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How to Hire a Cleaning Service Company or Private Maid
How to Hire a Cleaning Service Company or Private Maid
By Walt
Gibson
How can you be absolutely certain that your cleaning service company or private
maid is trustworthy? According to Mark Roselli of The Mang Insurance Group, a
national survey of insurance companies concluded that 44.6% of all theft claims
are derived from domestic cleaning services. In addition, Mr. Roselli states
that most cleaning service companies are under insured – protecting themselves
from theft of company property but not covering their customers in cases of
theft. He also stated that criminal background checks are not required in order
to purchase bonding insurance. These staggering facts should be of great concern
to anyone hiring domestic help. Before you agree to let a stranger into your
home, whether you are hiring a private maid or a cleaning service company, you
must be assured that you are not putting yourself at risk.
As the owner of a cleaning service company since 1989, and as a consultant for
residential cleaning companies since 2004, I have heard about many experiences.
Aside from under insured companies who may have criminals on staff, there are
less dire concerns to consider. One woman came home from a month in the hospital
to find her private maid had not only moved in, but brought her family of five
with her. Another hired a franchise service that apparently came in only to pick
up her check each time they were supposed to clean her home. I’ve been told
about another franchise service that sent a team of three cleaning ladies to
perform a cleaning, but the customer could not communicate with them because
none of the three spoke English.
To ensure that you have an acceptable experience you must do your research
before hiring a cleaning company. My recommendations are:
1. Remember that the fee alone should not determine who you hire.
2. Ask for proof of insurance to be sent directly from the insurance company so
that you will have a document on hand should an incident occur. (Insist that the
insurance certificate is sent to you by the insurance company, not the cleaning
company.) Here are some coverage guidelines:
• Bonding insurance can be as low as $1,000 and protects you
against theft ONLY if it is a Third Party Bond. Proper coverage would be a
minimum of a $25,000 third party bond.
• Liability coverage insures that any accident will not be
charged to your homeowners’ policy. A minimum of $1,000,000 is desirable for
liability coverage.
• Worker’s compensation insures that any personal injury
occurring on your property is not charged to your home owner’s policy.
3. Be certain that you feel comfortable with the owner of the
cleaning company, as they will be your contact should there be any problems with
the service. Inquire about company policies regarding inadequate service,
problems with employees and insurance claims. How long will it be before you are
reimbursed for damaged or missing items? Will you be reimbursed for inadequate
cleaning, or will a team be sent to reclean your home, and how long will this
take?
4. Ask if the cleaning company checks employment and criminal records. From one
hundred applications reviewed we can invite an average of ten for interviews
because of a lack of stability in work history and residence. Out of the ten
applicants invited for an interview, nine are eliminated because of poor work
ethics, excessive residences and/or criminal records. Although my company would
bring in more immediate income if I carelessly hired anyone who applied, I
assure you that repeat business would suffer tremendously and my customers would
feel violated.
5. How far back does the company check criminal records? A ten year background
check is the legal maximum in some states; however a twenty year check is more
desirable. I have seen applicants who appeared to be upstanding citizens but had
criminal records reminiscent of infamous outlaws of the Wild West. One young
woman who had applied to be a maid had six pages of offenses and had served time
for safe cracking! Another mild mannered applicant had served time for armed
robbery. Although these are extreme cases they serve to make a point -- if your
cleaning service does not check criminal records then you may be inviting a
felon into your home. Most often the criminal records of applicants are clean;
however ten percent include assault, disturbing the peace and serious traffic
violations. These are the records of applicants whose applications were above
average -- can you imagine who will be sent to your home if the company you hire
does not enforce the most stringent hiring policies?
6. If you prefer to hire a private maid then be certain that you perform a
criminal record check. Remember that appearances can be deceiving and references
can be falsified.
In most situations your greatest concern will be getting value for your
investment. If you invest $120 to have your home cleaned and are unhappy with
the results, then you have the opportunity to see first hand how the internal
policies of the company work. Does the company have policies, procedures and
resources which allow them to handle your complaint professionally and with
diplomacy? Do they offer immediate remedies to correct any problem? Not only
should you be assured that the company you have invited to be such an important
part of your life will clean your home properly and without incident, but that
they will take your concerns seriously.
The labor intensity of the residential cleaning industry is equally rivaled by
the communication and management intensity. If the cleaning company does not
utilize proper management techniques, your overall experience will not be
desirable.
In conclusion, as with any important decision you should educate yourself before
making a final choice on which company you’ll allow to clean your home. Make
inquires by phone, in person, online, speak to friends and neighbors about their
experiences with local cleaning companies. Bottom line – you are getting ready
to invite people into your home, for many their most private and prized
possession. Be certain that your decision is an educated and prudent one, not
solely based upon price. Like so many of our customers you may find that a
decade later the same friendly faces and good service are a refreshing and very
necessary part of your life.
Copyright © 2004 MaidDocs® ~ All rights reserved.
Walter L. Gibson established the cleaning company Maid in North Carolina in 1989
and gained a copyright for his business system in 2004, creating MaidDocs.com.
MaidDocs offers documents and forms, custom forms packages or a complete
cleaning business system for residential cleaning service companies. Visit
http://www.MaidDocs.com/shop and http://www.MaidinNC.com
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