Tips on Hiring a Maid Service

Fast-paced lifestyles, hectic schedules and a lack of free time can lead one to consider hiring a maid service to handle critical house cleaning duties. But before picking up the phone to schedule an appointment, it is important to know whom you are letting into your home.

Bonding: Make sure the maid service is bonded for its house cleaning clientèle. Should a theft occur, you need to be protected. Some companies, if they are bonded at all, protect only themselves, not the consumer.

Insurance: Make sure the house cleaning company is insured. If a maid slips and falls while cleaning the shower, your homeowner's policy might not cover the incident. The maid service should have liability and employee accident coverage and should include your home, the housecleaner(s) and the company.

References: Make sure the maid service is reliable. How many years have they been in business? Ask for references and a work history. When calling references ask some key questions:

• How long have you used the house cleaning service?
• Have you ever needed to make a complaint? If so, how did the service handle resolving the issue?
• Would you enthusiastically recommend the maid service provider?

Employee screening and hiring: Ask the house cleaning company if employees' references are checked, if criminal background checks are administered, and if residence status is confirmed. Also find out if the workforce is comprised of employees or subcontractors. A maid service using subcontractors does not provide staff training and may not provide liability insurance. In addition, there may not be a standard of quality and unclear procedures for complaint resolution.

Cleaning products: Some independent housekeepers as well as some services expect you to supply all cleaning products. If products are included by the house cleaning company, find out what type of products will be used and if they contain harsh chemicals like bleach or ammonia. Be sure the products are safe for pets and kids.

If the maid service touts using "green" products or environmentally friendly products for house cleaning, understand what you are getting. Ask if the products are effective in cleaning and disinfecting pathogens like Staphylococcus (Staph.), Salmonella and E.coli If the maid service is "Green Certified," find out which certifying body certified the cleaning products and their certification process.

Some products, although certified "green" actually use standard chemicals at a lower ratio, literally watering down a chemical until it passes standards. This can be at the expense of the performance of the product. Other environmentally safe products contain bio-based ingredients that contain natural bacteria and enzymes, which are non-pathogenetic environmental isolates that imitate the way nature naturally cleans itself. These natural substances can be used in hard surface cleaners and degreasers to create a safe, effective cleaning solution.

Equipment: Check out what is included with your house cleaning. Some independent housekeepers as well as some services expect you to supply all cleaning equipment. If the maid service is supplying the equipment, find out the efficiency of the vacuum and the filtration system.

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.

Quality assurance: Find out the service's quality assurance procedures. How is the quality of service measured and verified to ensure quality of service is maintained? A maid service should have quality assurance procedures in place to be sure their house cleaning meets quality standards every clean. Ask if the maid service has managers who inspect every clean to be sure the quality of service is upheld.

Guarantee: Find out how the company handles complaints and make sure the service is backed by a written satisfaction guarantee. Know prior to the house cleaning the limitations of the guarantee and what steps consumers should take to execute the guarantee.

Taxes: Make sure you don't break any tax laws. If you pay a housekeeper or maid a certain amount per year, the federal law requires you to pay social security and other taxes on that person. However, some states may require you to withhold state taxes on payments smaller than $1,000. Most maid service companies withhold taxes for their employees, but check to make sure. If you pay a housekeeper or maid at least $1,200 per year, the federal law requires you to pay social security and other taxes on that person. For more information about household employee taxes, call the Internal Revenue Service.

Daniel J. Bishop is the president and CEO of The Maids International, Inc., a premier house cleaning service in the United States and Canada. Prior to founding The Maids in 1979, Bishop served as executive officer and president of the Building Services Contractors Association. Bishop is also a director of the World Federation of Building Service Contractors and is a Certified Building Service Executive. For more information about The Maids, please visit http://www.maids.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Daniel_Bishop

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Shop Easy With An Online Boutique

There were days when you had to rush to your nearest boutique to check out the latest spring collection. You certainly couldn't help it if the nearest boutique was 40 miles away from your home.

However, now there are easier and better options. If you have a computer and an internet connection, then you are going to save yourself a lot of money and effort and time.

All that you need to do is log on to an online boutique and shop away with a few simple clicks of your mouse.

An online boutique is a virtual counterpart of the boutique in the offline world. You can do everything from browse through the catalogue, add things to your shopping cart and even get it gift wrapped.

Buy everything

Most large brands today have an online boutique. Apart from that you also have boutiques that have several brands listed in one. In these boutiques you can shop for clothes, accessories, leather bags and even for designer wear.

For each item, there are detailed photographs and specifications listed. This makes it easy for you to find the right fit. You can search by color and even by size. Some online boutiques have also added a budget related search so that you can find items that suit your budget.

Get some great deals

Most online boutiques have frequent offers and discounts. You can find clearance sales and festive offers galore. If you do the right amount of hunting then you will definitely find an unbeatable price at an online boutique.

When you decide to shop online, make sure that the online boutique uses the best security features that protect you from hackers. The last thing that you do want is your identity to be stolen online.

For more info visit : Online Boutique Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rama_Krishna

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Used Honda Cars

Planning to buy a pre-owned Honda car? Perfect choice! Honda has gained lot of fame in a very short span of time is fast becoming everyone's favorite choice. And you have a wide range of models to choose from according to your budget and needs. Whether you want a sleek, fast model or a high end luxury car, you could get it from Honda.

If you want a comfortable, accommodating, sleek car, go in for the Honda Accord group. For years, this has been a family vehicle that's comfortable and cool! The Honda Civic is wonderful on gas saving and an excellent sub-compact vehicle with top-notch facilities. You'll find everything you've wanted in a dream car in this car. If you're looking for an SUV, try out the Honda CRV that boasts great all-round utility. Buy Honda Insight or Civic Hybrid if you're very particular about fuel efficiency. The Honda Legend is a well known luxury vehicle and loved by high end users. Honda's known for its durability and high quality; so when you plan to buy a used car, it does make sense to buy one from the Honda family.

Before buying your used Honda car, take it for test-drive to check the performance. Make sure you don't get odd sounds when you start the engine and hold. Check the body of the vehicle thoroughly to make sure there are no dents, difference in paint and scratches. If you can, take an experienced car mechanic with you when you test drive the used car. He'll be able to pinpoint problems if any. It's important not to judge a used car by its appearance alone.

Honda offers a wide range of additional comfort features such as leather seats, fog lights, gold finish grills and security systems that adds to the car's elegant look. If you want a good combination of fuel efficiency, performance, high-tech features, comfort and neat design, a Honda will be the ideal choice for you. Not everyone can afford to buy a new Honda car. Used cars of the Honda group are almost as good. Just make sure you buy from a reputable dealer and the car is in good condition.

The Internet's a good place to look for your used Honda car. You could buy from used car dealers or private car sellers who want to sell their car. Dealership agencies specializing in Honda cars offer a variety of additional benefits, insurance and guarantee. Though the price may be slightly high when you buy from dealers, you have benefit of a car history check that notifies you in case the car has been involved in an accident, flooding or any other problem.

Select from a diversified range of quality cars to get the one that best suits your budget and needs. You'll soon find that once you become a Honda owner, you'll not want to give other cars a second glance!

Looking for used Honda Cars? Find out more about used cars in Malaysia. Compare prices and get an idea of how much a used car would cost at carsales.com.my

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jamie_Hanson

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