MISTAKE #1: Choosing a Cleaning Service purely based upon lowest price.
Low price could be a problem in three ways: (1) low price can be the bait that attracts the phone call, but once the cleaner gets into his home, they pressure him into a higher priced job; (2) extremely low prices tend to be offered by individual cleaners who commonly have no insurance, are not bonded, have not been screened for background checks & typically do not have the funds to replace an item they damaged in his home, Keep in mind that he would be responsible for paying their employment taxes; (3) low price means that the equipment, chemicals & supplies being used are far cheaper & are not working as effectively in his home, especially the quality of vacuuming.
MISTAKE #2: Choosing a Cleaning Service based upon a single telephone call.
Instead, invite the person to his home & ask for a specific written quotation. This way he will know exactly what he is paying for & he won't be the victim of high-pressure tactics when the cleaning team steps into his living room. Even more importantly, the best Cleaning Services offer multiple packages of services, 6-month & 1-year service agreements & offer additional home services through their certified affiliates such as plumbers, handyman services, air conditioning techs, painters, personal organizers, interior decorators, window washers & carpet cleaners.
MISTAKE #3: Choosing a Cleaning Service without getting comments or testimonials from other clients.
Any Cleaning Service can say anything about their past jobs. And sadly, some of what they say may not be true. Make sure he asks for references or read comments from current customers so he can depend on the Cleaning Service & the quality of their work.
MISTAKE #4: Choosing a Cleaning Service who is not a member of the Association of Residential Cleaning Services International (ARCSI).
The only national professional association for owners of residential cleaning services is ARCSI. Membership in this organization demonstrates a commitment to the ethical standards of ARCSI & providing the most professional service possible for the purpose of improving the standards of quality work & service in the residential cleaning industry. By choosing an ARCSI member he is selecting a company that is dedicated to being the best in the nation.
MISTAKE #5: Choosing a Cleaning Service without being crystal clear about his expectations & the specific cleaning duties that are included in the Company's written quotation.
The best of the best Cleaning Services routinely offer their Clients service agreements that specifically outline the detailed tasks that are to be performed as part of his home cleaning service. Some of the more common areas of potential confusion are stripping & making of beds, laundry, high dusting of ceiling fan blades, high reaches windowsills, handling of children's toys & the handling of the trash throughout the home. Protect him & save him lots of grief by getting all of these cleaning specifications in writing up front.
MISTAKE #6: Choosing a Cleaning Service without ensuring that competitors' bids are apple-to-apple comparisons. For instance, if he receives written quotations from three companies, be sure to see that the quotations are for the same services, especially:
Frequency of cleaning weekly, bi-weekly, monthly
Inclusion of services such as bed making, refrigerator cleaning, dusting ceiling fan blades, wet mopping methods, sanitizing & disinfecting versus only surface cleaning.
Equipment, supplies & cleaning chemicals are they provided by all companies?
Number of Cleaners per Team & number of hours of actual cleaning each time2 people on a team for 3 hours=6 hours, 1 person for 8 hours=8 hours, 3 people for 3 hours=9 hours.
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MISTAKE #7: Independent cleaner working for an agency (BEWARE all liability on home owner) VS. Using a cleaning company that uses employees (Taking all the risk off of the home owner).
One of the most, yet commonly unknown benefits of hiring Clean logy is that they protect the homeowner by completely handling all liability concerns. If he hires a company/agency that uses independent contractors then he is completely exposed as a homeowner for injury to the house cleaner, damage to the home, or theft & this is a place no homeowner ever wants to be. A common myth that cleaning agencies want him to believe is that their independent cleaners are covered & he is protected. Independent cleaners working for an agency have no suitable liability coverage in event of injury, theft, or property damage. Many companies do not classify the people working for them as employees so it is extremely important that he always asks this question.
