Carpet cleaning and Preparation of Home Before Sale
I hired Maid of All Work to clean my 800 square foot condo for sale and wash the carpets. I read reviews online and felt positive about the work they would do. Unfortunately the reviews didn't match the service I received. My spouse and I are incredibly clean and clutter free people, we wanted the jobs dealt with that we've ignored a little - wall washing, blind cleaning, appliance cleaning, base board cleaning, dusting of shelves etc. We only required walls to be washed in 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms as we had just painted the condo. Unfortunately many areas were missed (more were uncovered as I looked for them after the initial email complaint) and my oven bulb was broken (with glass left on the counter and the bottom of the bulb still left in the stove). My blinds don't look like they were ever touched (and that's the item I really wanted completed) At the time of complaint I didn't know the total hours of time spent and was told there would be a discount on my invoice. It was to my surprise that when I did receive the invoice only 1 hour was subtracted from 5 hours charged. How a 800 minimalist square foot condo take 5 hours to clean... I don't even know. My spouse and I (who are not professional cleaners) can strip the condo in 2 hours. If I knew the poor work was going to cost $200, I would have taken 4 hours off work to complete it properly myself.
While not a large deal, as I think the carpet cleaner did a good job. I asked to be called 30 minutes prior to the cleaning being done so I could meet Mike at the condo to get the key. Mike called me 30 minutes prior to completion, and I left work quickly (in Northern Toronto) to meet him. But when I showed up, he wasn't there and the key was placed under the flower box. I was not late (there was no traffic). It would have been appreciated if he had waited for me. As someone who has had a house broken into due to a key left under a mat, it's important for me to not have keys left around.
*EDITED TO RESPOND TO MAID OF ALL WORK*
I am disgusted to read your reply filled with incorrect information. The services HAVE been paid for via Interac transfer, in which I received a confirmation email from Debbie on August 16.
The condo had very been regularly cleaned, and it's an insult to hear otherwise. Baseboards & walls washed quarterly, lights dusted monthly, carpets steamed semi annually - we are a two professional with no kids that can keep up a very clean home.
Mike did NOT call upon arrival, he called "30 minutes" prior to being completed, I was home in less time than that. I will produce cellphone records if that is required. I furthermore NEVER left the key under the flower box - I dropped the key off at: 2258 Belmount Crt in Burlington and gave it to the home owner as instructed.
Thank you for responding and giving me further reason to never recommend your services to friends / family / coworkers.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $339.00
- What could this company do to improve their services?
- Train staff on what to look for.
- Any advice to offer fellow homeowners facing a similar project?
- Find another cleaning service, ask your realtor or friends for a suggestion.
- Company Response
Dear Sara,
We apologize for taking so long to respond to this review. We were at a loss, as you have not yet paid for the services, which we believe is against Homestars’ posting guidelines.
Sometimes when busy lives catch up with us, even the smallest of homes require significant time to restore the cleanliness back to a person’s standards. Getting a house ready for sale, when the home has not been regularly cleaned, can take double the time to clean, which was discussed with you on the phone. When you called to book the clean, we agreed on the number of hours based on the tasks you had listed. Some of the tasks that you have pointed out, for example, the insides of closets, you did not ask us to do. It is our policy to not open cupboards and closets unless specifically asked to, as maintaining our customers’ privacy is paramount.
Regarding the key left under the flower box, Mike called upon arrival but you did not return to the condo. He replaced the key where you had left it, believing you were comfortable leaving it there, and that you did not want to pay for his time waiting.
We appreciate that it’s a stressful time when you are busy with work demands while trying to sell your house, and we wish you all the best with the sale.