Active Listening and Quick Response Keys to Success

Written by Shala Hainer Wednesday, December 28 2011

Snapshot: Sparkle Wimberly, president, Squeak E Clean Commercial Services
Sparkle Wimberly is making waves in the previously male-dominated world of commercial cleaning services. Since she became a majority owner of her husband's cleaning service, Squeak E Clean Commercial Services (SECC) in 2007, the business has tripled its customer base. Now serving as the company's president and operations manager, Wimberly balances building new business with handling customer service for existing clients.

Born in San Francisco, Wimberly started her career using psychology skills learned at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Those same skills help her understand her client's needs and take action to meet them.

Wimberly and her husband, Mario, believe strongly in giving back to the community. They served as the flagship sponsor of the first Domingo's Walk for oral cancer awareness, which they planned in honor of Wimberly's father. The company participates in multiple community fundraisers and gives back to terminally ill cancer patients by cleaning their homes for free -- "cleaning for a reason." They serve as mentors for Big Brothers/Big Sisters, support Women's Advocates, and serve as panelists for 100 Strong Who Care.

She and Mario live outside Minneapolis/St. Paul, with their two children.

Womenetics: How did your husband feel about turning his cleaning business into the family business and making you a partner?
Sparkle Wimberly: Mario would say that he always knew I had the talent and ambition to take the business to the next level. I had become used to the perceived security of being employed. I knew that at some point I would get involved on a full-time basis and sure enough, that time came.

Womenetics: How did you balance the challenges of being a new mother, a wife, and a partner in Squeak E Clean? Is it still a challenge?
Wimberly: I began the serious sales push to replace my income in the summer of 2007; I was eight months pregnant. After the birth of my first child, I was so overwhelmed with love for him that I could not imagine returning to life as we knew it. I wanted to be more; I needed to give him more. He was my motivation. The balancing act was a difficult one. When you go back to work, you have day care, adult interaction, and time outside of the home; but when you are self employed, office out of your home, and you’re a new mother, you feel as though you’re not doing anything well. My husband and I had to be very honest with what we were experiencing, and we had to dedicate time to the business, to our child, to our marriage, and time spent alone or with friends. Since then, it has become less of a challenge; we maintain schedules, have a dedicated weekly meeting, and keep office hours. Business is separate unless there is an emergency.

Womenetics: What new procedures did you help implement to give your business the kick start it needed?
Wimberly: When I became a full-time member of the SECC team, I spent time doing market research, learning to bid, and, most of all, networking. I established some fundamentals we didn’t yet have: employee handbook, quality control processes, website, blog, marketing materials, capability statements, etc. I’m very technologically savvy and proud to say that when I created the Squeak E Clean Facebook page, there were no other cleaning companies with one; the same with Twitter.

Womenetics: Your blog, the "Squeak Files," includes helpful information as well as company news. How important is it to educate your customers?
Wimberly: When I started the blog, it was to help our customer base become familiar with SECC in a more conversational manner. We wanted to showcase our knowledge but also allow our potential clients to get to know us on a more personal level.

Womenetics: Tell us about the Domingo Williams Foundation and "Domingo's Walk."
Wimberly: The Domingo Williams Foundation was started in honor of my father, Domingo Williams, who died from cancer May 16, 2010. My father was a very strong-willed, determined man. He was a Marine, stationed in Lebanon. He returned to the states and moved west, to an ocean-side town called Seaside, Calif. There he made many strides as a man of color in business. Eventually, he moved to the San Francisco Bay area. He started his own business, doing parking lot striping and later general contracting. He was very confident and successful. He was also fearless. He loved to work; he became very restless after retiring and began picking up jobs just to pass the time. His spirit of entrepreneurial accomplishment sparked something inside of me. I knew early on that my skills would be fine tuned into cultivating an opportunity for my family and myself.

Domingo’s Walk was born from a place of grief, to be honest, taking the devastating and crippling loss of my father and spinning it into an opportunity to share with the world how special he was. The 5K walk/run was well attended and considered a success. My father did not have a funeral, so this was a celebration of life. He wanted that, and so that is what I did.

Womenetics: In addition to Domingo's Walk, you believe strongly in philanthropy, including cleaning for a reason. How do you reach out to help the community, and how does that affect your bottom line?
Wimberly: For a business our size, we have had to come up with creative ways to give back to the community. Usually, we donate our time to an organization. We have supported the fundraising efforts of causes close to our hearts as well, such as domestic violence, mentoring programs, and support to those with cancer.

Womenetics: What is your most successful advertising technique to find new clients?
Wimberly: Word of mouth. We have a great networking base, and we are finally becoming second nature in the thoughts of our friends, colleagues, and clients. They know what services we offer and, most importantly, feel confident in our work and recommend us.

Womenetics: How did your previous experience in psychology and education prepare you for expanding Squeak E Clean while keeping its existing customers happy?
Wimberly: This is a great question. Prior to my work as the president and operations manager of SECC, I was a mental health practitioner. I worked directly with families and children. I learned to listen and ask specific questions to determine what the issues are. Active listening skills can help disarm even the most hostile client. Consistently providing a quick response and lasting corrective action is beneficial as well. Fast turnaround shows your clients that you value their business and want to keep it.

Womenetics: Why did you decide to use only LEED Certified green cleaning products, when they're often more expensive than other commercial cleaners?
Wimberly: I was born and raised in San Francisco. I’ve been recycling since I was a toddler and learned how not to waste water or electricity before I was 6 years old. Sustainability is second nature to me. For years, I have personally sought out green cleaning products for my home. The natural progression took our thoughts to the office place. The same allergens that can cause issues for someone at home can cause the same reaction at work. Environmentally friendly cleaning creates healthier surroundings. While using LEED Products and Practices, we are creating the best possible environment for our customers. The cost is more, that is true, but the health of our clients and their employees are most important to us.

Womenetics: What advice would you share with women who want to go into business with their husbands, either starting a new business or joining an existing one?
Wimberly: I would suggest that the women spend some time on their job descriptions. Discuss management techniques, likes and dislikes with your spouse. Discuss the ways in which you will spend other non-work time together and make it a priority. My husband and I spend a minimum of one evening per week together in a social setting. We don’t talk about work or about the kids. It helps to remember to see each other in a different light.

Womenetics: What do you like to do to relax and unwind?
Wimberly: I work out daily with my husband. I find that this clears my mind and is something that we can do together. I also find that going to the gym allows me to get some reading in (which I love to do). I love to find great deals, spend time with good friends, and run behind my two little ones.

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Based near Atlanta, Shala Hainer has been writing and copyediting since 1995. Beginning her career at newspapers such as the Marietta Daily Journal and the Atlanta Business Chronicle, she most recently wrote and edited articles for several nonprofit organizations before purchasing a flower shop in 2006. She earned a bachelor’s in communications from Jacksonville State University.