FAQ
- How do I organise an estimate/service?
- Why won't you give me an estimate over the phone?
- Why does my Initial clean cost more?
- Who will clean my home?
- How can I trust them?
- Do I have to be at home when they come to clean?
- What do I have to supply?
- What kind of homes do you clean?
- How do I schedule a service?
- What if I have to change my service?
- How do I pay for my service?
- What about quality control?
- What other types of cleaning do you do?
- What if I have a problem with my service?
- Can you show me references?
- Finally, am I expected to 'tip' the maids?
Q: How do I organise an estimate for service?
A: Just give us a call or send us an e-mail!
We will arrange to visit you at your home (or office if that is the place you want cleaning!) in order to give you a FREE no-obligation estimate. Please don't think that you will get the 'hard sell' - nothing could be further from the truth - we will leave the estimate with you and give you a follow up call a couple of days later.
Q: Why won't you give me an estimate over the phone?
A: Simply because each and every home is different; pets, children, smoking and amount of clutter are all variables which make estimating over the phone difficult. Each home also has a different number of rooms/bathrooms, different types of flooring and, because customers are individuals, we understand that their homes are individual too!
Q: Why does my Initial clean cost more?
A: Put simply, it costs more because it takes more time! On an Initial visit we like do those tasks which only need doing occiasionally, such as cleaning all the baseboards etc. With a regular service, these will be done as and when they need doing again, but it makes sure that your home needs maintaining rather than 'deep cleaning' each time. This, in turn, will actually save you money as they will be cleaned within your schedule.
Q: Who will clean my home?
A: The maids work in teams of two; a supervisor and a maid - only on a rare occaision would we send one maid (if a maid is ill, or their child is ill and they have to look after them, for example). They are uniformed and will arrive at your home in a company vehicle.
We also like to make sure that the same maids come to your home each time; that way, you become familiar with them and they know exactly how you would like your home cleaning. Sometimes staffing changes or illness may mean that you only get one of your usual maids and a different maid, but in this instance we will try and let you know beforehand.
A: We get asked this all time and the question is one I would ask myself!
All our staff are background checked and we check out at least three of the references they supply us with. We even go so far as to go and meet with past employers rather than just call them (that way we know they aren't getting us to speak to one of their friends!).
We are bonded - this means that staff have to have no felony convictions before we even consider employing them.
We have a policy of random drug testing our employees.
We also like to verify a stable work history.
We always say - if we couldn't trust them in our home or office, we certainly wouldn't put them in yours!
Q: Do I have to be at home when they come to clean?
A: Most of our customers ar at work when we go to clean. However, it is a good idea for you to be at home for the initial clean so that you can meet the maids who will be in your home on a regular basis. You can tell them how you like things doing and check over what they have done to ensure that you are happy with the service.
Customers who have a regular service often leave a key with us in order to gain entry, with a neighbor or in a designated place if they will not be at home. Customer keys are kept securely in the office and given a customer number; they are signed out only to the maids on the morning of your scheduled service. No-one, except Karen and Chris, will know that it is your key, thanks to our security system. Alternatively, some customers give us their alarm codes, or arrange for a friend or neighbor to let the maids in. We are happy to do whatever you feel most comfortable with.
Q: What do I have to supply?
A: Absolutely nothing. We supply all the equipment and chemicals necessary to clean your home. Some customers have special requirements and we will always do our best to comply with what our customers would like.
In each and every home we use clean cloths, clean mop heads and a clean, NEW bag in the vacuum. All our cleaning products are environmentally friendly; they are totally safe near your children and pets.
Q: What kind of homes do you clean?
A: Everything from a one-bed apartment, to a vacation home, to a six-bedroomed villa. The Royal Maid Service clean all kinds of residential property - and our customers are as individual as their homes; most of our customers lead extremely busy lives and want to spend their free time relaxing, not doing housework, regardless of the size and type of their home. Some of our customers can no longer complete the more strenuous tasks, often through age or illness, so we are pleased to help them keep their homes clean. Whatever your circumstances or the type of home you live in, call us for an estimate.
