Ask these 8 Imperative Questions Before Hiring a Cleaning Service
Keeping your home clean and tidy is time-consuming, and if you are busy working and keeping kids on a schedule, then it might be time to enlist some help.
Sure, you can accomplish anything including managing the household chores while balancing your other responsibilities. However, you shouldn’t have to waste your precious minutes not focusing on what matters most. Delegating your cleaning tasks can free up a few hours every week for you to spend time with your family, go on a date with your spouse or finally get a much-deserved spa day.
Hiring a cleaning service can be an overwhelming process. You will be inviting someone new into your house, and you have to feel confident in their ability to meet your standards. Asking the right questions while interviewing different companies will help you make a decision on who to trust with your home.
The most effective questions will reveal the cleaning company’s values, cleaning strategies and vetting processes. So what questions should you be asking?
1. What are your pricing options?
There is a misconception about cleaning services. It isn’t just for business owners or affluent families. Many companies will offer customized plans to fit your family’s budget. It might mean your home is deep cleaned once or twice a month, or you could have someone to pick everything up once a week.
The type of work will also cause the prices to vary. Detailed cleaning may cost more than chores like washing the dishes, vacuuming and doing the laundry. If the cleaning service does offer a variety of pricing plans, then you have the opportunity to choose the best option for your budget.
2. What types of cleaning services do you offer?
Sometimes, you need help before the holidays when your mother plans on staying for several weeks. Other times, you need regular cleaning services, and occasionally you need both. It’s important you know whether or not the company offers the services you need.
Different types of services could include:
Regularly scheduled cleaning
Move-in/ move-out cleaning
Spring cleaning
Deep cleaning
Apartment cleaning
Floor cleaning
Recurring office space cleaning
Decluttering and organization
Laundry and dishes
It also helps to know their specialties. Some companies are great with office spaces but do not focus their efforts in homes or apartments. Do a little research to learn if you are their target customer or not.
3. How do you train your staff and choose who to hire?
By far the most uncomfortable process of hiring a cleaning service is feeling confident the people you are inviting into your home are trustworthy. It is important you ask a cleaning service to walk you through their hiring and training process for new employees.
You want a company who will ensure you their employees receive thorough background checks, and they are all trained on the proper way to clean. You also want a team who are willing to adapt to your cleaning preferences, even if it means they do the work differently than normal.
4. What type of cleaning products do you use, or who will provide the supplies?
If you have allergies, children or pets you might be very particular about the chemicals you allow in your home. It is important to know if they will be using their supplies or yours. If you don’t like the types of supplies they use, then consider asking them to use something different for your home or offer to provide your preferred cleaning supplies.
Their answer to this question will let you know how flexible they will for you and your home.
5. Will you do a walkthrough of the home or business before starting services?
Setting clear expectations is key to having a good house cleaning experience. What steps does the company take to ensure there is a clear way to learn how a homeowner prefers to clean? During this walkthrough, you can point out what matters most to you and what will save you time and energy. If you’re doing a deep clean, does this mean they focus on washing the baseboards and washing out large appliances or dusting ceiling fans and clearing out cobwebs?
If the company doesn’t offer a walk-through before starting services, how will they make sure everything is done correctly?
6. Is your company insured in case of an accident?
Accidents can easily happen when someone is cleaning your house. Someone could fall off of a ladder or slip on a wet floor. It is important to ask the company if they are insured in the event one of their workers is hurt on the job.
Home insurance usually provides some relief in the case of accidents, but you don’t want to be left with a bill. Instead, make sure the company has coverage and teaches their employees about how to avoid common hazards.
7. How should I communicate if there is a problem?
What if their work didn’t meet your standards? How are you supposed to let the company and the workers know what you wanted them to do differently? If you can’t effectively communicate any problems, then you will be left unsatisfied time and time again. Also, ask them what they will do in the event on a cleaning project not completed to your standards.
8. Will you provide us with any references?
Finally, ask them for references. This is your opportunity to call customers who are satisfied with their services. Of course, they are not going to provide you with anyone they know won’t approve of their work, but the information a reference gives will provide you insights on the company's cleaning style and flexibility.
Choosing a cleaning company is a big task. Hopefully, these questions will keep you from feeling too overwhelmed by the process. At Custom Maid, we can answer these questions and any others you throw our way. The faster you give us a call at (918) 376-4114, the faster we can go to work for you.