The Formula For Theft

Step 1. Create a business name that makes you sound like a real business. ABC Cleaning Company. Superior Maid Service. Whatever it takes to sound professional.

Step 2. Plaster posters all over town offering a cheap rate.

Step 3. There is no step three. That's all it takes to get invited into your home. Cheap rates with a professional name.

Dont believe me? Then click the link for proof.
The Formula For Theft - Illustrated

Scary Stories About Your Maid

In the spirit of Halloween, here's a few scary stories that might hit home with you. (reposted from last year)

1. Your cleaning lady didn't show up today. Did ghosts take her away? Did aliens abduct her? Nope. She just quit on you. Just like you're last cleaning lady.

2. Your maid service is late again. Is it because they think your house is haunted? Is it because your house is located on a creepy hollow? Nope. They just don't care about you. They're unorganized. And they're late every time.

3. Your housecleaner keeps making the same mistakes over and over again. Did your resident goblin put that dust on your nightstand? Did your maid see a ghost in the mirror? Nope. They just forgot again. Just like last week.

4. Your maid keeps leaving earlier and earlier. Is it because your kid's doll is possessed? Is it because your dog is evil? Nope. She's just gotten too comfortable with you. She's your buddy. And you're no longer her customer.

5. You keep hiring one bad housekeeper after another. Did a wicked witch cast a spell on your home? Is your house haunted and you don't know it? Nope. You just keep hiring the same person. You want your house cleaned. But you don't want to pay too much for it. After all, it's just housecleaning.

But of course, if it was only about housecleaning then you wouldn't be hiring a new maid four times a year.

Happy Halloween!!

Individual Housecleaner Steals - Again

"A housekeeper was charged after investigators said she took items from a client’s home and reported the house had been burglarized, said the Sheriff’s Office.

The housekeeper was charged with two counts of felony larceny and one count of making a false report to a police station. Reports of missing items were received October 3 and October 15, first by the housekeeper and the second by the homeowner.

When detectives went to the house, they found no evidence of a home invasion."

It's been said before, but it bears repeating. You don't need a brain to become a housecleaner. You don't need money to become a housecleaner. About all you really need is a cheap rate. Because a cheap rate means that somebody will hire you eventually.

It keeps happening. Everyday. But never to you, right?

Don't hire an individual maid. The risk far outweighs the benefit.

Tales From The Front Line

Heard on the phone just yesterday.....

Caller: "Your rates are too expensive. I'd rather hire an individual cleaner anyway. They need the money more and they'll work harder than a business."

Most of our current customers have already learned their lesson the hard way. I had to learn my own lesson the hard way. And this caller will also have to learn her lesson the hard way.

Individual cleaners show up late. Individual cleaners quit and leave town. Individual cleaners steal. But mostly, individual cleaners don't respect you as a customer. Of course, individual cleaners are also cheap.

And for some, that's all that is required. Until this happens.

Why Hiring Your Next Maid From A Road Sign is A Bad Idea

CLERMONT, FL -- Instead of picking things up, a cleaning service is accused of trashing someone's house. The landlord admits she made a big mistake hiring someone off a roadside sign, but what she didn't expect is that the quality of the job depended on the race of her tenants.

The landlord doesn't want to be identified, but claims a cleaning service refused to clean bathrooms and a refrigerator because of the ethnicity of former tenants. The house was trashed, with garbage in every room, and the landlord blames an angry cleaning lady.

Every wall in every room was keyed and the hundreds of feet of scratches will require an entire paint job. The doors of appliances were all bent so they no longer close and someone emptied vacuum cleaner bags all over the house.

No doubt that this landlord has learned her lesson. Will it take this kind of craziness for you to understand the difference between a housecleaner and a professional housecleaner?

On Hiring Just Anyone.....

We staff more than 40 maids every single day. Before one of our maids walks in your front door, we put the prospective employee through an extensive interview process.

Click here to find out how we hire an employee.

For those that didn't click, the main point that you need to know is that every single one of our employees undergoes a nationwide criminal background search. Of course, anything could happen. Just because you've never been convicted of a crime doesn't mean you'll never commit a crime. But it is important to know that we don't just hire anyone.

