Frequently Asked Questions

questions
What areas do you service?

Quality Cleaning, Maid to Order™ services the following cities in the San Francisco–East Bay Area – Milpitas, Fremont, Newark, Union City, Hayward, Sunol, Pleasanton, Castro Valley (please click on the map to see a larger view)

 
When do you clean?

Our hours hours of operation for cleaning are Monday thru Friday 8:45 a.m. thru 4:30 p.m. We keep our prices low by minimizing non-productive time between jobs therefore our staff is only scheduled for the jobs that are confirmed by 6 p.m the night before, because of this no time slots are guaranteed other than our 9 am slots and we do not guarantee that we will always be available in the later afternoons. Our scheduling is dependent upon how many customers we have booked for any given day. Although we do not normally work on Saturdays we can occasionally arrange to do so for one time cleanings at a higher rate (Please note that we reserve the right to charge a minimum fee for any Saturday work as it will be over time for our employees). If calling to schedule a cleaning where you are redeeming a gift certificate please be advised that you may have to schedule your cleaning several weeks in advance so plan ahead.

Do we have to be home when you clean?

The majority of our clients provide us with keys to their homes, however if you choose to be home while we clean you are welcome to do so. We understand that you may prefer to get to know us prior to allowing us to work on our own. Since cannot assume liability for injury to anyone in the home other than our own employees we request that occupants stay out of our working area and off of wet floors.

How do you handle keys that are given to you to retain?

If you chose to provide us with keys to your home rest assured that we take the utmost care in protecting both your key and your home, Keys are numbered and never have names attached to them. They are only issued the day of your cleaning and are checked back in to be deposited into our safe daily. If you choose not to provide a key, please be advised that we can only give approximate times for arrival. If we are unable to gain access to your home or business you risk being charged full rate for the lock out.

Why do you furnish all of the equipment and supplies?

We provide the equipment and supplies for several reasons

1) So that all personnel are trained in the use of each chemical and piece of equipment. Knowing what we are working with allows us to provide quality results on a consistent basis.

2) To free you the customer from having to keep track of what needs to be replaced, repaired or washed

3) So that we have the proper MSDS forms available for our safety (Manufacture safety data sheets). This is a requirement of CA OSHA.

4) Because often unscrupulous cleaning people and companies will have you provide the equipment and supplies so that they can claim that you are the employer therefore if any worker is harmed for any reason while working in your home all claims for workman’s comp and disability can and will be made against your homeowner insurance, instead of the cleaners insurance policies.

How many people come to clean my home? Depending on the home and your needs, we can work individually, in teams of 2 or in teams of 3. If you happen to be paying per hour the hourly rate is “per person – per hour”

Are you insured?

Yes, we are fully insured for your protection and peace of mind. We can and will provide proof of insurance at the time of each estimate. Our certificates are also available directly from our insurance company upon request. Remember – In this litigious society in which we live, a homeowner who uses an uninsured contractor, either knowingly or unknowingly, may be liable for the medical and/or permanent disability funds if an accident occurs. For the financial security and safety of our clients, we carry excellent liability coverage as well as workman’s compensation.

What does it mean to be bonded? What exactly is bonding?

This is a question that gets asked a lot. Bonding is an inexpensive form of insurance that pays out if there is a theft of personal belongings. Unfortunately there are several catches to bonding – 1) in order to pay out on any loss the insurance company requires that there is a prosecution of the party responsible for the theft, 2) Then the insurance company will only pay off if the item(s) stolen are not recovered or cannot be re-cooped financially from the person who was prosecuted. Therefore under those terms the insurance company that holds the bond rarely pays out in any form of damages to the person or company who claims the loss. Still bonding is a good idea if the company coming to clean your home employs others to do the actual cleaning.

What if some thing is damaged while my home is being cleaned?

Please keep in mind that accidents do sometimes happen. We make every attempt to treat your home with the utmost of care and caution. If however we break something we will leave the item and a note for you & we will make arrangements to replace the item or to pay for it. Again, this in another reason why we are fully insured. Please note – if you have items that are of extreme value, either sentimental or monetary, we would prefer not to clean these items. Our cleaning staff is instructed not to clean plasma screens, computer equipment or other expensive electronic equipment that can be damaged easily. Too, we cannot be responsible for items that were previously damaged prior to our cleaning, improperly constructed, or are not fastened in a proper way.

Do I have to do anything before you come to clean my home?

It is advantageous to have the home picked up as much as possible allowing us to be able to get to all areas so that we can optimize your cleaning. If we have to spend a lot of time picking items up and putting them in their place prior to cleaning you may be billed for the extra time needed to do so. Unless agreed upon in advance surfaces found with excessive clutter that would potentially result in breakage if we were to move anything will be skipped at the cleaners discretion.

Do you guarantee your work?

We strive to please all of our customers to the best of our abilities. If you contact us with your concerns within 24 hours of our cleaning we will work with you to resolve any problems you may have.

I have allergies or am conscience of the environment, what can you do for me?

We use only Green products that are safe for the environment. We also customize cleanings to take into account any allergies and sensitivities. Another of our services is that we can also clean with only natural products such as lemon juice, baking soda, salt, vinegar, ect. upon request.

Quality Cleaning Maid to Order also sells all of the professional quality products that we use to clean, passing on to you the discounts that we receive.

How do I pay for my services?

Payment is expected at the time of the cleaning. We do for your convenience offer a monthly billing program where services are prepaid. We accept cash, checks and credit cards .

Do you offer any discount programs?

We do offer 5% off for the monthly “pre-paid” billing program. We have a referral program where you are given money off of your cleaning for each referral that turns into a job for us. We offer other specials thru out the year, please check with us from time to time to see what specials are available

I have pets, what do I do with them when the cleaner is present?

We are of a firm belief that family pets are just like children. We enjoy working with them. If however you pet is afraid of vacuums or are raucous and will not allow us to do our work we may suggest that they be placed in areas that we are not working in.

What if I do not need my whole home cleaned?

We work with you to customize your cleanings to your needs. We have customers who have their whole home cleaned on a bi-weekly basis then have us come for just the bathrooms and kitchen on the opposite weeks. Tell us your needs and we will find a way to work them out for you.

What should I look for in a cleaning company?

When hiring a cleaning person / company you are inviting someone into your home which is one of the biggest investments that you will ever make. You are inviting someone into the lives of you and your family. Often these people are working in the home with your family members present. We recommend that you hire only persons or companies that have taken the time to consider you and your needs and offered to have a hand in protecting you in case of accident or loss.

Anyone can gather some cleansers and a vacuum and call themselves a cleaner….. However only a professional will be able to provide you with proof of their license, bond, and insurance. Also, we recommend that you work only with those cleaners who take the time to learn and study the proper cleaning techniques for today’s modern surfaces as so many of them can be damaged by improper cleaning.

We see that you are members in several associations, what does that mean to me the customer?

Our involvement in trade associations means that we care to stay abreast of the latest technology so that we can service our customers better. We mentor others in these associations as well to help them to become better business people for their customers as well. Trade associations also allow us to help ourselves to be heard by manufactures and government , so that we can control costs which in turn affect what you pay to have your home or business cleaned. Associations are also partly responsible for the latest reduction to workman’s compensation rates which are the highest here in California than any other state in the union.