TwoMaids Blog

On The Most Recent Nonsense.....

2008-12-03T07:36:00.006-06:00

The recent turmoil centered around an unhappy customer has created quite a bit of interest. Just scroll down to the next post and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Throughout the saga, there's been lots of name calling. Trash talking. And even some rude and character defaming comments. It ends now.

Two Maids & A Mop was contracted to perform a deep cleaning for one customer. The hourly charge was $75 per hour for a team of two maids. The fact is that we needed more time to completely finish our job. Yes, there's a chance that we made mistakes. Yes, there's a chance that we fast forwarded through some areas. And yes, there's a chance that - given time - we would have produced a sparkling, clean home. But nobody can concretely say yes or no to anything at this point.

That's why we refunded the customer $324. That's why we were willing to lose money on this job. That's why we apologized privately and publicly. And that's why changed our procedures so that this saga never gets repeated.

We've begged for forgiveness and yet - our business continues to get trapped in the line of fire. Please stop the nonsense and move on.

The smart thing to do would be to eliminate any history of this mess. But the professional thing to do is to address the issue. Our customers know that we're not perfect. And our customers also know that we care more about our reputation than a silly dollar.

At the end of the day, we feel comfortable knowing that we've done the right thing. We refunded 60% of the customer's money (at the customer's request mind you - and yes, I know I negotiated for $25 more dollars). We apologized countless times. We accepted responsibility. We learned from our mistakes. And we've never once lowered our ourselves to the point of name calling or character defamation.

We're all human. Let's all now start acting a little more humane. Please.

The REALLY Unhappy Customer

2008-12-01T11:22:00.004-06:00

Two Maids & A Mop has finally done it. We've made one person EXTREMELY upset. Take a look at this blog and you'll see how unhappy she is......

What Happened:
1. For a deep cleaning, we charge $75 per hour for a team of two maids. We typically provide a rough time estimation for the deep cleaning and that estimate is correct 90% of the time. We make every attempt to tell the prospective customer that we don't know for sure how long the cleaning will take - after all, we're just talking over the phone. But history usually serves as the best example - so we use historical examples of similar sized homes as our guide. We're correct about 90% of the time; which means that we're wrong 10% of the time. That's why we strongly suggest that the time estimation is just that - an estimation based on our best guess.

In this case, we needed two days. Yet, we stopped after just seven hours because the work day had ended. However, we were more than willing to arrive the next morning to continue our work. Unfortunately, we weren't called by the customer until 9 AM the next morning (the day before Thanksgiving). That left us in a bind because all of our employees time had been allocated for the day. In addition, the problem was compounded by the holiday because we were not open Thursday or Friday.

2. The fact is that our deep cleanings are SLOW. They should be slow and we will not ever change the pace of our deep cleanings. The very definition of a deep cleaning infers the pace of the cleaning.

3. This cleaning cost a lot of money to the customer. No doubt about it. In fact, it may be the most costly cleaning ever since our inception. When I heard about the cost, I was immediately concerned because I knew that someone had just paid a ton of money and their house was still not completely cleaned. The perfect recipe for disaster.

What Should Have Happened:
1. Once we saw the mountain that we had to climb, we should have informed the customer that we were going to require at least two days of cleaning. That was our fault and we accept responsibility.

2. We should have responded to this customer's complaints well before today. We can blame the holiday, but the real blame lies with me. I should have checked into our email system periodically over the break just to make sure that everything was ok. It wasn't.

3. We should have been open and honest with the customer about the cost implications and the time requirements. We can defend our time quote, but once inside - we should have alerted the customer to the possibility of an extremely expensive cleaning.

What We Have Learned:
1. We will no longer charge by the hour for a deep cleaning. Too many people think we're working to simply inflate our price. Too many people think our pace of cleaning is slow. And too many people just sit there calculating the final total. This isn't the first time and it won't be the last - so from this point forward - we're going to charge flat rates based on the number people living inside the home and the home's total square footage. This should alleviate this problem forever.

2. We need to check our email during holiday breaks.

What We Will Do To Make This Customer Happy:
1. We'll do whatever she wants us to do. It's a hard lesson, but we're willing to learn from our mistakes. We've never claimed to be perfect and we'll probably make another mistake just as serious as this one down the road. But for now, we've learned our lesson. And we'll pay for it.

This won't happen ever again. The formula for this type of disaster is now dead.

