Cleaning Agencies: 4 Things You Didn’t Know
With so many cleaning agencies operating in London, what should you look out for when hiring one? Read on to find out…
Today, hiring cleaning agencies for domestic cleaning has become more of a necessity rather than a luxury. Mainly due to the rise of dual-income families, the demand for professional cleaning services in London has increased substantially.
Because of the changing family dynamics and consumer spending trends, domestic cleaning has become an in-demand service in London. Regardless of a dip in disposable income, consumers are still willing to spend a portion of their paycheck to hire a professional cleaner to carry out chores around the house, mainly because consumers lack the time or energy to do so themselves.
However, with the rise of housekeeping agencies, how do you know which one to hire? It’s difficult for many customers to tell the difference between a professional and mediocre cleaning agency. Because you should receive the best value for your investment, we have highlighted the four key factors to look out for when investing in professional cleaning services.
1. Cleaning Agencies Should Be Licenced, Bonded and Insured
While a cleaning agency does not require a licence to operate, it is beneficial if they acquire one. A professional cleaning agency will make sure that they are bonded, licensed and insured in order to do business. That’s because they want to protect themselves from liability — in the case of accidents while carrying out domestic cleaning, to protect their employees and their customers. For customers, hiring a licensed cleaning agency means hiring someone you can trust. Cleaners could often be alone in your home when carrying out their tasks, so it’s essential that you hire someone who is trustworthy.
However, many cleaning agencies don’t want to pay a hefty amount to get themselves bonded, insured and licenced. This means they have to pay a premium per month, based on their staff and the size of their business. Such companies will charge less than the market price in order to beat their competition. If you are looking to hire a company that is charging below the market rate, make sure they are licensed, bonded and insured. A company with all three credentials means they operate safely and are dedicated to providing quality service.
2. Domestic Cleaners Must Have a Background Check
Because hiring cleaners means letting strangers into your home, it is essential that the professional cleaning agency you hire has conducted background checks on every member of staff. While it’s not necessary for a cleaning agency to attain a company licence, it is a legal requirement to conduct criminal background checks on all employees.
Because cleaners don’t require many skills to perform their job, many companies are willing to hire individuals with little experience and expertise. Also, because cleaners earn minimum wage, cleaning agencies will often welcome almost anyone for employment. This often means that cleaning agencies may fail to conduct background checks when hiring new employees and assess if the candidate has a criminal record. Also, companies should also hire those who are legally entitled to work in Britain.
As a consumer, you want to make sure that you are letting in people with clean criminal records into your home. You also want to make sure that you are hiring an agency that employs people legally. Fee free to ask for proof of criminal record check when hiring a new agency. Ideally, a professional cleaning agency will be willing to offer you any document that highlights the quality of its service and employees.
3. Good Agencies Provide ALL Cleaning Materials and Equipment
If you are spending a decent sum on a cleaning agency, it should be providing its staff with all the necessary cleaning materials and equipment to clean your home. Domestic cleaning requires much more than an all-purpose cleaner and a vacuum. Make sure that the company you hire to carry out housekeeping chores in your house equips its staff with proper, clean, and healthy repair equipment and industry standard cleaning solutions. This means bringing everything from a step stool, ladder, vacuum, dusters, cleaning solutions, and more, to the job.
Before hiring a cleaning agency, you should ask what kind of products and equipment they use to carry out housekeeping chores and what kind of cleaning products are included with their service charges. Many times, independent cleaning agencies will rely on using cleaning products in customer homes, and will even ask to have equipment such as vacuum cleaners readily available.
4. A Professional Cleaning Agency Will Have Uniformed Staff and Vans
Did you know that 40% of domestic theft occurs by burglaries? This means that often times, strangers posing to be someone else will try to enter your home and try to rob you. For this reason, it’s important that you hire a professional cleaning agency who has uniformed staff and properly marked vans, so you can clearly identify who is entering your property.
Also, many agencies will have uniformed staff because they want to maintain a certain level of quality and professionalism. While it’s not absolutely necessary for a domestic help to be uninformed, it says a lot about a cleaning company if they are making an effort to maintain a certain brand image.