It takes a lot to get hired by Two Maids & A Mop. After all, we pay more than any other cleaning company in the area. We offer full medical benefits. And we offer a relaxed work atmosphere that can't be found anywhere else (try finding a job that pays you to listen to the radio for 1/3 of the day!)

Long story short, we work our tails off when we hire someone.

But you don't! There's proof everyday that you only hire because the housecleaner is cheap. Just keep scrolling through this blog and you'll see plenty of evidence.

Or you could jut read this excerpt from another chapter of a maid gone bad....

"A woman has been sentenced to a 51-month prison term for the thefts of credit cards and a tennis bracelet from a house she was hired to clean. The sentence was bolstered by the woman's criminal history, which includes felony convictions for first-degree theft, second-degree robbery, and six for drug possession."

What isn't shown is this former maid's rate sheet. You can bet that she was cheap. And you can bet that people chose her simply because she was cheap. Which, of course, was exactly what she was looking for in the first place.....

A professional housecleaner is a lot different than just being a housecleaner. Think about that the next time you're hiring another individual maid.

Hire A Professional Cleaner

You have to know by now that anyone can start a cleaning business. It doesn't take a lot of money. It doesn't take a lot of smarts. And it doesn't even require a lot of work. All you need are some mops and buckets and you're in business.

Even drug pushers know that the easiest way to make yourself look like a professional cleaning company is to buy some mops and buckets....

"Over a seven-month span, an undercover New Hanover County, NC deputy rode in a van filled with vacuum cleaners and mops, posing as a cleaning company and buying drugs from 117 people, according to the sheriff’s office. She bought $5,500 worth of drugs, mainly crack and heroin."

This is your home. The same home that you sleep in every night. The same home that contains tons of your valuable possessions. And the same home that gets treated like a car's gas tank when you decide to hire a housecleaner.

Treat your home with respect. Don't just find the cheapest price. Find a professional.

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.

Another Cleaning Lady Steals From Her Customers

The choice is yours to make. You can hire a professional cleaning company and know that you are protected against any worst case scenario. Or you could hire a cleaning lady with great rates and cross your fingers.

This example proves all the important points. Check the bolded parts for explanation.

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA -- A cleaning lady has been accused of stealing jewelry and clothes from her clients.

Martinez cleaned homes under the company name Mirian Cleaning Services in Alexandria. (The first step to gaining your trust is to make yourself look professional by naming yourself a "company".)

Mirian Martinez is accused of stealing from at least four of her long-time clients, and police said there may be more victims. (The next step is to gain their trust by providing a decent service for a certain timeframe - then steal as soon they let their guard down.)

Fairfax County police said Martinez stole jewelry from a woman, and some of the stolen jewelry was sold at a pawn shop. Police said they are still looking for a diamond ring worth $42,000.

Two more of Martinez's clients also reported missing jewelry and clothing worth more than $62,000.

Martinez has been charged with grand larceny and selling stolen property. More charges are pending, police said.

Martinez was also charged in connection with jewelry thefts from another home in a neighboring county. (And the final step is to steal fast and steal often. You gotta get while the going is good.)

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."

Where's The Bond?

Step 1. Get in the door by offering a low cleaning rate.

Step 2. Gain the family's trust by getting to know them.

Step 3. Steal until you get caught.

"People who hire individuals to help them, hire them thinking they and their belongings are safe," Judge Sharon Nicklas said to the maid, calling her offense an extreme breach of trust. "People are entitled to feel safe, especially in their own home."

The maid had taken jewelry worth about $70,000, ivory miniatures worth $48,000, antiques, silverware, figurines and rugs totaling $50,000. The items were valued at a total of $168,000!!

Some of the items were retrieved, but the maid was ordered to pay the outstanding restitution of $157,350. And since there was no bond, you better hope this maid wins the lottery real soon. Otherwise, good riddance to your money.

Another Individual Maid Gone Bad

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.

Another Cheap, Uninsured Maid Strikes Again

CAPE CORAL -- This a story you need to hear if you ever have anyone come to your home to do any sort of work - even if you trust and think you know that person well.

