Hello, my dear cleaning-loving friends! My name is Dawn Bremmer, and I am an all-round cleaning specialist and an instructor at TDX. While still serving customers regularly, my true passion is training our novice technicians and helping them make their first steps in the industry. Which leads me to the topic of today’s post – how I dealt with the anxiety of working for my first high-profile customer.
I need to clarify a few points before I begin. Today, TDX Cleaning is a top-tier Croydon cleaning contractor with a well-established reputation in the local community. It was not so five years ago when I joined the company. We were a small team back then, always hard-pressed with schedules and deadlines. If one of the more experienced cleaners had to take a leave for a few days, a pandemonium of frantic calls and last-minute improvising erupted in our small office.
This exact thing happened to me on a sunny Tuesday morning. I had been with TDX for just over six months, still wondering if I should consider it a short-term stop-gap to pay the rent or a credible career choice. I was brushing my teeth when my phone began buzzing. My first reaction was panic – I had somehow mixed the days and was hopelessly late for an appointment. But then I saw my supervisor’s name on the screen and figured he couldn’t find out so quickly. A glance at the calendar assured me I still had some sense of time. But why would Paul call me then?
“Good morning, Dawn! I hope I didn’t get you out of bed or something. Look, I know it is early, and you don’t have appointments in the morning. But we have a bit of a situation here. Linda’s husband just called. She had to go the ER – some very nasty virus, fever, painfully sore throat, the whole nine yards. You get the picture. We have no one else available for Mrs Weldham’s appointment. Do you think you are up to it?”
I gulped silently. Linda was our top house cleaner – experienced, knowledgeable, and always on top of things. At that time, all I knew about the world of professional cleaning was because of her – she had taken me under her wing and took the time to show me the ropes. But the more significant problem was Mrs Weldham.
She was something of an urban legend among the cleaners. A highly successful corporate lawyer in her early forties, she lived in a large luxurious apartment in the newly opened apartment complex at Park Lane. Mrs Weldham was a demanding perfectionist who did not tolerate even the slightest imperfection. Linda, of course, had never had a problem with that – she was the embodiment of cleaning perfection. But I wasn’t sure I would be up to the task.
I tried to express my doubts to Paul, but he cut me short. “Sooner or later, you have to jump in the deeper end of the pool. You cannot remain a small-scale cleaner forever, Dawn. Besides, we will lose one of our most important customers if I don’t send someone. If I screw up, the outcome will be the same. I am willing to take the risk. Having said that – don’t screw up!”
I had to give it to Paul – he had a talent for riling up the troops. I put on my cleaning uniform and headed for the office to pick up my cleaning gear. Before I left for the job, a few of my colleagues wished me luck and patted me on the shoulder. It felt like a rendezvous with fate – a last cleaning job or baptism of fire.
I still had two hours before the appointment, so I stopped at my favourite Cake Box Croydon. It is one of my guilty pleasures – whenever I am stressed, I need something sweet to improve my mood. I tried to remember every tip that Linda had given me throughout the last six months, and one stuck out: “Always be honest with your customer. Double-dealing is not a good policy in the long run.”
I finished my chocolate fudge cake and headed for the Fold – the high-rise apartment complex where Mrs Weldham lived. After signing in at the reception desk, I entered the elevator, desperately trying to calm down. Unfortunately, by the time I reached her apartment, I had convinced myself this was going to be a total disaster.
A surprisingly short and casually dressed woman opened the door with a quizzical look. “Can I help you?” she asked politely, probably wondering how I had passed through the security in the lobby.
“Nice to meet you, Mrs Weldham! My name is Dawn Bremmer. I work for TDX Cleaning and will be your house cleaner today. My supervisor must have already notified you of the change.”
“Ah, yes, of course. Come on in. How is Linda? I hope she gets better soon.”
I stepped into the apartment and looked around. The place was stunning! It was spacious, well-ordered yet simplistic – the owner apparently favoured minimalism in interior design.
“You are ten minutes early”, noticed Mrs Weldham, kicking me out of my daydreaming.
“I am sorry, ma’am! I really wanted to make sure that I am not late.”
“Oh, don’t apologise for being early. I like punctual people who understand the importance of time.”
After giving me some simple and short instructions about her preferences, she returned to her study. Mrs Weldham told me Tuesdays were her days away from the office when she preferred to work at home. My fear and anxiety were quickly dissipating. There was obviously some disconnect between what I had heard and the person in front of me.
And then it dawned on me(no pun intended!). I had never heard Linda say anything about Mrs Weldham. It was the other cleaners who were speculating. Maybe they were jealous of Linda’s success. Or they just loved to gossip. Either way, my terrible cleaning appointment was going much more smoothly than expected. The apartment, although large, was very easy to clean. The lack of too much furniture and the easy-to-clean surfaces – no carpets on the floor – meant there was nothing to slow me down. Within two hours, I was done.
Mrs Weldham made a quick inspection and voiced her approval. Then, as she was about to pay me, she fixed me with her stare. “I could tell that you were afraid when you arrived. Why?”
I was caught by surprise. I could deny it or try to come up with some excuse. But then I remembered Linda’s advice. “You have a reputation as a very demanding and strict customer, and I am a novice. I thought I was going to fail.”
“Did Linda say that?”
“No, ma’am! My colleagues were just speculating. You are a very successful corporate lawyer, after all.”
The slightest trace of a smile appeared on her face. “I like to sustain the reputation of a ruthless shark – at the negotiations table or in conference rooms. But I am not a tyrant in my private life. I like you, Dawn. You have all the qualities of a successful person. Keep up the great work!”
Linda returned to work in a few days, and I told her what had happened. “I never saw the reason to straighten the others about Mrs Weldham. If they want to talk, let them talk. Now, you and I know the truth.”
My supervisor was more than impressed that I had survived my encounter with the “fearsome corporate shark”. I didn’t see the need to correct him either. But I learned a valuable lesson – never assume anything, and don’t go to an appointment with preconceived notions.