What to Think About When Hiring a Maid Service for Your Home or Office
What Are Maid Services?
In today's hectic world, finding time to complete chores can be challenging. Using a professional maid service provides an opportunity to get help with domestic workloads and office cleaning, allowing you to add vital relaxation time to your busy schedule. However, little time will be saved if the chosen office or house cleaning service proves unreliable. Finding the best professional cleaning services for a particular business or household can be a lengthy process.
Residential Cleaning Services
Agency Advantages
One of the advantages of hiring a residential cleaning service through a reputable agency is that the research and investigation has already been completed. Background checks of employees have been performed and referrals have been investigated. Choosing a maid service from a classified ad listing may be risky, unless references are thoroughly checked and a level of confidence is established. If language barriers make communication difficult, misunderstandings regarding service expectations and payment may occur. By hiring house cleaning services through an agency, these issues are clearly dealt with and pre-screened maids are provided.
Another clear advantage of selecting a housekeeping service from an agency involves the legal liability of the service's domestic employees. An agency provides the protection of ensuring that proper visas and work permits are already in place. Employee benefits and payroll accounting are both handled through the agency. All the paperwork is performed by agency personnel, relieving the end client of the burden. Errors and liability issues are also controlled so that maid service can be provided without leaving the homeowner to worry about extensive payroll accounting.
Professional Maid Services
Anyone using maid services wants to feel confident that their home is protected from theft and damage. A residential cleaning service agency locates employees with proven housekeeping experience and a record of reliable service. Reports of theft or significant damage to the household are immediately reported to the agency and tracked to the responsible employee. An individual who hires a maid service independently may not have recourse if such an issue arises.
When we leave our homes to the care of others, we want reassurance that the housekeeping maid services are trustworthy. Establishing a good relationship with a housekeeper is important. An agency can provide a preferred worker or a backup person if needed. If a problem occurs, the agency resolves the issue, relieving the client of awkward dismissal proceedings.
Choosing a residential cleaning service through an agency means peace of mind. Reduced risk and reliable housekeeping services make more leisure time an attainable reality.
Office Janitorial Services
Finding a janitor or office cleaning services for your business can be a challenge. Beyond identifying what the services you want performed and the price you're willing to pay for them, here are some tips and suggestions to help you get started.
Hiring a Janitor
If your office is small, hiring a single janitor might be your most cost-effective solution. You may know someone looking for work, or someone who already cleans offices and is willing to add you as a client. A freelance janitor (i.e., an independent contractor) will usually prove to be your least expensive option. Because you won't pay any overhead costs when you hire an independent contractor, the janitor will earn good money and, hopefully, be motivated to keep you as a client by doing a good job.
An independent janitor will not usually require a contract, though you may want to have one anyway. One important consideration to make is that most self-employed independent contractors don't carry insurance and, if the worker is injured on the job, he or she may try to sue you for damages.
Also, unless you know the janitor personally, gained a referral from someone you know or check the janitor's references, you will have no way to determine whether or not a particular individual is trustworthy and dependable. Since the janitor will have keys to your office and access to everything inside, good references from reputable sources are absolutely necessary.
Another drawback is that, unless your janitor brings cleaning supplies and cleaning tools, you will have to provide them. Also, an independent janitor will generally have no back-up if he or she is unable to work.
Contract Janitorial Services
You can choose either franchised or privately-owned office cleaning services. Both options generally require that you sign a service contract before any work can be performed. Because this can lock you into a bad situation is the service is poor, find out how long the company has been in business, check their reputation with the Better Business Bureau and ask for references from satisfied former clients.
A contract office cleaning business will usually perform background checks on the janitors before hiring them. With a contract service you generally get bonded, licensed and insured janitors, so if they steal, vandalize or get hurt, the company can cover your losses. Be sure to ask how much insurance they carry. All contract service janitors will bring their own supplies and, if a given janitor quits, the company will have a back-up worker ready to go.
Franchise janitorial services can be the most expensive and, because their employees are poorly paid, may have high turnover. By contrast, privately-owned office cleaning services might cost you less and pay their employees more, motivating them to work harder. Some other services these businesses may offer include junk removal and site maintenance.
