Your Clean Shouldn’t Come with Hidden Fees
No joke, life is stressful. With all the demands on our time, it’s easy to fall behind on home cleaning. Then, it comes time for company to be coming over (expected or not) and people panic. Not a great spot to be in. Far too frequently, that rush and stress makes people rush important decisions like who to let into their home to do cleaning or repairs.
We don’t want that. We want everyone to get reliable, safe help in their home every time even if it’s not us. We’ve seen and heard about an awful lot of shady business practices from our clients over the years. So, we’re going to share a few ways you can pick the right cleaning service and keep scams at bay.
Beware of Gimmicks
There’s a classic piece of common sense that goes double for cleaning services: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. We’re not going to name any names here. If someone is advertising something like a $19 clean, that’s a gimmick. They’re probably hiding something like–oh–high monthly subscription costs, crippling cancellation fees, and underpaid and unmotivated “independent contractors.” These things can get pretty wild… even leading to lawsuits.
Flashy commercials with sparkly price tags may look good, but they aren’t what you’re looking for. Check to see if the cleaning service is local or at least based in your state. Check to see if they have a phone number that actually connects you to a customer service representative. Check their reviews and see if they look real. Finally, check to see if they’re licensed and insured. This is your home. Don’t trust it to gimmicks and don’t just let anybody in.
Vet Your Cleaning Service
With a few clicks and a little common sense, you can vet cleaning services from the couch. Google is your friend (in this case, at least). If the cleaning service doesn’t have a physical address and a phone number–at the absolute minimum–next, please. If they do have a physical address and a phone number, you can go a little deeper. Do they have a website that offers the services you want and more info about the company? If not, bounce.
For further vetting, there are tons of reputable sources of info out there like the Better Business Bureau which keeps tabs on local businesses. There’s crowdsourced info sites like Angie's List (now just “Angi”) and Glassdoor, too. And, we mentioned it already, but check those reviews.
Have a Pre-Hire Checklist
When you’re thinking about hiring a cleaning service, treat your interactions like they’re a hiring interview. Write down this pre-hire checklist. Ask the service if their cleaners are staff, subcontractors, or “independent contractors.” Ask if they screen for felons and drug convictions. Ask what training and safety instruction the cleaner has undergone.
We have literally been pulled to the side by clients and thanked for “not sending meth heads to my house.” We don’t really think we need to be thanked for that. That’s a pretty low bar…But that just goes to show how important it is to pick the right cleaning service and make sure their standards are up to your standards. When you’re about to allow someone into your home, it’s not the time to stay quiet. If there’s anything you don’t know that you think you should know, absolutely ASK.
Once you’ve dodged the gimmicks, vetted your cleaning service, and screened them with your pre-hire checklist, you’re 90% of the way there. Now, don’t forget your gut. If something just doesn’t feel right, go elsewhere. Don’t be afraid to be picky. Heck, we’re picky when we choose clients. It’s even more important to be picky when you choose a cleaning service. This is your home, your space, and your most important investment. Put in that extra investigation and pick a service that’s going to make it glow.
