10 Secrets to Hiring a House Cleaning Service!

 

I started a cleaning services company here in my hometown of Toronto in 2006, it's called Clean MySpace, who would have thought? Over the years, I have learned a lot about this industry and wanted to answer a question that I get asked a lot: How do I know which cleaning company to hire? Whether you want to hire a cleaning service to help you with a one-time task, an annual spring cleaning, or something more regular, there are a few things to check before making a decision.

Bringing in someone who is not part of a formal cleaning service company carries a number of risks. "But it's cheaper to hire a cleaning lady under the table for cash!" it's something I hear often. Interestingly, I always advise people to hire that cleaning lady if the price is their main concern, and if things are going well, keep her around. But when things don't go well, that's when you hire a service company. Sure, it's more expensive, but there are many, many benefits to hiring a professional company. So here are ten things to consider when looking to hire a cleaning service company.

1. Get referrals from family and friends

 Start by asking your friends and family who they use; References give you an inside view of what a company is, not just what they say on their website (let's be honest, a company can write anything). Businesses may seem incredible, credible, and experienced, but a recommendation from a friend or family member can paint a different picture and carry more weight.

 2. Take online reviews with a grain of salt

 Happy people don't tend to write as many reviews as unhappy people who feel compelled to shower the world with their terrible experiences. Remember, often those reviews are people who use them as an opportunity to vent, exaggerate a story, or try to damage the reputation of the company. If a company has ALL terrible reviews, it is definitely a red flag, but if most of the reviews are good and some are bad, it is quite normal. Nobody is perfect. The other thing to watch out for is a company with a perfect score. I know companies that pay their clients to write reviews for them, so of course, they will be 100% perfect. Regardless, a good rule of thumb is to avoid one company with all the perfect scores, avoid the company with all the terrible scores, and find those with really consistent high scores.

 3. Bonds, Insurance and Workers'

Compensation Does the company have the ability to cover the costs of any damage to your home, any theft, or if an injury occurs to your property? If they don't have this coverage, you could be hard-pressed with money, stolen items, property damage, or an injured worker. A company should be willing to tell you if you have this coverage and provide you with copies of its policies if you request it. Now keep in mind that this adds to the cost of operating a service business, so the rates are higher per hour or per job. However, this level of security is valuable, especially when you are letting someone into your home and could ultimately be in danger from something that goes wrong; remember, we live in a litigious world!

 4. Experience, affiliations, and accreditations

 How long have they been in business? Does the company have awards, accreditations, or affiliations with professional organizations? I like to keep an eye on this because it makes me feel confident that a company is trustworthy and cares about its reputation. In the case of my company, we have won three awards and are a reputable member of the Better Business Bureau. These are things that we have worked hard to obtain and promote with pride as a company. It shows our staff, clients, and prospects that we have done everything possible to provide exceptional service. To give you a little more context, there are some companies here in Toronto that get a bad rap and just shut down and reopen under another name. Therefore, signing up for these affiliations lends credibility to a company's desire to keep up with its customers. 

5. Offer of services

 Does the company accept applications or offer a fixed service? What level of detail will they get? Depending on what you want to be done, ask what level of service is offered. If you can customize it and hire someone to come over and check off a bunch of things on your to-do list, or if you just get the same service every visit regardless of what you want to be done, or if you can do a combination. Companies offer a variety of options; neither is right or wrong, you just need to find what suits your needs and your lifestyle. 

6. Satisfaction guaranteed! 

Be sure to ask about breakage, damage, and satisfaction guarantees - a company must stand behind its work and its workers. If you are not satisfied as a customer, what are they willing to do for you, how will they fix it? It's just a fact of life: things will break. The way we've always handled it is to be very responsive, sincerely apologize, and fix anything, at any cost. This sounds crazy and I know that many companies do not. They tell the client to claim it under their own home insurance policy, or they attribute it to an unavoidable mistake. If you are not satisfied with the cleaning, what will the company offer you? A touch-up? Free cleaning? Nothing? Companies have different policies on this, so find out what recourse you have if you are not satisfied with the level of service you have received. 

7. Employees versus contract workers 

Find out if the staff are employees or contract workers. Generally, contract workers do not enjoy the same benefits as employees and do not have the same type of supervision.