Q: How do I schedule a service?
A: That's easy. When Karen or Chris come to your home to give you your FREE estimate (yes, the owners come to see you, not just someone from the office - it's that personal contact we talked about before!) and schedule your initial service, they will explain that they prefer for you to be totally pleased before booking in your regular service. Remember, if you are not totally happy with any aspect of your service, tell us within 24 hours and we will re-clean those areas FREE of CHARGE.
Q: What if I have to change my service?
A: Tell the office as soon as you know; it is usually quite simple to re-schedule if given enough notice. Similarly, if your service falls on a holiday (Christmas Day, for example) the office will call you in plenty of time to re-schedule your service at a time convenient for yourself. We will also try to ensure that you get your usual maids, however this is sometimes not always possible at very busy periods.
Although we would like to have at least 48 hours notice of a change to your service, we know that this is not always possible. Sometimes customers, or their children, become ill, or sometimes customers simply forget to leave their key ( a good reason to leave a key at the office?!). We try to be understanding, but if this happens more than once we may have to make a late cancellation charge. We don't like to do this, and will only make the charge if necessary, but the maids rely on each service for their income and this charge goes entirelty to the maids to cover for lost income. We won't ever make a charge for the first time you have to cancel (not re-schedule) at short notice.
Q: How do I pay for my service?
A: Most customers pay by check on the day of service - just leave it on the kitchen counter top and your supervisor will leave you a receipt. However, we also accept cash and we are able to take most Credit Cards if we are aware before the maids come to clean.
Q: What about quality control?
A: After the initial clean, Karen or Chris will call you to make sure that everything went well. At this point they will ask if you want to go ahead and have a regular service. Please don't think that this is the point where Karen and Chris fade into the background, move onto the next customer and that you will never hear from them again! We believe that good communications with customers is a VERY important part of our business. Random spot checks are made on customer homes, either by telephone or by asking if we can personally call and check the cleaning if convenient. We also give courtesy calls to each and every customer on the working day prior to their appointment, and are available to take calls from customers at any time. We will also ask you to spend a couple of minutes twice ayear to fill out a customer satisfaction letter. To say 'thank you' for this, we give you $5.00 off your next service once we receive your letter back at the office - we even give you a stamped envelope to send it back in!
* We love to hear from customers - it's the one thing that makes us different from other large maid services - you get to speak to the owners EVERY time you call, not just someone who works in the office.
Q: What other types of cleaning do you do?
A: Our sister company, Completely Cleaned, are available to clean interior/exterior windows, clear gutters, pressure wash driveways, clean or re-grout tile, D.I.Y or simply to do general handyman work.
We can also act as caretakers for your vacation home - we have owned our own vacation home in the past and we know some of the problems absentee landlords face. We are available to look after your property for you, alerting you to problems, liasing with contractors if work needs to be carried out, we can be 'on-call' for your guests, and we can supply Welcome Packs, flowers, chocolate, wine etc. We will make sure that your home is thoroughly cleaned on your guest's departure and check it again before your next guests arrival. Call for details.
We are also available to clean offices, clubhouses, apartment complexes etc. on request. Again, the estimates are free, just call Karen or Chris.
Q: What if I have a problem with my service?
A: Tell us. As soon as you can. It doesn't matter how trivial you think it is - if you don't tell us, we can't put it right. Likewise, tell us if you think your service is great; we run 'competitions' for the maids - the team with most positive feedback get special incentives!
Q: Can you show me references?
A: Yes. We are happy to show you letters and emials from customers past and present which testify that they are more than happy to recommend our service. Some of our customers have even given us their permission to let prospective customers contact them directly. Are any other maid services confident enough to do this?
Q: Finally, am I expected to 'tip' the maids?
A: It is really up to you! It isn't expected that you will tip the maids, but the maids always look happier if a customer has shown that they appreciate how hard the maids have worked, either with a 'tip' or just a simple ' thanks girls, great job!'