Questions Our Clients
Frequently
Ask:
What can I do to prepare for our
first meeting?
Get a
good night's sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, and be ready
for a pleasant, productive day. Please do not try
to clean up before the first consultation. It is more helpful
to see things as they currently are so we know what
our starting point is. It makes for a better needs assessment and
action plan. I do admire people like you who come to
the conclusion that they should ask a professional organizer for help.
I know that it can be a big step to allow someone else into your
private space to help you organize it. From my experience, many people
would truly benefit from asking for organizing help, but it
is the courageous ones who end up making the decision to ask
for help.
Who is your usual client? Do you do
more businesses or homes? How long have
you been in the organizing business?
At this point, I
service mostly residential clients; that is what I enjoy the most. Since
2000, I have organized large staff moves, including at the San Diego Tech
Center for Computer Science Corporation (CSC). Before that
assignment, I organized the office administration & accounting
department of a medical case-management company. I was also instrumental in
streamlining and organizing the logistics of a health
clinic that was located on both sides of the border, with one
locations in Tijuana and San Diego.
For
the last 4 years, I have focused on clutter-clearing in private
homes. Some of my clients live alone in a one-bedroom
apartment, others have a large family including pets in sprawling homes
of 5500 to 6500 square feet. Clutter can accumulate no matter how large or small
your space is. And it is possible to get organized
even if you think your home is just too small (or just too large, for
that matter). I also assist people before and after moving, which is a
great time to re-evaluate and organize possessions.
Does this include cleaning work or
only advice?
We will
definitely roll up our sleeves and start the hands-on process
to give you some immediate relief in your living space. And along with
that process there will be advice and on-the-spot tips to improve your
organization.
Do you have any experience with
chronically disorganized people?
I have worked
with seniors, adults with ADD, and chronically disorganized people.
Chronic Disorganization is a subject that is now getting the attention
it deserves since it affects so many people. The National Study Group of
Chronic Disorganization has published a number of interesting
newsletters on this subject.
Do you point at a pile of papers and
say, "You have to prioritize and sort all of that, then I'll tell
you what file cabinet to put it in"?
We will
work together at hands-on sorting, and setting of priorities. I
can provide as much help and guidance as necessary and desired. Often, I
leave my clients with specific projects to work on independently before
our next session together. It helps to have bigger organizing projects
broken up into smaller pieces to make them more manageable. That way you
have a better measure of the progress you are making. Also, a
professional organizer can hold you accountable for what you
intended to do. On the other hand, you don't have to feel bad if
you were not able to complete your intended projects before the next
time we get together. This is your journey, and sometimes things take
more time than we expect.
I've read the books and tried
different things, but have only gotten part way there before. How will
this be different?
It is helpful to read inspiring books,
and I will be able to recommend some that would be particularly
useful for you. But as you mentioned, books can take you only
so far. Many times it is necessary to have an
"outsider" take a look at your particular situation in
order to get out from underneath it. A professional organizer can give
you a more realistic idea of how long the clutter-clearing will take
for any particular zone in your home. And an good organizer can give you
hope by quickly improving your space with even just one session. Even after just one consultation
and organizing session you will have gained a sense of hope and
momentum. As an organizer, I can either assist you for short-term and
long-term projects, or leave you with a detailed action plan for you to
implement yourself. With many of my clients, it works well to
schedule a number of intensive organizing appointments in the
beginning of their journey. That paves the way for establishing a more
self-sufficient household routine, and I can check in as needed for
maintenance organizing sessions.
Do you and I make decisions together
or do you tell me what has to be done?
It depends on your preference. I have
worked with clients who prefer a lot of guidance in the organizing
process and are more comfortable leaving the decisions up to me. Other
clients are too busy to be there when I work at their home: they
give me permission to work independently to get the job done, and
for
larger decisions I check in with them by phone. For most of my clients, it
works well if I act as the coach, asking them the appropriate
questions so the best solution becomes obvious from their own answers.
I am there to make suggestions and give advice to make it easy for you
to make the best decision. Sometimes, we need to evaluate a particular
organizing system after it has been used for a while to make
sure it still serves the current situation.
Will you tell me exactly what supplies
to get after our first meeting, or just tell me what is needed and I
have to find it?
The easiest way to handle the need for
additional organizing supplies is for me to go shopping for you. I know
where to find the supplies and I can combine it with shopping for other
clients so I only charge half of my regular rate for any time spent
shopping. If you prefer, I can also leave you with a detailed shopping
list including measurements and descriptions.
What is your cancellation policy?
I do not charge a cancellation fee.
Please offer the courtesy to notify me as soon as possible when you are
unable to keep an appointment so that I can adjust my schedule.
