The house cleaning industry is interesting in that it is not regulated. Anyone can pick up a mop and broom and declare themselves a professional cleaning company.
In reality, there are three types of cleaning scenarios out there:
a. The “cleaning lady” – These are women (or men) who go to work for families. They carry no liability, workers comp, or bonding insurance. If they get hurt in a client’s home, the client will be responsible for their care. In fact, the client is viewed by the IRS as the employer of the cleaning lady and as such, is responsible for seeing to it that taxes are paid! Also, cleaning ladies prefer cash, as they do not desire to leave a paper trail. If ever there is a problem, there is no recourse, as the “cleaning ladies” answer to no one.
b. Scab services/trunk slammers – This is a group who refer to themselves as actual companies. However, they are not registered as companies. Like the cleaning ladies, they carry no insurance—-which means that anyone who hires them is responsible if these individuals get hurt in their home, steals or breaks an item. Their employees (if they have any) have not received formal training or background checks. This means that any dangerous criminal could be walking around the client’s home ripe to steal or commit some other crime. The scab service generally prefers cash but also will take a check. They are not set up for credit cards.
c. Legitimate cleaning companies – To be recognized as a legitimate cleaning company, the entity should be registered as a company. They should carry bonding, liability and workers comp insurance. In addition, they should have trained employees who have had background checks. If there is a problem, clients can call the owners for a resolution. The legitimate cleaning company generally accepts cash, checks and credit cards.
UpperCrust Maids, LLC is a legitimate cleaning company. Are we more expensive than those outlined in “A” and “B” above? YES. And the reason is simple. We are a real company carrying insurance for our clients’ protection. The old adage holds true: You get what you pay for
Go HERE to check out how a “cleaning lady” stole from a client recently.
Photo Credit: Press HERE