Questions to ask on a new cleaning enquiry call

Why the first call decides whether the client stays

Most cleaning complaints in the first month come from expectations that were never discussed: the client assumed the oven was included, the cleaner did not know about the cat, nobody agreed where the key would be left. A ten-minute enquiry call that covers the right ground prevents almost all of them.

The sector is made up of small firms. 83% of businesses in the UK cleaning, hygiene and waste industry are micro businesses with fewer than 10 people^[1], and there were 20,045 employer businesses in cleaning activities at the start of 2026^[2]. In a firm that size, the owner usually takes the call and sets the tone for the whole relationship.

Start with the type of clean

The first question shapes everything else. Ask: Are you looking for a regular clean, a one-off deep clean or an end of tenancy clean?

• Regular cleans are about consistency: the same day, the same cleaner and a clear routine.
• One-off deep cleans are about scope: which rooms, which extras and how long it will really take.
• End of tenancy cleans are about a standard set by someone else, usually the landlord or agent, and a fixed deadline.

Your mix of work will reflect the housing in your area. In England, 65% of households own their home, 19% rent privately and 16% rent from a social landlord^[3]. Areas with many private renters bring more end of tenancy work; owner-occupied suburbs bring more regular cleans.

The call flow

1. 01

   Who and where

   Name, address and postcode. Check you cover the area and note parking: a permit zone or a long walk from the van adds time.

2. 02

   The property

   House or flat, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, number of floors, and any en-suites or downstairs toilets. Ask whether there is a lift for flats above ground level.

3. 03

   Type and frequency

   Weekly, fortnightly, monthly or one-off. For regular cleans, ask which day and time suit and how flexible they are.

4. 04

   Priorities

   Ask: What matters most to you in a clean? Kitchens and bathrooms, floors, dusting, ironing or changing beds. Write their words down.

5. 05

   Extras

   Inside the oven, inside the fridge, inside windows, blinds, skirting boards, cupboards, balconies. Confirm which are included and which are priced separately.

6. 06

   Access and keys

   Will someone be in? If not, how will the cleaner get in: a key safe, a key held by your firm or a neighbour? Any alarm codes?

7. 07

   Pets and people

   Any pets, and do they need to be kept in a room? Anyone at home during the clean who works from home, has young children or needs extra care?

8. 08

   Products and equipment

   Do they want you to bring everything, or do they have products and a vacuum they prefer? Any allergies or surfaces that need special care, such as marble or wooden floors?

9. 09

   First visit

   Offer a first clean, often longer than later ones, and agree how you will review it afterwards.

Questions, reasons and follow-ups

End of tenancy calls

End of tenancy cleans need their own questions, because the client is often not the person who will judge the result. Ask whether the caller is the tenant, the landlord or the agent; the move-out date and the key return time; whether the property is furnished; whether carpets or upholstery need cleaning; and whether there is a check-in inventory or a cleaning standard from the agent.

Ask the tenant to send the agent’s checklist if there is one, and agree what happens if the agent asks for a re-clean of any items. Empty properties are quicker to clean but often have surprises: there were 1.2 million vacant dwellings in England in 2024, 11% of private rented homes^[4], and properties left empty for weeks can need more work than the client expects.

Handling the price question honestly

Callers will ask how much early in the call. Give a clear basis, such as an hourly rate with an estimate of hours or a fixed price for the property size, and explain what is included. If you employ cleaners, your rates have to cover their pay as well as your costs: median full-time pay for cleaners and domestics was £13.70 an hour in 2026, and the lowest tenth earned £12.71 or less^[5], which is the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over from April 2026^[6]. Our guide to handling price-only callers covers what to say when someone only wants a number.

Questions clients will ask you

A good enquiry call runs in both directions. Prospective clients usually want to know the same handful of things, and having clear answers ready makes you sound established.

• Will I have the same cleaner each time? Say what you can honestly promise, and what happens during holidays and sickness.
• Are you insured? Give the type of cover you hold and offer to send proof.
• What happens if something is broken? Explain how you report and handle breakages.
• How do I cancel or rearrange a clean? Give your notice period and any charge for late cancellation, and put it in writing.
• How do you keep my keys and alarm code safe? Explain how keys are labelled without addresses and who can access them.
• How do I pay? Bank transfer, card or direct debit, and when payment is due.

If you have these answers on one page by the phone, anyone covering calls for you can give the same answers you would.

Regular cleans: protect the routine

The value of a regular client builds over months, so the first call should set up a routine that lasts. Agree a fixed day and an arrival window rather than an exact time, so traffic and overruns on earlier jobs do not create complaints. Agree how the client will leave notes or special requests, such as a list on the kitchen table or a text the day before. Book a short review after the second or third clean to adjust priorities while the relationship is new.

Signs the job may not be a good fit

• The caller wants a price for a whole house without giving any details.
• Expectations far beyond the time they want to pay for, such as a full deep clean of a five-bedroom house in two hours.
• Unwillingness to agree how the cleaner will get in, or requests to leave keys under a mat.
• Requests for work outside your insurance, such as cleaning at height outside or moving heavy furniture alone.

You do not have to turn these callers away, but be clear about what you can do. Our guide to screening time-wasters has polite ways to qualify enquiries before you commit a visit.

Example call and follow-up

Example. A fictional caller wants a fortnightly clean of a three-bedroom semi with two bathrooms. Both adults work from home on Tuesdays, so they ask for Thursdays. Priorities are the kitchen and bathrooms; extras are changing beds. There is a dog who will be in the garden. They want the cleaner to use their own vacuum but bring products, with no bleach on the wooden floors. Access is by key safe.

Example, continued. After the call, the office sends a short summary by email: Fortnightly Thursday clean from the 14th, 3 hours, kitchen and bathrooms first, beds changed, dog in garden, own vacuum, no bleach on wooden floors, key safe code to be shared by text. The client replies to confirm, and both sides have the same picture before the first visit.

Write down where the key will be kept and who can access it; see our key-holding policy guide. For other enquiry scripts, see the garden maintenance call script and the wasp nest call guide.