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It’s almost spring time! Most people cannot wait to open their windows and doors and let in the fresh air and cleanse their homes.
Well, maybe not. Some of us nowadays do not have the time or really the inclination to do our spring cleaning ourselves. Better Business Bureau Serving Acadiana is sharing some tips with consumers on choosing the house cleaning service that is right for them.
- Do Your Research: Ask friends, family members, and neighbors to recommend a reputable cleaning business or individual. Check out the businesses through bbb.org to read reviews or complaints on them. Beware of businesses with poor reviews and multiple complaints, more importantly see how they address them. Always look for the BBB Accredited Business Seal.
- Interview Candidates: Interview multiple candidates to determine if you would rather hire a large cleaning business or an individual cleaning person. During the interview you should be able to meet with someone from the cleaning business, as well as, with the person who will actually be cleaning your home. During the interview process find someone you feel comfortable with since they will be working in your home.
- Check Credentials: Any individual or business you hire should be registered*, bonded and insured to work in your home. This will protect you in the event something is broken, stolen, or if someone gets injured on the job. Whether you hire an individual or a business, be sure to request that the employees working in your home have a background check done, or you may want to complete one on them yourself for peace of mind.
- Request References: Ask that the business or individual you hire provide you with a list of references you may contact. When speaking with the references, look for a business or individual that has repeat satisfied customers. Ask the references about the services they use and if the business lives up to their expectations.
- Discuss Cost: Determine whether you will need to hire the cleaning service for a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly visit and ask about their pricing. Find out exactly what is included in their services and make sure it encompasses everything you wish to have cleaned. The business should walk through your home before giving you an estimate. Be sure to find out if the cleaning business provides their own cleaning supplies, if not the cost of the services should be less expensive. Keep in mind the least expensive cleaning services may not be giving you the best deal for your money.
- Get Everything in Writing: When you decide on the company to hire, make sure you have a written agreement that spells out clearly what the cleaners in your home will be doing. It should also set a reasonable time limit for the tasks to be done each day the cleaners come to work.
- Prepare for the Services: Before the cleaning business arrives at your home, it’s important to put away any clutter, but this does not mean you need to clean before they arrive. Put away jewelry and other valuables and warn the cleaning business about pets living in your home.
- Check for Licenses or Insurance: “Licensed, bonded and insured” are absolutely crucial words when you hire a cleaning service. Do not take anyone’s word for it. Verify each one. Note: In Louisiana, there is no agency that “licenses” cleaning services. Depending on where the business is located they may need to have a occupational license within that municipality.
A bond is a form of insurance that protects you from any dishonest or criminal acts by the people who will come into your home to clean it. Insurance protects you if the cleaning people cause an accident, such as forgetting to shut off a faucet or losing a key.
Get a copy of the company’s bond and obtain the name of its insurance agent, then call to verify that the cleaning service’s bond and policies are in effect. Note the dollar values and coverage limits. Is the dollar value on the bond or policy high enough to cover your house? Also check to see that the company has its own workers compensation insurance policy. If they do not, and a maid or cleaner is injured while working in your home, they could sue you and your homeowner’s insurance policy.
Source: Daily Advertiser
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