Frequently Asked Questions About House Cleaning Services

Hiring a service is a big decision, with many considerations.Trust is vital since it is, after all personal pace. All too often customers are not asking the right questions or doing their homework.

Here are some questions you should ask your home cleaning service prior to hiring them for cleaning:

Why hire a cleaning service?

People hire cleaning service for different reasons. The number one reason is to save valuable time. YOU CAN HAVE COUNTLESS HOURS ON DREADED HOUSEWORK (most of the time you save is the time you spend thinking about wanting to do it.) it seems life just keeping at a faster pace.It is easy for valuable personal or family time escape. Hiring a good home cleaning service can give you back some of that time. Cleaning service are rapidly becoming not a luxury anymore. but instead a needed service in most homes.

I want to hire a cleaning service to clean my home, what should I know first?

Most people that hire someone to clean their home are not aware what they should be asking before turning over the keys to their homes. Somehow, along the way bonding became the industry standard question to ask it is a false sense of security.

Customers should ask any service or individual the following questions before turning over their home:

Are you insured?

This means adequate General Liability Insurance, not a bond. Bonding is not a bad thing and in extreme cases does serve a purpose you can ask to see a copy of their insurance certificate. Do you carry worker's compensation insurance?

Will employees or independent contractors clean my home?

This makes a huge difference. Many consumers are unaware that if an independent contractor cleaning their home and doesn't pay their own withholding, the person or company can be liable for that person.

What does your pre-employment screening consists of?

Do you preform criminal background checks on all employees? Do you do your due diligence when hiring?

Who will be cleaning my house?

Many people are not sure and don't think to ask whether it will be a house cleaning team or one individual or if there will be a team leader on site. We use a unique system of one cleaner per home.

How do you train your employees? Do you have a training program?

All of our employees are professionally trained on house cleaning and must pass the training prior to cleaning customer homes in the field.

Do you provide a satisfaction guarantee with your service?

Yes we do.

How do I arrange payment for my cleaning service?

The standard procedure for payment is to leave a check at the time of service. Consult with your cleaning service to see what payment options are available. Cash, check are generally accepted. Payment is most expected at time of service. Some service require pre-payment for first time or one time service.

But isn't it expensive and only for wealthy people?

The answer to that is definitely NO! While there are many service that may charge too much. There are just as many out there that really do not charge enough. A good cleaning with regularly schedule service will typically not cost more than a nice dinner for two. If you think of the time you save, that is the deal.

Is it OK to leave a tip for the cleaning people?

Yes- tips are often given and appreciated. If you feel you you get generally good cleaning service by your regular team, then you can leave a little something for them. However if there is a quality issue you are concerned with, we ask that you call the office  immediately.

Should I leave notes?

It is always a good idea to communicate whether you have concerns with the service or if you are very pleased with the service, not wait and write notes only when you are dissatisfied, call us with even the smallest of concerns you may have. All communicated feelings are good.

What if I forget it is my cleaning day?

If we have a key for your home we will go ahead and clean the home, and you pay later. This is why giving the key is a good idea.Sooner or later everyone forgets and who wants to pay for a service they didn't get? If you do not give a key and you forget your cleaning day, we charge a standard cancellation fee.

What do I do about inappropriate behavior?

DON'T STAND FOR IT! If you feel like anything is inappropriate, call us at once. (613) 314- 6093 we will go to great lengths to ensure we only send well -trained dependable cleaners to your home. If you experience anything other than this, then let us know at once.

We will appreciate your concern and feedback.

What if I have a security system?

We are accustomed to alarms and various types of security systems. The idea is to provide a separate code that you can easily change if needed. Sometimes people choose not to give the alarm code and inevitably, the alarm is left on when the clean team comes. Not only is this ordeal nerve racking, it will end up costing you money. You may not get your home cleaned that day and still have to pay for it. In  ADDITION, MOST LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS CHARGE A FEE FOR FALSE ALARMS. With Green Bucket you are dealing with a professional service you can feel confident in when providing alarm codes or keys for your home.

