Episode three

Kenetia (00:01.336) The client said, WHAT? This episode is about navigating unrealistic expectations with grace. Imagine this, it’s a breezy Saturday afternoon in downtown LA. There’s a rooftop event happening, a 300-person launch party. The drinks are flowing, the DJ is spinning hit after hit, and my crew is quietly doing their thing, making sure the trash bins aren’t overflowing, the napkins aren’t stuck to the floor, and the restrooms are being restocked as the gueststhat are coming through are using them. So it seems effortless. Everything is looking great. I’m feeling good. The client’s happy. The crowd’s happy. You’d imagine I was happy? I’m happy. And then just as I’m about to exhale, she walks over, you know, that ploy, that one that starts with a big compliment and then goes into, “Would it be possible?” and ends with a big, huge favor that is nowhere in the scope of work that was agreed upon. She looks at me with a bright smile and says, “Hey, can your team also valet for the next hour or so? They’ve short-staffed.” I said, “Excuse me?” I thought I misheard her. I said, “You mean like help direct traffic?” And she laughed. She shook her head. “No, no, like actually park cars. You all look like you’re just standing around now that the party started.” My brain literally split in three different versions of myself: the professional CEO trying to stay calm, the realist wondering if this was some kind of prank, and then the human inside screaming internally, “We clean events, we don’t drive strangers’ expensive cars!” But then it got worse, right? She added, “I mean, we’re already paying you, right?” And that, my friends, was the moment the party turned into a polite nightmare. Now picture my team: Tanya,

Kenetia (02:22.561) who is barely five feet and definitely doesn’t have a driver’s license; Frank, who’s just finished hauling 10 bags of trash down the three flights of stairs; and then Larry, who hears the request and literally drops his broom and is in shock. It was a sitcom. I almost expected someone to cue the laugh track. Like, there’s gotta be a laugh here, right? No. I walked back and said, “Excuse me,” and I walked back to our designated break zone with the staff, and I swear my team was gathering like, “So do we become valets now? Do we tip ourselves?” We laughed quietly, but we were also kind of stunned. I called the client over and I said gently but firmly, “We’re happy to support wherever possible. But unfortunately, parking vehicles isn’t something that we are insured for or that we’re trained for.” She blinked rapidly and then she asked, “Even just like five cars?” “Ma’am, no, ma’am.” In the end, I offered a compromise. We’d stay 30 extra minutes at no additional cost if she could find someone else to manage the valet situation. We’d handle cleanup so her guests wouldn’t notice a thing. She reluctantly agreed, and here’s the kicker. 10 minutes later, her cousin showed up and started parking cars like it was the Fast and Furious family edition. Like, no joke. Problem solved, right? Nobody’s Lexus was harmed and no Pop-Up Cleanup staff had to go full pit crew on the streets, because it would have not worked out so well. This moment taught me a few things. Clear boundaries are not just helpful, they’re necessary. And if you don’t define your lane, someone will volunteer you to drive in theirs. Every contract now includes a clause about task limitations and a gentle reminder that we don’t do,

Kenetia (04:43.168) in quotations, “additional duties as imagined.”

Here’s the thing, I also train my cleaning crew to handle requests from the client in this manner: When a client approaches them and it is something that is not within their scope of work that they’ve been told at this event is what they would do, I kindly have them say, “I will be happy to call our corporate office and explain to them what it is that you’re asking for to find out if we can adjust the scope of work for you. Would you mind holding for a second while I get our corporate office on the phone?” And inevitably the client says, “No, not at all.” What that does is two things. It gets the pressure off of my cleaners to have to tell the client no, which no one likes to do anyway. But it also allows them to have a great relationship while the rest of the event is going on. And it gets my cleaner off the hook and they don’t have to feel pressure at all. And they don’t need to do anything that they don’t feel comfortable doing. Our corporate office is trained on how to handle these situations as well. So that when they do get those inevitable calls, they can kind of just set the boundaries there again, and reiterate what it is that we’re there to do and not do. Stay cool. Under pressure, a polite but firm response can preserve the relationship without compromising your team. So the next time your client asks if you can park a few cars or mop up the dance floor or babysit their dog or DJ their cousin’s set, remember this: You can be helpful without becoming everyone’s helper. Because here at Celebrate and Chill, we don’t just clean up after the party.

Kenetia (06:44.866) We set boundaries before it starts. Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Celebrate and Chill. I hope that you walked away with a new insight, a fresh idea, or maybe even a little inspiration to make your next event not just memorable, but also meaningful. Remember, it’s the small intentional efforts that add up to big impacts on your guests, on your team, and even on the planet. If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, share, or leave a review. Your support helps us continue “Celebrate and Chill” with event pros like you. Until next time, stay creative, stay connected, and keep bringing your best to every event. And hey, don’t forget to take a moment to CHILL. You’ve earned it.