5 Must-Ask Questions Before Employing a Maid Service
Housekeeping is a necessary evil that most of us just don’t have time for. Keeping everything neat and tidy can be an added source of stress in an already busy day. Luckily, the market abounds with maid service and house cleaning companies to relieve this burden.
Maid services are those companies and individuals that earn their living by helping house owners or occupants carry out house cleaning functions for an agreed fee. However, finding the right house cleaners can be a little strenuous. From the calls and inquiries to the endless interviews, the whole process is, in general, demanding.
The real fear of house owners when trying to employ the services of a maid service is the possibility that they might not hire the right candidate. However, with the following five questions, you can weed out the unfit maid services and rest assured about employing the right one.
1. Are You Honest?
Honesty is the foundation on which all housemaid and house owner relationships are based. You can’t work with a house cleaner you don’t trust, and vice versa. You are giving this person access to your home, sometimes unsupervised, and you want to feel comfortable having them around your personal possessions.
The reason behind asking this question doesn’t have to be monetary as honesty is a very broad term. By asking this question, you want to know if the person carrying out the maid service is honest in all dealings. Honesty in this context can relate to things like punctuality, diligence, and efficiency – all traits of a good working relationship.
Remember that honesty goes both ways and it is important to be honest to your maid service in return. Paying your maid service what they deserve and providing a comfortable working environment for them goes a long way in determining the way the relationship pans out. Particularly if you want to use their services in the long term, setting expectations up front can help avoid problems later.
2. What Services Do You Offer?
The term ‘maid service’ is often mistaken to cover everything related to taking care of the house, including such things as laundry and dishwashing. However, the scope of maid services differs, and some may refuse to offer the services other maid services would readily accept to do. Others may offer these services, but for an additional price.
Thus, prospective employers of house cleaners should inquire and discuss the type of services they offer, set limitations and boundaries, and know exactly what services they are paying for. Sorting this out prior to employment will help eliminate arguments that may arise later in the future.
3. Will You Be Coming With Your Own Tools and Equipment?
Some maid service companies and house cleaners have a policy of coming to work with their own cleaning products and equipment. This could be because they trust their products to get the job done better than the ones you have, or they manufacture their own cleaning accessories. It could also be for safety reasons and prevention of ailments that could arise from minor hazards and accidents that may arise in the process of carrying out their duties in the house.
Homeowners should endeavor to ask this question before employing maid services, as it has the potential to save them from purchasing equipment they won’t be needing. This question could also prevent house owners and occupants from being exploited or cheated, as some unscrupulous house cleaners may charge you for the use of their tools and equipment while constantly making use of yours.
4. Do You Have Any Allergies?
Some house cleaners may suffer from allergies and, as it is not a condition that is physically evident, you might never know until you ask or witness the person suffering from an attack. Allergy attacks can potentially be fatal if not addressed with urgency. Seeing how most house cleaners carry out their services while no one is at home, this question is of paramount importance as ignorance of a house cleaner’s allergies could prove to be disastrous.
House owners or occupants should therefore endeavor to ask their potential house cleaner about his or her allergies, so they can know what to rid their house of or decide against employing such maid service if they can’t rid their home of the allergen. Good maid services should let you know up front about the allergies of their employees, but you should make sure this topic is brought up at some point during the interview.
5. Can I See Your Price Breakdown?
When providing a price point, some maid service companies may give you an overall price (i.e., the total price of employing their services) rather than a breakdown of the exact amount they are charging for each particular service they are offering. However, it is your right as the employer to know all the services you are paying for and exactly how much you are paying for each one.
This question could save you from being exploited as the company or individual employees might inflate the prices of the services or add extra fees to the total. With the price breakdown, you can confidently pay for the services you are being charged for without feeling as though you have been exploited.
Everyone wants the perfect maid service to take over the responsibility of keeping their house clean and germ-free, but it can take some time and effort to find the right cleaners for your home’s needs.
However, with the above questions, you can take some comfort in knowing that you’ve done your due diligence when it comes to finding out what you need to know before you hire someone. Once you’ve selected the right maid service, sit back and enjoy having a clean home without the stress of cleaning it yourself.