The Maids say it's time to expect more from your cleaning service
By Bill Yurgen
I can remember as a young man experiencing a rough patch in my relationship with my wife. I sought the counsel of a professional whom a friend had suggested was particularly wise. Much to my dismay at the time, the man completely obliterated any defenses I had of my position in the matter and he suggested I swallow my pride, go home, kiss and make up and then enjoy my marriage.
Upon leaving I noticed his office was filled with happy photos of him and his family. I asked him if he was so wise, what exactly was his secret to a good marriage. His response was two words: “Choose wisely.”
What a gift those words proved to be. I already knew that my wife Deb and I had chosen each other wisely, and we went on to enjoy a great life together. His simple motto proved to be sage advice in all matters of living, including as consumers. We’ve never had so many choices and so many options to be wary of, which (as you may have guessed by now) applies to maid services.
The Growing Demand for Maid Services
Call it first-world problems or just call it necessary, but most dual-income and many single head of household families have found maid services an indispensable part of their lives. Work takes up more of our lives than most of us care to admit. Add raising children, taking care of aging parents, handling maintenance of the home, cars and ourselves—and you are challenging the time constraints of working 40 to 50+ hours a week and still getting quality sleep time.
According to Mike Manhoff, owner of The Maids of Northeast Ohio, even industry experts are surprised at the level of demand for residential maid services.
“We’re proud to be celebrating our 20th year in business,” Mike said.
“When my father and I started this business, our expectations were like any business’s—we would experience cycles that we needed to be prepared for. What we weren’t prepared for, instead, was a constant increase in demand for our services, and with that growth, the continual need for quality people. Training has become a constant in our company culture.”
Meeting Expectations
Unfortunately, many homeowners have floated from one service to another due to poor service and, as a result, often find their expectations lowered from where they should be.
Mike explained part of this problem and how The Maids approaches it:
“Many times, clients become frustrated with their cleaning company because the person or persons cleaning their home keep changing. We work with cleaning crews of three to four people, many of whom have been with us for years. We strive to make sure that the same team always cleans your home, and that at any given time at least one or two team members are familiar with your expectations as a customer.”
Another problem, Mike adds is poor customer service from the office.
“Sometimes not only do these other maid services not show up in the window of time expected, they may not show up that day at all—or even that week—with no one communicating what is happening until the customer calls them. If there is an unforeseen delay, the very first thing we do is call the client. We make certain you know exactly what is going on.”
No Contracts, Just Quality Service
Mike also mentioned that companies that give questionable service often want to tie their customers into a long-term contract. He believes the best way to keep a customer for the long-haul is to take excellent care of them instead of hanging a contract over their head.
The Maids invites you to try their service and see if you shouldn’t be expecting more from the service you’ve been using. But we warn you—you may find yourself expecting more from your lawn service, your dentist, your salon…you get the idea.
If you would like a no-charge, no-obligation estimate or you’d like to schedule a clean, call 440-735-6243 or 330-220-0098. To learn more about The Maids’ famous 22-Step Healthy Touch Deep Cleaning System, visit TheMaidsNortheastOhio.com.