Factors to Consider When Hiring a Maid Service
Factors to Consider When Hiring a Maid Service
Need an extra pair of helping hands at home? Why not hire a maid? Anyone can feel like royalty when contracting for housekeeping assistance from a professional service. Maid service or professional Cleaning Services can be obtained anywhere from a few hours or half a day to a permanent part-time or full-time position. You don’t have to be rich or famous to need a maid; many busy housewives and business professionals seek housekeeping assistance to ensure their homes stay clean and tidy while they are occupied with family matters or business duties.
What factors should you consider when hiring a maid (or two)? Here are a few to consider.
1. Is the maid service reliable? In other words, is it professionally operated? Does it employ underage teens, or are the employees bonafide legal adults with citizenship or proper visas? Has the company completed background checks on its employees? While it is up to the maid service company to ensure the legality of its employees, you may want to ask just to be sure. Contact the Better Business Bureau and ask if complaints have been filed against the company, and if so, how were they resolved.
2. Are employees insured and licensed? Are the maids well-trained in housekeeping skills? There have been horror stories in the news of maids who mixed the wrong cleaning chemicals and inadvertently harmed the client. Find out if the maids have experience and solid references, and don’t hesitate to request copies of relevant documents.
3. What exactly will the maids do? Be specific in describing the work you want done. “Cleaning the bathroom” can mean anything from washing walls and windows to scrubbing the sink, tub, and toilet. List the tasks to be addressed so the maids know what to do.
4. How will you be billed? Some services bill by the hour or part of day – usually a half-day or whole day. Others bill by scope of work, i.e., cleaning three bedrooms and one bathroom. Find out how much you will be charged. Get a written estimate before having the work done. Inquire if you need to pay extra for cleaning supplies or equipment, such as a rug shampooer, and if there are any fringe costs not readily apparent.
5. Do you need for the maids to have any special skills? Being effective communicators, getting along with kids or pets, and being able to return several days or weeks until a job is finished may be concerns you will want to ask about. It is also a good idea to discuss limitations – what maids cannot do, such as wash the windows or perhaps the car, or clean out the basement, etc.
Maid service has become more of a necessity than a luxury for many individuals and families nowadays. Knowing how to find the right service with the housecleaning skills you need can help to alleviate your stress over a dirty house and prospective strangers working in your home. The above can help you start the process.