Betty Bowman, 92, says the woman she hired to clean and take care of her home, cleaned out a lot more than just her closets. She cleaned out her bank account too.

Bowman said her housekeeper of two years, Susan Beckers, "stole her personal bank checks and cashed those checks without permission."

The arrest report says Beckers forged 25 of Bowman's personal checks, totaling more than $10,000. Detectives say the stolen checks were written to, and endorsed by, Beckers. They added the account numbers on the stolen checks matched Beckers' personal bank account number.

Now, Beckers is being charged with two counts of forgery to a bank note and one count of larceny - charges she admits to.

The general manager of Bowman's housing complex said that she is not a bonded, licensed, or insured cleaning person.

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.

Just Because You Say It Doesn't Mean It's True

"I currently clean 2 houses a week and I am looking for 2 more. I am dependable, honest and trustworthy. I will get it done right the first time. I am a SAHM and military spouse! Refrences avaliable! Light laundry, dusting, windows, fans, sinks, appliances, anything you need me to do I can and will do! Very cheap for a deep down to the bottom clean! You won't find anyone to clean like me for the price! Call me now!!"

That's an advertisement for another cleaning "company". Says all the key words. Honest. Trustworthy. Dependable. And most importantly, cheap.

It will work. Guaranteed.

Then it will all fall apart. Guaranteed.

And then you'll call a professional cleaning company.

The process keeps repeating itself.

Just watch the first couple of minutes of this video. Is this what you would call a cleaning company?

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.

It Will Never Happen To You

Wales, United Kingdom-- A woman who stole and forged checks to the value of more than £1,300 from an elderly stroke victim is facing a jail term. Joanne Jones appeared in court where she admitted three counts of fraud and two counts of forgery. Prosecutors said that Jones had been employed to provide care and cleaning services for the 87-year-old victim in her home.

Her father and grandfather have expressed a desire to reimburse the victim.

Great! Because that's the only way the victim is going to get any money. No bond. No real cleaning company. Just a woman making some money on the side (literally!).

Her rates might be cheap. She may look innocent. And she probably has a business card. But it's doubtful that she's a business.

It never seems like it will happen to you. But it does happen. And when it happens - it's too late. You're stuck. And there's no going back. You're money is already gone.

Of course, maybe you're maid's father will decide to reimburse you.

Another Rogue Maid Strikes Again

OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND - Police have arrested and charged a housecleaner with stealing valuable historical artifacts from her clients. Police said Darla Nolan stole more than $40,000 worth of jewelry and other personal items from the homes where she worked.

Among the items stolen were French-minted medallions honoring George and Martha Washington, a family Bible dating to the 1800s and a religious relic of St. Peregrine, the patron saint of cancer victims.

While the thefts occurred over the span of several months, none was reported to police.
"She was able to get access to jewelry that people didn't wear on a regular basis. People might not have missed them for a while," Lt. Steven Ang said.

Police charged Nolan with burglary, theft and receiving stolen property. She also was charged with drug possession, suggesting a possible motive for the thefts.

Yes, hiring an individual maid means that you'll probably pay a little less than your neighbor. But it also means many other things.

It might mean that she gets a little too close to your family. It might mean that she starts treating you like friend rather than an employee. And it might mean that she decides to quit helping you because someone else is willing to pay her more.

But then again, you might wish for those things to happen. Because hiring an individual maid might also mean that you lose more than just a housecleaner.

Ask these customers in Maryland if those cheap rates are worth it now....

How To Steal From Your Clients In Three Easy Steps

A housekeeper is facing more than a dozen counts of felony stealing in the theft of more than $32,000 dollars from a St. Louis home. Police say Trina Lipe stole the money over a three-year period, typically by writing checks to herself. Lipe is also accused of stealing $100 from another resident, who said it was "very, very surprising" when she realized what happened.

Step 1 - Charge the customer a great rate - so low that they can't say no.

Step 2 - Gain the customer's trust - "It was very, very, very surprising. Trina was a very sweet person," the victim said. "She would come, be very nice with my children. When they were sick, and home alone, she would make them lunch."

