Ugghhh....

Quit hiring cleaning ladies. How many times does it have to happen before you wake up and realize that hiring a housecleaner should be treated in the same manner as hiring any other professional?

SCOTTSDALE, PA -- A cleaning lady faces charges of stealing more than $15,000 in jewelry, coins and cash from two residences where she was hired to clean a house and care for a dog.

Scottdale police charged Patti Banaszak with numerous counts of theft and receiving stolen property in the incidents.

Pamela Soforic told police she hired Banaszak as a cleaning lady in July. Soon after, she began to notice small amounts of money missing from a petty cash box in her home. Soforic said she then discovered two diamond rings missing from her bedroom dresser drawer. Concerned, she searched for other items and found them missing as well.

The inventory included a gold band, a diamond ring, a diamond tennis bracelet, a sterling tennis bracelet, three gold coins, a roll of uncirculated silver dollar coins, $100 in cash and a watch.

After police contacted local jewelry stores, they learned Banaszak had been to a store at least three times and allegedly sold the missing items. Most had been converted by the business for use in making jewelry, police said.

Police said while interviewing Soforic, her neighbor informed them she had given Banaszak a key to her home to take care of her dog while she was out of town the previous weekend. The neighbor checked her valuables and told police she was missing a gold charm bracelet and a diamond/gold bracelet.

Start Hiring Professionals!

More Victims Of Cleaning Thief in Virginia

Presenting the quote that should be at the top of every professional cleaning company's website or brochure..........

"We should have paid more attention when we started to have suspicion that something just wasn't right," said one resident who had employed Martinez for 11 years and developed deep ties with her.

You can't expect to be treated like a customer if you don't treat your service provider like a professional. Start acting like a customer. Start hiring a professional.

How Do You Know If Your Maid Is Bonded And Insured?

One of the most common questions that we get asked is, "Are you bonded and insured"? It's a funny question because almost everyone that asks it doesn't have a clue as to why they are asking the question.

First off, why would you tell a prospective customer that you are not bonded or insured? Especially if that prospect will be fine if you just say that you are bonded and insured. So the first thing a prospective customer needs to do is not only ask the question - but they also need to demand that the answer be backed up with proof.

A bond and a general liability insurance policy are both represented as easy-to-read documents. Of the thousand or more calls, we may have had two people actually demand to see our bond or insurance policy. And you can bet that if we know that no one asks to see these documents - everyone else knows that too. So, make your cleaning lady prove it to you.

Secondly, you can determine the maximum payout limits of each policy by simply reviewing the documents. It won't matter if your cleaning lady is insured if her insurance only covers a few hundred bucks. A normal surety bond covers theft up to at least $10,000 and a normal general liability insurance policy covers damages up to at least $300,000.

And finally, don't forget the cleaning industry's best kept secret.

Housecleaning Is Easy Money

LAKELAND, FL - Two granddaughters of a housekeeper were arrested and accused of stealing jewelry valued at $17,000 from a client's home.

According to a Sheriff's Office report, the clients noticed that jewelry had started to disappear from the house whenever their housekeeper brought her granddaughter with her to clean. The jewelry included several diamond rings, a diamond bracelet, gold rings and a gold pendant.

The stories keep happening over and over again all over this country. Yet, we keep hearing this same tired phrase, "You're rates are just too much."

It always amazes me that someone will pay a professional accountant a small fortune to report their finances, but that same person will not even think about paying more than a few bucks to protect those same finances.

You already know this, but it bears repeating...

Hiring a housecleaner has very little to do with housecleaning.

Not To Beat A Dead Horse....

....but hiring a housecleaner has very little to do with housecleaning. The quicker you realize that - the easier it will be for you to understand that a professional cleaning company is far different than a cleaning lady.

SEBRING, FL - A woman who sheriff's investigators say worked as a cleaning lady remained in jail in lieu of $22,500 bond after a 71-year-old client reported someone took his cash, a watch and racked up charges on a stolen credit card.

Felicia Renee Carney, 38, also known as Felicia Silver, was booked on charges of burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, petty theft second offense, grand theft $300 or more but less than $10,000 while victim was 65 years of age or older, fraud - illegal use of credit cards to obtain goods or money $100 or more, and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription.

The total value of the grand theft was $1,949, the report stated, and petty theft amounts on the unauthorized credit card use added up to $720. Carney has a history of arrests.

The charges dating back to July 2004 include domestic violence battery, violation of probation for domestic violence battery, obtaining property by worthless check, giving a false name to a law enforcement officer, fraudulent use of a credit card and failure to appear, violation of probation for fraudulent use of a credit card, cocaine possession, along with several warrant arrests and driving with no driver's license or vehicle registration.

Sheriff's Capt. Randy LaBelle has some advice for anyone wanting to hire domestic help.

"Request references, and check them," he said. "If they don't give you any, then I'd be leery of them. Do a background check at the sheriff's office. Go online to the clerk of courts Web site and see if they've participated in any litigation. Contact your chamber of commerce and the Better Business Bureau."

You're Looking For The Wrong Kind Of Maid.....

...if you think that professional means perfection. As definite as death and taxes, you can bet that we will make mistakes. Every day and at every customer's home. All it takes is a little digging to find something.

This is one of the biggest hurdles that we cross with new customers. New customers know that their last maid was late all the time. New customers know that their last maid decided to cancel at the last minute one too many times. Most importantly, new customers know that their last maid rarely treated them like a customer.

That's why new customers decide to call us in the first place. But new customers also realize that our rates are higher than their last maid. Yes, we show up on time every time. Yes, we never cancel your appointment. And yes, you certainly get treated like a customer now.

