Housecleaning 101

When I visit a home to find out how we can help someone with their cleaning needs, I will usually ask “how can we help you?”.  I may need to change my approach because often the response is “Well….I want my house cleaned”.  As simple and obvious as it may sound, there are actually a lot of variations of types of cleanings, types of houses, types of people and their specific needs.  For example, a single gentleman living alone, no pets, may want the very basics and with little frequency.  “Just do my floors and clean the bathrooms”.  My next visit may be someone who wants a very detailed cleaning, more often and with lots of instructions. Some may not even know what they are looking for, but just know they need HELP.  

We have to take into consideration that some people may LIKE or WANT to do certain things, like dusting their prize collection of knick knacks, figurines, glass vases or statues.  It’s important that a cleaning crew knows the specific needs and wants of each individual person we serve.  Specific instruction as to how they want a surface or room cleaned is valuable. The customer should feel confident that there will not be damage and that the surface, such as a high quality wood floor or a special type of kitchen counter is being properly cleaned and treated with care. This is their home, it’s personal.  Very few services out there are as personal as someone coming into your home, on a regular basis, being around your children, pets and touching your stuff.

Giving up a job such as house cleaning is sometimes difficult to someone who has taken pride for many years in the work they have done themselves to make their house a home.  It’s uncomfortable to admit to someone or themselves that they need a little help, unlike all the years before. With that in mind, a cleaning crew needs to be aware and place importance on the requests and desires of the customer.
So, what are the basics?  A good cleaning of the bathrooms including toilets, counters, sinks, showers, tubs, glass doors, mirrors, light fixtures and floors. In the kitchen, all the outside surfaces, counters, sinks, outside of appliances, stove top, and inside the microwave. In the living areas and bedrooms of the house, dusting of the furniture and cleaning the floors.

How about the deeper stuff? Along with all of the above, someone may want all the fans cleaned, the baseboards scrubbed, the light fixtures cleaned and shined, the cabinets oiled, the blinds cleaned, the inside of the oven and the refrigerator cleaned, the pot shelves dusted.  How about the tops of those kitchen cabinets!

Regardless of the depth and instruction of the particular job, the company that does that job needs to understand the customer, understand the instructions, genuinely care about the home they are going in to and take pride in the work they do. 

 
Wishing everyone a wonderful Summer!

Being the Best, Finding the Best, Reputation in Business

 Can enough importance be placed on reputation? It is paramount in almost any aspect of life.  Your personal reputation and integrity affects just about anything you do from your social circle to your professional life.  It is the same with business.  As business professionals, your companies reputation should be at the very top of your list of goals and aspirations. Of course every business owner wants others to regard them highly, however, your reputation goes further than that.  Your business reputation is affected by almost everything you do.  Here is a list of some of the most important components that affect an organization's reputation:
    1. Employees: The company has talented employees
    2. Ethics:  The company behaves ethically and is worthy of respect and trust
    3. Leadership:  The company is a leader in the industry and is innovative
    4. Financial:  The company is financially strong, profitable and growing
    5. Social responsibility:  The company is involved  in the community and supports good causes.
    6. Management: The company is well organized, well managed and has a vision for the future.
    7. Customer Service:  The company cares about and is committed to its customers
    8. Reliability:  The company provides consistent service and stands behind its products and services.
    9. Quality:  The company provides high quality of services and products to its customers
    10.  Value:  The company provides its products and services at a good value
    11. Communication:  The company provides good communication between the customer and the company representatives.
    12. Emotional appeal:  It’s a company to feel good about using
Online and social media reviews, publication awards and recognition along with overall word of mouth reputation is what drives consumers more today than ever.  Advertising is of course still viable and is how you get your businesses name in front of the public, but your reputation is what will seal the deal.
As a consumer, are you looking for a particular service or product? When searching for your next service provider or product, do your homework and research the company you are considering.  Take a look at it’s reputation online and in the community.  Try to avoid “the cheapest” deal and look for the qualities listed above. In the long run, it will save you time, money and headache.  The organizations with good reputations got there with hard work and commitment to be the best in their field.
Here at Prescott Maid to Order, we are committed to excellence and are grateful to our community and customers for our reputation.

Business Serving the Community

We are a small community of dedicated citizens, employees, business owners and consumers.  It is important to everyone concerned that our community businesses grow and flourish.  While trying to grow a business, many companies locally and nationwide are seeing the value in serving their community and the world at large.  Whether it be on a large or small scale, the value of volunteerism, contribution and service is of unlimited worth.  The pioneers who colonized the west established honored traditions of unselfish cooperation for the common good. Here are some quotes by prominent figures:

“Without community service, we would not have a strong quality of life. It's important to the person who serves as well as the recipient. It's the way in which we ourselves grow and develop.”
Dorothy Height

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”  - ​ Mahatma Gandhi 
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is “What are you doing for others?”- ​
Martin Luther King

 “Look for ways to bless the lives of others through seemingly simple acts of service." - ​ Steven E. Snow ​ .

For businesses, being active in community service renders the opportunity to connect with fellow business owners, clients, friends and neighbors.  It enhances the businesses presence and increases a sense of fellowship and connection to the people within that community. In an article by Forbes/Entrepreneurs it states “​Multiple studies and surveys​ have found that both employee morale and retention increased when a company was more engaged with the community. Many employees reported being happier at their jobs when they felt like they could make a positive difference.”  “By involving employees in the process, businesses can increase worker retention, which can save thousands of dollars each year.”

There are so many ways to serve such as: event sponsorship's like marathons and walk-a-thons to raise money for charitable organizations, volunteering at the hospital or for organizations such as People Who Care, Helping Hands, Habitat for Humanity, donations in the name of the business or food donations for local food banks,  serving on committees and boards in the community, and creating campaigns for a cause such as The Forever Home Program that we are doing here at Maid to Order (pictured above).

Each business needs to find the cause or organization that fits best with it’s type of business and will work toward the goal of the company.  For instance, a health related company may want to sponsor a 5k run to promote health and well being.

Whatever the cause and however the business gets involved, it is a “win win” situation for all involved. We have a community filled with available opportunities and caring companies to help fill the need.  We at Prescott Maid to Order and MTO Janitorial appreciate our community and all of its great businesses and citizens.