Step 3 - Steal until the customer catches you - Then run away with more than $32,000.

Please watch this video. Hiring a professional housecleaner means hiring a professional first, then a housecleaner next.

How To Be The Cheapest Cleaning Service

Cheap keeps on selling. And there's really no way to stop it because, well, it's so cheap.

Maine-- A man who formerly owned a cleaning company has been sentenced to a year in federal prison for harboring and employing illegal aliens.

Manuel Antonio Cornejo, 30, who waived indictment and pleaded guilty in January, is believed to be the first Maine employer to be sentenced in U.S. District Court for hiring undocumented workers. Cornejo also was sentenced to three years of supervised release after he gets out of prison and was ordered to pay a $3,000 fine.

A native of El Salvador, Cornejo went to work for a cleaning company and started his own business, M.C. Cleaning LLC, shortly after he became a U.S. citizen in 2006.

You already know that you get what you pay for. And in the cleaning business, you can be cheap as you want to be - assuming that you ignore all local, state and federal laws.

Cheap means hiring illegal aliens. Cheap means stealing from our government. Cheap means that you'll hire just about anybody - whether they've been convicted of a crime or not. Cheap means not purchasing insurance. But cheap also means that you pay less than your neighbor.

Anybody can start a housecleaning business. And inevitably, just about anybody does.

Cheap Keeps On Selling

A man is in jail after he was arrested on charges of kidnapping and rape.

Sheriff's deputies arrested Rudolph Valentino Smith, charging him with a rape that happened Thursday afternoon. The sheriff's office said that Smith, employed by Watkins Cleaning Service, was working at another home on South Haven.

According to statements, Smith left the job site and went to the victim's home about 2:30 p.m., asking to use the phone. The victim was babysitting a child at the time. Once inside the residence, Smith attacked the victim and threatened to kill her if she reported the assault. A child ran to another room in the home and was not harmed. After the attack, Smith told the victim to give him a ride home. The victim told Smith that she needed her keys from an upstairs room. Once there, she locked herself and the child in a bedroom and dialed 911. Smith stole a handgun from the residence and ran off.

According to investigators, Smith has been arrested and jailed on 15 separate occasions. Past felony charges against him include Aggravated Assault, Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute, Armed Robbery and Voluntary Manslaughter.

This guy worked for a cleaning company. That means that you're supposed to be protected. But it's obvious that this cleaning company wasn't protecting anyone. They hired a convicted felon and sent him into a stranger's home. They should feel awful. And they better be insured because they'll be sued soon.

Of course, they should be sued. Mistakes happen. Sometimes you just hire the wrong kind of person. But there are some easy things that a professional cleaning service can perform in order to determine if an employee has a criminal background.

Yes, the steps to determining someone's criminal background are easy. But no, the steps are not cheap.

Cheap keeps on selling. And cheap keeps on proving that you get what you pay for!

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.

What Happens After You Get A Killer Deal

We've been using the same service for years now. The original owner was a lovely woman who always made sure her staff came on time and did a nice job. A little over a year ago she decided to become a Realtor in Texas leaving her son in charge of the cleaning service. Let's just say the experience hasn't exactly been the same since he took over.

We've gotten more and more annoyed at them as the quality of their work dropped and they became less and less responsive. But we're lazy people, and it was just easier to let them keep coming rather than deal with firing them and finding someone new. Plus we were pretty sure that we were getting a killer deal and that any other service would be way more expensive. OK, fine, we're lazy and cheap.

Click here for the full article.

At least this customer understands that you get what you pay for. You can't have your cake and eat it too. At some point, you've got to be willing to pay a little extra if you expect a little extra.

And by a little extra, I mean the basics. Like showing up on time. Like not making the same mistakes over and over again. And like having a real person answer the telephone at all times....

I called a friend to find out who cleaned her house and made the call, then I procrastinated on the other call, the unpleasant one, until yesterday when backed up traffic put me in the right mood to fire someone. But when I called I found that the number had been disconnected. Thinking that it was a mistake I called again, but it was no mistake. Just as I was finally ready to kick them to the curb it seems that our cleaning service had done a runner.

