You and Your Housekeeper

The housecleaning (maid-service) industry typically experiences one of the highest rates of employee turnover. Nevertheless, we are determined to do everything possible to make HomeLife a cleaning company that attracts and keeps quality housekeepers. A slimmer profit margin enables us to provide compensation and benefits superior to many cleaning companies. Also, we believe in treating housekeepers with respect and appreciation, for theirs is a demanding job. Statistics indicate that our turnover is less than most cleaning companies. We have housekeepers who have stayed with HomeLife for a number of years, and others who have returned to us for re-employment. Our clients also can play an important role in maintaining this record.

Guaranteeing Work

Job lockouts and cancellations can mean a loss of the revenue on which housekeepers depend. For this reason we have the following lockout and cancellation policy:

Job Lockout. If you are a client who may not be home for housecleaning visits, we suggest that you provide a house key for scheduled cleaning. If you choose another way to provide access to your home, you should be aware that a job lockout is subject to our standard two-hour minimum charge if the customer fails to provide HomeLife with access to the premises on which and at the time services are scheduled to be performed. However, the lockout charge will be waived if HomeLife is able to schedule a replacement job for the housekeeper(s) originally designated to perform the work. This policy is designed to limit the cost of lost work to housekeepers.

Job Cancellation/Reschedule. In a further effort to avoid financial hardship for housekeepers, advance notice of a job cancellation or reschedule is requested. This provides an opportunity for housecleaners to schedule other work. A job cancellation or reschedule with less than a 72-hour advance notice by the customer to a HomeLife office is subject to our standard two-hour minimum charge. However, if HomeLife is able to schedule a replacement job for the housekeeper(s) originally designated to perform the work, the late-cancellation fee will be waived. Again, this policy is designed to limit the cost of lost work to housekeepers. We ask for your considerate understanding and thoughtful cooperation in this important area.

Housecleaning Limitations

Clients should be aware that job descriptions for HomeLife housekeepers normally do not include organizing personal belongings. Also, to maximize your investment and minimize liability, we request that you prepare your home for cleaning by eliminating clutter, especially on the floor.

Occasionally, HomeLife housekeepers are asked to do tasks that are not part of their job descriptions. Some of these requests may not pose a problem. However, when asked to perform tasks that tax their physical strength and may threaten their health, we have instructed our personnel to kindly decline. Such tasks include, but are not limited to, turning mattresses, moving washers, dryers or other heavy appliances, and moving large, heavy sofas or other heavy furniture. We believe that considerate clients will understand the importance of protecting housekeepers’ health. Your cooperation in this respect is much appreciated.

Comfortable Working Conditions

In the hot summer months it is especially important to think of housekeepers’ comfort while working. It is our policy to allow a housekeeper(s) to turn on an available air conditioner if a client is not home, as long as the air-conditioner settings are returned to the way they were when the housekeeper(s) first arrived. If you do not wish for your air conditioner to be touched, please let us know and offer any other suggestions you may have on how a comfortable working environment can be maintained.

Noncompetition Agreement

Our housekeepers have signed an agreement not to perform any cleaning service for HomeLife clients apart from the housekeepers’ association with HomeLife. A trustworthy housekeeper will honor this agreement. If you hire a HomeLife housekeeper to perform any cleaning service independently of HomeLife, there is a $1,500 referral fee.

Tipping

There are many ways to let your housekeeper know of your appreciation. Occasional or regular tipping is one, and words of appreciation also are highly valued. While tipping is a personal choice, we find that many clients choose to do so, especially around the year-end holiday season.

Feedback

We periodically send our clients a housecleaning evaluation form to use for feedback, both positive and negative. We much appreciate the many positive evaluations that we normally receive. If you do need to register complaints about a housekeeper’s work, also try to mention something that was done well. We then are better able to use this feedback as part of our ongoing education program to provide the best in housecleaning service.

We recommend that you deliver negative feedback directly to our office in whichever way is most convenient — by phone or email, by letter to our mailing address, or by using the housecleaning evaluation form that we periodically send our clients.

Scheduling

All scheduling should be done by directly contacting our office, not through contact with your housekeeper.

Smoking

Housekeepers who smoke are instructed not to do so inside your home.

In summary, we appreciate your awareness of our efforts to maintain a consistent workforce. And we solicit your assistance in contributing to our ability to deliver quality cleaning service back to you.