10 Secrets to Hiring a House Cleaning Service!

1. Get Referrals From Family & Friends Start by asking friends and family who they use – referrals give you an inside look at what a company is all about – not just what they say on their website (let’s be honest, a company can write anything). Companies can make themselves sound amazing, credible and experienced, but a referral from a friend or family can paint a different picture and carries more weight. 2. Take Online Reviews With a Grain of Salt Happy people don’t tend to write as many reviews as unhappy people who feel compelled to shower the world with their terrible experiences. Remember, oftentimes, those reviews are people using it as an opportunity to vent, blow a story out of proportion, or try to damage the reputation of the company. If a company has ALL terrible reviews, that’s definitely a red flag, but if they have mostly good reviews and a few bad ones, that’s pretty average. No one is perfect. The other thing to watch out for is a company with a perfect score. I know companies who pay clients to write reviews for them, so of course, they’re going to be 100% perfect. Regardless, a good rule of thumb is to avoid a company with all perfect scores, avoid the company with all terrible scores, and find the ones with really consistent high scores. 3. Bonding, Insurance & Worker’s Compensation Does the company have the ability to cover the costs of any damage done to your home, any theft, or if an injury occurs on your property? If they don’t have this coverage, you could be on the hook for money, items stolen, property damaged, or an injured worker. A company should be willing to tell you if they have this coverage and provide copies of their policies at your request. Now, be aware that this adds to the cost of operating a service company, which is why the rates are higher per hour or per job. However, this level of assurance is valuable, especially when you’re letting someone into your home, and could ultimately be on the hook for something that goes wrong – remember, we live in a litigious world! 4. Experience, Affiliations & Accreditations How long have they been in business for? Does the company have any awards, accreditations, or affiliations with professional organizations? I like to look out for this because it makes me feel reassured that a company is trustworthy and concerned with their reputation. In my company’s case, we have won three awards and we are a member in excellent standing with the Better Business Bureau. These are things we’ve worked hard to obtain and tout proudly as a company. It shows our staff, clients, and potential clients, that we have done everything we can to offer exceptional service. To give this a bit more context, there are a few companies here in Toronto that have a bad reputation and simply close down and re-open under another name. So, checking in to these affiliations lends credibility to a company’s desire to remain in good standing with their customers. 5. Service Offerings Does the company tak…