Maid Training Academy

Advice on rolling out your new training program to CURRENT cleaners

 

Unless you are a startup maid service with no cleaners, Maid Training Academy is going to represent a change, to some degree, for your current cleaners.  Here is some advice for a successful conversion to the cleaning instructions of Maid Training Academy.

 

Print this document and use it as a checklist to make sure you complete all the recommended steps to get the most out of your program.

 

• Get buy-in from key employees first

 

Get one or two cleaners who are considered key employees to take the classes first.  Get their feedback before rolling it out to all employees/cleaners.  Typical responses range from acceptance to excitement. 

 

Experienced cleaners often comment that they learned new techniques and insight that make the certification process a positive experience. It is easier to roll out a new program if key employees and cleaners can endorse the program from the personal experience of taking the classes.

 

And if you or your key employees have any concerns, it’s best to discuss that with a few key employees before rolling it out to everyone. 

​

• You do not have to adopt 100% of the instructions in Maid Training Academy

 

Every maid company is a little different.  Throughout the certification classes, we stress that some cleaning companies may do it differently, so we set the stage for having different instructions.  If you have any changes in instructions, then you need to write those instructions down and use that handout with all current and new employees on the unique instructions that are specific to your company.

​

• Tell your cleaners about the advantages of adding a structured training program 

 

The primary reason is “Getting everyone on the same page on how to clean a home.”  Everyone understands the importance of having standards and getting everyone to clean the same way, but you still need to tell them about all the advantages for them personally.

 

New cleaners get better faster with structured training

​

This reduces the burden of working with new cleaners.  No one likes to work with a new cleaner because they are slower and make more mistakes.  Our structured training program will dramatically increase the speed at which a cleaner gets up to acceptable speed and quality.

​

Employee turnover will improve

 

Cleaners who are better prepared are less likely to leave if they have clear instructions on what they are expected to do.   A common complaint from cleaners is the burden of high turnover.  It’s a burden to work with new employees, but it can be a nightmare working with new employees all the time.  Lower Turnover = Lower Problems

​

You can work with any cleaner because you all clean the same way

​

Cleaners are often required to work with different cleaners not assigned to their normal team.  This can be a burden and headache if everyone is cleaning a different way.  Cleaning will be more consistent regardless of who cleans the home resulting in fewer customer complaints.  Fewer Complaints = Fewer Cancelations = More Work/Money

​

Your customers will be happier and happy customers tip more

​

With everyone cleaning the same way and at established quality standards your customers will see the difference and maybe happier with the overall quality of your cleaning.  Customers who are happy tip more and more often.  No kidding other corporate members have seen increases in customer satisfaction and tipping.  In addition to tipping, customers will also stay longer with consistent quality cleaning and that means you can make more money.   

 

• Getting everyone on the same page is not saying what they did before was wrong

 

Stressing this point during the conversion process is important.  You don’t want to give the impression that how they used to clean was wrong.  This is about getting everyone on the same page.

 

• Remind your cleaners that Maid Training Academy is the oldest and largest in the world

 

Maid Training Academy is used by hundreds of maid companies and thousands of cleaners all over the world.  As the oldest and largest training school in the world, these instructions are used and accepted by professional house cleaners all over the world.  We have students in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. 

 

• Pay Employees to take the class

 

Not compensating “active employees” at least minimum wage for their time for required training may be a violation of employment law.  Be careful how you handle required training on “active employees.”  This is not legal advice.  You should always check with your legal counsel.  Laws are different by City, State, and Country.

​

The total time to get certified is approximately 10 hours at a normal reading level.  (Level-1 = 4 hours, Level-2 = 5 hours, Ethics is 30 minutes)   

​

Avoid group training because reading aloud takes twice as long as reading on your own.  

​

• Talk about Maid Training Academy all the time

 

Although your cleaners will understand the benefits of a structured program, it’s still a challenge to get people to change habits and adopt the instructions within Maid Training Academy.  It may take some time for all your current cleaners to adopt the new instructions.  It is easy to slide back into old habits.

 

Talk about Maid Training Academy in your all-employee meetings.  Take a couple of pages from the training books and have that a part of your weekly or bi-weekly employee meeting agendas.  If you do not have periodic meetings with your cleaning staff, you should strongly consider doing so now. 

 

When your supervisor observes cleaners, make sure they are correcting/reminding the cleaners to stay with the method and flow outlined in your training.  Your current people will get there as well as new cleaners, but it has to be a constant point of conversation.  This is where some corporate members fail.  If you are not diligent about staying with the instructions, it just won’t work and you will be back to having all your cleaners cleaning differently and inconsistently, resulting in more complaints and higher turnover.  It's going to be challenging at first but you will be very happy once you fully adopt Maid Training Academy.

 

• Tell customers that all your cleaners are certified professional cleaners

 

This is a huge advantage and you want to take full advantage of it.  There are several advantages to telling your customers, both current and prospective.  Certification demonstrates to current and prospective customers that your cleaners are the best in the industry.  Certification provides your customers with a certain level of confidence that your people know how to clean a home in a professional and standardized manner.

 

When you speak with prospective customers tell them that all your cleaners are certified professional cleaners from the world leader in maid training.  Customers will take notice, they will comment and ask questions about that statement.  You will close more deals IF you talk about it proactively.

 

We will provide Maid Training Academy logos you can use on your website and marketing material.  

