My company specializes in weekly and biweekly cleanings. We do not take on monthly or occasional cleaning clients for a variety of reasons…but in spite of that policy, sometimes we still find ourselves dealing with once per month or occasional clients. It could be a former client who comes back periodically or a grandfathered in client…or a present client who, for whatever reason, decides to move on to periodic or occasional cleanings.
One thing I have noticed is that those who come to us for occasional cleanings often hire other “cheaper” companies in between cleanings because they are under the false impression that by doing so, they will save money. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, they waste money because the “cheap” companies are charging what they are worth, sadly….and they are not worth much. The cheap companies do not train employees and often just choose a body to go into homes to clean. The cheap companies don’t carry any liability or workers comp insurance so families who hire them are liable for any damages to their own home or to the employees who clean.
What I will concentrate on here is the fact that the cheap companies do such an awful job in homes. Just this week, I have had two different occasional clients contact me because they had disappeared for several months while inviting in “cheap” companies to clean. In one of the cases, I called my employees to ask them if they were almost finished the house. They were not nearly finished—which means that the home owner will need to pay a deep cleaning fee all over again (as opposed to a flat rate). The cheap companies she had been using had not been able to keep her home up to par over the past few months, so money was wasted.
The issue for me is that my company is often put in a position to clean up the messes left behind by the “cheap” companies. And I’m left looking like the bad guy because I cannot charge a flat rate for a home that is loaded with dust, debris and mildew.
My advice to readers is as follows. Don’t waste your money on “cheap” companies. They will cost you more in the long run. Go ahead and hire a real cleaning company that is insured and that trains its employees. Yes, it will cost you more but this is your home we are talking about.
Not every cleaning company is equal in quality or price. I guarantee you that if a company is charging you $60 for 4 hours of work ($15 per hour), that’s all they are worth. People know what they are worth. My company is going to charge $35 per employee per hour. At a minimum, that’s what we are worth for the expertise we offer—not to mention, insurance to protect our clients.
Just remember this. You would not expect to purchase a steak at a fast food restaurant. Therefore, don’t expect superior cleaning service at a $10 – $15 per hour cleaning company!