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º Does Ultra Care Cleaning Services provide cleaning equipment and supplies?
º How many persons will clean my home?
º Do all Ultra Care Cleaning Services cleaners speak English?
º Will Ultra Care Cleaning Services always send the same persons?
º Can I use Ultra Care Cleaning Services occasionally (I already have a regular cleaner)?
º Should I be home when Ultra Care Cleaning Services cleans my home?
º How do I pay Ultra Care Cleaning Services?
º Is Ultra Care Cleaning Services a franchise?
º Does Ultra Care Cleaning Services carry liability insurance and bonding?
º What if I want something extra done?
º Is there any type of household cleaning services which Ultra Care Cleaning Services will not do for me?
º Every cleaning company says they are better, so what exactly is it that makes Ultra Care Cleaning Services different from other cleaning companies?
In terms of Price & Quality, how does Ultra Care Cleaning Services compare with other cleaning services ?
Ultra Care Cleaning Services generally charges more than private
housekeepers, because we pay worker's compensation, salary taxes, and
insurance. Homeowners benefit from these payments in a variety of ways, and are generally
happy to pay the 20% or so extra we charge to cover these benefits.
With
respect to the franchise cleaning companies, you should generally
expect to pay slightly more for our service. On a per hour basis, we
are very competitive with them because we spend more time in our clients'
homes and our prices reflect the additional time.
Our
quality beats every company in our service area, and most customers who have
chosen us to replace an individual cleaner experience a
significant upgrade in terms of quality, consistency and dependability.
In this respect our service represents good value.
How does Ultra Care Cleaning Services charge for its services?
Every
home is unique, so every home that we clean starts with an "In Home
Estimate". This estimate takes into account the personality of your
home - it's size, number of baths, flooring type, etc. We also take
into account your cleaning wishes. If you would like general cleaning
or only specific areas of your home cleaned, we can do that.
A custom Client Information Sheet is then prepared to specify what cleaning will be done in your home. Your home is cleaned on a fixed-fee basis.
Most
occasional or one time cleaning assignments are performed on the
basis of an hourly rate. One time cleaning rates are often quoted over the phone and can be
arranged at short notice.
Does Ultra Care Cleaning Services provide cleaning equipment and supplies?
We Use Our Own Vacuums
Most
homeowners have bad luck with loaning their vacuums to housekeepers,
because vacuums require significant ongoing maintenance and occasional
repairs. If you allow someone to use your vacuum regularly, then be
sure they have agreed to maintain / repair it, because sooner rather
than later, it will need it. We use and maintain our own vacuums
to make the cleaning experience more carefree for you.
We Provide Most Cleaning Supplies
We
are concerned about the effects of "strong" cleaning products on our
clients homes as well as our cleaners. The products we use are mild, easy on the environment, and
unscented.
Our cleaning supplies do not include products containing
ammonia, oil of any kind, bleach, or wax. They are
incredibly mild and can be used on fine fixtures and surfaces for years
without wear or damage.
Special Product Requests
There
are times when the cleaning needs of your home require special
cleaners. For instance, some showers will have a problem with mold
growth in the corners. If this happens, we will suggest that you
supply a bleach based tile cleaner to be used only where needed. This
will help keep your shower clean, and protect the rest of your home
from any "bleach" accidents.
Please Provide these Supplies
There
are several cleaning supplies which we do not provide: furniture polish
(please provide the brand / type suited to your furniture); any bathroom/shower cleaners that contain bleach (to deal with mold in showers); any
marble / granite or other cleaners which may have been recommended for
surfaces and materials unique to your home.
How many persons will clean my home?
We're
really flexible. We normally have two person teams, but we also have 3 and 4 person teams, based on the needs of our clients.
Do all Ultra Care Cleaning Services housekeepers speak English?
Yes, all of our team leaders and cleaners speak, read, and write English.
Will Ultra Care Cleaning Services always send the same persons?
Usually, yes. We have the lowest turnover in the city, because we pay more and because our employees like working for us.
Our
Team Leaders are paid better than bank tellers, and we seldom make
changes amongst them. However, given our size, it is not unusual for
someone to call in sick, and that can sometimes cause a ripple in our
schedule. Other times our schedule requires adjusting or tweaking to
accommodate our continuous growth.