But with such high rates, shouldn't the quality of our cleanings be exceptional? Some would answer yes. But the reality is that our cleaners are not computers or robots. In other words, they make mistakes - no matter how hard they work or how well they are trained.

The quality of our cleanings is good. So good that we've received countless numbers of customer testimonials proving that our work is pretty good. But our work isn't always great.

So what makes us great? And more importantly, what makes our rates worthwhile?

We're great because we guarantee our arrivals. We're great because we show up on-time every time. We're great because our employees go through an extensive nationwide criminal background search. We're great because we've got you protected against any worst case scenario. And we're great because we let your feedback determine our employees' paychecks.

But the real reason that we're great is much bigger than how we dust your nightstand. It's bigger, but very simple.

We listen. We listen to you more than any other cleaning service in your area. We encourage you to talk to us. We beg you to talk to us. And in some cases, we demand that you talk to us. And we listen for one reason. Because the more we listen to you, the happier we make you. It's been proven time after time.

No, you haven't found the world's greatest housecleaner. But yes, you have found the world's greatest housecleaning company!

Yes, It Happens To The "Professionals" Too

It's been said many times here that hiring an individual housecleaner is bad news. Yes, it probably means that you'll receive a low cleaning rate. But more importantly, it could mean that something bad could occur. Hopefully, you're individual cleaner will just show up late to your home. But in some cases, your individual housecleaner may steal from you and leave you without any recourse.

But it's not just individual housecleaners that can hurt you. Even professional cleaning companies can make your life miserable.

Click here to see what the four cleaning ladies on the right got caught doing...

So you know that you aren't supposed to hire an individual housecleaner. But now you find out that you aren't supposed to hire a professional cleaning company either. Now what?

First off, you still aren't supposed to hire an individual. Too many things could happen because that indvidual housecleaner isn't a business - it's just some side money. You wouldn't let a stranger from the street into your home, so why would you let someone in just because they left a flier on your mailbox?

Secondly, make sure that your professional cleaning company is bonded and insured. In other words, think of every worst case scenario that could happen and ask them how their company protects you.

Third, make sure that your professional cleaning company conducts a nationwide criminal background search on its employees. That goes for the owner's daughter-in-law and that goes for the little sweet girl with a pretty smile. Hiring people with clean backgrounds doesn't mean that you're completely safe, but you're exponentially safer if the background checks are conducted.

Finally, just because your professional cleaning company calls itself professional doesn't mean that it's professional. Professional means answering the phone every time you call. Professional means arriving on-time every time. Professional means hiring employees rather than contractors. Professional means a lot of things. It's like comparing a flea market to a department store.

A flea market has hidden gems amongst loads of crap that nobody else wants. In a department store, you rarely sneak up on a gem. But you also know that you aren't in a flea market. A department store is a business. A flea market is someone's side money. The difference is obvious.

Dependable, Honest, Consistent And CHEAP?

"What do you charge to clean a house?", said the potential customer.

"Well, it's hard to provide you with a quote without first knowing what you are looking for. So, tell me what you are looking for in a housecleaner", said the maid service manager.

The potential customers responds by saying, "I am looking for someone that is dependable, honest, consistent and cheap."

It was hard not to laugh. Because it ain't gonna happen. It's a myth. An oxymoron. There is no such thing as a cheap, dependable, honest and consistent maid.

The reason is simple. Money talks. You might be willing to offer your services for cheap. And you might tell your customers that you're honest, dependable and consistent. But the reality is that you can't be all those things. The money just won't allow you to be all those things.

Because at some point, another customer is going to be willing to pay your maid more money. Because at some point, your maid is going to get sick and tired of cleaning your toilet for nothing. And because at some point, your maid is going to decide to sleep in one morning rather than scrub your baseboards.

Your maid will do each of those things for the same reason that we're willing to do each of those things for you. Because money talks.

You can't buy from Wal-Mart and expect to receive Nordstrom's customer service. And you shouldn't expect to buy from an independent maid and expect Two Maids & A Mop customer service.

Have Mop, Will Clean

KENOVA, WV -- Some people in Kenova are breathing a bit easier after a woman has been taken into police custody.

Melissa Staley went by the name of Melissa Martin as she went door to door in Kenova. She told the residents she was down on her luck and would be willing to clean or mow lawns.

Officers had gotten several reports of a woman knocking on doors and asking the elderly home owners if they needed any work done. During the conversation, she asked to use the bathroom. That's when police said she made her move and robbed them. The victim didn't even realize their money was stolen until after the woman left.

After letting Staley inside her home, one Kenova resident discovered nearly $8,000 missing. Staley is now being held on grand larceny charges.

Click here for a video recap of this story.

It takes about five seconds for me to find these stories. About the same amount of time it takes for someone to "start" a new cleaning business.

Great rates sound good. A sad story may sound even better. But you're a customer. Start acting like one and you'll get treated like one.

Seven Misconceptions About Your Maid

1. How your maid cleans your home is very important. Of course, it is somewhat important. But the reality is that hiring your housecleaner should have very little to do with housecleaning. Is she dependable? Is she trustworthy? Is she insured? Basically, is she a professional housecleaner - or is she just a housecleaner?

2. Your maid's bond protects you. Not really. Your maid's bond only protects her. Because you'll need to convict your maid before any reimbursement can be delivered. That could take months. But more importantly, it means that you'll need hard evidence to prove your maid's guilt. And other than an outright admission, that's almost impossible.

