The cost of everything keeps going up and professional cleaning services are no exception. So why choose a professional Carpet, Upholstery or Rug cleaner if you can just DIY or hire a housekeeping franchise?
When it comes to the cost of anything, we often get caught between a rock and a hard place. Pay more and you may get taken advantage of. Pay less and you may get terrible service. It’s like both sides of that dreaded cliche. You know the one. “You get what you pay for.”
However, we in the service industry think that saying is a little harsh. After all, sometimes you pay a lot and don’t get much at all. Take, for example, the tiny entrees in very expensive restaurants.
Cleaning service providers prefer to say, “You don’t get what you don’t pay for.” Just think about that a moment. If you are saving money on a service, then your service provider is saving money too. Maybe they are cutting corners, underpaying their staff (and dealing with a high turnover). Maybe they are ignoring the maintenance needs of their vehicles or using cheap cleaning equipment. Or maybe they are just rushing through appointments, fitting as many jobs as possible into a day. Do you really want these cut-rate cleaners in your home?
As long as they get paid, an unscrupulous company might not be concerned with poor outcomes or leaving your job half-done. You won’t call this companiy back, but that won’t matter. They’ll be on to the next one-time customer. This is what folks in the industry call the “Turn ’em and burn ’em” business model.
Investing in a quality service company is not just a about dollars, it’s about “sense.” If you want your investments to last, it is good sense to schedule a periodic professional cleaning for the floors and furnishings in your household.
Granted, the best professional cleaning companies are going to charge more than the random “guy with a van,” even more than some franchises. But when you partner with a quality provider, you may be surprised at how many ways your service experience outshines a run-of-the-mill appointment. Let’s break that pricing down and show you where your dollars go.
What Do We Mean by “Professional Cleaning Services”?
Professional cleaning is a skilled trade. Like plumbing or electrical work, it requires thorough training and on-the-job experience. A trained technician prepares for the entire cleaning process, from assessment, to methodology, to performance and follow-up. Dollar-wise, when you pay for the pros, you get technicians who are industry certified by the IICRC in one or more areas of expertise. Industry certifications include upholstery cleaning, area rug and textile care and cleaning for carpets or other flooring.
Callers often ask us how professional cleaning services differ from the service of a housekeeping franchise. Actually, the two vary widely. Housekeepers, maids, and concierge personelle are big-picture people. They provide general, whole-house cleaning. They are great at keeping the everyday dust and dirt at bay.
But housekeepers are unlikely to have the tools necessary to remove a red-wine spill from your sectional or tackle urine contamination on your wall-to-wall carpet. That deeper level of clean costs more – because it’s a premium service. When we say “professional cleaning services,” we mean services that demand a high skill level, a significant time commitment and technical equipment above and beyond what is needed for an everyday “tidy-up.” As a client, you are paying for a small percentage of these amenities with every invoice.
It all boils down to this. Special surfaces periodically require specialized care. It’s the long-term commitment you make, to keep those surfaces looking clean and performing optimally.
Why do Professional Cleaners Charge a Minimum?
Professional cleaning service providers usually charge a minimum fee for a house call, and there’s a reason. Consider your expectations regarding that initial appointment. At minimum, you expect trained professionals to show up at your door as scheduled, driving a branded van and wearing professional uniforms. You expect them to discuss your cleaning needs and best-case outcomes in a caring and knowledgeable way. By the end of the consultation, you expect the technicians to offer you an estimate for their work that is accurate and all-inclusive.
Once the service providers complete those steps, they have met your expectations. For your part, you have consumed the company’s time, resources and the advice of skilled and experienced employees. No matter how long the technician stays in your home, he has provided that minimum level of service and has offered a ‘diagnosis’ for your cleaning needs. Time has value. Expertise has value too. To stay in business, a professional company has to charge for both.
By the way, we use the word ‘diagnosis’ intentionally. Doctors bring years of education, experience, and ongoing training to diagnosing and treating their patients. No matter how much time a doctor spends with you, you will still be paying for his or her attention and advice. Moreover, doctors don’t make house calls anymore. You have to travel to them. Counter to that, professional cleaners travel to you.
Pro Tip: Minimums often ‘overlap’ the price of the service performed. So, if your minimum is $150 and your actual cleaning service costs $150, you will not be charged $300. The $150 will cover the minimum and the work. Likewise, if your cleaning costs $125, you still owe the $150 but not $275. The $150 is the minimum amount you will be charged but, if the job is small or simple, it may also be your maximum.
How does “Overhead” Figure in to the Cost of Professional Cleaning?
People throw around the term “overhead” all the time. It is like some vague catch-all to explain high pricing. But overhead actually refers to a list of specific expenses incurred by a professional company. Think of it as the quantifiable ‘cost of doing business.’
