Meet Adleen, 28 year old cleaning partner turned operations agent, at Helpling. From PR to retail to the banking industry, Adleen shares how she found her calling in the cleaning industry and her motivation to take up a new challenge as Operations Agent.
Hi Adleen! Tell us more about yourself.
Hi! I’m the Operations agent at Helpling who enjoys reading, writing and music. Some of my other passions include cooking, astronomy and travelling.
What were you doing before Helpling?
Before Helpling, I’ve put on many different hats and realised none of them fit me. I’ve worked in different industries such as PR, retail, banking and even though I’ve learnt a lot from each of them but I’m always up for new experiences that could teach me more about the world and myself.
What made you decide to join Helpling as a cleaning partner initially?
At that time I was employed in retail, and I needed some supplementary income to save up for a personal project. I was looking for any part time work I can do over the weekend and came across Helpling. I figured that I actually enjoyed cleaning my home, so I thought I’d give it Helpling a try. After a while, I realised working with Helpling was helping me reach my goals faster, so I quit my retail job and started working at my own schedule with the platform, at a task I enjoyed.
From a cleaner to a partner manager with Helpling, how did that happen?
I received a call from Helpling Operations Manager, Reuben, one day where he asked if I’d be able to meet him as he’d like to pick my brain on how to find more cleaners like me. I was pretty surprised they’ve considered me as one of their top cleaners, but glad they recognise mine and others’ hard work, that they’d like to hear some feedback from us. We had coffee and somehow he floated the position of Operations Agent, to which I was eager to take on. Even though, I was pretty happy with my current customers and my (very) flexible schedule, I was excited at the prospect of a new challenge.
What is a typical day in the office like?
A typical day in the office starts with responding to a barrage of emails and messages from our Partners and customers. Additionally, I do recruiting as well so we’re always fine-tuning the process and following up with applications and new successful recruits.
What is the most common question you get asked from the cleaner?
The most common questions we receive are usually “What do we do in the event of a difficult customer?” I’ve had my fair share of difficult customers so I can completely empathise with them! I’ll always advise them to give their best and if they are truly uncomfortable, they may voice out their concerns politely or leave the premises if they feel unsafe. Naturally, we will not assign them that customer again and follow up with the customers. We’ll make sure that both sides of the story are heard.
Maintaining a relationship with the cleaning partner is important, how do you achieve that?
We have a couple hundred Partners on the platform, so some of them do get lost in the crowd if they do not write or call in to us about anything. However we are in the midst of planning community events such as a BBQ or football nights so that we get to meet the lovely people we trust with our customers, and they get to meet the Team who looks out for their best interests as part of Helpling. On a daily basis, we try to maintain an open and responsive channel of communication with the Partners, and motivate them wherever we can.
What’s your best experience working with and for Helpling so far?
I’ve been working here at Helpling Singapore for about 2 months now and I can see how hard the Team works to take care of every single Partner and customer. It’s like taking a peek at the behind-the-scenes and you realise how much it takes to keep the Helpling platform running smoothly – where one is deeply involved in working towards a goal that is challenging, but enjoyable as it’s well suited to one’s skillset. I am completely immersed in work from the moment I sit down at my desk each morning, till I get a reminder from a colleague that it’s 6.30pm and it’s time to go home. I’d say the amazing colleagues I’ve met and the job satisfaction I get so far are the best experiences about working in Helpling Singapore.
What do you do during your free time?
In my free time, I binge-watch tv shows and listen to podcasts and new music. I try to keep up with my Crossfit training regime as much as I can, and I’ve been pushing myself to meditate over the past few months. If anything else, I enjoy the occasional daydream about living on a farm.
Interested in joining Helpling cleaners team? Visit our cleaning jobs page.
