If you’ve made the smart decision to hire a cleaning service and are almost done with choosing one, you might be wondering whether they’re as good as others advertizing in the locality, and if so, how you can tell.
While you can’t always tell until you actually hire a cleaning service, there are some signs that typically signal that a company isn’t everything they say they are, and that they cannot be trusted.
Here are 5 warning signs that the company you’re about to hire, might not be the smartest choice:
- They tell you they’re working ‘beneath the radar’
Companies that operate under the radar can avoid paying taxes and avoid being detected by the IRS, and while this might enable them to make more money (and in some instances, pass those savings on to you, the customer), this simply means that they’re not legitimate and could get themselves (and you) into legal trouble. It’s best that you play no role in this, and avoid such illegitimate companies when making your selection.
- They aren’t bonded or insured
Legitimate cleaning services will ensure that they invest in liability insurance and bonding, which means that you remain protected should a cleaner damage something while working at your property, or slip up on a wet floor, for example.
Cleaners that are both bonded and insured are better protected from lawsuits, while you are better protected from any costs that might be incurred following damage to your home or belongings, injury or theft.
- They’re inexperienced
While it’s true that every company has to start somewhere, when it comes to hiring cleaners to come into your home and personal spaces, you ideally want them to have plenty of experience, and plenty of positive reviews from other satisfied customers.
- They’re prices are really low
Prices that seem lower than those quoted by other companies in the area, should immediately set off alarm bells for you; as with many other services offered, if a price seems too good to be true, it often is. Whether they are simply going to provide you with a poor service due to the low cost, or offer you a low price and then increase it once they actually start cleaning for you, low prices should at the very least be investigated further, but ideally, steered clear of.
- They pass their work on to subcontractors
In some cases, cleaning companies will skip the hiring and training of their own employees, and pass their work on to independent subcontractors, and make no mention of it to their customers. While you may think this not to be too much of an issue provided someone comes in and cleans your home, it’s rare that such subcontractors have insurance or bonding, and it may even be that the company you’ve chosen are in violation of the law when it comes to the IRS. There are many incredibly efficient, hardworking and honest cleaning companies out there, but finding them requires a certain degree of vigilance. When choosing a cleaning service to help you keep your home clean, watch out for the 5 warning signs listed above.