Of Interest to Private Service Professionals

Private service can be a satisfying and rewarding career. When knowledge and skills along with a great service mindset are applied in a home here there is mutual respect from the employer, than you have arrived in a special place in our profession.

Being a professional in any of the private service job titles involves more than pushing a vacuum cleaner, planning a party, or managing vendors. Knowledge gained from proper mindset, as well as your study and experience in a wide range of situations, is what builds professional value.

Here are habits related to mindset that successful private service professionals possess:

• Having a helpful attitude, cooperative thinking, appreciation for routine, and methodical approach.
• Trying to acquire a good understanding what the employer really expects of you and how they like their home to operate. Be willing to ask if necessary.
• Having a confident and proud explanation of what you do at your job for family and friends, within confidentiality boundaries.
• Being willing to help other staff without being asked.
• Being willing to do extra for the employer- being anticipatory.
• Being friendly not familiar.

Common private service situations which build experience. Be prepared to:

• Learn how to handle various requests that might interfere with the plan of work.
• Know what to do if there is not enough time to complete the work.
• Understand and aid in the need for effective coordination with other staff.
• Deal with malfunctioning equipment.
• Deal with gossip and handling negativity by coworkers.
• Deal with other staff not doing their part, observing others doing improper things.
• Handling the emotional stress of perceived poor management.
• Practice friendly not familiar-what employers don’t like and also what other employees don’t like.
• Handle the inevitable laundry problems.
• Be frustrated by the lack detailed workmanship and learn how to change that over time.
• Graciously handle unexpected and sometimes unwanted efforts by other staff which may interfere with your efforts.
• Deal with employer perceptions that obvious things are being left undone by others.
• Understand poor work ethic- cell phone calling etc. inappropriate breaks, shopping trips that are too long or not efficiently planned.