Unfortunately, getting a killer deal means sacrificing a few of the basics when it comes to hiring a maid service.

Doing Whatever It Takes To Get Income

A distraught Hispanic female told officers that she had been sexually assaulted by a Hispanic male. The victim stated that the suspect had contacted her under the pretense of hiring her to work for his home-cleaning business.

“There are a lot of things people can do to protect themselves, but won’t because they think it is going too far,” Officer David Tilley said. “Always check on who you are going to work for." Tilley said with everyone hit hard by the economy, some people jump at the opportunity for work without fully researching the business.

This falls especially true for people working as contract labor. “People are just trying to find work, and are doing whatever it takes to get income,” he said. “It is unfortunate that there are people out there that will take advantage of people in these difficult times.”
________________

Make sure that you read the previous paragraph one more time. Yes, the officer is referring to a situation where someone posed as an employer. But the premise is that this individual picked the cleaning industry. He picked our industry because anyone can start a housecleaning business. And time after time, just about anyone does start a housecleaning business.

In desperate times, a person will do whatever it takes to make a living. And if the legal route doesn't work, then the illegal route is the only other option.

The least important criteria to selecting your next housecleaner should be housecleaning.

26,000 Reasons To Never Hire An Individual Maid

The year was 1988. A young man named R.F. DuBois desperately needed to hire a housecleaner for his home. Enter Gloria Landry.

The hire appeared to be a very wise decision. For 17 years, Gloria worked for DuBois and provided consistent, dependable service.

But it all ended on June 8, 2005. Gloria had just finished another perfect housecleaning and she was headed to her car. That's when she tripped over a crack in the driveway. And that's also when Gloria hired an attorney.

For the last two years, Gloria has been in a legal battle with her former happy client. And just a few days ago, her fellow peers agreed that she deserved $12,383.35 in past medical expenses, $9,620 in past physical pain and mental anguish and $4,810 in lost wages.

"Landry was an employee of DuBois," the suit said. "DuBois controlled the days she worked, her duties, and supplied the tools she used. Landry was injured in the course and scope of her employment with DuBois. DuBois does not carry workers compensation insurance coverage."

Are you listening yet? It happens everyday. And it can happen to you at anytime. You're not a business. You don't have workers' compensation insurance. You don't have general liability insurance. You don't pay payroll taxes. You're just a regular person - a homeowner.

Leave the business stuff to businesses.

You're Next

Of course you're not a celebrity. You're probably not a multi-millionaire either. But that doesn't really matter. Because you can just be a regular person.

Cheap keeps on selling.

Cheap Keeps On Selling

Cheap keeps on selling. And all those cheap maids keep proving that you're hiring much more than just a housecleaner.

CITY OF NEWBURGH — City officers arrested a woman driving a stolen rental car three days after she swiped the keys from a home she was supposed to clean.

An officer spotted a car that matched the description earlier in the morning. When officers pulled it over, they found the cleaning lady, 45-year-old Terri Englehardt, behind the wheel and a passenger, 26-year-old Antonio L. Damon. Officers said they also found crack cocaine in Englehardt’s pocket.

Police took the two of them to police headquarters, where they asked Damon to empty his pockets. Damon, who lives in the Economy Inn on Route 9W, pulled out a plastic bag and quickly swallowed it, police said.

Hiring An Individual Cleaner Cost This Guy $250,000!!!

Jerry Azumah, a retired Chicago Bears player, is out more than $250,000 because he hired an unlicensed, individual housecleaner.

Click here for the full article.

But wait - there is a silver lining. According to this article, there is a chance that he'll be able to recover some of his money!

You don't think it can ever happen to you. Neither did Jerry Azumah.

Liar Liar - Pants On Fire!

Chris Hackett, a candidate for the U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, recently fired his maid because she informed his wife that she is an illegal immigrant. Hackett’s family hired her two years ago to clean his house about twice a month and paid her by check. The woman’s wage wasn’t reported to the Internal Revenue Service because it was a small enough that he didn’t have to, Hackett said. The woman was hired independently by the Hackett family.

