Tips on Staying Safe When You Work In Clients' Homes

In response to my post on staying safe when selling items online, Michele posed the question:

"I use Craiglist.com to market my organizing services. Do you have advice for people who do in-home services to lessen their risk?"   

In fact I do!  If you work in people's homes, you should keep safety in mind no matter how people learn about your services, ad, website, Craigslist, etc.

Any time you get a call from someone you don't know, there is a risk.  Granted, most of us never, or rarely, have any problems like that...but there are some tips you should keep in mind.

1.  ALWAYS, I repeat, ALWAYS trust your instincts. 

If you are talking with someone on the phone..and something doesn't feel right...DON'T make the appt.  EVER. 

Do NOT talk yourself into thinking you are just being silly.  If for some reason you make the appointment and then you worry about it - CANCEL it. 

Do NOT let your need to make money overcome your instincts.

I have had this feeling 4 times...the first time I ended up canceling, the second time I just didn't make the appt., the third time I brought my husband with me! 

The fourth time I didn't actually have that really scary feeling about it, but, I was concerned because it was a single male, living alone who has a brain injury, ADD and is BiPolar.  His mother made the appt. but to ensure safety, here's what I did.

1. I asked in great detail about his condition and what treatments he was taking to ensure his emotional stability while I was there.  I found out he had had anger management therapy in addition to other issues. So that made me realize I needed to take more precautions.
2. I explained to his mom that the only way I would accept him as a client was if I could work with an Assistant so I did not have to be alone with him until I felt safe with him.  She understood perfectly and was actually impressed that I had that policy.  It made her feel safer about hiring me!
3. I had his mom pay in advance by check.  This helped ensure she was who she said she was and was serious.
4. I kept the first meeting brief to avoid overtaxing him and minimizing any potential triggers to his situation.

He turned out to be a sweetheart and now my Assistant works with him regularly on her own. 

2. Have Policies Around Safety.

For example, as I've mentioned already, if a male calls to inquire about my services, I always ask who else will be around when I am working with him.  If he says we'll be alone, which is very rare actually, I  tell him that I don't go to homes alone when a man will be there alone.  I did this once and was very uncomfortable about it.  So now I either will bring an assistant or my husband if it's a weekend, suggest phone coaching for our first session, or refer him to someone else.  Most men are very understanding and actually respect you for having that policy. If not, there is likely something not going to be right about the situation.

Another possibililty is to have people send you photos of their situation, but this is not terribly reliable as you can pix of clutter all over the web.

3. GET PEOPLE TO TALK IN DETAIL ABOUT THEIR ORGANIZING NEEDS

I have found this to be the best way to tell when people are sincere about getting organized, and make myself feel comfortable about going to their homes.  It's also important to help gauge the level of clutter and degree of unsanitary conditions before you go.  If I get the feeling the situation may be past Level 2 or 3 on the hoarding scale, I ask several key questions to get to understand the situation better. For example, here are a few I ask depending on what I hear from them.

1. Do you have animals? If so, how do you keep the litter boxes, etc. clean?  Their answers to this tell you a lot.
2. Are you able to clean around the clutter? How often?
3. Are there any areas in need of repair in your home?
4. Can you use your stove?  (Some people will come right out tell me they haven't been able to cook in years.)
5. Do you feel serious anxiety when you try to get rid of things?  (This indicates a very serious problem that require working as part of a treatment team including psychologists/psychiatrists specializing in hoarding.)

4. If you are unsure about it, consider doing a drive by their address before going.

5.  Make sure someone else knows where you are going and when you are expected to be back.

6. Do not eat or drink anything you are offered unless you feel completely safe. 

This will ensure you don't consume any medications you weren't intending to. Bring bottles of water with you and don't leave them unattended if you don't feel completely safe.

NSGCD has a class on personal safety!  If you are a member, keep an eye out for it!  If you aren't a member, join.

If you have any other tips to share, I'd love to hear 'em!

Comments

[cindy@staged4more.com]

great post! i too, working as a real estate stager, struggles with safety issue. recently a male client called out of the blue and asked if i can meet with him during evenings. he seemed very nice but i just didn't want to risk it especially it was not in a very safe area.

when i stage a home, i also avoid using things that can be used as weapons, even though they would've worked great in the listings. you just never know and can never be too careful!

thanks for these great tips,

cindy

[Professional Organizer in CT]

Lots of great information! Professional organizing is my passion and working with new clients is always fun and interesting, but keeping safety top of mind is extremely important. Your point about animals is a good one! I always ask about pets in the home and I decided when I began this profession the animals I would not work near. That way if someone has a pet that I consider dangerous I can tell them that it is my policy not to work with them in the home. Clients respect professionals with policies. It shows that you are self aware and prepared.

Thank you for all the excellent information!
Lauren