3. Your maid needs to be licensed. A license is just an eloquent way of saying "tax". Your maid may be licensed. But her license only means that she paid the city and/or county government a few bucks - probably less than a hundred dollars. And nobody is really licensed anyway. There is no test. There are no qualifications - except that you need to pay some money to the government.

4. Your maid needs to be experienced. In most professions, experience matters. Experience teaches you. Experience helps you serve the customer better. But in the housecleaning industry, experience doesn't matter one bit. Because anyone can do this job. Yes, anyone. Experience is not much different than your maid's license. It looks good on paper, but it really doesn't mean anything.

5. Your maid will provide you with a FREE housecleaning estimate. All estimates are free. And if someone actually ever charged for an estimate, she'd go out of business. Nobody is willing to pay for an estimate because everyone claims to provide free estimates. It's not a benefit. It's part of the cost of running a cleaning business. And nothing more.

6. You need references before you'll hire a maid. References always sound good. That's the problem. Look up any marketing handbook and it will tell you to deliver references. There's a reason marketing books talk about references. It's because a reference is a sales technique. They're designed to sell you. Not to educate you.

7. Your maid is a business. It's been said before - starting a housecleaning business is easy. So easy that anyone can do it. And at some point, anyone will do it. You can call yourself a cleaning business, a maid service or even a professional housecleaner. But the reality is that you're not a business. You're just a person cleaning houses on the side, earning some extra money to pay for next week's groceries. You don't need insurance. You don't need to pay taxes. You don't even really need a broom - let your customer provide it. All you need are cheap rates. Because money talks. And somebody will hire you.

Your customer thinks that she's hired Janie's Professional Cleaning Service. But you know that all she's really hired is Janie.

Can You Hire Just Anyone To Clean?

Orlando, Florida --
Question: I do the books for a small design firm and am looking to accommodate one of our hourly, full-time customer-service representatives. She wants to earn some extra money by coming in on alternate weekends to clean up the office, and she is willing to do this as an independent contractor. This could be one of those "win-win" situations, but I'm afraid we could get in trouble. The amount we can afford for this cleaning service is less than what she would make if we had to pay her overtime rate as a service rep. In other words, we can afford her if she's treated as an independent contractor but not as a full-time employee entitled to overtime. Can we do this under wage-and-hour laws?

Answer: You would have a problem trying to impose this arrangement, but because the employee suggested it, and it's mutually agreeable, there are things you can both do that should make this arrangement acceptable.

You will need a signed agreement that makes it crystal clear the cleaning work is being done on a contract basis totally separate from her employment. The contractual arrangement should include her being paid separately for the cleaning work -- and on a per-job rather than an hourly basis. He also suggests that she be contractually required to provide her own equipment and supplies, and to make her own decisions on how the cleaning projects are controlled and accomplished. She might even consider forming a corporation, so that you could pay that legal entity instead of her.

In addition, you'll need to ensure that your employee carries her own workers' compensation, general liability and bonding. You'll need these three things because your company will be responsible if an accident, injury or theft occurs.

Cleaning Up While Dressing Down

TAMPA, FL-- A nude maid stripped off her clothes and stripped a homeowner of $40,000 in jewelry in a brazen robbery in the buff.

After the 50-year-old man hired the woman from the Internet on Friday, the maid stole from his suburban Tampa home despite not wearing any clothes. The woman arrived at the home in a one-piece, light colored dress. She took off the dress and cleaned the house for $100-per-hour, authorities said.

The man told deputies he left the maid alone in the bedroom to clean. When the man's wife came home from vacation, she discovered $40,000 in jewelry missing from their bedroom.

This article is funny. So funny that almost every newspaper in the country has ran the story. But the point remains the same.

Housecleaning is easy. So easy that anyone can do it. And this incident proves yet again that just about anyone will do it at some point.

You're hiring a stranger. And the only difference between this stranger and another stranger is that she claims to be a housecleaner. Would you let a stranger on the street walk into your bedroom alone? Of course not.

Start hiring professionals. And quit hiring strangers.

Nice Promises Are Meaningless

VACAVILLE, CALIFORNIA --
I want to caution my fellow residents about a scam I recently fell victim to. I hired a maid service and allowed them into my home to help maintain it while it was on the market. One of their key marketing points was trust. It also promised licensed, bonded, back-grounded and drug tested employees.

At first, I made sure my wife or I were always present while they were. A trust was built with our maid crew "captain" and, because of scheduling, I opted to entrust my house key to the service. I was assured this key would be kept in a secure place and checked out only to the crew leader on the day of the scheduled cleaning.

A few months later, my wife discovered jewelry missing immediately after the maid service visited. An employee was terminated for this and was implicated in another theft. I canceled the service and requested my key back. I was then informed the house key had been hidden under a yard ornament for nearly four months. After more than a month of seeking reimbursement from the company, I have learned that "licensed and bonded" doesn't really mean a thing. The company has refused to compensate us for the theft and has instructed its employees not to cooperate further. I am now in the process of filing a small claims action.

Unfortunately, this is yet another story of "buyer beware" where the customer, and this time the victim, does not come first. I hope anyone reading this will avoid the heartache this has caused my wife and the headaches it has caused me.

TwoMaids Commentary
1. A professional maid service never wants you to "hide" your key. A professional maid service wants to number designate your key and lock it in a fire-proof safe. So, if we lose your key - we lose key #23, not Mrs. John Smith's key or the 227 Baypoint Drive key.

2. Just about every cleaning service claims to be licensed and bonded. Check out this little known secret about being bonded and insured. Long story short, ask how your maid service hired their employees. And the best medicine - the maid service that you decide on should at least perform the same level of investigation on new employees that you would if you hired the maid directly.

