It’s important to know what you’re paying for when it comes to housekeeping!
Photo by Volha Flaxeco on Unsplash
From time to time we have clients cancel their appointments because they’ve found someone who charges less than we do. And while we totally understand budget constraints, there is a lot of truth to the old phrase, “you get what you pay for.”
I’m not throwing shade at your neighbor’s daughter who is cleaning her way through school or the single mom who is trying to support her family. At different times in my life I was both of those. But I do want to make sure you know what you’re giving up.
So, here are some of the reasons you might want to reconsider using the person who charges you $15-25 per hour.
Safety - When you are looking at a company who has a good reputation to uphold, and has to pay to keep the business insured, you can bet they are running background checks, getting to know the employees, and doing a lot of training to make sure that the people they are hiring will do the work well and in a safe manner.
We were voted Best of the Best in the Peoria area again this year! It takes a lot of confidence from many people to get that kind of recognition and we’re super proud of the honor! The fact that we take such care in choosing and training our employees is a big part of that.
Even if the person you are wanting to hire is recommended by someone who you trust, it doesn’t mean that person has ever undergone a background check, has training on how to clean specific items, or knows what household chemicals can and can’t be used together.
Experience - Hire A Housewife has been doing this for nearly ten years now. Multiply that by the average number of employees we’ve had over those years, and we’re looking about 50 years of experience that I’ve gained between my own cleaning and overseeing the cleaning of our employees. I have learned so much in those years, and that has built up a huge wealth of knowledge.
Procedure - All of that experience has also helped me develop procedure. Rules I implemented to make business run more smoothly are a huge benefit to both employee and clients. If your housewife will be more than 15 minutes late and you will be at home, we let you know. If someone accidentally breaks something, we have a procedure for handling it… nobody will be hiding a broken picture frame from you hoping you won’t notice. In addition to our “no judgement” policy, I my employees sign confidentiality agreements when they get started with us.
If this worked, I’d gladly go out of business (but I’m kind of thankful it doesn’t… because I love what I do!
Reliability - I’ve had several people contact HAH because their cleaner called in one week and then just never came back. Once we are working for you, you won’t be forgotten. If someone is sick or leaves the company for some reason, we’ll do whatever we can to get you taken care of as soon as possible.
Liability Insurance - You wouldn’t believe the number of people who have come to us over the years after an independent cleaner broke something valuable or made a mess elsewhere. One customer reported over $35,000 in damages from a previous cleaner who accidentally left a second floor sink running with a rag that fell in and covered the drain. Others have had broken things hidden, carpets ruined, and damages that they or their homeowner’s insurance had to pay for because of an independent cleaner’s negligence or ignorance.
To date, we have never had to make a claim against our liability insurance, but we still have it available in case an issue arises in the future.
Workman’s Comp - Liability insurance isn’t the only coverage your low-cost cleaner might be missing. There’s also Workman’s Comp. If someone cleaning your home is injured, and they don’t have this coverage, there is a good chance you will be liable for their injuries. Just like with the lack of liability insurance, costs incurred from lack of Workman’s Comp would come from your homeowners insurance or your pocket.
Don’t get me wrong, there are some very good independent cleaners out there. The problem is finding them. If you do find one, make sure you pay them what they are worth and tip them from time to time as well! And, if they ever decided to move on to a different job, take a break, or go on vacation… we’ll be here waiting for you, happy to help you with whatever you need.
As always, we’re happy to answer any questions as well!