If
this issue is really important to you, then you should arrange service
by one of our two-person teams. Any permanent shuffling within those
teams has generally only resulted from promotions.
Can I use Ultra Care Cleaning Services occasionally (I already have a regular housekeeper)?
Absolutely. Most such work is performed on an hourly basis (see Prices).
Try us once as a fill-in; you are likely to find that we are incredibly
thorough compared to your existing housekeeper and then you might then
be tempted to book our service quarterly for a top to bottom thorough
cleaning to complement the service of your existing housekeeper.
The
following list of standard cleaning tasks represents a starting point
for determining those things which may be included in your assignment.
We perform all of these tasks each visit for most of our clients.
- Vacuum thoroughly (including edges and hardwood and tiled floors)
- Hand wash floors and clean baseboards
- Dust thoroughly entire home.
- Clean entry-way windows and doors
- Wash all doorknobs and light switches
- Make beds / change linens and towels
- Thoroughly clean, shine and disinfect bathroom.
- Thoroughly clean and disinfect kitchen.
- Pick up and straighten throughout house
- Empty trash containers
- Sweep front and rear porch / patio
Should I be home when Ultra Care Cleaning Services cleans my home?
"Sure, why not?" and "No need, really."
We
really don't care one way or another. Some people like to pop up some
corn, and sit back and watch the show. Others are disturbed by the
flurry of activity, or are really kind of busy doing other things.
We
often encourage customers to meet the team during the initial
assignment, for their own benefit, to gain confidence about the quality
of our housekeepers. Meet them, ask them to clean something a little
differently, and receive a polite, "Of course, with a smile." They
really are quite different from your previous housekeepers, and we are
confident that meeting them will reinforce that impression for you.
How do I pay Ultra Care Cleaning Services?
Most customers leave a check on the counter. Some customers like to pay for the month in one check. Either way, payment at the time of service, or in advance, is required.
Is Ultra Care Cleaning Services a franchise?
No,
we are a local company. Besides their minimum insurance
standards, which we meet, we set our own service standards and can
provide any services we choose wherever we wish.
Does Ultra Care Cleaning Services carry liability insurance and bonding?
We carry loads of insurance and all our employees are bonded. Ultra Care Cleaning Services is insured through Allied Insurance Company. Insurance
confirmation is available upon request. We carry the following coverage
amounts:
- Liability - $500,000 coverage per incident.
- Fidelity Bonding - $100,000 per occurrence.
We are also specially insured for auto transfers. And of course, we pay worker's compensation insurance.
What if I want something extra done?
Then
we'll do it. We do extra stuff all day long. We do not have set things
which are excluded from every assignment.
If
it is a really time-consuming something extra, and you are paying a
fixed fee, then we'll charge you for it, and we ask that you arrange it
in advance when possible.
Is there any type of household cleaning services which Ultra Care Cleaning Services will not do for me?
Yes.
We don't take spots out of carpets and upholstery because we are not
trained to, and we don't like to clean windows while on ladders,
because it is not good for our worker's compensation rates.
Everyone says they are better, so what exactly is it that makes Ultra Care Cleaning Services different from other companies?
- We
pay our housekeepers more. Other companies pay 28% to 40% of revenue to
the cleaners. For us 46% of revenue goes directly to gross pay. Our
margins are tighter, but we know that satisfied cleaners results in satisfied customers - our main objective!
- We
have some really effective training methods. Forget about the
films and lectures - these are more of the "you can run, but you can't
hide" variety.
- We
are more selective about who we hire.
We don't just hire "warm bodies" to put in the field. We select
applicants that are willing to work, can work as a team, and take pride
in their work.
- Team
Leaders continuously evaluate their cleaners. And we continuously choose the best performers for
advancement, and counsel any underachievers incessantly.
- We
care, and believe in continuous improvement. We are better this week
than we were last week, and last week we were really good. It sounds
kind of simple, but in fact it really is our sustainable competitive
advantage. The best way to check us out is to book a Trial Cleaning, or
ask us for an In-Home Price Quote, and we'll explain in detail
how we will clean your home.
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