‘HomeMaid’ Articles
Written by HomeMaid on 09 June 2010
Safe Trader
One of our clients suggested we become a “Safe Trader” – which initially confused me, I have to confess. HomeMaid have always been “safe”, professionally insured and only use CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) cleared staff.
I went away to do some more research and it transpires that Trading Standards operate an approval scheme for local traders, funded by Lancashire County Council. The purpose of the scheme is to promote to Lancashire consumers reliable local traders with which to do business. This means you can support your local business community without worrying about cowboy or rogue traders.
Safe Trader Code of Practice
All traders who complete the approval process, must operate within the schemes “Code of Practice”, designed to minimise the risk to potential customers when purchasing goods and services.
You can read more on the Safe Trader website but a couple of things are worth highlighting quickly here.
All traders must possess public liability insurance covering a minimum of £2 million pounds liability. Where applicable, businesses must also possess employers’ liability insurance covering a minimum of £5 million pounds liability.
HomeMaid Domestic Cleaning are the only local company (so far as we are aware) that also have the added protection of “Fidelity Bonding” an extra level of insurance to protect clients and give them real peace of mind.
All Businesses approved under this scheme have a responsibility to trade fairly and provide good quality customer service. Here at HomeMaid we have always offered guaranteed cleaning services, believing that our operating methods and quality control measures give a high level of service.
Enhanced Listing
We will be pursuing an enhanced listing in the coming weeks, watch out for that announcement. Meanwhile why not get a free cleaning quote for your home? Free Domestic Cleaning Quote, you can rely on HomeMaid, a quality cleaning company.
Tags: cleaning companies, domestic cleaning, domestic cleaning in blackburn, domestic cleaning in burnley, domestic cleaning in clitheroe, domestic cleaning quote, domestic cleaning rawtenstall, domestic services, eco house cleaning, safe trader, trading standards approved
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Written by HomeMaid on 16 April 2010
The headline reflects the most commonly asked question when someone calls us to discuss our service – ” how much an hour do you charge?”. Of course that would seem the most logical but then did you stop to think about what it is your buying? Have you considered the safety of your home, your family and who might have to foot the bill in the event of an accident?
Choosing A Cleaning Service
There are dozens of cleaning “companies” to choose from, search the web, pick up the local paper or ask a friend, there is no shortage of potential cleaning services. However would you know the implications of each service and how that might affect you, your family and your home?
Individuals As Cleaners
This can be the best solution for many, if you have a neighbour or friend who you get along with can help you out and it will always be cheaper than any company. However if you dont know them personally it can be a real minefield of problems.
Insurance; Are You Protected?
Let me explain, whilst any registered company is legally required to have a minimum of Public Liability Insurance, however there is no such requirement for individuals and that’s just the start of the potential problems.
Your home insurance generally doesnt for accidents to employees, e.g. Mrs Bloggs, your cleaner falls downstairs and breaks her leg. Who is she going to pursue for compensation? It might concern you to know, that its you who will be sued and without insurance and legal protection, could be a financial disaster for your family.
Fidelity Bonding Explained
What happens if your cleaner is dishonest? Most companies and almost certainly no individuals will have the correct insurance cover to protect you. You need to ask if they have something called “Fidelity Bonding”, which is a specialist insurance for cleaning companies and the like. It protects you against misuse of phones, identity theft and so on. The number of companies with this added protection are surprisingly few. Just be sure to ask your prospective cleaner if they have this, or you might have a bigger bill than you ever imagined.
You, The Employer
If you employ an individual you then become the employer and responsible for filing details with HMRC, holiday pay, sick pay, health and safety amongst other things. Its around now you might be thinking that £11 an hour isn’t cheap any more?
Cleaning Products, The Hidden Costs
Most cleaning companies will include all the products used in their price, whereas individuals and most cleaning agencies provide the manpower and you provide the products. Its a massive hidden cost that most forget to factor in to their decision. Here at HomeMaid we buy in bulk from specialist suppliers and its vastly cheaper than buying from a supermarket. Still think £11 an hour is good value?
The Added Value
We at HomeMaid pride ourselves on going the extra mile both with the service but also the investment in technology; we routinely use HEPA-Flo filtered vacuums, a real boon for 25% of the population of allergy sufferers, but for those non-sufferers the knowledge that your home is hygienically cleaner. The comprehensive use of micro-fibre cloths helps reduce both the visible and invisible dirt (bacteria) and all of this, is part of the HomeMaid service.
The Price Per Hour
The hourly rate is only of interest when you compare the value and what you get for every pound spent. We’re not the cheapest but that was never the intention, there is always someone prepared to cut corners and cut the price. When you understand the hidden costs it makes hiring at £11 an hour not only quite expensive, but your are taking huge risks with your home and family. Failing to notify HMRC that you have employed someone is serious, whilst being uninsured in the event of an accident or dishonesty could be catastrophic for you.
We prefer the principals of quality, peace of mind for our clients and a loyal, happy band of customers. We are neither the cheapest, not the most expensive, but we are the most focused on customer satisfaction.
