8 Mistakes To Avoid When Hiring A Cleaning Company

Mistake 1: Choosing a cleaning company based upon price alone.

While price is extremely important in the decision-making process, it should not be the only factor you consider when making a hiring decision. Many companies offer a low-price as a means of attracting your phone call but once they earn your business, they’ll pressure you into paying more money. This illegal practice is known as bait & switchand is very common in the cleaning industry. Illegitimate and inexperienced businesses have no other way of earning your business unless they offer ridiculously low pricing, so be sure to do your research before you fall victim to the low-price trap.

Mistake 2: Not checking online reviews.

When it comes to home service companies, you should always look over online reviews. It’s important to see what their current customers have to say about doing business with them. If a company has less than 10 reviews, that’s a problem. Any reputable and legitimate business should have over 100 reviews online. We live in the digital age and that’s where you should spend your time researching cleaning companies. While no company is perfect, this is still a great way for you to see what you can expect.

Mistake 3: Choosing a cleaning company without getting references from existing clients.

During your research, you should also request references of existing clients who can provide open and honest feedback about the company. A company can tell you anything they want about their business but it’s best to hear it from actual customers. Furthermore, it’s important that you take the time to look at the company’s on-line reviews to see both the positive and negative feedback. While no company is perfect, it will give you a good indication of how they run their business.

Mistake 4: Choosing a cleaning company with less than 3 years in business.

You want to make sure you’re doing business with a “reputable” and “reliable” company. Any business that has been operating for less than 3 years is still in its infancy and is not yet able to run an efficient business. Due to low start-up costs, most cleaners own a mop and a bucket and call themselves a cleaning company. These “so-called” companies lack the right knowledge and experience needed to be successful in this industry. You want to do business with an experienced company, who you know will still be in business next month. Be sure to ask how long they’ve been in business and how long their staff has been employed.

Mistake 5: Choosing a cleaning company without inquiring about the products and equipment that will be used in the home.

Many people assume that all cleaning products are the same, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Just because an area smells flowery and fresh, doesn’t mean it’s clean. The truth is that smell has nothing to do with how clean something is. Most strong-smelling cleaning products, like bleach, are toxic and can potentially make you sick or cause an allergic reaction. The safest cleaning products are actually odorless. For the safety of you and your family, the best cleaning products a company can bring into your home are green cleaning products. A good company will go one step further and use HEPA-filtered vacuums, which are recognized by the American Lung Association to improve indoor air quality. Again, be sure to do your research when it comes to the products and equipment being used in your home.

Mistake 6: Choosing a cleaning company who isn’t licensed and fully insured.

This could be the most costly mistake you might make as part of your hiring decision. A fully insured and licensed cleaning company is operating as a legitimate business, by paying federal and state taxes, along with liability and workers compensation insurance.

Liability insurance is important to you because if something is damaged in your home, such as your wood floors, this insurance will assist with repair or replacement. When a company doesn’t carry this insurance, you’re on the hook for any repair or damages caused in your home during the cleaning.

With worker’s compensation insurance, you’re protected if an accident happens in your home, such as cleaning person falling down a flight of stairs. With a non-insured private person, you would be responsible for their medical bills and time off because technically they work for you while cleaning your home.

When comparing prices, make sure you’re comparing APPLES TO APPLES. A fully insured cleaning company is going to be considerably higher than a company without insurance and that’s because you’re paying for peace of mind. Although the non-insured cleaning price looks much more attractive, be aware that it could cost you thousands in the long run through unexpected damages and/or medical bills.

Mistake 7: Choosing a cleaning company that doesn’t background check their employees.

Unfortunately, many businesses have a revolving door when it comes to its cleaning staff and they fail to run proper background checks on their employees. A reputable cleaning company will always perform thorough background checks. Furthermore, stable companies will have the same employees employed year after year. The best way for you to distinguish between a good company and a bad company is to ask for a 3rd Party Verification of licensing, insurance and national criminal background & sex offender checks.

Mistake 8: Choosing a cleaning company that doesn’t offer a satisfaction guarantee.

It goes without saying that a reputable company will always stand behind their work. In addition, a professional cleaning company with high integrity should always put their guarantee in writing. A service business must be able to stand behind their work 100%. If you find a company that won’t guarantee their work, run away as fast as you can.