Every professional company passes along a little of that cost onto their clients’ bills. When you hire a a cleaner with a ‘spotless’ reputation, your dollars, in part, go to offset their overhead. Consider these line items that make professional cleaning services possible and that figure incrementally into company pricing.
- Insurance – vehicles, liability, fire, theft, property, worker’s health, drug tests, etc.
- Training – IICRC certification, Continuing Education, Specialized training, Company Seminars.
- Vehicle and Equipment Maintenance – Gas, Oil, Tires, Regular Servicing, Equipment Testing, Purchase and Repair of Tools.
- Taxes/Payroll – Income Tax, Property Tax, Business Tax, Social Security, Employment Compensation (Admin Team, Office Support and Technicians)
- Advertising – Community Outreach, Google, Social Media, Radio, etc.
- Renting: Warehouse and Office
- Cleaning Products (and other recurring expenses)
- Utilities – Phone service, Electrical, HVAC, Water, Internet
- Office Equipment (printers, copiers, etc) and Supplies (stationery, consumable office supplies, postage, etc.)
- Computerization
- Business Support – Legal Counsel, Recruitment, etc.
- Employee Benefits.
Logistics will Impact Your Bill.
Realtors always scream about “Location, Location, Location!” Well, when it comes to your appointment, the location of your home – which translates into the distance a professional has to travel to get to your job – is likely to be reflected in your bill. Closer jobsites require less gas, less time, less wear-and-tear on company vehicles and pricing often reflects those savings. Sometimes distance is a separate line item on an invoice. Sometimes it is rolled into the minimum. In either case, you can get that charge quoted up front, before scheduling service.
But pricing works both ways. If a client lives in a uniquely challenging residential setting, like an assisted living complex with access limitations, this will incur higher costs for the company and the client. If a customer’s high-rise home requires a cleaner to pay additional parking fees for their service van or to use specialized equipment for remote work, those circumstances will also be reflected in the bill. When you choose a quality company, distance travelled and job complexity convert directly to dollars spent.
The Size of the Job will Effect Your Bill too.
Another non-negotiable is the actual square footage of a job. If you need to clean a large sectional, that service will cost more – in time, labor and materials – than spot-cleaning a side chair. If you are having the carpet cleaned in one small room, you will pay less than someone who has 1000 square feet of wall-to-wall carpet on their invoice.
The best cleaning companies will look for ways to save you money, when they can. An empty residence is much easier to maneuver around than a furnished one and is priced accordingly. Cleaning for large amounts of square footage may qualify for a volume discount. A company may price a bedroom with large pieces of furniture by the room’s cleanable square footage, rather than the room’s total measurements.
Are Add-ons a scam?
When considering what cleaning company to use, be mindful of “add-on” charges. There is a difference between a legitimate charge and a bogus one. Understandably, professional cleaners don’t know the details of a job until their technicians are onsite. For example, a company may schedule and price a run-of-the-mill area rug cleaning only to find, at the time of the appointment, that the rug is saturated with pet urine. Such a scenario will necessitate a legitimate price increase over the original quote.
There are common, reasonable add-ons. You, as a client, might decide to “add on” a fabric protection treatment after having your sofa cleaned. You might opt to have the tecnicians go back and apply sealant to a stone floor, after you’ve paid for cleaning and resurfacing.
But there are bogus up-charges and add-ons too. Beware of an extra fee for using a “special” cleaning formula on your job. We’re not talking urine removal, just a general cleaning solution up-charge. If the company’s phone rep quoted the job based on your address, the techs can’t charge you for extra time spent on their commute. Surprise fees at the time of the appointment should be highly suspect, as should too-good-to-be-true promotions.
Unscrupulous companies get new clients through the door by starting with a cheap base price. When they promise “3-rooms-for-$99” they don’t tell you that a “room” is a 10×10 foot space. It’s a classic bait-and-switch strategy. The add-ons are where these scammers make back their promo. With practices like these, a dishonest or cut-rate cleaning company has to keep generating new clients because the ones they’ve served never call back.
If you feel uncomfortable with some aspect of your estimate, you have the right to know what a particular charge refers to. When they don’t do so up front – and they should – ask that your technicians walk you through the numbers that make up the tally. You may catch an honest error in arithmetic. You may discover a bogus add-on. Either way, don’t let your dollars go to waste.
Beware the Dangers of DIY
We have to offer a brief word on DIY cleaning. Today’s homeowners are more knowledgeable than ever and more motivated to do the work themselves, if they think it will save them money. Big box home stores count on that motive when they stock a fleet of rental cleaning machines. But carpet cleaning – like upholstery, rug, and hard-surface cleaning – is a skill and requires commercial-grade equipment for the best outcomes.
DIY can end up over-wetting a sofa or rug, requiring days of drying and raising the likelihood of a mildew or mold issue. DIY detergents can damage some surfaces or be bad for pets or children. And as convenient as it is, the internet is no place to do DIY cleaning research.
