Hiring a cleaning company is a big decision. You are trusting a complete stranger with your home and your possessions. Personal recommendations are always a good way to go, but if you don’t have that direct endorsement from a friend, how can you find the best cleaning company for you, and how can you discern one from another?
The first thing to do is to jump online and do a little pre-research to see which companies have good reviews, then make a shortlist and check their credentials against the same criteria.
Asking the following questions will help you make the right choice…
Who is running the business?
Setting up a cleaning business is relatively cheap and easy in comparison to the costs and experience required to set up other types of businesses. Look for a cleaning company that is properly managed and find out how they hire and vet their staff. Do they employ their staff directly or use contract cleaners – often people they have never met? This is important for many reasons. Companies with employed cleaners have a more stable and consistent staff, they are vetted and well-trained, which offers you a greater degree of security.
Also check that the business is registered – and if they are charging GST, make sure the business is actually registered for GST.
Are you protected?
Many cleaning businesses are owner-operated by a single cleaner with little business experience who decides to take on more cleaners to grow the business. Their inexperience combined with the desire to secure inexpensive labour can mean their employees may not be paid properly, background checked, trained, or insured. In fact, it’s pretty unusual for any cleaning company to employ their cleaners directly – the hiring of contract cleaners is more likely, as it’s much cheaper and less risk for the business owner. They can pay cash in hand to inexperienced cleaners. This all amounts to very little protection for you.
Do they value their employees?
Employee turnover can be high in cleaning businesses. Find a cleaning service that looks after their employees well. Ask how they are remunerated, whether they receive Super, bonuses for good work, and/or long service. How are they trained and how is their work monitored? When a business truly values its staff, turnover will be lower, giving you peace of mind that you’ll have the same cleaner for the long term. Happy, well-cared-for and properly compensated cleaners are far more likely to take a pride in their work and go the extra mile for you, as well as for their own satisfaction.
Can you trust the cleaning company?
You need to be able to trust the people you allow into your home or business. When employee turnover is high, theft is more likely. When you engage a trustworthy company, you’re not running the risk of a different cleaner turning up each week. Be sure to check out reviews and ask for references before you engage.
Are they reliable?
You don’t want to be let down by a cleaner that doesn’t reliably turn up. Ask what processes are in place to ensure your clean will always take place on the right day and time. Find out how the company manages substitute cleaners for holidays and sickness, and what procedures are in place to ensure your service levels are maintained.
How do you give feedback?
With the right cleaning company, you don’t have to do this face-to-face with your cleaner, or have to spend time training them to clean properly. Collecting your feedback and acting on it is the job of the cleaning company management. A quality company will seek feedback on a regular basis to ensure their quality remains high. They may also employ a system that allows you to rate your clean after every service and use your feedback to reward staff accordingly.
How is cleaning quality maintained?
Ask if formal quality control processes are in place and whether the cleaning company offers a guarantee to come back to fix any issues.
To summarise, a quality operator will be able to satisfy all of these questions and already have the systems, processes, policies and procedures in place to ensure you receive a consistent, high-quality service with total peace of mind.