You’ve decided you need some extra help around the house, and you’re bringing in someone to do the cleaning. You’ve decided on how often you’d like to have your house cleaned, how much you’re able to spend, and generally what you’d like cleaned each time.
Now comes the difficult part: Choosing someone to actually do the work.
At the Busy Bee Maids, we’ve had years of experience being interviewed by clients looking to choose the right cleaning service for their needs. Throughout those interviews, we’ve compiled this list of 4 tips for choosing the right cleaning service for you:
Read Reviews & Get Referrals
Word-of-mouth is a powerful thing. Ask around to friends and family who have had cleaning services, whether in their homes or offices, whether they would recommend their service. Talk to them about what they liked, didn’t like, and what they wish would have been done better. Get as much honest feedback as possible – Did they always seem to miss one spot on the floor even after being reminded? Were the items on the counters not moved for cleaning? – to help you make the most informed decision as possible.
Once you have a list of a few possible cleaning companies, check their online reviews, whether through Google, Facebook, or directory services such as Angie’s List and Yelp. Don’t just read the positive reviews; look at the negative reviews and try to determine whether the criticism seems fair or not. As you’re reading these reviews, make notes of any patterns of complaints you see so you can ask about them in detail when it comes time to interview services.
Ask Questions
A professional service that really values your business is more than happy to answer any questions you may have about the service you’d receive. If a company doesn’t want to answer questions, or only limits you to a few queries, that means they’re not willing to work hard for customer service and may not even customize the service you provide to meet your needs. Many services will give you much of this information without you even asking, sometimes even on their websites or in promotional materials.
There are a variety of important questions that you should ask of any service that’s going to come into your home. Find out how they hire, screen, and train employees, and whether they’re bonded and insured. Ask what is included with a cleaning, as well as whether they bring their own supplies or if you must supply them. If you have pets, find out how the service handles them. Inquire about whether you will get the same cleaning team each time, and how the company handles when their employees call in sick.
Be Honest about Your Needs
It can be easy to compromise on certain items just to find an affordable service. But if you really need to have the inside of your oven cleaned occasionally, for example, or if your floors need special care, denying these needs is going to leave you dissatisfied with any service you hire and waste your money.
If you are up-front about what you need out of your cleaning service, you will be able to find someone to meet those needs. It may take you a few more interviews or a little more research, but as long as you know what you want and don’t compromise, you’re likely to be much more satisfied with the final product each time than if you were to remove something from your list for the sake of hiring a company.
Compare Prices
While you don’t want your decision to be solely based on the price, if all other things are equal about two services, choose the one that best fits your price range. Higher prices don’t necessarily mean better quality of cleaning, so as long as the service can provide everything you need done in your home, gets great reviews, and has satisfactorily answered all your questions, you can go with the lower-priced option.
Hiring a cleaning service means adding an extra expense into your budget. Stretching that expense too far for too long may make you more likely to cut things out if you’re dissatisfied or need to make some changes, while a lower-priced service may stick around longer since it’s easier to justify the price.
Professional House Cleaning in Frederick County, MD
Since 2001, the Busy Bee Maids has provided exceptional, trustworthy house and business cleaning services throughout Frederick County, Maryland. Our professional staff is highly trained and skilled, and we use only safe, gentle cleaners to protect you and your family. Trust the team at the Busy Bee Maids to tackle your toughest cleaning jobs, each and every time. Get a quote today!
