If you think hiring a professional is expensive, wait until you hire one that isn’t!

Amateurs may be more affordable, however, as the old saying goes – you get what you pay for. In today’s world of multiple floor and surface types, shower types (marble, natural stone, river rock, ceramic, etc.) you want someone educated on making sure they know how to effectively clean these surfaces without damaging them.

These 8 questions will help you in finding a professional cleaning service that will give you a great insight so that you can enjoy your experience with a professional service..

 

1. How long have you been in business? This is a great question because it will give you some insight to how long they’ve been in the industry learning. You want a company with experience handling any situation that you may have.
2. Do you carry worker’s Compensation? Worker’s compensation covers unforeseen injuries to cleaning staff. People will be in your home to perform a job, so Worker’s Comp insurance is important to protect you as well as cleaning service employees.
3. Do you have liability insurance and are you Bonded? These two types of insurance are different from Worker’s Comp. These insurances (liability and bonding) protect your property and possessions.
4. Do you have references? In today’s very high tech and modern world, it’s easy to find reviews online for most companies. However, potential companies should be able to provide you with at least 3 references from their current cleaning schedule if you prefer to talk to someone. Hearing from other customers gives you an inside look at how the company performs.
5. Can you provide me with a detailed list of tasks that will be performed? All professional cleaning services should be able to provide you with a list of tasks that are included in various packages they offer. This is also referred to a scope of work. This will give you a clear understanding of what to expect.
6. How do you screen your employees? You need peace of mind for who is going to be in your home. All service providers, including cleaning services, that will have people coming into your home should thoroughly screen their employees, including a criminal background check, drug screen and previous work history.
7. Do you bring your own equipment and supplies? This is a question often forgotten in discussion between homeowner and service. It’s important to know if they provide all the equipment and supplies. It’s also important to review their cleaning agent list and let them know if you prefer they use something else in your home. Some services may offer to supply a different chemical or they may request that you supply it. It varies from one service to another.
8. What should I do with my pets? A discussion about pets is the best way to keep your pets and the technicians safe. If you have a fenced back yard and they can let the dog out while cleaning, let them know. If your cat has anxiety with vacuums, let them know. Pets are a big part of our homes and we all want them safe and not scared while a service is there.
9. What are your professional affilitations? You may wonder why this is so important, but it will tell you how serious a company is about continuing to learn. Cleaning is a rapidly changing industry where some chemistry knowledge and support of a division of industry specific oversight is recommended. Most professional services who take their customer’s satisfaction seriously will be an affiliate member of a larger organization. For example, they may belong to a charitable organization offering free cleanings (Cleaning For A Reason), or they may belong to a large association that offers them continuing education (such as: ARCSI – Associational of Residential Cleaning Services International, ISSA – International Sanitary Supply Association, GBAC – Global Biorisk Advisory Council).