P.S. There's a reason our customers selected us for this award. And this one too.

Testimonial From Gulf Breeze

2008-11-26T08:15:00.002-06:00

"I cannot say enough great things about the ladies. They continually go above and beyond my expectations. They even clean the cat dishes and make the baby's crib up! As a single parent with a husband in Afghanistan their little touches make such a difference.

Keep up the great service!"

Kimberly from Gulf Breeze, FL

Cleaning Up By Cleaning Out

2008-11-21T10:08:00.006-06:00

STUART, FL -- Laura Scoggins had a long criminal history, but people left her alone in their homes. Detectives say Scoggins took advantage of the freedom, going through jewelry boxes and stealing valuables.

Scoggins is a former employee of a cleaning service and is charged with taking items from the homes of clients and her employer while performing cleaning services.

Scoggins served time in prison for drug and theft charges before this latest crime spree.

And there you have it. A housecleaner with a drug and theft conviction. Which means that you have a housecleaner that is not bonded. Which also means that nobody is getting any type of monetary retribution more than likely.

When you hire a professional housecleaning company, demand that your cleaning company prove to you that each and every employee is bonded. Because you can't be bonded if you've been convicted of theft.

There's a reason you don't let strangers into your home at night. Why should it be any different during the day?

Two Maids & A Mop Radio Commercial

2008-11-18T10:45:00.004-06:00

The Two Maids & A Mop Radio Commercial

Airing in Fort Walton Beach, Panama City and Pensacola (all the stations to the right)......

P.S. If you didn't click the link, you are missing one heck of a deal. Two Maids & A Mop is offering $100 gift cards at rock bottom prices of only $50!!!

For only $50, you can receive a $100 TwoMaids gift card - a 50% savings!!!

You can purchase the gift cards at this website. (The Two Maids & A Mop link will not be ready until Thursday, November 20th)

Green Cleaning Your Home

2008-11-17T11:30:00.001-06:00

Even Government Doesn't Get It

2008-11-14T14:35:00.001-06:00

Even government doesn't get it.....

"The council also approved the low bid of $7,800 from DK Cleaning Services from Conyers, as a cleaning service for City Hall. This bid was approved over three others of $17,400, $20,820, and $31,906."

Wait until next years budget meeting.

Pro's & Con's Of Hiring An Individual Maid

2008-11-12T09:20:00.006-06:00

The Pro's
- CHEAP. The most obvious benefit to hiring an individual maid is the low rate. Individual maids are cheap. In some cases, very cheap.

- SAME PERSON. Some people prefer seeing the same cleaning person each visit. An individual maid is only one person, so you should be able to receive the same cleaning person each time.

- QUALITY. There's a chance that you may hire the world's most ambitious housecleaner. She's not cleaning for money. Nope, she's cleaning because she loves cleaning. Believe it or not, it happens. And when it happens, there's no cleaning company on earth that can compete against it.

- CHEAP. The low cleaning rate of an individual maid needs to be mentioned twice because that's the biggest reason for hiring an individual maid.

The Con's
- CHEAP. That low rate offered by an individual maid may look cheap on the surface but you're missing one big point. What if she quits? What if she's late? What if is she breaks something? What if she hurts herself? What if you owe additional payroll taxes? And what if she steals from you?

The answer to each question is that the cheap rate will suddenly become real expensive. When she quits, you have to hire someone else - your time is money. Same goes for late arrivals - who wants to sit around all morning waiting on a maid to show up? The rest of the questions are obvious. But we've provided a few real-world examples for illustration.

What if she breaks something?
What if she hurts herself?
What if you owe additional payroll taxes?
What if she steals from you?

- QUALITY. There's a chance that you have hired the world's best cleaner. But there's also a chance that you have simply hired an out-of-work person that needs some quick cash. And starting a housecleaning business is one of the easiest ways to make some quick cash. The question you need to ask yourself is this.... Are you a customer, or are you a side job? Because side jobs don't get the same attention as customers. When you hire a professional cleaning company, you're a customer. We think housecleaning from 8 AM - 5 PM Monday-Friday. Housecleaning is our focus and that should be a big deal to you.

- FLEXIBILITY. You can cancel at the last minute and we won't care. You can rearrange your cleaning schedule at the last minute and we won't care. You can even schedule a cleaning 12 months in advance and we'll guarantee that we'll be there - and on time! We don't get too sick to work. We don't get pregnant and quit work. We don't move out of town. And we don't sleep too late every now and then. We show up when you tell us to show up. Something even the best individual maid can't promise.

