Cleaning while your customers are open for business

K

krisp23

New member
I am interested in some advice from you veterans when it comes to washing locations during normal business hours. I ask because I work a full time job during the week, and then pressure wash on the weekends for fun/extra money. The problem I have is that the majority of my business comes from restaurants and movie theatrers who are typically busy during the day on weekends. Last year I would get up at 4:30am every Saturday and Sunday and go do 2 jobs before 11:00am when my customers opened. I don't want to do that anymore if I can avoid it. I would prefer to get up early and work through the day and knock out 6 jobs. Instead of getting up early on 3 weekend days, I could do it in one. Does anyone work while their customers are open? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
Having cleaned tile for so long and cleaning accounts open 24 hours a day. The question you need to ask is "am I properly insured" and "do I have the skills and equipment to not get in the way of the customers while providing a safe environment for those customers". I have been sued around a dozen times for slip and falls. How comfortable do you feel with what happens when someone walks from what you are cleaning to another surface. What is on their shoes came from what you are doing. I have attended many depositions and the lawyers miss no openings.

George
 
You may want to consider a switch to residential service. Most commercial maintenance is best done after normal working hours. Even if you don't ever get sued, the extra time and equipment it takes to assure the public is protected will kill the bottom line.

Our work day generally starts at 10:00 PM and goes to 6:00 AM

See ya,
Rick
 
LIABILITY

I AGREE WITH THE OTHERS...ITS ALL ABOUT LIABILITY. THERE ARE PEOPLE AND LAWYERS OUT THERE JUST WAITING FOR YOU TO GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET. TRUST ME , IM 67 AND HAVE HAD MY OWN MAINTENANCE BUSINESS FOR 25YRS. DAN COSGROVE
 
These guys that answered your post are all experts. I to agree that if you can do a job while closed that would be the smarter solution.

Doing customer while open not only increase liability but will result in higher costs as well. Completing jobs while customers are open usually take longer because you have to be careful about patrons. Someone always seems to be in your way so as a result you move slower. I will ad a labor for safety reasons to help with patron safety. Often this doubles your costs.


If you must please use wet floor sign and mak sure hoses are flat. Have and extra man available so patrons do not trip and go where they shoud not. Burner coils are very hot and can attract children’s interest. Don’t leave anything lying around and keep things locked down on your truck. I have had more things stolen in broad day light than at night.

Good luck,



Any of you guys going to round tables?
 
Cleaning during business hours in my book is perfectly fine, I still do it all the time but take necessary precautions and tailor my cleaning patterns to avoid getting in the way of normal business. Maintaining control of your solutions and being aware of problems that may arrise so that you may tweak your patterns to accomodate is important in working during business hours while maintaining speed and without expending extra labor.

George
 
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