How to hire a House Cleaner :)
We all know someone who has that “perfectly” clean and orderly home, don’t we? (You’re mother-ln-law, friend, neighbor, etc.) And they may very well clean their own home too. But perhaps you may be short on time and would rather hire a cleaner. So you start searching the internet for a cleaning company, or maybe someone you know recommends someone that they know who “cleans well”. With all the options weighing on you, how do you choose the right cleaner? More importantly, how do you even know what to look for? In choosing any professional any business, wouldn’t we all agree that a true professional isn’t only interested in acquiring you as their client, they also want to keep you as long as they can. They want to maintain a positive relationship with their YOU. Its not that anyone expects perfect service at all times, it is just that sometimes life throws a monkey wrench in our plans. A true professional, however, always anticipates realistically what potential problems may arise in the future and have a solution in place for when that day happens. They also know that if they take extra good care of their clients, they will also stand out from the rest of the competition! Well, I may have run a professional cleaning company in the past and have some gold nuggets to share with you my friend!
So what should you look out for when searching for a great cleaner?
They take the time know know your specific needs
They value they’re amazing crew!
Provide a true local experience
Offer their clients 100% satisfaction guarantee on their work
Lets take a moment and break these points down.
License, bonded and insured
Often people are searching for the cheapest deal and most cleaners don't have either of these things and are just fine, right? Let us explain.
Professionals house cleaners are licensed, bonded and insured to show that business is legitimate and that they pay their taxes. This secures their reputation in the community and industry. They want to be transparent about how they make their income, pay their cleaners, and and file their taxes. Do you really want hire someone who doesn't see the value in being transparent and protecting their reputation?
Bonding protects clients from theft by replacing what was stolen. We live in the world where, unfortunately, some people do not always have they best intentions while working. Even if a company thoroughly screen their potential employees before hiring, the best screening may not catch dishonest ones who slide through the cracks. Bonding at least gives the client added peace of mind, providing their clients recourse, have zero toleration for dishonesty, and value their clients greatly!
Insurance replaces anything broken by the cleaner. Again, a company willing to pay extra for a general liability insurance policy, when many other cleaners do not, value their clients. In addition, a great cleaner or their supervisor is communicates any questions during the cleaning with to their clients. If a breakage should happen, a picture is easily take of the broken item and shown to client, they they offer to replace the item. Clear communication is priority. All their cleaners are encouraged to be upfront about an accidental breakage by insuring that they will not be reprimanded because accidents happen. No one is perfect and house cleaners' are regularly wiping, scrubbing, and sweeping something; motions that can bump us into something on the odd occasion.
Taking time to know your home's cleaning needs
A great cleaning company will ask the right questions about a home to understand how best to service the client. Not all homes and living routines are alike. So they’ll take the guess work out of the equation by noting information gathered and making sure their cleaners read the notes before cleaning your home, so that everything is just so.
Do you need weekly biweekly or monthly cleaning? Is this a one-time cleaning or an ongoing cleaning? Move-in/move-out cleaning vs a Spring cleaning? A great cleaning co. usually offers recurring cleaning services at a discounted rate.
Do they value their cleaners?
Great cleaning companies want their cleaners to feel appreciated and energized when coming to work. That has a significant effect on their performance at work. Their cleaners' skills stay sharp with up to date information about our cleaning products, services, and customer service. Also their cleaners should know what products to use on what surfaces, and how to properly use them. They will teach their cleaners about safety procedures and to check their work by filling out a checklist and leaving it with the client.
Times change and staying updated with new cleaning techniques and safety protocol is important. This means staying flexible and not relying on outdated information.
Are they local?
Many cleaning companies try to take on all clients, however the clients may not get their cleanings scheduled when they want them and that can strain the relationship between the client and their cleaner. However there are cleaning companies that realize that they have plenty of clients in their local area and choose to stay local out of respect for our clients and their employees. It is unfair for clients to pay gas fees when they can get a local cleaner. It is a strain on cleaners to have to drive further, putting more mileage, wear and tear on their cars.
In addition, staying local generally means less traffic, therefore arriving at a client’s home in less time if there is a last minute schedule change, and servicing more neighbors in you community!
100% satisfaction guaranteed
Lastly, a great cleaner will offer re-cleans if something just wasn't quite right. Their policy allows their clients to know that they do not make unfair excuses to avoid responsibility. They believe in finding solutions when unique cleaning situations come to their attention.
