Frequently Asked Questions
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Do you provide service in my area?
A complete list of all the towns and zip
codes we currently service can be found on our Service
Area Page.
[ Back to Top of Page )
What types of insurance do you carry and how do they
protect us?
-
Workman's compensation insurance
(always demand a certificate like
this one).
-
Protects the cleaners if they are
hurt on the job.
-
Eliminates risk that you would be
sued if someone was injured in your home.
-
Required by law for all direct
employees, but not available for independent contractor labor or
cash off-the books employees.
-
General liability insurance (always
demand a certificate like this one).
-
Covers any breakage or other damage
caused by our employees.
-
General policy that covers
virtually all potential liabilities.
-
Not carried by private individuals
and many small companies.
-
Bonding insurance (always
demand a certificate like this one).
-
Auto insurance (always
demand a certificate like this one).
[ Back to Top of Page )
Do you bring your own supplies and equipment?
[ Back to Top of Page )
Do I have to be home when you clean?
On the contrary, the greatest luxury is
leaving a dirty home in the morning, then magically discovering a spotless
one when you return. Almost 90% of our regulars place a key on file
with us for entry to their home. The number one reason people use
our service is because they both work and would rather not clean during
what little free time they have.
Your key is placed on a code numbered key
tag that is kept in a secure lock-box in our alarmed office. Your
name and/or address are never attached to the key. The key to your
home is issued to the supervisor of your cleaning team on the morning of
your cleaning. It is then returned to the general manager that same
afternoon and secured back in the lock-box. In the unlikely event
that your key is ever lost or misplaced, you have double protection.
The key is unlabeled, rendering it useless to the finder, plus our
insurance company will cover the cost of having the locks changed at your
option.
[ Back to Top of Page )
Can I get a price on the web or over the phone?
After almost ten years in the business, we
know what to ask, and how to give you an accurate price over the phone or
internet, without an in-home visit. Some companies insist on making
an appointment to visit your home first, but this is usually just to give
them the opportunity for a high-pressure sales call.
If it is after our business
hours, the best way to get a price is to go to the form
on our Pricing Page and submit a description of your home. This
will save us both some time, since it is the same list of questions we'll
ask you on the phone. We will contact you shortly after we reopen
the next day, with complete pricing information. If it is during our
business hours, or you if haven't heard
back from us by 10:30 the next morning, just call
us and find out just how "Affordable" we really are.
[ Back to Top of Page )
I'm shopping around, what questions should I ask?
Go to our Compare Page and print
out a convenient guide that will allow you to make a complete evaluation
of our company vs. the competition. To borrow a phrase from the
great retailer Mr. Syms "An educated consumer is our best
customer".
[ Back to Top of Page )
How do I make payment?
A credit card number or mailed-in deposit
is required to confirm an initial visit. A cancellation charge will
apply if we do not receive 24 hours notice of a change in date or
cancellation. See our policies for details.
On regularly scheduled visits, following your initial visit, we accept cash,
personal checks and most major credit cards. For first-time and
one-time visits, we only accept cash payments, prior to beginning work. Payment is left on the kitchen table or countertop on the
day of your cleaning, if you are not at home. If you are paying with cash, please put it in
an envelope labeled "Affordable". Credit card payments may
be arranged by phone with the office for regular repeat visits. For
maximum convenience, you should consider paying us electronically with an
online bill-pay service offered by
most financial institutions. Just set up an automatic recurring
payment to us, scheduled with the same frequency as our visits, timed to
reach us two days before your cleaning. This way there's one less
thing to remember to do. If you just forget to leave us a check, we
will usually clean your home and leave an invoice with a $5 additional
billing fee. See our policies for more
details.
[ Back to Top of Page )
Do I have to sign a contract?
Never. On the initial visit we do
require you to sign a copy of our basic terms and
conditions, but you are
never committed to continue service beyond today's visit. If you
encounter a company requiring a contract, our advice is to "run
screaming" in the opposite direction.
[ Back to Top of Page )
What if I'm not happy with your work?
All our work is guaranteed. We have a
comprehensive quality system design to keep you
satisfied now and in the future. It's so important to us that we've
allotted a special Quality Page to explain it in
detail.
[ Back to Top of Page )
Can I skip or reschedule a visit?
Absolutely. If the painters are
coming on our scheduled day, just call us and we will move your visit to a
day more convenient for you. There is no service charge, provided
you call us before noon on the business day before our visit. Be
sure to ask us for a confirmation number when making changes to avoid any
misunderstandings later.
[ Back to Top of Page )
Who is coming to my house?
People that are our direct, insured and
bonded employees. They have been background screened and have
completed our complete training program which includes numerous
instructional videos and significant on-the-job training with a seasoned
staff member.
[ Back to Top of Page )
Do the same people come each time?
We always want to send the same
people. They are the ones that know you and your home best. We
accomplish this the majority of the time, but illnesses or natural staff
turnover may necessitate that we substitute a member of the team or, on
rare occasion, send a different team altogether. Not only do you get
the people you're accustomed to, but you know you won't be stood-up the
day before Thanksgiving because the cleaning lady is sick.
[ Back to Top of Page )
Can I hire one of your employees directly?
Under our terms and
conditions, you agree
not to hire a present, or past employee of ours. Please don't embarrass
our staff by suggesting such an arrangement. All employees have,
upon being hired, entered into a contract with us, barring them from
accepting employment from any current of former customers of the
company. If you do decide to employ such a staff member, our
referral fee is $3,000. We consider our employees our most valuable
asset and charge accordingly. See the our policies for details.
[ Back to Top of Page )
What time will they be arriving?
Because we never know how long it will take
to complete a home, we are unable to commit to a specific time of
arrival. Should you wish to be home during cleaning, we will make
every effort to accommodate your schedule. If you would like an
estimated time of arrival, simply call us
after 8:15AM on the day of your cleaning.
[ Back to Top of Page )
How do you deal with pets?
Cats are not a problem. We take great
care to ensure that indoor cats stay indoors. Dogs are a little more
difficult. Most dog owners will assure us that they would never hurt
anyone, and this is generally true when the owner is present.
Unfortunately, they often can behave quite differently when the owner is
not there and strangers are "invading" their territory.
Many of our key entry customers have dogs, but are able to minimize the
risk to our staff by confining them to an area not being cleaned, such as
the basement, garage, spare bedroom, or kennel.
[ Back to Top of Page )
Do they expect to be tipped each time?
No. While someone having a special
one-time major cleaning may choose to offer a gratuity for exemplary
service, the majority of our long-term regulars choose to give their team
members a modest annual gratuity around the holidays. This is
totally at your discretion and is never expected or required.
[ Back to Top of Page )
What if they break something?
Accidents do occur occasionally. Our
insurance carriers will handle any major losses, while we usually handle
minor mishaps directly. The most tragic possible loss is breaking
something of high sentimental, but low monetary value. Be safe,
rather than sorry, with such items and store them away on cleaning day, or
instruct us of items to bypass while dusting.
[ Back to Top of Page )
One of my regular visits is on a holiday. What
happens in this case?
We do not clean on the following holidays
when they fall on a weekday:
-
New Years Day
-
Memorial Day
-
Independence Day
-
Labor Day
-
Thanksgiving Day
-
Christmas Day
Sometimes we will also close on Boxing Day
(12/26), but not every year. We will send you a notice two to six
weeks before a visit that falls on a holiday, advising you of which day
your visit has been moved to. We do this to best match customer
preferences as to team and time restrictions.
[ Back to Top of Page )
Is the personal information I provide you confidential?
Absolutely, in strict accordance with our
published privacy policy.
[ Back to Top of Page )
|