- CUSTOMER SERVICE. To sum it up best, professional cleaning companies treat their customers better than individual maids. Plain and simple - no doubt about it. And the reason that professional cleaning companies treat you better is because our entire day is centered around serving your needs. We don't use notebooks to schedule your housecleaning. We don't use your supplies to clean your house. And we don't take a day off and ask to reschedule your housecleaning. We clean houses and nothing else. And that's great to hear if you're wanting to hire a housecleaning company.

The Formula For Theft

2008-11-10T10:41:00.003-06:00

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

How An Individual Maid Gets Away With A Crime

2008-11-05T10:12:00.004-06:00

It's really simple. An individual maid gets away with theft because you let her get away with it. No, I'm not referring to actual theft from your home. I'm referring to theft from our government.

Here's how Two Maids & A Mop is collecting money from you and giving it to our government:

Payroll Taxes - Each dollar that TwoMaids pays in wages is taxed. Two Maids & A Mop pays a percentage of that tax and the employee pays of percentage of that tax. This tax funds things such as medicare and education.
Social Security - Each dollar that TwoMaids pays in wages is sent to the Social Security Fund. Two Maids & A Mop pays a percentage of that tax and the employee pays of percentage of that tax. This tax funds your retirement.
Sales Taxes - Revenue generated from commercial cleaning (offices) is taxed by at least 6%. This tax funds local projects such as road construction and fire departments.
Federal Income Taxes - Any and all profits generated by Two Maids & A Mop is taxed accordingly. This tax funds anything and everything - from military expenses to government bailouts.

Here's how an individual maid is collecting money from you and giving it to our government:

Payroll Taxes - Zero.
Social Security - Zero.
Sales Taxes - Zero
Federal Income Taxes - Zero.

Obviously, it's not fair. But that's not the point. The point is that our government relies on its people for survival. Roads aren't built for free. And your social security check has to be funded by someone.

This much is true. If you are hiring an individual maid, then you are committing a crime. So is your individual maid. You probably don't care - especially if that means incredible savings.

You voted yesterday because that's your civil service. It doesn't end at the booth. Either hire a professional cleaning company or demand that your individual maid stop involving you in a crime.

Just because your theft is anonymous doesn't mean that you aren't taking money out of someone else's pocket.

Customer Testimonial From Niceville

2008-11-03T11:26:00.002-06:00

"Thank you for the wonderful service your team did for me. I am beyond impressed at the level of cleanliness. The dust was gone - above the door ways, fireplace, banister, everywhere!!

They changed the sheets and put the clean ones on the beds. We have used services in the past, and they can not even compare to the work done by you all. Thank you for a wonderful clean house and I will be spreading the word on what a great company you are. Thank you!"

Martha from Niceville, FL

Scary Stories About Your Maid

2008-10-30T07:27:00.002-05:00

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!!

Best Maid Service In Panama City

2008-10-23T14:23:00.004-05:00

Two Maids & A Mop was recently crowned Best Cleaning Service in Pensacola by the local daily newspaper.

And it looks like an independent website has also crowned Two Maids & A Mop as the Best Maid Service in Panama City!!!

Winning sure does feel good.....

Individual Housecleaner Steals - Again

2008-10-23T08:54:00.003-05:00

"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.

Understanding The Risks Of Hiring An Individual Maid

2008-10-21T10:30:00.003-05:00

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you've seen all the news headlines about the sinking economy. The stock market is plummeting. Real estate has already plummeted. And most importantly, your pocketbook is a lot lighter.

The obvious way to combat a sinking economy is to cut back your expenses. And one of the most popular expenses to cut is your maid service. At least according to the experts.

The consensus from the experts suggest that you switch from the professional housecleaner to an individual housecleaner. After all, it's just housecleaning. Anybody can do it. So why not save some money and still get the same result - a clean house and a fatter wallet?

Now, the experts may be very knowledgeable in personal finances. But they're far from experts in residential cleaning. Because an individual housecleaner may do the exact opposite to your pocketbook. Just ask these folks if they believe that an individual housecleaner is the same thing as a professional housecleaner. Or just ask David Beckham about his thoughts on hiring an individual maid.

