5 Tips for how to behave in a Client’s House
“The last tutor I had ate all the food in my fridge and traipsed mud all over my new kitchen. Make sure your team don’t do this!”
The apocryphal advice from Henry’s mother on the first day we started Oppidan.
Six years later, it’s still used in our onboarding of new team members. Here’s what else we talk about to make that first, and subsequent, encounter, a successful one.
Always make yourself useful: maybe the child you’re looking after is a huge Simpsons fan (who could blame them) and the parents give them permission to watch an episode. In this half an hour you could tidy toys away, look over last week’s homework and so forth.
Keep both parties in mind: juggling plates is never easy but it’s very satisfying if you can walk that tightrope! Parents’ priorities are normally very different to those of their children. Are you able to get in free-kick practice and French vocab? Hopefully.
If in doubt say no: even if a client is kind enough to offer you dinner alongside the child you are looking after; that doesn’t mean you should accept. They wouldn’t have had you in mind when they did their food shop and I’m sure could do without the washing up. If they insist then you have at least tried!
Capitalise on any moment to educate: if you’re collecting a child from school can you teach them about the congestion charge on your journey home. Why do we have a congestion charge in London? What other solutions could there have been?
Don’t make yourself at home: there’s always a risk of complacency when someone is generous enough to invite you into their home. Mentally, however, you should be just as sharp and focused as you would be in a Monday morning board meeting.