9 Questions To Ask When Hiring A Maid Service

Asking the right questions to a maid service can save you time, money, and a headache. Many homeowners in Singapore often find themselves in a tight spot after hiring an incompetent maid service that does not meet their specific cleaning requirements and quality. It’s your job to ask questions and get the right answers; otherwise it would be a total waste of time if you end up hiring an incompetent maid service.

Experts recommend asking these 9 questions to ensure that the maid service you are hiring is well-prepared to handle your home cleaning project.

1. How Long Have You Been in Business
– Just like all professions, experience is crucial. A maid cleaning service with over 5 years experience in the industry is a huge bargain as most cleaning services damage their reputation during the first few months after starting up.

– A cleaning service that has been around for a while has built a solid reputation due to their quality services. Therefore, asking about how long they’ve been in business is a good way to gauge their skills and experience. However, this is not to say that you should not consider hiring a new company- every cleaning company starts somewhere. But all in all, a company that has been around for long is a much preferable choice.

2. What Type of Cleaning Products and Equipment Will You Use?
– There are certain cleaning products that are harsh enough to cause damage to your delicate surfaces and upholstery in your home. For example, some cleaning products used to clean sofas damage the fibre. Some cleaning products also pose a health hazard to your family as they release toxic fumes. Some brushes and other scrubbing tools may also cause damage to surfaces and upholstery. Some cleaning equipment may damage your carpet, wood flooring, or cook tops, all which require special cleaning products and equipment.

– To avoid disputes, ask about the kind of cleaning products and equipment used during cleaning. If you’re not satisfied with their safety standards, discuss your concerns with the supervisor.

3. Are You Licensed and Insured?
– Skipping this question can cost you a lot of money. Many homeowners often find themselves in huge trouble after hiring a cleaning company that is not licensed to provide cleaning services in their locality. Some companies even disappear with client’s money after doing shoddy work as they know it won’t be easy to locate them. Others fail to procure general liability insurance and workman’s compensation insurance. Lack of these two insurance policies can cost you millions in case of property damage or employees accidents.

– Therefore, it’s important to ask whether the company is licensed and insured to be on the safe side.

4. Do You Screen Your Employees?
– By asking this question, you want to have some assurance that the people you are opening your doors to are honest and trustworthy.

– Ask about the local and federal background screening. Do they perform drug screenings or check applicants against state and local offenders registries? Do they have employees references who you can contact to prove their legitimacy? Well, having this information at hand is crucial. A rigorous screening often scares off bad applicants. So if the answer is yes, then you can go ahead and hire.

5. Do You Train Your Employees?
– A maid cleaning service isn’t just about mopping and dusting around the house. It’s a lot more than that.

– A good cleaning company trains its employees not only on different methods of cleaning, but it also gives them specialized training on safety, professionalism, and customer service. Ask for training certifications to prove their credibility.

6. How Much Do You Charge?
– Of course, obtaining a quote before hiring a maid service is crucial. You need to know how the charges are calculated and the total cost of the services. Many homeowners often make the mistake of hiring maid cleaning services without asking for quotes, only to be surprised with inflated hourly rates.

– Be sure to ask about the cost of the service before hiring. If the cost is too high for your budget, move on to another company because different maid services in Singapore charge differently.

7. Do You Offer Emergency Cleaning Services?
– Not all companies on Singapore offer emergency services, which is why you should ask whether they do or not. You need to hire a company that offers emergency maid services in case of surprise parties or when you need to move to a new house in the neighbourhood.

– The company should be available for cleaning services 24/7, so you’re not stranded when faced with a huge cleaning task.


8. Can I Get a List of References?
– One way to ensure that the maid service you’re hiring offers quality and exceptional cleaning and customer service is to check out their references. These are clients who have used their services before, so you might need to call them and ask about their experience. Most clients will be honest and advise you on whether to go ahead and hire them or keep looking.

– A genuine company won’t have any problem providing you with references.

9. What If Am Not Satisfied With Your Services?
– Don’t fear to discuss your concerns about the quality of the maid services with the company’s supervisors. It’s important to know what kind of quality you’re paying for, and what will happen next if you’re not satisfied with the outcomes. A genuine cleaning company will repeat the cleaning until you’re impressed with the results.

– Also, ask whether they offer a money-back guarantee. This is important in case the maid services fail to meet your set expectations.

Useful Tip
– When hiring a maid service, only hire a company, not an individual. Dealing with a company is crucial especially when it comes to insurance, use of up-to-date cleaning equipment and products, and fast completion of the project. With so many companies to choose from, hiring a maid service in Singapore can be a daunting task. But it helps a lot when you know exactly what you want. And by asking the right questions, you are sure to get the most reliable and dependable services.

Perform a thorough research, ask the right questions and most of all, set your expectations and ensure that they are met to avoid disputes.