Collect enough information to arrive prepared, enter safely, and deliver the agreed service.
A useful intake process covers the customer, property, cleaning scope, access, pets, sensitivities, schedule, price, and policies. Ask only for information that affects the work. Then repeat the important details in the booking confirmation so the customer can correct mistakes before the appointment.
Work Tested note: This is an operational starting point, not legal advice. Adjust consent, recordkeeping, privacy, and cancellation language for the laws and requirements that apply to your business.
THE COMPLETE CHECKLIST
What to collect from a new cleaning client
The form is not the real goal. The goal is to prevent surprises: the wrong address, an unexpected pet, an inaccessible building, a room the customer assumed was included, or a payment expectation that was never discussed.
Contact and decision-maker
- Full name and preferred name
- Mobile number and email address
- Preferred way to receive confirmations and reminders
- Name of the person who can approve changes or added work
Service location
- Complete address, unit number, and useful directions
- Property type and approximate size
- Bedrooms, bathrooms, and other spaces included
- Parking, building entry, elevator, or front-desk instructions
Scope and priorities
- Cleaning type: standard, deep, move-in, move-out, or recurring
- Rooms and tasks included in the agreed price
- Customer’s top three priorities
- Excluded areas, fragile items, and surfaces needing special care
Arrival and entry
- Whether the customer will be present
- Arrival window and what happens if the crew is delayed
- Lockbox, doorman, key, or other approved entry method
- Alarm instructions and the person to contact if entry fails
People, pets, and products
- Pets in the home and where they will be during service
- Allergies, sensitivities, or product restrictions
- Children, older adults, or anyone working from home
- Known hazards, damaged surfaces, or areas that should not be touched
Price, schedule, and policies
- Agreed price, deposit, extras, and accepted payment method
- Service date, arrival window, and recurring frequency
- Cancellation, rescheduling, lockout, and satisfaction policies
- Permission to send service-related email or text messages
ASK IN STAGES
Do not ask every question during the first inquiry.
A shorter first conversation is easier for the customer and helps you respond faster. Collect information in three stages.
Confirm the basic fit
Get the customer’s contact information, address, property size, requested service, preferred date, and major priorities.
Complete the job record
Confirm the final scope, price, access, parking, pets, sensitivities, payment method, policies, and communication preference.
Send one clear confirmation
Repeat the date, arrival window, address, access plan, preparation instructions, price, payment timing, and contact method.
PROTECT THE CUSTOMER
What should not live in an ordinary intake spreadsheet
A worksheet is convenient, but convenience is not the same as security. Limit who can open the file, remove access when a worker leaves, and avoid collecting details the business does not need.
Never record full card numbers, bank passwords, PINs, or security codes.
Do not store customer portal, email, Wi-Fi, or alarm-account passwords.
Avoid birth dates, identification numbers, and private information unrelated to the service.
Use a restricted system or temporary code when possible. Remove access details when service ends.
MAKE IT DEPENDABLE
A five-step intake process you can repeat
- Capture
Put every new inquiry into one inbox, form, or organizer instead of scattering details across texts and notes.
- Review
Check that the requested work, property, timing, and price make sense before confirming the appointment.
- Confirm
Send the important details back to the customer in plain language and invite corrections.
- Share carefully
Give workers only the job information they need and use a safer method for sensitive access details.
- Update after service
Record useful preferences and changes, then remove temporary instructions that are no longer needed.
FORM OR SPREADSHEET?
Use a form to collect. Use one record to manage.
A form can make intake consistent, but the answers still need a dependable home. For a solo operator, that may be one protected spreadsheet connected to the calendar. When recurring work, team access, reminders, or changes become difficult to manage, consider a service-business system.
The important rule is simple: do not maintain competing versions of the same customer record. Decide which system is the primary record and update it when the customer changes an instruction.