You can get a FREE HomeMaid Home Cleaning quote now!
Tags: cleaning companies, cleaning quotes, cleaning rates, domestic cleaning, domestic cleaning in accrington, domestic cleaning in blackburn, domestic cleaning in burnley, domestic cleaning in clitheroe, domestic cleaning quote, domestic cleaning rawtenstall, domestic services, HomeMaid, house cleaning, house cleaning price, house cleaning quote
Posted in General News, HomeMaid | 8 Comments »
Written by HomeMaid on 13 December 2009
No this isnt one of those US style motivational sales systems, its much more fundamental than that. I used to work in IT sales and I’ve endured many a motivational(?) speaker about this system and that system and how to use this “close” and that “close”, however much of it was common sense! It seems common sense to me that the best sales force any company can have is its customers. They are the people that have tried your service and are regular clients. They know your service, your staff and so on and rely on you to provide a product or service.
The Customer Is King
It is often forgotten by many companies that the customer is king, listen to their needs and desires and if you can fulfill them you will have a loyal happy customer. Easy right? No, not by a long way, it takes committment, energy and patience to turn customer wants into viable products and services. Your customer has a choice, a choice to buy from you or someone else.
I like to think at HomeMaid we listen, sure we have our systems and ExpertMaid methods, but we always visit a potential new client at home. We listen to them and talk to them about whats important, what rooms have priorities, pets, kids and even watering plants! When we have cleaned we welcome feedback, its the best quality control system in the world – just let your customers feel comfortable about communicating with you.
Customer Referrals & Testimonials
If you give a customer a good service or provide a great product, they will remember for sure. Provide that service many times and they will be amazed with your consistency and reliability. They will gladly give you a testimonial to show other potential clients. A business that can show many testimonials absolutely demonstrates that it provides a high quality AND consistent service.
We publish our testimonials on our website for everyone to see. Obviously we dont publish all their information but the originals are there for inspection. However, the words are all theirs, as they come to us.
Our Best Salespeople
Actually we dont employ any salespeople, our salesforce works for free. They spread the word by telling their friends, neighbours and colleagues about our service. They write testimonials for you to read and rely on. We know we do a great job, because our customers tell us we do; read our home cleaning testimonials for proof.
Why not find out for yourself the difference a high quality cleaning company can make to your life, restore the work/life balance in your life in just a few clicks. Give me a FREE Home Cleaning Quote
Tags: cleaning companies, cleaning quotes, cleaning rates, domestic cleaning, domestic cleaning quote, domestic services, HomeMaid
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Written by HomeMaid on 10 September 2009
We all know that there are a plethora of home cleaning companies serving the domestic marketplace, but if you’ve endured a lack of quality and inconsistent service you don’t need us to explain the pit falls of choosing the right domestic cleaning company for you and your family.
If this is your “first time” hiring a cleaner, then how can you avoid the uninsured, untrained and unsafe cleaners that will add to, not reduce your stress? We’ve put together a FREE “Avoid Rogue Domestic Cleaners” guide which you can get in a few clicks.
However if you need the basic outline, here is the first part;
Criminal Records Bureau (CRB)
Regardless of who you hire, be it an individual directly or through an agency you absolutely insist on a current, CRB certificate. This is utterly essential as you will be handing over keys and alarm codes to your family home. Let me also add that we reject tens if not hundreds of applicants on this one check alone.
Ever wondered where they go to find work? Quote a scary thought isn’t it?
Can you guess if the lady in the picture has a criminal record of theft and fraud? Me neither, fact is she is a model, not a cleaner, but the point is this nobody can tell, so for a small fee its worth finding out the truth. I know it will take a few weeks for someone without a current certificate, but think how much more relaxed you’ll be knowing your cleaner(s) do not have criminal records.
All staff at HomeMaid are routinely CRB screened, for your peace of mind.
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Written by HomeMaid on 07 April 2009
Why Sanitise a Mattress?
A normal household mattress used frequently will build up a food reservoir for dust mites. This food reservoir is the skin you shed as a natural process every day. As you spend around 6-9 hours each day in bed, its seems obvious you will shed a good proportion of the 1.5 grams a day you lose, in your bed. Now consider that the majority of dust in a bedroom is….literally a part of you….its your skin! Ever wonder why your bedroom seems to get dustier faster than anywhere else? Now you have your answer.
Add to this the fact that you lose around .5l of fluid each night, through your natural breathing process and through perspiration. You now have a the perfect dust mite breeding ground.
A regular six month mattress sanitisation keeps the house dust mite at bay and it doesnt need to cost the earth.
Read more about how to deal with dust mites and allergies such as asthma, rhinitis, hay fever and eczema in our allergy section….
Tags: allergy, asthma, domestic cleaning, domestic cleaning in accrington, domestic cleaning in blackburn, domestic cleaning in burnley, domestic cleaning in clitheroe, domestic cleaning rawtenstall, dust mites, eczema, hay fever, house dust mite, mattress cleaning, mattress sanitisation, rhinitis
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