by Allison Carter

One way to prevent any miscommunication with clients is to have policies in writing. These can be sent to a client in advance by email, or presented during the initial session. Some organizers require signed agreements and others just like to make their policies known.  These are some of the policy topics you may want to include in an agreement:

What to include in a policies statement

The Usual

• Payments -Timing, Method, Fees
• Do you get paid at Point of Service?
• Do you take a deposit and the remainder upon completion or half way through?
• Do you accept checks? Cash? Credit Cards?
• Do you charge by the hour, by the session, or by the project?
• Let the customer know what to expect.
• If you only take checks, you will want to communicate that clearly.
• Do you charge extra for mileage? Is it one way or round-trip?
• Do you have a shopping fee?
• Do you charge for supplies such as label tape?
• What is included with your regular services and what is extra?
• Cancellation policy. Is there a charge if too close to appointment time?
• Rescheduling policy
• Length of work sessions – do you have a minimum number of hours if charging by the hour?
• If you charge by the session, how long is a session?

The Unusual

• Phones – do you want clients to answer calls while on the job or would you prefer that they turn phones off or send to voice mail?
• People – Do you mind if other people are listening in or working with you? What about small children without another supervisor? Are you willing to work with a parent who has to bow out to supervise a child in the house?
• Pets – how do you feel about animals?  If you have allergies you will want to ask prior to visiting any home if there are pets.  If you don’t like dogs or cats or any other pet, you can ask that the pet be kept in another room.
• Guns – you may want to add wording requesting that all fire-arms be taken out of the area or if they may prefer to alert you to the location so you don’t stumble upon any.
• Illegal substances, pornography, and intimate items – It is wise to request that the client remove anything from the room that they don’t want you to find by accident.

Would you like to use this in your newsletter, blog, or website? You can, as long as you use this complete blurb:  Allison Carter, CPO® is the lead trainer at Organizer U, providing learning opportunities for Professional Organizers everywhere.  If you’re ready to start your business, learn about the organizing industry, or refresh your current PO business, you can get your complimentary “10 Steps to Starting a Successful Organizing Business” at http://www.OrganizerU.com .

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