If you've decided to hire a cleaning
company to take care of your home or office (or maybe you already
have one), you've probably already found that it is extremely difficult
to do research on these businesses. Many of them are very small
and often they do not even have a website you can visit. You can
search through all the usual places, but it will seem that these
little companies just fly beneath the radar somehow. Even if you
ask for referrals from people you know or choose a larger, more
well-known company, how can you be sure that they are worthy of
your trust? Here are some questions you can ask of a current or
prospective cleaning company that will help you decide. 1. Who will be cleaning your
home or office? Will it be the same person each time? The janitorial
industry is often one of very low pay and high turnover for employees.
Having a constant stream of new people walking through your home
or office can only serve to raise your risk of theft and loss. Most
people who clean your home or office are hard-working, ethical people,
but it is good to at least be able to recognize them and perhaps
even know their name.
2. What are they cleaning with?
Make a surprise visit while your janitorial company is at work and
see what's going on. It is not at all uncommon for a corner-cutting
maid or janitor to clean your bathroom or kitchen with glass cleaner
rather than disinfectant. When they finish, it may look clean and
shiny, but the germs are still there. Quality companies consider
this practice to be extremely unethical.
3. Are they digging around
in places they shouldn't be? Try licking the ends of a piece of
hair then sticking it over closed desk drawers or cabinet doors.
The saliva will hold the hair in place, unless of course, the doors
or drawers are opened. This is a quick way to tell if someone is
going through your things while they clean.
4. Do they have liability insurance
and worker's compensation? If they don't, you're taking a huge risk
by hiring them. If they get hurt on the job, they can come back
and sue you and if they break your window or ruin your carpet, you
may have to pay the bill. Many cleaning companies like to tell prospective
clients that they are "bonded" as a way of distracting
you from the fact that they don't have insurance. Surety bonding
in the cleaning business means that the company pays about $100
per year for an insurance policy which is basically useless, especially
to you. If one of their employees steals from you and is caught
and found guilty in a court of law, the surety bond then kicks in
to reimburse you for your loss -- but not a moment before a conviction
is in place. That can be a long time to have to wait around for
your computer or other expensive item to be replaced. Reputable
companies carry insurance and guarantee that their employees won't
steal from you. Though they may carry a bond, it is for their safety,
not yours. In the event of a theft, they will reimburse you immediately
so that you don't have to wait for the conviction.
5. Do you know where your trash
is going? Shred your financial documents and credit cards, especially
if you are trusting someone else with your trash. If you have sensitive
company documents, shred those as well as janitors in very competitive
industries may find that they can make far more money by selling
your company secrets or stealing your identity than by dumping your
trash. Many, many home and office cleaners will pick through your
trash and take things they like, so be sure that the things in your
trash are really trash. Also, to curtail their curiosity, don't
put large or interesting items in the trash, such as clothes, tools,
appliances or electronics. Instead, throw them away yourself at
another time.
Hiring a janitorial or maid service
can be a particularly stressful decision -- you're trusting this
company with your home or office, after all. Before you hire, get
references from trusted friends or business associates, then keep
this list handy for the interview process and beyond.
Alot of people want to "test" their cleaning people to see if they're doing a thorough job or stealing or looking where they shouldnt. My advice is to keep your things organized. Put your stuff away. Don't leave valuables out. And... Get to Know your cleaning person!