A little off topic

[TipBill]

Hi everyone, this subject is a little off topic but does play into my disabilities. I finally decided to break down and hire a cleaning service. I could just no longer do the bending, stretching and reaching and scrubbing that is required to clean my house. I had a company come out that was highly recommended by several friends so I thought I would give them a try. I got a reasonable price for the cleaning so I was happy with that. They came out to clean on Monday and it seemed like they were in a big hurry to get out of here. They never gave me their names and seemed irritated that I wanted so show them around and tell them what I wanted done. After they left I took a look around and was very disappointed. I have several knick knack shelves that were never dusted. The soap dish and sink in the half bath were not cleaned although the toilet and floor were cleaned. They didn't dust the pictures or picture frames. They didn't dust the ceiling fan or inside of the TV stand. I have two curio cabinets and I told them I did not expect them to dust inside of those. I also have an extensive DVD and book collection and I told them they did not have to dust that. The chairs in the kitchen and dining room were not touched. There was dust all over the seats and chair legs. The list goes on and on. I talked to the manager and he said he would come out the next day and I told him no, we would be gone all day. I told him they could just get it at the next cleaning. So my question is should I give them another chance and go room by room and tell them exactly what I want done instead of just generalizing or do you think I should just tell them if that's the quality of service they provide I would prefer they didn't come back. Thanks for your input.

 

[diamond]

HI Krista if the manager is involved maybe they will take extra care next time but if you really didn't like their attitude when they were in your home perhaps another company would be better.

I don't know how readily available cleaning services are where you live and I'm sure price must come into it.

Could you have another conversation with the Manager and say you would like to guide them room by room next time the cleaners come and could he/she have a pre visit talk with his staff to ensure they are polite and conduct themselves appropriately and do as you ask on the next visit.

If it still isn't done to your satisfaction then change. x

 

[rtphotos]

Hi Krista,
Sounds to me there may not have been a "meeting of the minds" between you and the cleaners.

Willow gives good advice. Whether you decide to give these folks a second chance or go with another company, talk to the manager and spell out room-by-room what you want/expect to be cleaned BEFORE the crew starts. This will help prevent any misunderstandings - and it will give the manager a clearer idea of how long the job will take and how much to charge. I'd be suspicious of any cleaning/service business who wouldn't want to discuss your expectations in detail before taking on any job.

Also if you contracted the cleaners to come on a regular schedule, say once a week for two hours, you probably can't expect them to clean everything, and every room, top-to-bottom in those two hours on any single visit, could you? Again, communication is the key.

Good luck!

 

[DK_engineer]

Hi Krista,

I used to work for a house cleaning company back when I was in college. We had a set amount of time to clean, no matter how big the job was. My first day I made the mistake of getting too focused on cleaning one area, then didn't have time for the others! Eventually I learned to use my time more wisely and get more done.

It might be a good idea to meet with the manager to see if there is enough time/manpower for what you expect. If not, maybe you can agree on a rotation that will cover everything. In any case, getting the manager to see what you want is an important step toward changing how the cleaners work because then the manager can back up your requests

It could be that the cleaners have been trained to focus on different things than you want. Or maybe they haven't figured out the most efficient way to clean your house yet. I would give it some time and work with them.

 

[Forgetmenot]

Could u not hire a cleaner who would come a few times a week ,and do what you wanted doing insteed of a firm?.

 

[denellblackwell]

I actually cleaned house years ago before my symptoms got so bad. Fire them! Find a small cleaning service not a large firm. They pay more attention to the girls and their service level. When u new people come in, tell them there are a few areas u want to make sure are done. Base boards and fans are considered spring cleaning not general cleaning. Most services only do dusting, floors, etc. U can explain to the owner that u would like to start with a good spring cleaning, which costs a little more but then after that the maid can do one spring cleaning item per visit to keep them up. Which is also something u should tell them that u expect. U are the customer, paying for a service that u request. If they don't want to communicate like professionals, get rid of them.