Let’s face it. Some furnishings or floors require professional attention. When you’ve made an investment in plush wall-to-wall carpet or striking marble floors or luxury furnishings, you want to protect that investment. Your extra elbow grease may allow you to postpone that next professional cleaning but should never replace it. Why? Because the ‘meh’ results of a DIY effort are rarely worth the time, the hassle and the risks to your home.
The experts have the certifications and tools to protect your carpet warranty, to keep your upholstery looking new, and to remove dust mites, allergens and odor from your favorite rugs. A deep cleaning before you move into your new residence means you won’t be living with another person’s dirt, dander, skin cells, pet accidents and cigarette ash. Even one deep cleaning per year will pay dividends.
It’s all about your quality of life and the health of your home. If it is a stretch for your budget, hire a professional cleaner to address problem areas or spot-and-spill damage first. While they are on site, ask their advice on the best maintenance practices going forward. Please think twice before you go the DIY route.
Spend Wisely – Vet Your Candidates
When you shop for a professional cleaning company, by phone or online, gather as much information as you can. If possible, find out how long, on average, their employees stay with the company. Ask about what industry certifications their technicians hold. Then ask if they have an immediate availability on their service schedule. Why? Having no ‘wait time’ may just be a matter of good luck and impeccable timing on your part. But it also may mean there are no customers in the pipeline and that’s never a good sign.
Given rising costs and volatile economic conditions, service industry price increases are inevitable. But if a professional cleaning company is highly respected and well-reviewed, it means that many clients have decided their services are worth the cost. Always read reviews from multiple sources, from the company’s testimonials page, to Google, to Yelp and NextDoor. Pretty quickly, you should see patterns in the comments.
Look for feedback about whether the service providers looked professional and arrived on time. Did the technicians show respect for the customer’s home? Did they communicate well, respond to customer concerns and achieve success with their cleaning outcomes? Were they clear up front about pricing?
In the end, it boils down to what level of cleaning you want for your home. Just remember, discounts come at a price. Please think twice before calling that discount cleaning franchise. If something is “free” on the front end, you can be certain you’ll be paying for it on the back end.
Where do Trustworthy Cleaning Companies Put Their Money?
Trustworthy companies manage their income wisely. These companies put their people first. They pay their employees a fair wage, offer health insurance, and always make sure their team members are drug-tested and background-checked.
Trustworthy companies invest in ongoing training and look for ways to reward excellence. They understand that their clients prefer consistency – the same service personnel in their homes, time after time. That is one of many reasons they prioritize low turnover and value employee loyalty. Their results for carpet, rug, upholstery or hard-surface cleanings are significantly above average. Their clients enjoy consistently excellent service experiences.
Professional service companies invest heavily in the mechanical components of their industry. They have to purchase, insure, maintain and fuel their trucks, before those trucks ever head in your direction. Their cleaning equipment must be bought, stored and regularly serviced to perform optimally in your home.
Trustworthy businesses pay for brick-and-mortar offices, staffed with knowledgeable advisors and schedulers. Office property must be insured. It must be outfitted with utilities, with office equipment and supplies and computer capabilities. It must also serve as a safe place to house company vehicles, cleaning tools and products. The office is the heart of a good business. It gives employees the venue and resources to do their work well.
A consistent, positive company culture and good hiring practices ensure that your outstanding service experience starts the minute you pick up a phone or access a website.
When you connect with a professional company, you should be able to talk to a real person. Schedulers should work with you to find the best day and time for your appointment. Technicians should arrive on time and perform excellent service. All company employees, from start to finish, should care about your cleaning concerns and treat you as a client-for-life, not a “one-and-done.”
When you bring your business to trustworthy companies, you are supporting their values and their people. There is no better vote of confidence and no wiser use of your dollars and “sense.”
Hiring Professional Cleaning Services is About Value, Not Price.
So, you’ve found a trustworthy cleaning company. Now, when you make that call or schedule that estimate, you can manage your expectations around pricing. You understand all the complex forces that shape the cost of doing business for your service provider. Now you can avoid the proverbial “sticker shock.”
Keep in mind where your money goes, when you choose a premium service. From start to finish, you should feel well taken care of. You should feel comfortable inviting the company employees into your home, should feel confident that their diagnosis of your cleaning needs is based on deep knowledge and time spent in the field. Your decision to go forward with service should feel well-reasoned, not rushed or pressured. The proposed charges on the invoice should make sense.
Just remember, you don’t get what you don’t pay for. Yes, professional cleaning services “come with a price.” But the price is often well worth the advantages and the amenities. After all, it is hard to put a price on trustworthiness, reliability, expertise and courtesy. Spend wisely and get every penny’s worth. Choose a professional cleaning company and save in the long-term.
Your home, and your wallet, will thank you.
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