TivloYou've just won a new contract. The client signed last Tuesday. It's now Thursday morning and their site opens Monday.
You've got operatives to assign, a schedule to confirm and a client who's wondering whether they made the right call switching providers. The first 48 hours after a contract is signed set the tone for the entire relationship. Get it right, and you walk into that first week with a client who trusts you. Get it wrong, and you spend the next three months managing their expectations instead of their site.
Here's how to turn a signed contract into a running account in under 48 hours.
Step 1: Send a confirmation within the hour
As soon as the contract is signed, the client should receive something tangible. Not a generic "thanks for your business" email. A confirmation that shows you know who they are.
This message should include:
- •The start date and first scheduled clean
- •Who their main point of contact is (name, number, email)
- •What happens next and when
It takes five minutes to write. It does more for client confidence than any sales presentation you've given them.
Step 2: Prepare the site information pack
Before your operative sets foot on site, you need a site information pack. This is the document that tells your team what they need to know: access codes, key holder contacts, areas in scope, areas out of scope, COSHH requirements and any client preferences.
For most cleaning companies, this still lives in WhatsApp messages and the supervisor's memory. That's how operatives miss locked rooms, spray the wrong product on a floor type, or knock on the wrong door at 6am.
Build a template once. Fill it in for every new site. Store it somewhere your team can actually find it.
Step 3: Assign the right operative
This is not just about who's available. It's about fit.
Does the site require specific experience (food-safe cleaning, medical-grade protocols)? Does the client have specific hours that only certain staff can work? Is there an existing relationship with a particular operative that's worth preserving?
Make this assignment on day one, confirm it in writing to the client and brief the operative directly. Tell them the client's name, what matters to the client and what a good first clean looks like for this account.
Step 4: Share a schedule
The client wants to know when you'll be there. Not just "Monday to Friday." Specific days, specific times, specific frequency.
Send a schedule that covers at least the first month. If you're using paper rotas or WhatsApp, you're adding friction you don't need. If you can give the client access to view their own schedule online, do it. A facilities manager who can see their cleaning schedule without sending you an email is a facilities manager who isn't quietly looking for an alternative provider.
Step 5: Conduct a pre-start walkthrough
If the site permits, do a walkthrough before the first clean. This gives you a chance to walk the client's contact through what you've planned, confirm any areas of concern and demonstrate that you're thorough.
It also gives you a chance to catch problems before they become complaints. A locked loading bay, a broken floor surface, a chemical store in the wrong location. Better to know before day one than after.
Step 6: Confirm the reporting process
Before the first clean happens, the client needs to know how they'll receive information from you. How do they see inspection reports? How do they raise an issue? Who do they call on a Sunday if something's not right?
If the answer to any of those questions is "call me on my mobile," you have a problem that will grow as you add more contracts.
Define the process, put it in writing and give the client one clear channel. Whether that's a shared document folder, an email inbox, or a client portal, it needs to be agreed before day one.
Why the first 48 hours matter more than you think
Clients form their opinion of a supplier in the first few interactions. In commercial cleaning, those interactions happen before the first operative arrives.
Did you confirm quickly? Did you provide a schedule? Did you seem organised? A client who receives a clear, professional handover from you will give you more latitude when things go wrong. And in cleaning, things always go wrong sometimes. The question is whether they escalate or let you fix it.
The companies that retain contracts for five, ten, fifteen years are not necessarily the cheapest or the best at cleaning. They're the ones who make the client feel in control, informed and confident. The first 48 hours is where that reputation starts.
Take the Tivlo Cleaning Business Scorecard to see how your onboarding process compares. It takes 10 minutes and gives you a clear picture of where you stand. Visit score.tivlo.app.
Or, if you want to be among the first cleaning businesses to use Tivlo, claim a founding partner spot before they're gone.