Saving money is important. But the risk far outweighs the benefit when you hire an individual housecleaner.

Customer Feedback

2008-10-17T10:24:00.010-05:00

Some recent feedback from a very loyal customer....

"I give you a perfect 10!! I looked hard but I can't find one single thing to complain about. You guys are great. I told my neighbor about your pay for performance plan and she loved it too. Thank you for the help again!"

- Sara Croyle of Destin, FL

Caught Stealing, But Still Cleaning

2008-10-15T08:19:00.006-05:00

DAYTON, OH — A woman who stole money from athletic boosters and the youth wrestling association was sentenced to probation, not to exceed five years.

The woman was ordered by Judge Timothy O'Connell to pay $2,864 in restitution to the boosters and $2,463 to the wrestling association. Both sanctions included a payment plan of $50 per month.

The woman, who listed her occupation as a self-employed housecleaner on a police arrest report, declined to speak before the sentencing.

Probation means no jail time. And unfortunately, self-employed housecleaner means that she can get a new maid service customer pretty easily by just offering a low rate. Of course, that would never happen to you - right?

This lady would never be hired a professional maid service company because she wouldn't pass a nationwide criminal background search. But she can be hired by you tomorrow - all because you think that there is no difference between housecleaning and professional housecleaning.

The first step in getting hired by Two Maids & A Mop is to pass a nationwide criminal background search. What's your first step in hiring a housecleaner?

Fight The Flu With Simple Cleaning Techniques

2008-10-13T11:49:00.002-05:00

They're back, perhaps sooner than you realized. If you don't do something about them now they may stick around for quite some time.

No, they're not a carload of impromptu guests who view your home as their on-the-cheap getaway. They're influenza and friends, the viral vixens that sneak into your home and lounge around while spreading their gunk and funk to you and your family.

Like unwelcome guests, getting rid of them can be quite a chore. That's why health care and home industry professionals say it's best to stop them in their tracks before they invade and gear up now for the certainty that they will be knocking on your door soon.

Here are some tips for keeping germs at bay in the home:

- Wear gloves when cleaning. Germs lurk even when illness isn't present, Carter said. "There are some things you should never touch," she said. "That's why we always wear gloves."

- Wear a mask to protect yourself against airborne germs and viruses.

- Wash hands frequently. "Germs aren't just on toilets," she said. "You can pick up the flu virus by touching a doorknob if it's on there."

- Avoid touching your eyes while cleaning. This helps to not only prevent the spread of viruses, but safeguards your eyes against the effects of strong chemicals or cleaners.

- Turn on bathroom vents and open windows (weather permitting) to allow for better air circulation.

- Change your vacuum bag after extended periods of illness. "It's a good idea to get that out of the house because those germs are in the dirt and they're in the bag," said Dave Segan, owner of Vacuum World in Waynesboro. "It may not solve the problem of the germs that are still in the air and you may still get the flu, but at least by getting that old bag out of the house you've got fewer germs to deal with."

- When humidity levels are low, as they often are in winter, viruses and bacteria can spread more easily and nasal passages can't filter as effectively, increasing illness, notes Abby Buford, a spokeswoman for Lowe's. Installing HEPA filters throughout the home can help confine airborne allergens including household dust, mold and pet dander.

- Help fight the growth of bacteria and mold in the home by using a humidifier designed to guard against germs.

- Houseplants such as ficus, palms and anthriums will help purify the air indoors naturally while making your home look nicer.

Click here for the full article.

The Rags We Use

2008-10-10T08:16:00.003-05:00

The "rags" we use to clean your home are more accurately defined as microfiber cleaning cloths.

Here's a great article that tells you everything you ever wanted to know about the cloths. In a nutshell, they are miracle cloths.

Here's another article on how microfiber works a lot better than the traditional cotton cloths.

On Diversification In A Down Economy.....

2008-10-08T09:57:00.004-05:00

The rule of thumb in a down economy is to diversify in order to survive. The thought is that with less work comes less money. So the obvious strategy is to increase your service offerings (aka diversify). Here's a recent press release from Florida.....

"BOCA RATON, FL -- Mamashana Services, Inc. announced that they will do even more for their customers than clean, including running errands and painting the interior of their houses since many people are having to work longer to make ends meet."

Nothing against this cleaning company, but they're wrong. The last thing you want to do is diversify in a down economy. The first thing you should do is strengthen your focus on your primary means of business.

