Playbook
Cleaning Service Text Messaging
Text messaging is the ultimate tool to grow your cleaning service and boost scheduled appointments with new clients.
This playbook applies to cleaning services of all sizes, but we do have small businesses with around 20 to 30 cleaners in mind.
5 Cleaning Service Essentials Before You Start Text Messaging
1. A compiled list of your clients’ mobile phone numbers.
You probably already have a list of your clients’ phone numbers in a spreadsheet or CRM for scheduling cleaning appointments. We’re going to take that list and prep it for upload into Text Request, so you’re ready to roll later.
Put your existing numbers into a new sheet that is organized by:
Cell phone numbers in column A
Client names in column B
Export the spreadsheet as a CSV (Comma Separated Values) file, and it’ll be ready to pop into Text Request with one drag and drop. Our Text Request support team can clean landline numbers from your list, so you know who you still need to contact for their mobile number.
You can’t text clients without their mobile number, so knowing who you still need to gather contact information is a must.
From there, collecting numbers for text messaging needs to be a normal part of your client onboarding process. We’ll talk about how you can encourage clients to text you first later.
2. Tech stack for scheduling and tracking cleaning appointments.
Between all the cleaners coming in and out your doors for scheduled appointments, plus new clients reaching out—there’s a lot you’re juggling. Having the right tool stack will make sure no cleaning opportunities slip through cracks, as well as streamline your workflow.
Here are the tools we recommend for cleaning services:
HubSpot: Everything your cleaning service needs for marketing, sales, content management, and customer service in one place
Quickbooks: Auto-tracks income and expenses to streamline accounting
Zapier: Creates automations based on a client’s behavior, like when they submit a disinfecting or exterior maintenance request using an online form
We have integrations with each of these software, so you can mesh your text messaging strategies with them. Your workflow will be as squeaky clean as your services.
3. A process for when to contact clients.
Business texting can strengthen many different aspects of your cleaning service—but only if you have a set process down like:
A client books a cleaning appointment
A reminder text is scheduled to send the day before the cleaning service
A text is sent when cleaners are dispatched to the client’s location
An bill is sent via SMS after the cleaning is marked completed
A review link is sent asking the client for feedback
You may already have one front desk person who manages all your communication—but if not, you’ll need to determine how text messaging responsibilities are divided up between your staff.
4. A review platform.
Clients care about who they let into their house. Your reviews assure them they’re in good hands. That means not only does your cleaning service need to regularly increase your reviews—you need to make sure they’re good so you rank in local searches against competitors.
Get listed on Google Business and Facebook to start, so you can connect your page to Text Request later and earn more online reviews through text. We’ll how your cleaners can text for reviews later.
5. A plan for multi-location rollout (if applicable).
Is business booming with multiple locations? Texting can bolster capabilities across all branches of your cleaning service, if you have the right rollout process in place.
Here are some basic multi-location adoption steps for text messaging that we recommend:
Test out texting with your top locations first
Document and share the tactics that work best for your super-star locations
Host text messaging centered webinars
Text reminders for all hands meetings
Regularly share text messaging guides and resources
We also have a playbook specifically for growing your franchise with SMS.
13 Ways to Implement Text Messaging Into Your Day-to-Day Processes
1. Make your current business number textable.
Current clients already use your business number to schedule cleanings, plus it’s the one you promote everywhere. Making it textable saves them the time and frustration of learning a new one.
Text Request enables you to text from each location’s business line. That way texting for your entire cleaning company is all in one place. Each location can have its own line, and there’s no limit to the number of users.
We even have permission levels, so all your cleaners can text without necessarily having access to feature settings.
2. Tell clients they can text your cleaning service.
Both new and old clients won’t know they have the power to text you, if you don’t tell them. Spread the news on places like your:
Website
Digital ads
Social media
Email newsletter
All it takes is a simple call-to-action (CTA) like:
“Text us to schedule your next cleaning appointment.”
Getting the word out about your texting capabilities needs to be an ongoing effort for your cleaning service to see the most impact. New clients are more likely to convert when they know they can reach you instantly.
3. Convert first-time clients with SMS chat.
One of the fastest ways to let website visitors know they can text you is with SMS Chat. It’s a widget people can use to text your cleaning service directly from your homepage.
Capturing a potential client’s attention is time sensitive—especially if there are a ton of competitors in your area. The faster a client can reach out and schedule an appointment, the more likely your service will be the one they choose.
Escalation can send you notifications if any incoming messages aren’t answered, so you don’t miss out on any cleaning opportunities.
4. Create autoresponses to confirm cleaning requests.
Automated text responses save you time, but they also make sure clients are helped even when you’re out of office.
Our Autoresponder feature can be set up to turn on and off depending on the time of day. You can even have more than one autoresponder for different needs, including services being suspended due to inclement weather or holiday and seasonal hours.