Here's how we hire our employees. We do all this because we would expect you to do the same if we hired you to come into our home.

3. Theft is a reality. It can happen anyday to anyone. No reputable cleaning company can promise that theft is impossible. But a reputable cleaning can promise three very important things.

A. They can promise to conduct a nationwide criminal background search on every employee.

B. They can promise to start a formal investigation as soon as you report the theft.

C. And they can promise to fix the problem if they caused the problem. And more than just promising, they can put it all on paper for your protection.

How A Boston Maid Service Review Can Mean Something In Florida

On this surface, this review of Boston area cleaning companies appears to only be useful if you actually live in Boston.

But when you dig deeper, you can understand why the reviews can be helpful to anyone - including all of you right here along the gulf coast of Florida.

Here's the winning cleaning company's final comments:

Pros: Great customer service. They called to follow up after our initial call about rates, and after the cleaning they left behind a customer satisfaction survey and 49-point checklist of what they had cleaned. The two-person team also showed the best attention to detail and cleaned some of the spots the other services missed, including the insides of the microwave and toaster oven, plus the dust on a dining table centerpiece. They also folded a blanket left on the couch and cleaned the front entry hall though they weren’t asked to do so.

Cons: Some things, such as the kitchen trash can, weren’t put back in their original spots. And some kitchen tools in a drying rack were put away in odd spots.

The final word: Competitive price and an organized back office, plus good attention to detail, won our vote.

What this should tell you that communication is the backbone of customer service. The more you talk to your cleaning company - the better chance they have at making you happy. That's why we started the Pay For Performance Employee Compensation Plan. And that's also why we started the Pay For Satisfaction Plan.

Customer satisfaction can't happen if we don't know what makes a customer satisfied.

Don't Spend Your Life Cleaning

Hire A Professional Maid Service

Random Thoughts From The Cleaning World

1. A pair of crooks bullied a 10-year-old girl into letting them into a townhouse where they were caught on tape burglarizing the home. The girl was playing on the front steps of the house when the thieves approached and asked her if there was an adult home last Friday. "Two young guys forced her into the house," said Mark Appel, owner of the townhouse. He said the little girl was the daughter of his housekeeper, who was cleaning when the crooks struck.

That's the chance you take when you hire an individual. The homeowner better be more concerned about getting sued by his housekeeper. Whether he knows it or not, he's the supervisor of a workplace environment. And as a supervisor, it's his responsibility to provide a safe, secure environment. Of course, he could have just hired a professional cleaning company and he wouldn't have to worry about a lawsuit. But then again, professional cleaning companies are so much more expensive than individual cleaning ladies.

2. A narcotics task force seized three-and-a-half pounds of heroin and arrested three people on suspicion of multiple drug-related felony charges. Arcelia Padilla and Yoann Rosas were arrested alongside Heber Ruiz. The drug bust was the culmination of a three-month investigation. Padilla, a housekeeper, was found in possession of the lion's share of the heroin with an estimated street value of up to $160,000.

That could be your next cleaning lady. And you would have no idea until it's too late. Four words: Nationwide Criminal Background Checks.

3. A dry cleaning store clerk arrived at work Thursday morning to find a surprise ceremony honoring her honesty. Jennifer Peña was so startled that she froze up and struggled to get her words out. Last week, Peña found $800 cash and a signed paycheck for about $700 in a pair of pants just dropped off by a customer. Peña, who has worked at the store for 2 1/2 years, immediately called the customer. The customer's wife rushed back and claimed the $1,500!

Proof that there are still good, honest people still alive. Not everyone is out to get you. Just be careful - because it only takes one unethical person to create a big mess for you.

How To Run A Cleaning Business And Not Pay Any Taxes - Ever!

A cleaning company in Minnesota faces 22 federal charges of tax evasion. The owner of the cleaning company faces a battery of charges that includes not paying sales taxes, failing to pay wage and withholding taxes, making sales after the Department of Revenue revoked his sales tax permit and failing to file or pay his personal income taxes over a ten year period.

It never hurts to say this more than once.

Starting a cleaning business is easy. Anyone can do it. And we're reminded everyday that just about anyone does do it. If you need more proof, here's one of this company's online advertisements.....

"Need a House Cleaning? My Maid is experienced and have good references serving Siant Paul area. My Maid do Dusting, vacuuming, Clean Showers, and everything in the house. Also if you need other types of cleaning be sure to call My Maid."

Of course, the ad is awful. It wreaks of an amateur. Misspelled words and terrible grammar may not mean much to you. All you need is a housecleaner after all.

But you should know that you're not just hiring a housecleaner. Because if you think all you're doing is hiring a housecleaner, then you've got a lot to learn.

Picking Up The Toys

Professional housecleaning is much different than professional organizing.

Professional housecleaning is just what it sounds like. Cleaning house - dusting, vacuuming, mopping, sanitizing and scrubbing. In other words, your bathrooms, kitchen, appliances and floors will all be cleaned.

Professional organizing is just what it sounds like. Organizing stuff like your closets, bathrooms, shelving and cabinets. In other words, your bathroom counter will look much more appealing. So will your kid's closet.

The definition is important. Because many of you think that the two services are identical. For example, you think that a professional housecleaning company should be expected to organize your kid's toys. And we can. But we don't.

We don't organize your kid's toys because we don't know where to put your kid's toys. We also don't organize your kid's toys because we're paid to clean. And your pricing is 100% based on cleaning time - not organizing time.

