Tips on Hiring a Maid Service

Your day is packed. It is tough enough to find time to do the important stuff in your life like spending time with your family and loved ones, let alone all the chores. Therefore hiring a maid service can be a smart choice.

Before you pick up the phone and call a maids service to schedule an appointment, it is really important to know who you are dealing with and whom you are letting into your home.

Some issues you need to consider:

Bonding: Should a theft occur, you need to know that you are protected. Is the maid service bonded for its house cleaning clientele? Many maid service companies are not bonded at all and some of them are only bonded to protect themselves - not you.

Insurance: If a maid should unfortunately slip and fall while cleaning your shower, your homeowner's policy might not cover the incident. The maid service must have liability and employee accident coverage and this must include your home, the maids and the company. Make sure they are properly insured.

References:  How many years has the company been in business? Remember to ask for references and a work history. Some key questions to ask when calling for references are:

• How long have you used the maid service?
• Have you had any complaints? How did the maid service handle this?
• Are they enthusiastically recommending the maid service?

You definitely need to make sure the maid service is reliable and this is a good way of doing it.

Employee hiring and screening: Does the maid service check employee references? Are employees criminal backgrounds checked? Is their residence status confirmed?

Do they use all their own employees or do they use subcontractors? A maid service that uses subcontractors usually does not provide staff training and very often they will not provide liability insurance. 

Cleaning products: Many independent housekeepers as well as maid service companies expect you to supply all cleaning products. If they do include house cleaning products, ask what type of products will be used and whether they contain harsh chemicals like ammonia or bleach. You need to ensure that the products are safe for kids and pets.

Touting "green" products has become the in thing to do - unfortunately many maids service companies are not following through. Find out if they are "Green Certified" and then which certifying body certified them?

Are the products effective in cleaning and disinfecting pathogens like Salmonella, E.coli and Staphylococcus(staph)?

It is important to understand what products are being used in your home and if they really are environmentally friendly. 

We know that some companies are using products that have some of the chemical ingredients watered down in order to be "green" certified.  However, this can also reduce the effectiveness and performance of the product.

Other environmentally safe products contain bio-based ingredients that contain natural bacteria and enzymes, which are non-pathogenetic environmental isolates that imitate the way nature naturally cleans itself. These natural substances can be used in hard surface cleaners and degreasers to create a safe, effective cleaning solution.

Equipment: Inferior equipment does not get your home clean. If the maid service is supplying the equipment the effectiveness of the filtration system and the efficiency of the system is important.

I am sure that you have used an old or clogged vacuum, you can go through the motions and it looks like it has been cleaned but it does not last long!

Satisfaction: Your satisfaction is our primary concern and is something that we measure on an on-going basis. Ask what procedure is used to measure customer satisfaction.

Are you asked to fill out a survey online or on paper? Will a manager contact you after the house cleaning to get your feedback? The steps taken to ensure your satisfaction will tell you a lot about how much they value their customers.

Quality assurance: Your satisfaction is important but it should not be your job to do the quality assurance. Many maids services will only react when they get complaints.

A reliable maid service should have quality assurance procedures in place to be sure their house cleaning meets quality standards  - every clean.

Ask if the maid service has a manger that inspects the cleans to be sure the quality of service is upheld.

Guarantee: Have you noticed that many companies use the guarantee only as a marketing tool? When it comes time for them to actually honor the guarantee the suddenly become very scarce.

Understand what the guarantee is and what you have to do if you should ever need to invoke the guarantee.

Taxes: Did you know that in most cases if you pay a housekeeper or maid on a regular basis, the federal law requires you to pay social security and other taxes on that person?

The good maid service companies will withhold taxes for their employees, but it is worth checking. If you pay a housekeeper or maid +$1,200 per year, you are required by federal law to pay social security and other taxes.

For additional information about household employee taxes, call the Internal Revenue Service. It is wise to make sure you don't break any tax laws.

Call (440) 540-4622 to get a FREE no-obligation quote for maid service today!