The best part is these autoresponses can be customized with instructions to keep your appointment flow going, like:
“Thanks for choosing Magic Maids! It’s currently after hours for our cleaners, but you can use this link to go ahead and fill out a request: [link] Someone from our team will get back to you in the morning.”
Clients will be satisfied knowing their cleaning inquiry is in the system, and you get to keep business flowing. Following up and confirming details in the morning is a cinch from there.
5. Manage general scheduling, confirmations, and follow ups via SMS.
Playing phone tag to schedule appointments wastes everyone’s time. Clients dread it, and you lose precious time going through voicemails.
Texting for appointments allows you to manage multiple conversations at once, book more slots faster, and provide quality customer service that keeps clients coming back.
You’ll keep more appointments when you schedule text reminders in advance, plus prevent no-shows that hurt your revenue.
Cleaners no longer have to worry about getting locked out or forgotten by clients with SMS appointment confirmations and reminders.
6. Receive and share pictures of cleaning spaces.
Your cleaners want to see the space they’re working with, and clients need to ensure your services are a good fit for the work they need done. Texting pictures of a location solves both of these problems, plus saves a huge amount of time with estimating prices and sharing quotes.
In addition to clients sharing pictures, your team can send headshots of the cleaners that will service the space. Clients will love knowing in advance who they can expect at the door.
Cleaners will also have the ability to share pictures of the cleaned space, so clients who are not at the location can see that the job got done and make their service payment.
7. Share cleaner updates.
Things don’t have to get hectic just because you have multiple cleaners on the road at once. Our Locations feature makes it easy for cleaners to share their current location, so you can keep clients updated on things like if a cleaner is coming early or later than expected.
This also helps you keep track of your team, especially when they have the ability to send you a quick text if they need anything, like:
Additional cleaning supplies that have run out on the job
Last minute information about the client they’re visiting
Updates on if there are any last minute slots they can hit on the way home
Once everyone is on the same page about who is where and when, you’ll get even more cleanings done faster.
8. Create templates for streamlining communication processes.
The more time you save, the happier your cleaners, clients, and bank account will all be. Templates go hand in hand with that goal. They’re the Text Request version of saved messages, and you can create as many as you need for things like:
Answers to common questions
Requests for reviews
Requests for further contact information
Cleaning appointment reminders and confirmations
Requests for more information about a space
And more
We have a full selection of premade templates for every use case your cleaning service might need.
9. Request payments and track invoicing.
You’ve done the cleaning, now get your payment quick and easy via text. Our Payments features gives you one place to track SMS payments requests and revenue. SMS offers the smoothest payment experience possible through the channel your clients use the most.
Once a client puts their credit card in, it’s saved for all other service payments. That keeps things efficient for both of you. You can even integrate tools like Quickbooks to send them invoice reminders and receipts.
You’ll always know who owes what for which cleaning.
10. Fill last minute appointment openings.
No cleaning can happen without actual cleaners. Texting to fill last minute slots or openings will keep business scrubbing along.
Text all your cleaners at once to let them know when a new slot is open with Mass Texting. Mass messages are still two-way, so your staff can respond with any questions. Filling appointment slots from there will be as polished of a process as the rest of your services.
11. Gather reviews and customer feedback.
Most of your clients want to leave you the reviews—you just need to make it easy for them to do so. Directly texting your review link, and showing clients where they need to go to give feedback will increase your number of reviews.
Here’s how:
Connect your Google Business or Facebook page to Text Request
Insert custom reviews links into your texts asking customers for feedback
Monitor and respond to oncoming reviews from inside Text Request
Text messaging is the fastest way to reach your current customers for reviews, and Text Request gives you one place to manage them. Streamlining your review process with SMS gives you more time to focus on other aspects of your cleaning business.
12. Share upsells and seasonal promotions.
Text messaging is the perfect way to get cleaning discounts, new services, and upsells in front of clients. Clients can opt in for regular updates on info like this using keywords.
A keyword is a word a client can text to for more information on a topic related to that word. For example, clients could text CLEAN to learn more about:
Rewards for purchasing on-going cleaning services
Discounts on move-in and other specialty cleanings
Ongoing sales and promo codes for cleaning products
You’ll attract new clients, plus have a way to tap your old ones on a regular basis for things like quarterly or holiday based sales.
Any solid text marketing strategy will require ongoing content, which is why we have a full list of SMS marketing ideas for you.
13. Provide the ultimate customer service.
Standing out in the cleaning industry means providing clients with the best customer service possible. Texting closes the communication gap that may prevent clients from asking for exactly what they need.
Clients who know they can reach you instantly are more likely to keep an open line of communication and share feedback. It also makes them feel like you care, when you’re only one message away.
Our mobile app gives you the ability to handle messages on the go, so you’re always ready to help clients. All of this goes into the long-term retention of clients, drawing in new ones through word-of-mouth, and increasing revenue.
Business texting is the flywheel to keep clients coming back for more of your cleaning services. It cuts out phone calls that slow down your services and provides clients with the fast-paced customer service they’ve come to expect.