We've lost customers in the past because we didn't organize. And that's fine because those customers didn't need our service.

We're a professional housecleaning company. If you need your house cleaned, we'll be glad to do it for you. We talk about housecleaning everyday. That's our focus 100% of the time. And that's why we're good at it.

And that's also why we don't organize. Because we're not good at it.

What Happens When You Hire A Cleaning Lady

Before you do anything else - read this article.

Obviously, this lady is frustrated. She's frustrated because she keeps hiring the wrong kind of maid. Her maids keep showing up late. Her maids keep getting worse and worse. And her maids consistently clean a lot worse than she's ever cleaned her home.

So what's the solution?

The first step in this customers battle should be to hire a business. A business has one goal - to maximize profits. And in order to maximize profits, a business must accomplish two things.

1. A business must make its employees happy.
2. A business must make its customers happy.

If either of these goals is not met, then a business will not survive. Not over the long haul. So it's in the best interest of every business to ensure that these two goals are met on a consistent basis.

But this lady has yet to hire a business. What she's hired is a cleaning lady. Of course, cleaning ladies want to maximize profits too. But a cleaning lady's path to profits are much different.

A cleaning lady doesn't have to make you happy. A cleaning lady only has to answer to one person - herself. And the reality is that her rates are so good that almost anyone will hire her. Of course, her rates are so good because she steals from our government. But so do you when you hire her. So your feedback is meaningless. Your complaints are unheard.

That's why she's late all the time. That's why she never improves her quality. And that's also why you keep saying these types of things......

I'll go a couple more rounds. I can always clean up after she's been here. But really, where are the hungry college students?

Start hiring a business. Not just some hungry college student.

I don't make that kind of money and I have a college degree!

"I don't make that kind of money and I have a college degree!", says the prospective maid service customer.

You've probably had this same thought too. You're thinking that your maid earns more money than you earn in a given hour. And in some cases, you're exactly right.

But you're only right if you hire an individual maid. Because an individual maid has almost no overhead.

Imagine owning a business that didn't have to pay any employees. Imagine owning a business that didn't have to purchase any operating supplies. Imagine owning a business that didn't have to purchase any form of insurance. Imagine owning a business that didn't have to spend any money on advertising. And most importantly, imagine owning a business that didn't have to pay any taxes to their local, state or federal government.

Well, quit imagining because that's exactly what's happening in your neighborhood. There's an individual maid cleaning your neighbor's house right now that isn't supplying cleaning supplies. She isn't bonded. She doesn't have a general liability insurance policy. She's never been licensed to work in your county. And she earned your neighbor's business by posting a 25 cents flyer on their mailbox.

And all the while, she's never paid one penny to the government. That's because your transaction is invisible. So she gets to bypass the federal payroll tax. She gets to bypass the federal income tax. She even gets to bypass your county's occupational license tax. All because your transaction is invisible.

Which of course means that she is invisible too.

So, yes - there are maids out there that are earning more money than you earn in one hour. But thy're earning that money only because you let them get away with it. And why do you let them get away with it?

You already know the answer. Cheap sells.

Stealing From The Sheriff

A cleaning woman is in custody for stealing from a former sheriff following a sting operation by the local police.

Janet Sullivan, 57, was arrested Monday after police conducted an investigation based on a complaint from the former sheriff that the woman was stealing from him. According to documents, the former sheriff reported to police that his wife's wedding ring was missing.

When the former sheriff told police he recently hired Sullivan as his cleaning lady, they decided to do a "bait" operation. Police photocopied $500 worth of $20 bills and then placed the originals in the former sheriff's home prior to Sullivan's arrival to clean. When Sullivan left the house, police counted the cash and noticed $120 was missing.

Sullivan, who was being followed after leaving residence, was contacted by police in the Taco Bell with $20 bills matching the photocopies. A search of Sullivan's purse at the police station revealed a white powder substance, which field-tested positive for meth. The former sheriff also positively identified his wife's wedding ring from the contents of the purse.

Sullivan was arrested and has been charged with one felony count of receiving stolen property, one felony count of possession of a controlled substance and one misdemeanor count of receiving stolen property.

Commentary
This cleaning lady was by herself. She wasn't employed by a cleaning company. She was a drug addict. And she was far from professional - her mug shot proves that much. But I'm sure that her rates were great!!

So you're sitting there and thinking, "I would never hire someone that looks like that". But you say that because you already know what happened. Cheap rates work. They work everyday. Because you think that all you're hiring is a housecleaner.

Little do you know that hiring a housecleaner has very little to do with housecleaning.

Hiding From Uncle Sam

California, 1995--Governor Pete Wilson disclosed today that he had employed three part-time housecleaners whose Social Security taxes he failed to pay. He also said that he had made good on the missing Social Security payments by forwarding checks to the Social Security Administration, with back interest and assessed penalties.

"I have never intentionally failed to make necessary Social Security payments," the Governor declared. "But I take full responsibility for these oversights and have satisfied my obligations to Social Security."

The total in back payments was about $15,000!

The year was 1995. But the premise remains the same today. It is your responsibility to pay all federal payroll taxes if you employ an individual housecleaner.

Of course, professional cleaning companies take care of this chore for you. Or do they?

The cleaning industry is marred with unethical, unprofessional "cleaning companies". Just because your cleaning company has a business card doesn't mean that it's really a business. And just because they tell you that all payroll taxes are being paid doesn't mean that all payroll taxes are being paid. And just because you think that all payroll taxes are being paid doesn't mean that you're off the hook if they aren't being paid.

