You've Got MAIDS CLEANING SERVICE POLICIES

WHAT'S A MAID HOUR?

2008-01-13T13:57:00.000-08:00

Click here for You've Got MAIDS definition of a maid hour.

Tell me about your 24-Hour Service Guarantee

2008-01-10T01:16:00.000-08:00

24-Hour Guarantee! Our 52-Point Spring Clean™ is guaranteed! If you are not satisfied for any reason, call or email our office within 24 hours for a re-clean of the unsatisfactory areas! It is just that simple. Naturally, because of the subjective nature of cleaning, and the fact that the maids have already scrubbed the Client’s toilets, refunds are not offered. Maid service is hard work and our maids deserve to get paid for the work they rendered. If you don't agree with this fundamental principle then please refrain from engaging our services.

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Do you work weekends?

2008-01-09T18:57:00.000-08:00

No, because it is our sincere intention to attract the best housekeepers to You've Got MAIDS. We hope to accomplish this by:

Treating people with respect & dignity.
By paying a better wages.
Offering some benefits.
Providing superior training.
Providing for company vehicles.
Promising holidays, Sundays and nights off to be with their families. Saturdays can sometimes be available for initial cleans.

By all accounts it seems to be working.

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What about holidays?

2008-01-05T03:52:00.000-08:00

We're only closed 6 special days a year. If your scheduled cleaning falls on one of these days, You've Got MAIDS will be sure to reschedule your cleaning.

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How do I pay the taxes?

2008-01-03T13:15:00.000-08:00

We take care of all that. Your price is all-inclusive; no extra for tax, supplies, or travel!

When you hire our service, you don't have to worry about the potential problems of hiring an unlicensed individual or service. You could be responsible for taxes, FICA, and much more. Ask yourself: Do I want a professional service in my home, or, someone operating out of a van with a cell phone?

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INITIAL CLEAN ESTIMATES

2008-01-02T10:19:00.000-08:00

At You’ve Got MAIDS we are very careful to inform our Clients that their actual cost could be less or more than the estimate depending on the Clients accurate description of conditions. For initial cleans, the price is tied into the number of maid hours required to finish the job. Click here for the definition of “maid hours.”

We use computer software to objectively evaluate your home. At the end of this process we give an estimate of how long your Spring Clean, Move In Clean, or Move Out Clean should take in “maid hours.” We multiply the estimated time by an hourly rate for initial cleans. We provide the prospective Client with a projected price range for the initial clean. The prospective Client either accepts or rejects our offer to provide service. This is pretty simple stuff.

Accurate description of conditions if vital. The estimating computer software is only as accurate as the information provided by the Customer. In computer lingo it has always been garbage in, garbage out. Somehow that seems appropriate for a maid service as well.

We don’t’ charge extra for drive time, and we don’t round up to the nearest half hour like some places. Charging to the minute seems fair to both the Client and the maids. Our time starts when we arrive at the house.

Estimates are just that. Webster defines es·ti·mate: 1. To calculate approximately (the amount, extent, magnitude, position, or value of something).

Clients may email us a limit or a cap on the number of hours they wish to purchase. In such a case we will work up to that ceiling. In the absence of any such emailed instructions our maids are instructed to finish the job. To quote Larry the Cable Guy, we get ‘er done.

After the initial house cleaning our Clients enjoy a set price for weekly recurring service. Weekly recurring service fee’s rarely change.

Do you require a contract?

2008-01-01T00:35:00.000-08:00

Nope! CONTRACTS are for hit-men & health clubs. We have a simple agreement that puts the pressure on us to earn your business each and every time.

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Please tell me about your maids and the cleaning service.

2007-12-30T19:40:00.000-08:00

Each maid has gone through a comprehensive MIT program (MAID IN TRAINING) and background check. Many of our maids have spent years at high end hotels, cleaning 17 rooms per day! At You've Got MAIDS we typically work in teams of 2. The maids arrive in company cars, and wear casual, professional, uniforms. The senior maid is also referred to as the Team Leader. She is the on-site supervisor, and responsible for the entire job.