There's a reason Ruth Chris is the best at serving steaks. And there's a reason Burger King is far from the best at serving hamburgers. Ruth Chris sells steaks. Great steaks - everyday. Burger King sells hamburgers... and chicken.... and fish...... and salads..... even breakfast. None of those menu items are overwhelming.

Diversification may be a great thing in the stock market. But it's a marketer's worst nightmare. The very definition of diversification explains the problem. It's defined as spreading the risk so that you can avoid major loss.

Spreading the risks means providing equal investment in each of your service offerings. And Burger King has already proven that you can't be good at everything. But you can be great at one thing.

So that's what Two Maids & A Mop is doing. We're not diversifying at all. We're not painting walls. We're not washing cars. We're not even cleaning your carpets like so many other cleaning companies.

We're cleaning your house. Everyday - we have only one goal. To be the most professional housecleaning company in the world. And that's a whole lot easier than being diversified.

Two Maids & A Mop Voted "Best In Pensacola Bay"

2008-10-02T14:02:00.002-05:00

Two Maids & A Mop has been selected as the best cleaning service in the Pensacola area.

Technically, we came up just a little bit short in the voting for "Best Home Improvement Company". But the results show that we are the only cleaning company or maid service in the top three. In addition, we lost to a giant - Lowe's Corporation!!!

There was no poll surveying people's opinion on best maid service, so the fact that we got any votes in "Best Home Improvement" says a lot about the devotion our customer base has with our business.

Here we are - just a little, tiny cleaning company just trying to make a few customers happy. Little did we know that so many people were paying attention. Thank you to all that voted for Two Maids & A Mop. It's truly an honor....

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in Pensacola

2008-10-01T11:35:00.002-05:00

The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 500,000 Americans will die as a result of cancer this year. Today is your day to save one of those lives.

All it takes is one mammogram. One mammogram could keep a family of four together. One mammogram could enable a newborn baby to know her mother 18 years later. One mammogram could save a life!

A mammogram is the most effective means of detecting breast cancer. Like most cancers, the earlier you detect the disease - the better your chances of surviving.

But a mammogram isn't cheap. In some cases, the test can cost nearly $300. To make it worse, most health insurance companies don't cover mammograms. And with today's skyrocketing gas prices and rising food costs, you can bet that a mother sometimes has to make a difficult decision between a preventive test or next week's rent payment.

The American Cancer Society does many great things that benefit cancer victims. One of those benefits includes free mammograms. Of course, the ACS can't provide free mammograms for everyone because the cost is just too high. So the ACS has to turn away many women that desperately require this service.

Together, we can make one less woman get turned away. Together, we can save one person's life.

On October 25th, Two Maids & A Mop is participating in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in Pensacola. The walk is a charity event designed to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

If we reach our goal of $300, one more woman will receive a free mammogram. And ultimately, one more life may be saved.

We have signed up to walk and hope you will join us in our effort by signing up to join our team or making a donation in support of our participation. Hope starts with us. And it ends with you.

Click Here To Support Our Cause

Saturday Night Live??

2008-09-29T10:48:00.004-05:00

Is this real, or is this a comedy sketch???? Nope, it's real and it happens everyday. But never to you, right?

LAFAYETTE, GA -- A man said a woman who was hired to clean his home stole his van.

According to the sheriff’s department reports:

On Sept. 5, between 6 and 7 PM, the woman came to the man’s residence and asked if she could clean his house for money. She said her electricity had been turned off and she needed money to turn it back on. The man told her that she could clean the kitchen and - if she got hungry - could fix herself something to eat.

The man fell asleep and when he awoke, he found the woman had left and taken $12 and his blue 1992 Chevy Astro van.

TwoMaids on MySpace

2008-09-25T10:44:00.003-05:00

Cristi, our Training Manager in Fort Walton Beach, is one awesome member of Two Maids & A Mop. Not only does she perform her job without any problems - but she also goes above and beyond on a regular basis.

Her most recent initiative was to introduce TwoMaids into the social networking world of MySpace.

Check out our MySpace page!!

Thank you Cristi! You are a very special employee. Good things are in front of you!!!!!

Also, check out a few of our employees hanging outside our office in Fort Walton Beach.

P.S. Cristi is on the far right.....

Say Hello To Panama City

2008-09-24T10:40:00.001-05:00