Now get this - Hackett is the owner of a professional staffing agency. Which means that he knows the importance of background checks. And which also means that he knows the importance of payroll taxes.

He didn't perform either function. Because a simple background check would have identified her as an illegal immigrant. And if he would have paid payroll taxes, then she would have had to supply her social security card.

You know why he hired her. So does everyone else. She was cheap.

And she was cheap because she had no overhead. She didn't have to pay taxes of any kind - payroll, state or federal. And more than likely, she wasn't bonded or licensed either.

Cheap sells. Even when it's illegal. But sometimes cheap bites you on the butt.

Sorry Mr. Hackett- You Got Bit On The Butt!!

How Hiring An Individual Cleaner May Cost This Couple $120K

A woman who spent four years working as a live-in housekeeper and nanny for a couple filed suit in federal court against her former employers, charging that they violated labor laws by working her 14-hours a day, six days a week, without overtime pay or breaks.

In her suit, the woman charged that she was paid $1,000 to $1,300 a month to scrub bathrooms, wash windows, vacuum, mop and dust the 9,000-square foot home, cook, serve meals, hand wash china and silver, launder and iron clothes, and bathe, dress and supervise the couple's young daughter.

The suit asks for unpaid wages, liquidated damages and penalties amounting to nearly $120,000!

Click here for the full story. And check out the former housecleaner protesting her former employer in the picture on the right.

It can happen to you too. But it can only happen if you hire an unlicensed, individual housecleaner. Because hiring a housecleaner from a professional cleaning company means that your liability is over once your payment is received.

There's no doubt that this couple hired this woman because she only asked for $1,300 per month. Wonder how cheap she seems now?

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.

Cash Only Please

If you have ever hired a service company, then you have probably heard these words - CASH ONLY PLEASE!

And if you've ever wondered why your service company requested only cash, here's why.......

1. A service company requests cash because your money makes the transaction final. Forget getting your money back if you are not satisfied. Because your cash has no paper trail.

2. A service company requests cash because they don't want to pay taxes. They don't want to pay income taxes. They don't want to pay payroll taxes. And they don't want to pay sales taxes. Your cash makes the transaction invisible. Because your cash has no paper trail.

3. A service company requests cash because they don't have a checking account. They don't want a checking account because checking accounts are monitored by the IRS. A personal check would interrupt the entire process. Because your cash has no paper trail.

Of course, accepting cash is no big deal. But requesting cash is a tell-tale sign of a maid service company gone bad. They can provide you with a number of valid reasons. But the truth lies within one of these three reasons.

Then again, you might not care. You might not care that your maid is stealing from our government. You might not care that your maid is making sure that she gets paid no matter what. And you might not care that your 17 year old daughter has a checking account, but your maid doesn't!

You might not care at all. Good.

Your maid doesn't care either. Because your cash has no paper trail.

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.

The $100,000 Cheap Cleaning Company

A cleaning woman was arrested over the weekend after deputies say she was caught on tape stealing high-end equipment worth more than $100,000 from a Naples, Florida cell phone store. She was arrested Saturday after deputies pulled her over on a traffic stop for driving a red Toyota Celica with an expired tag. Deputies learned she does not have a valid driver’s license.

Deputies also learned that Kollar is in the United States on a Hungarian passport and should not be working while here. She was employed by Elite Cleaning Company.

You think that you've hired a professional cleaning company. And since you've hired a professional cleaning company, you think that its employees are all bonded and insured. And most importantly, you think that its employees are all legal. And crime free.

But you may not have hired a professional cleaning company. You may have just hired a person. And that person may have decided to give herself a professional sounding name.

That's how easy it is. You don't even need a business card. All you need is a name.

Please don't just hire the cheapest cleaning company. We know that cleaning is easy. We know that cleaning is mundane. But you're cheap cleaning company could cost you a lot more down the road. It's happened before - and it will happen again.

But it won't happen to you if you hire the right kind of cleaning company. And the first step in hiring the right kind of cleaning company is to follow these two laws:

1. Require that your cleaning company provide proof of insurance and bonding.

2. Require that your cleaning company prove to you that each of its employees are safe, secure and legal.

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