At the time of the estimate, careful notes are taken in regards to the cleaning service for your home. A work order is prepared and entered into our system. On the morning of your scheduled service, the office manager goes over the work order with the Team Leader. The maids are capable professionals, and efficient in getting the job done. Feel free to personally direct the Team Leader, if you prefer. The office staff is happy to amend your work order.

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Do I have to be home?

2007-12-29T19:42:00.000-08:00

No. Maid Service is a luxury to make your life more carefree! Enjoy your time while we attack the grime. It's a wonderful, magical thing, to leave a dirty house and come home to a crystal clean palace. Most of our Clients entrust You've Got MAIDS with their key. Our keys are encoded with a serial number, and stored in a safe. Your name or address is never on the key. We go to extraordinary measures to protect your home.

Here is how one Client left a key for us. He told us where it would be hidden and instructed us to keep it for future access to his home(we swapped out the key that was in the bag, and replaced it with this obsolete key for the purposes of this photo - security comes first).

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Can I use your maid service occasionally?

2007-12-20T12:50:00.000-08:00

Absolutely. We often have last minute availability and can arrange service over the phone.

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Do you clean Cat Litter Boxes?

2007-11-29T02:44:00.000-08:00

Bottom line we will vacuum up you cats hair, but we don’t touch cat litter boxes. To do anything else would be inconsistent with our guiding philosophy.

Cat waste and cat litter boxes are potential biohazards. Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease spread by cats. Symptoms of toxoplasmosis include fever, shortness of breath and neurological problems. If a mother-to-be contracts the disease in her first trimester, it can produce cysts in the brain of the fetus. This can lead to developmental abnormalities or even miscarriage.

Other people with a weakened immune system, such as those infected with HIV, may become seriously ill, and it can be fatal. The parasite can cause encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and neurological diseases and can affect the heart, liver, and eyes (chorioretinitis).

Women of childbearing age are at the greatest risk. Since our maids are primarily women of childbearing age it would be morally wrong for our professional maid service to allow our maids to work with our Clients cats waste.

We hope you understand our position; if you don't we most likely are not the company for you.

Do you offer Gift Certificates?

2007-03-30T02:00:00.000-07:00

Yes. Mothers Day - Fathers Day - Merry Christmas - Happy Hanukkah - Happy Birthday - Happy Thanksgiving - Congratulations - Just Married - Newborn Baby - It's a Boy - It's a Girl - Get Well Soon - Graduation - Sorry - I'm Sorry - Sympathy - Wedding - Anniversary - Good Luck - Thank You. These are just a few of the reasons you can purchase residential house cleaning for a loved one.

Just call your local office, and we can discuss the number of "Maid Hours" you wish to purchase. Naturally, we bring all the equipment and supplies.

4 Maid Hours for $159.99
5 Maid Hours for $199.99
6 Maid Hours for $259.99
10 Maid Hours for $399.90

For example, 4 Maid Hours would be 1 professional house cleaner for 4 hours, or 2 professional home cleaners for 2 hours each.

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Do you clean lighting fixtures?

2007-03-29T09:30:00.000-07:00

We don't take lighting fixtures apart. We are concerned in regards to breakage, and the challenge of reassembly. We don't clean chandeliers.

If a Client instructs our maids to perform this service, we take no responsibility for the above. Bottom line, if you are willing to assume the risk, the maids will do it because they want to make you happy.

What does Licensed and Bonded mean?

2007-03-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

Licensed - we have met the local government requirements to operate a business. This doesn't really impact Clients.

Bonded - for our Customers, we went to the extra expense to have both kinds of bonding. Bonding is general liability insurance that covers dishonest acts.

First Party Bonding protects a company from its own employees. This in meaningless to a Client.
Third Party Bonding protects a maid service Customer from the negligence or dishonesty of those employees. You’ve Got MAIDS legal liability limit is 7 times the cost of the services rendered on the day in which the loss or breakage occurred. You need to notify our office by email within 24 hours of service. Items excluded from liability include, but are not limited to, jewelry, currency, unique or hard to find items, objects of sentimental value, electronics, antiques and art.

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Will I always have the same MAIDS?

