible for the client to question your value.

That’s how you keep accounts long-term.

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