​

Formal Certificate for display

 

We provide you a template for a nicer formal certificate.  This optional certificate is nicer than the standard certificate students automatically receive when they pass their Level-2 Final Exam to earn their Professional Cleaner Certification.  

 

We charge $5 for this nicer certificate if the student contacts us directly.  You can provide this formal certificate to your students for free.  The template is a WORD document, so you can add the student’s name and the date they passed their Level-2 exam.  We recommend printing this to pdf, so you can email it to the student as well as print it for them. 

 

Getting certified is a big deal.  Most cleaners will display their new certificate on social media, and at home, for friends and family to see.  This may be the only certification your cleaners have ever earned, so it's a big deal.  Some companies will present their cleaners with the certificate at the all-employee meetings to recognize the cleaner of their accomplishment.  This is a great opportunity to build morale and increase employee retention.

 

Advice on rolling out your training to NEW cleaners

​

Training New Cleaners is easier than current cleaners.  People are more open to learning how to do their job as a new employee.  They know their new employer, where ever they go, will require the job performed a certain way.  This makes the process with new employees/cleaners much easier.

​

There are two different methods of rolling out training to new cleaners:

​

• Maid Training Academy Classes before Practical Training

• Practical Training before Maid Training Academy Classes

​

In a perfect situation, it's best to start with Maid Training Academy and any internal classes that are specific to your company.  It's customary in most jobs to start with classroom training.  Kroger, the large grocery store chain, starts with 2-5 days of classroom training before they start their practical training.

​

The challenge with House Cleaners is that the job is more physical than working at a grocery store, and it's more complex.  If a new cleaner has cleaning experience then you can feel pretty good that the person knows what they're getting into and will not quit after a day or two of practical training.

​

New Cleaners with limited or no house cleaning experience may not have the basic skills or desire to do house cleaning.  It may be better to see how they perform physically before you invest the time and money into classroom training.   For those situations, you may consider starting with 2 days of Practical Training first.  This is when the Maid Training Academy - Quick Start Guide can be a great resource.

​

This 12-page guide includes basic step-by-step instructions on cleaning the primary rooms in a home and how to work your way through a home, including sharing tasks on a team.  It also includes non-cleaning topics that any new employee should know before they ever step into a customer's home.

This quick reference guide takes about 20-30 minutes to read and should be read before their Practical Training.  Click Here to see the guide.

​

The new cleaner and/or trainer should carry this guide with them the first two days of practical training.  It will come in handy.

​

There is no test for this Quick Start Guide.  Our goal was to remove as many barriers as possible to get a new person hired and into practical training.  Adding a test would be an extra step and it would be nearly impossible to write a short test when the guide is already a concentration of information and they will eventually be tested when they take their certification classes.

​

Practical Training should be two days, and not just one day, for people with limited or no house cleaning experience.

​

We recommend that on their first day they clean Master Bathrooms with the trainer, plus other areas of the home, including the floors.  On the second day, they will clean Kitchens and other areas of the home.  This gives the new cleaner exposure to the two most important rooms in the home, Bathrooms, and Kitchens. (Plus other areas of the home.)

​

In these two days, you can evaluate if the new cleaner has appropriate speed (for a new cleaner) and how they take instructions.  If they are not a good candidate, then you may need to let them go.  It's hard to cut someone since it's so hard and expensive to find people.  Although most people turn out to be good cleaners over time, you don't need to carry someone if they move way too slow and/or they don't take instructions well.  (Arguing or Not Remembering instructions/corrections)

​

This is also a time where new cleaners are evaluating whether or not they want to do this type of work.  Cleaning is not for everyone and it's better to find that out before you invest in your classroom training.  This is why you need two back-to-back days of practical training.  If someone on their first day of practical training is just blown away by how hard it is or they just are not comfortable working in someone's home or doing this type of work, they will probably not come back the second day.  If they know they have classroom training on day two, they may take those classes just to get another day of paid training, which is much easier than actually cleaning.  But if they know they have to come back for another day of something they don't like, they will make that decision after one day.

​

Practical Training can ease the anxiety that can arise from reading the certifications classes.  People with no experience are often surprised by how much is involved with high-quality cleaning, as taught by Maid Training Academy.  Some people with no experience quit after getting certified.  Although that percentage is very low, it's good to ease someone into the job with a little practical training.  Let them get a feel for the job and then when they start their classroom training, they can feel less anxious because they have experienced a few days.

​

WARNING:  Don't wait longer than one week to start their classroom training.  It's easy to delay classroom training especially when you need a cleaner now because you are short-staffed.  This can turn into a big problem if you wait longer than a week.

​

• The new cleaner is starting to form habits that may be hard to correct.

• Their training is truly incomplete and they will feel lost to some degree.  This can lead to higher turnover

• Their quality will not be good enough and you may get complaints and burn out their Team Leader because of it.

• If you told them they would get certified within a certain amount of time, you need to keep that promise

​

New employees want to know everything required to do their job.  After two days of practical training, these cleaners are often more excited and interested in learning everything about the job.

 

Some maid companies require all new cleaners. regardless of experience, to start with Practical Training.

​

Even if someone says they have cleaning experience, you can't count on that until you actually see them cleaning.   There are advantages of confirming their physical/practical skills before you invest in any classroom training, regardless of experience.  

​

​