2007-03-29T03:40:00.000-07:00

Many maid services will promise this to earn your business. We sincerely say that we'll do our best. We will bend over backward if needed!

It's our goal is to send you the same Team Leader every time. We assign a Team Leader, and this changes only under extraordinary circumstances. It's the Team Leader's job to keep you happy and ensure that your home is cleaned consistently to your specifications. The turnover amongst our Team Leaders is almost zero.

Click here to read more about turnover.

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Do you do ironing?

2007-03-29T02:28:00.000-07:00

No we do not do ironing.

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Do you do windows?

2007-03-29T02:22:00.005-07:00

We window wash your front door, and any sliding glass doors in your house. However, if we did more than this our insurance company would drop us.

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Do you do laundry?

2007-03-29T01:55:00.000-07:00

Sorry, we do not do laundry.

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Do I need to supply cleaning products?

2007-03-26T19:33:00.000-07:00

No. You've Got MAIDS brings all solutions, supplies, and equipment. You can delete cleaning items from your shopping list!

You've Got MAIDS solutions are Green Friendly and purchased in large quantities from Ecolab.

We exclusively clean with Micro Fiber cleaning cloths and mop heads. The maids work efficiently and don't stop to rinse these incredible cloths...there's laundry bag for the dozens that are used for each cleaning job.

Ostrich Feather Dusters are the only dusters that attract and collect dust. Every maid has one. Don't waste your time with the colorful dusters - they just move dust around.

For polishing furniture, the maids use 100% cotton flannel cloths and Old English lemon oil.

Each team is stocked with a ceiling fan duster, step ladder, industrial tooth brush, pumice stone, scrapper, and more...

Do you have a special cleaning solution you want us to use? It's our pleasure, just let the office know what it is, and where you keep it.

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What about something I don't want touched?

2007-03-24T13:51:00.000-07:00

You've Got MAIDS realizes the nature of cleaning requires our staff to touch virtually all items within one's home or office. Let us know during the Estimate if anything is fragile, extremely expensive, or of great sentimental value...we can avoid these items for you. We can also avoid specific rooms, or areas.

If any damage/loss does occur; Customer needs to notify You've Got MAIDS within 24 hours of the cleaning date. Our liability limit maximum is 3 times the cost of the service charge on the day in which the breakage/loss occurred.

Items excluded from liability include, but are not limited to: cash, jewelry, one-of-a-kind items, rare items, sentimental value items, art, antiques and electronic items.

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Should I tip the Maids?

2007-03-24T13:38:00.000-07:00

Our maids beam with pride when they make a Customer happy! It puts pep in their step when someone tells the maids "Good Job", or sends a note. Tipping is also appreciated.

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What about my pet?

2007-03-24T13:35:00.000-07:00

Did you ever clean your floor, only to have Fido or Fluffy walk right over it? Kindly restrain your pets.

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When do I pay?

2007-03-24T13:05:00.000-07:00

Payment is due at time of service. It is Youve Got MAIDS policy to obtain credit card authorization for the initial cleaning and we do keep that information secured in our encrypted computer system. Should you ever forget to leave payment, the card would be charged at the end of day. We accept cash, checks and most credit cards.

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What if the maid gets hurt in my home?

2007-03-24T12:25:00.000-07:00

With You've Got MAIDS, our Customers have no worries. All of our maids are employees and covered under our Workers Compensation Insurance.

If you hire a company that uses independent contractors, or, if you hire an independent maid, cross your fingers and hope your homeowners insurances will cover it. Many do not. It's surprising, the number of maid services in the Yellow Pages that use independent contractors.

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Can I hire your Maids directly?

2007-03-24T03:51:00.000-07:00

If you are searching for a full time domestic maid/housekeeper, please employ us to find the best candidate. You tell us what qualities you require, and we do everything else. We will interview, do background screening, illegal substance screening, and finally a criminal background check. We have helped many Clients find the right housekeeper.

Our referral fee is $999.95 for any present or past You've Got MAIDS staff member introduced to you by You've Got MAIDS for any home-related service. You will also be responsible for any other associated costs, including, but not limited to, legal fees, and credit card transaction or percentage fees. We've invested heavily in attracting, training and retaining quality employees.

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