Angie's Questions Part 3/3

This month, I have decided to tackle Angie’s 11 questions you should ask before hiring a housekeeper. Please keep in mind that we may need to revisit some of the answers to these questions as we grow and expand, but for now, this is where we are at.

The questions may be found here:

https://www.angieslist.com/articles/11-questions-ask-house-cleaning-services.htm

For the purpose of this blog/month, we will break the 11 questions into 3 parts.

Part 3

8. What should I do with my pet?

We LOVE pets! We cannot hire cleaners that are allergic to animals and we don’t hire cleaners that feel uncomfortable around pets (it’s part of the interview when they come to my house and meet my cats).

We do love pets, but we also strongly encourage you to crate, kennel, or separate your dogs/aggressive animals when we will be coming. I think this is a wise choice for liability and safety reasons. Some animals act differently when their owners are away. We also have to go in and out in order to bring supplies in (sometimes this may take 4-5 trips) and it’s best if we don’t have to weasel past an escape artist dog or cat. We are not able to let your pet out or take responsibility for caring for your pets while you are away.

If your pet misbehaves while we are in your home, we may require them be crated before coming back.

We do not charge additional fees for pets but take pets into account when creating your custom quote.

9. What services are included?

What isn’t included?

Here’s what we do:

When we arrive, we are going to pull an insane amount of products and equipment from our home into the house. We will proceed to dust every surface with a surface from fixtures to crown molding to baseboards and every detail in between. Do not underestimate the process of dusting.

We will then put on our gloves and wipe down surfaces, spot clean furniture/walls, clean kitchen/bathrooms, and any pertinent glass.

After our thorough wipe down, we will move on to the floors. No hair dares to stand against our HEPA vacuum filters and no spot is too sticky for our wet/steam mops! We know how to handle everything from laminate to hardwoods and we adore carpets.

Your home will glow in no time!

Now… if you are requesting special services, we will ensure the job is completed to your standards. Some special services include but are not limited to: windows, tracks, baseboards, wipe down of fixtures (not to be confused with dusting), ovens, and refrigerators. Sometimes pet and children owners desire special services such as “kid print” removal, walls, and a wipe down of cabinet faces.

10. How long has the cleaning service been in business?

We have 17 years experience cleaning and have been an official “company” since 2017. We grew to use contracted cleaners 3 months into the formation of the company and will soon be offering employment opportunities for cleaners who would prefer to be “employees” rather than “contractors”.

The cleaning industry has a 200% turnover rate, so on average, every 6 months a cleaning company will have to replace 100% of it’s employees (statistically).

I (Courtney) strongly encourage my cleaners to move along from day 1. Yes, I want loyal cleaners but realistically, this is not a job or industry that can sustain and support a person long term. Our cleaners are paid well and I have tried very hard to create a working atmosphere that is fun, positive, fulfilling, and profitable. Still, the work is very hard on the body and we can only pay so much in order to keep competitive rates.

I encourage cleaners to look at this as a means to an end. From the beginning, I ask my cleaners to think of a “next step” or “business idea” that they would like to work towards. I ask them to create goals and check in to see if there is anything I can do to assist them in the process of pursuing their dreams.

Some of my mentors have frowned upon this approach but I am not living for a profit. I want to make a profit, but I feel more strongly about making an investment in someone’s life. I want this business to equip people financially to be able to pay their bills so that they can get an education, create businesses, pursue dreams, serve to promote the message of Jesus Christ, and ultimately move on.

I read in a book once that the role of a parent is ultimately to work themselves out of a job. I’m not a parent, but I am in a position of strength as a business owner to propel people towards something greater than what I’m building here. I want that! I want to give them the leg up and cheer them on so that they can truly make this world a better place.

The best leaders are willing to wash the dirt off the feet of those they are called to serve.

11. Can I get all this in writing?

Absolutely! I (Courtney) am the daughter of an attorney and have been taught from a very early age to document everything!

We create a custom quote detailing our agreement and policies so that we are all on the same page.

What if you don’t appreciate our quote? No problem, the whole point of it is to create a custom plan that brings you value! If you want us to add or subtract something, please let us know!