It's still your responsibility. But don't fret. There's one fool proof way to determine if your cleaning company is paying its fair share. Just ask one of their employees this simple question:

Does your employer deduct anything from your check?

No need to get technical. No need to even call the deductions payroll taxes. Because if the answer is no, then your cleaning company isn't paying any payroll taxes. And you owe the government some money.

How Hiring The Wrong Maid Almost Cost A Customer $3,700

In Phoenix, a registered sex offender was arrested after a home was robbed during a house cleaning. According to the victim, the house cleaner was found using the internet bulletin board called craigslist.

The house cleaner was arrested after he was found to be in the possession of $3,700 worth of stolen goods from the home. He had been convicted numerous times, including kidnapping, rape and armed robbery. Of course, a simple background search would have prevented this crime.

The homeowners were alerted when the house cleaner requested that he be paid in cash - at a different location!

Lessons to be learned from this debacle
1. Conduct a background check. Or just hire a professional cleaning company and make sure that they supply you with proof that each employee has been checked.

2. Make sure that your house cleaner is bonded and insured. This doesn't prevent a crime, but it does protect you.

3. Never hire a house cleaner that requests cash. The main reason a house cleaner requests cash is because she wants to get rid of the paper trail. In some cases, that only means she's trying to avoid paying taxes. But it could also mean that your house cleaner is hiding something.

4. Never hire anyone just because she's cheap. And never hire anyone just because she's calls her business a "cleaning company". This business is easy to start. It doesn't take a lot of money. It doesn't take a lot of work. Heck, it doesn't even take a lot of guts. Anyone can start a cleaning company. And it's for that reason that so many quit. Because if it's easy to start, it's just as easy to quit.

The Timeline Of A Cleaning Lady's Theft

Joann Douglas had cleaned at the DeChellis home every other Wednesday for about a year and cleaned at DeChellis’ Italian Cafe every Friday for a couple of months. Douglas had worked for a cleaning company when she first provided cleaning services for the DeChellises’ daughter. Later, Douglas began to work for their daughter independently of the cleaning company.

Warrants were recently issued for the arrest of Joanne Douglas for the burglary of the DeChellis' restaurant.

No, we're not beating a dead horse.

Here's the timeline of this cleaning lady's theft.....

1. The DeChellis family needed a housecleaner. So they hired a professional cleaning company.
2. Joanne Douglas worked for this professional cleaning company.
3. The company assigned Douglas to the DeChellis account.
4. The Dechellis family became comfortable with Douglas.
5. Douglas knew that they were becoming comfortable.
6. Douglas also knew what the DeChellis' were currently paying her employer.
7. So Douglas charged just a little less.
8. In the end, Douglas makes more money and the Dechellis family spends less money.
9. Everybody's happy. It's a perfect situation.

Of course, that was before Joanne Douglas was arrested for theft. It seemed improbable. But it happened.

Cheap, individual housecleaners steal (no, not all of them!). They steal because it's easy. And they keep stealing because people choose them for one reason. Because they're cheap.

And if you still don't believe me, click here.

She Was As Sweet As Pie

“She was as sweet as pie,” DeChellis said of her cleaning lady, adding that she never suspected her of doing anything improper — even after the restaurant she owns with her husband, Lou, was broken into sometime around New Year’s Eve.

And so another one bites the dust.

If you hire an individual housecleaner, you have to assume a large amount of risk. Sometimes that risk results in just poor work ethic. But sometimes that risk results in theft. And there's nothing you can do about it. Your money is gone. Lost. Unrecoverable.

Of course, this victim will need to hire someone to clean for her again in the future. She's learned her lesson. And she's learned it the hard way. You can bet that her next housecleaner will be bonded. She'll be insured. And she'll come with a criminal background check.

Most importantly, she'll come from a professional cleaning company. Because a professional cleaning company screens its employees. A professional cleaning company bonds its employees. And a professional cleaning company insures its customers.

Of course, none of that means that a professional cleaning won't steal from you. It's happened before. But what it does mean is that a professional cleaning company will protect you.

Your money is not gone. It is not lost. And it is able to be recovered.

Click here for the full story.

Don't Feel Guilty

It all started so innocently. All I needed was a little tidying up. With my schedule, I just didn't have the time to clean my house. So I hired a maid. And boy have things spiraled out of control since that fateful first housecleaning.

My name is Ron, and I am a maidaholic.

Of course, this is fiction. But the reality is that many people find themselves feeling guilty after hiring a maid service. Take at look at some of these comments found on the web....

Guilty Pleasure #1

Guilty Pleasure #2

One of the best quotes from these stories is this quote....

"What a waste of money!" My mother-in-law had just discovered my guilty pleasure. "Can't you figure out how to clean your house on your own? Are you that lazy?"

And that's it in a nutshell. You don't want people to think that you're lazy. What you really want is for people to think that you scrubbed your own toilets. And you want them to walk out of your home impressed. Impressed that your floor is clean. Impressed that your kitchen is spotless. And most importantly, impressed that you live so clean!

Your grandmother never hired a maid to clean her house. And your mother-in-law might call you lazy if she finds out you've hired a maid. But it all boils down to one question. And your answer to this question should determine if you're ready to hire a maid. The question.....

Which of these two things is most important?

1. Your personal time and freedom
2. Your neighbor's approval

And if you picked number two, you might want to take a peek inside your neighbor's window. Because a 1999 study from Medimark Research estimates that 27% of all households have hired a professional to clean their home. So if you live near four homes, chances are that at least one of those homes was cleaned by someone that doesn't live there.

Don't feel guilty. We're all doing it!