What about my Pets?

WE LOVE PETS! Please advise us of any animals such as cats that may try to escape quickly if a door is opened. Nothing is more frustrating to a cleaning crew than an escaped animal over which they have no control. It is also dangerous for the animal. If you have a pet with special needs or that makes a mess, please make arrangement to control these occurrences. "we love em" but we do not clean up pet messes!

What if something is broken?

Unfortunately breakage happens occasionally with even the most experienced and consciences cleaning professionals. If our crew breaks something in your home please call us at once to discuss a resolution. If the breakage was our fault, we will replace the item.

What if something is missing from my home?

This is NEVER a good feeling and it is almost always seems it was the cleaning crew that was last in the house! (This happens occasionally and in 99%of cases of missing items, someone in the home moved the item or it is temporarily lost) However, if it is not found or you are Sure it was tken, then call us at once! 613 314 6093 Give a complete description of what is missing including important information such as serial number inscription, or any distinctive markings. PLEASE keep in mind, though, we treat the ALL accused as innocent during any investigation.Fortunately. with good  hiring and background checks there are rarely REAL cases of theft. Most cases turn out to be simply misplaced items. If you are certain anything was stolen from your home, we encourage you to contact the police and we will work closely with them to resolve the issue.

We have zero tolerance for theft, weather it is 25cents or a night stand or a 12 carat diamond ring. They are all the same in our eyes!  We also ask not to leave any personal information around so there will be no temptation.

Are they going to do my dishes?

We will load dishes into the dishwasher if there is room for them to fit. We do not offer hand washing of dishes, however if there are a few pieces in the sink we will wash it.  if you need dishes washed this can be discussed up front and can be offered as a premium service.

What if someone is injured in my home?

Our employees are covered by worker's compensation insurance. Make sure anyone you have in your home is covered by worker's comp!

What am I suppose to supply?

For health reasons we ask for your equipment. We ask that you have a vacuum, broom,  mop, bucket, toilet brush., we supply all the cleaning products,and rags. the rest is up to us!

What if I have chemical sensitivities or want safer environmental products used in my home?

We do use Non-Toxic eco-friendly products for our home cleaning services in Ottawa.

What if I am unhappy with the service i receive?

Call!! 613-314-6093.

Don't let it go by for any length time. Call the first time you feel the service is not as  it should be. We welcome your comments  and do all we can the ensure that you are completely satisfied. The only way we can know that you are not a happy customer is if we hear from you.

Will does guaranteed service mean?

We offer a satisfaction guaranteed. If you are unhappy with service you receive then what ever you are unhappy with will be corrected. If you are unhappy or something we missed call immediately, do not wait a day or two when the house will be lived in. We will gladly send the crew back the next day and correct any over sight.

Will the same crew clean my home  each time?

We will work hard to make our schedules as efficient as possible, that includes sending the same team back to regular home as much as possible. We will only make crew changes when it is absolutely necessary. This not only works best for you, it works best for the cleaning crew as  well. A big plus of using a service like Green Bucket is that in the event a crew change is needed, we can send a different trained professional crew  to service your home.

Do I have to hand over a key to a stranger?

While it is your house and your key. It is more convenient and secure for us to keep a key to your home. It is  usually not possible to be able to come home at the exact time the cleaning crew will need to gain access to your hom. We do charge a service fee for the the visit if the appointment is not cancelld in advance. Include lock outs, A key kept by Green Bucket is the best way for the cleaning crew to gain entry to your home. (Also it can be a lifesver if you ever get locked out.)

How can I be sure my keys are safe when I hand them over?

While it can be scary to hand over the keys to your home to a complete stranger, we take great strides in ensuring the security of your key. Each key has a colour an is kept by me the owner, The label does not have a name, address or any information about you  on it. If the key is accidentally lost, there is no worry of of it being identified and used to gain entry to your home. This is the most secure way to provide access to your home.

If there is any questions do not hesitate to call us at 613-314-6093.