The Tax Evasion Scheme Explained

Part One
During a department investigation, it was discovered that from 2003 through 2005 a couple allegedly received over $140,000 of taxable income that was not reported to the State of Minnesota. According to the complaint, the couple owes the state at least $9,750 in income tax for those years.

William McCann allegedly admitted that he had been doing remodeling jobs since 2002 and had received $25 an hour, even though he is not a licensed contractor in Minnesota. He admitted to running a lawn sprinkler service for the past four years as well. The income he received from both of these jobs was not reported on the couple’s tax returns.

Patricia McCann allegedly acknowledged that she knew her husband was involved in remodeling and construction projects, and that the money was put into their checking accounts, but was not reported on their individual income tax returns. She also admitted to failing to report that she had received $225 per week for house cleaning services since April 2003.

Click here for the full article.

Part Two
The I.R.S. estimates that as many as four million people owe payroll taxes (known as nanny taxes) each year, that means that fewer than 1 in 13 are obeying the law.

"My accountant told me I have to stop this and issue paycheck stubs and report what I pay to the I.R.S.," said Elaine, a divorced 42-year-old mother of two who covers Hollywood for a magazine and asked that her last name not be used. "But since no President is ever going to nominate me for the Cabinet, what do I care about paying this stupid nanny tax? And if I get caught, I'll just pay the fine and go on doing what I am doing."

So why should you care?

Maybe this statement will hit home with you.....

The law requires anyone who pays a nanny or other servant more than $1,100 this year to report those wages to the I.R.S. Assuming that only one in thirteen is doing so - and that the tax evaders spend as much on household help as the upright citizens do -the Federal Government is losing $1.2 billion a year in Social Security and Medicare taxes.

Click here for the full article.

Part Three
And why should this statement mean anything to you....

1. Because your salary gets whacked because of these payroll taxes. If you have to pay them, why shouldn't everyone else?

2. Because your housecleaner is a thief. She's stealing from your government. And if she'll steal from your government, she might steal from you.

3. Because you're stealing from your government too. And that can't make you feel too good about yourself.

Housecleaning - The Hamburger Of The Service Industry

You know how to cook a hamburger. You know that it doesn't take a rocket scientist to make it taste like every other hamburger. And you know that if you don't want to cook one, then you can just take a short trip to your nearest restaurant or fast food chain.

And most importantly, you know that one of the biggest allures of the hamburger is that it's cheap. Of course, it better be cheap.

It better be cheap because you know that you can just as easily cook one at your house. It better be cheap because almost all hamburgers taste the same. And if it's not cheap, then well, you'll probably pass on the burger, or just stay at home and cook one for yourself.

Yes, that's the residential cleaning world in a nutshell.

You know how to clean your home. You've been doing it for a long time now. You know that it doesn't take a rocket scientist to scrub a toilet or mop a floor. And you know that you can hire a cleaning company for next to nothing.

Of course, this is all true. It's true that you shouldn't have to pay too much if all you're looking for is a cleaning company. But if you've already hired a cleaning company, then you already know that you aren't just hiring a cleaning company.

You're hiring someone to show up on-time every time (because most cleaning companies are notorious for being late). You're hiring someone that you can trust (because you need to know that the stranger in your home didn't rob their last customer). You're hiring someone to provide you with real customer service (because mistakes are bound to happen - and when they happen you need to know that someone is listening).

And after we show up on time. And after we prove to you that our employees are bonded, licensed and insured. And after we explain how our pay for performance plan benefits both our customers and employees.

After we do all that.....

The we'll start cleaning. And after our job is done, maybe you can sit back and enjoy a hamburger!

How To Avoid Hiring The Next Bonnie & Clyde

Police say the break ins began in October and continued through December. The targets were beachfront homes on the Isle Of Palms in South Carolina.

Each time, the thieves were interested in one particular item, flat screen televisions. Investigators say 41 year old Willie Brown Jr. headed up the operation, with help from two women who work for a St. Stephen maid service that was hired to clean the rental homes.

"There was no forced entry and investigators believed that the perpetrator did in fact have a key or access to a key," said Isle Of Palms Police Sergeant Dawn Caldwell.

Click here for the full story.

It can happen to anyone. You hired the wrong person. And you won't know that you hired the wrong person until it's too late. But there are some ways to ensure that your next hire isn't the next Bonnie & Clyde.

Step 1. Conduct a nationwide criminal background search. That's how we do it. And here's how we do it..........
Criminal Record Search

Step 2. Ask for references. And not just from their best friend. Make sure that the candidate provides you with at least three previous employers.

Step 3. Require that your next maid provides you with a copy of their surety bond policy. And make sure that the bond is current. A surety bond only lasts for twelve months.

If you haven't figured it out yet, hiring your next housecleaner has very little to do with housecleaning.

The Reality Of Perception

We often talk about how important it is to understand that you get what you pay for. In our industry, the cost of starting a cleaning business is close to zero. And since the investment is minimal, the investment in the quality of the service is minimal as well.

But a recent research study at the California Institute of Technology suggests that high prices sometimes lead to false perceptions.

The study asked 20 people to sample wine while undergoing functional MRIs of their brain activity. The subjects were told they were tasting five different Cabernet Sauvignons sold at different prices. However, there were actually only three wines sampled, two being offered twice, marked with different prices. A $90 wine was provided marked with its real price and again marked $10, while another was presented at its real price of $5 and also marked $45. The testers' brains showed more pleasure at the higher price than the lower one, even for the same wine!

Click here to find out more about the study.

One of our housecleaning packages includes a two hour cleaning for $125. You get two maids, along with all necessary cleaning supplies and equipment. Nobody in our area charges anywhere close to this for just two hours of work. In fact, many of our competitors charge as little as $10 per hour (one person).

One might think that our $125 cleaning is way better than the $10 per hour cleaning. In some cases, that's very true. In other cases, our $125 cleaning isn't that much better than the $10 per hour cleaning. The reason is simple:

You're not paying us to be the best housecleaner in the world. You're paying us to be the most professional cleaning company in the world. That means that we'll show up on time every time. That means that we'll utilize the most effective cleaning products and supplies available. That means that we'll provide you with the safest and most secure employees in the area. And that means that you'll receive better customer service from us than anyone else in the area. Our service doesn't start when we walk in your home and it doesn't stop when we walk out of your home.

That's what you're paying for. And yes, the statement still rings true.....

You get what you pay for!

The Cleaning Service Debate

The presidential race is in high gear right now. It seems as if there is at least one debate per week. A debate is a powerful tool. It gives you insight on how a person will react under pressure. And of course, the answers from the debate help you determine which candidate supports your most important issues. A debate is truly democratic. You get to listen and make decisions on your personal beliefs.

So that leads me to a proposition.....

What if the cleaning industry had a debate? What if all competitors in our field stood up and fielded questions from potential customers? How amazing would that be? And how easy would it be for Two Maids & A Mop to win!!

It would be a slam dunk. Nobody would be able to compete against us. Nobody could compete us because all we would have to do is explain our pay for performance plan. After each question, we would end our argument like this....

"We pay our employees based on our customer's overall satisfaction level. We do this by letting our customers rate each housecleaning on a scale from 1-10. The rating provided by the customer is the only tool used when determining the pay rate for our employees. The happier our customers are; the more our employees are able to earn with our company."

And the debate would be over. Just like that. Because nobody we compete against can even get close to matching our commitment to customer service.

Of course, there won't ever be a cleaning service debate. It may be that no one would even care enough to watch the debate. But it's more probable that none of our competition would want to show up. They'd have no chance.

Which leads me to my final thought....

If it's so obvious that we would win a cleaning service debate, why don't we win every customer battle? The reason is simple. Because most people don't understand that hiring a cleaning service has nothing to with cleaning. And there's no way to figure this out until you've hired the wrong cleaning service. Cheap sells. And it will continue to sell. But cheap only lasts for a little while. At some point, you want quality. Because cheap still means that you're using your hard earned money. And if you're going to use your money, you might as well use a little more of it in order to receive higher quality.

The cycle always repeats itself. You hire the cheap cleaner-then you call us because you're not satisfied. We can't change the cycle. It's all part of the education.

Maid Service Accounting 101

You have three choices when it comes to housecleaning. You can clean the house by yourself, you can hire a professional cleaning service, or you can hire an individual maid.

The first choice is easy to figure out. All you'll need is a some cleaning supplies and maybe a little sweat too.

The second choice isn't that complicated either. All you need to do is select the cleaning service that best fits your needs. Some people want cheap. Some people want fast. And then some people want professionalism. As a consumer, it's your choice.

The third choice is a little more complicated - at least if you follow the law. Of course, the choice is still yours to make. You can hire anyone that you want to hire. But since you're hiring an individual, you must ensure that all taxes are paid. And there's lots of taxes to pay!

Click here for a great article that tells you everything you need to know about taxes and maids.

Another Article On How To Hire A Housecleaner

The Wall Street Journal has published a great article on how to hire a housecleaner.

Click here for the article. Here are some snippets...

• Generally, the best way to find a cleaning service is to ask family and friends for recommendations. We have two friends who use the same service, and they rave about it.
  
  
• Cleaning services generally handle the tax collection for their workers, but Gerry and I may have to pay the so-called nanny taxes for an independent house cleaner. Generally, if we pay a nonfamily member more than $1,500 a year to work in our home, we must pay Social Security, Medicare, state and federal unemployment taxes, and withhold federal and state income-taxes.
  
  
• I've heard friends tell me they've had trouble hiring workers, such as nannies and housekeepers, because the workers demand to be paid "off the books." Some homeowners are more than happy to oblige, but that can be a mistake. Besides the risk of an IRS audit, paying child-care, cleaners and other in-home workers "under the table" may prevent homeowners from taking valuable tax breaks, such as the child-care deduction.
  
  
• If we did opt for an independent house cleaner rather than a service, background checks would be up to us. We'd need to get the worker's Social Security number to check for criminal history.
  
  
• In the end, we went with the cleaning service our friends recommended. It saves us the hassle of worrying about taxes, insurance and background checks.
  

P.S. The article still didn't address the most important question. The question - How can you ensure my satisfaction?

Tips On Hiring A Maid Service

And I didn't write any of these tips this time.....

Maid Service Hiring Tips

The best of the bunch -
Satisfaction: Ask if the maid service measures customer satisfaction and if so, what type of procedure is used to collect responses. Are you asked to fill out a survey online or on paper? Will a manager contact you following the house cleaning to be sure your expectations were fulfilled or exceeded? The steps a company takes to ensure a customer's satisfaction tells a lot about how much they value their customers.

Please, please ask this question. Because we'll win this battle every time. Nobody else can compete with our pay for performance plan. Absolutely Nobody!

Shameless Plug

Check out this news article.

Yes, the story is about Two Maids & A Mop. Yes, I wrote the story. And yes, I only wrote it because I was trying to get someone's attention.

But it's all true. And if you're looking to hire a maid, then reading this can only help you.