- Introduction
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We are looking for residential cleaning pros with paid experience to join our growing team as we expand our business. We currently service NYC, northern NJ, and western part of CT however we are seeking to further expand into other US markets.
If you wish to become part of a growing business, with the freedom of working for yourself, then we will help show you the way.
- What do you look for?
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As with any business, it’s necessary to have the right attitude, the right work ethic, determination, and belief – not only in yourself but in what you do. There is no place for mediocrity, we only look for people who want to excel at cleaning, like what they do, and fundamentally believe they have something to offer to those who are paying for a quality service.
- Are customers okay with regular cleaning products or do they want Eco-friendly ones?
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While many customers are okay with regular cleaning products we have built ourselves a reputation for using Eco-friendly (“Green”) cleaning products that are bio-degradable, good for the environment, and good for us and our customers to breathe.
- What is my relationship with Maid EZ?
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Let me first tell you what you are not – you are not going to become an employee, but rather an independent contractor. What’s the difference you may ask: An employee works for someone else, has their taxes deducted along with social security, FICA deductions and pay to them is after all these deductions and the net pay is what is received. An independent contractor is paid on a project basis and is responsible for taxes paid to the government on an annualized basis. Working this way, you have the potential to earn more pay, and having your own business allows you to deduct business-related expenses whereby over the course of the year you can make more money than if you work as an employee. For example, all your travel expenses, car-payments/gas/insurance, cleaning equipment and supplies, laundry for your cleaning clothes and wash cloths are ALL tax-deductible so keep your receipts and be organized.
An increased number of companies are working this way since it is more beneficial for them and it’s more beneficial to each team member. It’s the smart way for people to work. The IRS processes millions of 1099’s each year, that’s how many people work for themselves in mostly home-based businesses.
- What do I need to have?
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If you live in New Jersey or Connecticut, or looking to work in New Jersey (across NY state line on the west side of the Hudson) then you are more likely to have your own car, cleaning equipment and cleaning supplies. You need to have the necessary tools of the trade to provide service. If you call an electrician or a plumber to your home do you expect them to bring what they need to do the job, of course; well, it’s the same thing for our customers.
If you live in New York City and are seeking to work there then you need to have at least a “Mobile” set of cleaning equipment and products since you will most likely be using public transportation to get around.
You can’t assume when arriving at an assignment that the customer is going to have everything needed to do the job. If they do, then that’s great but you need to go prepared in case they don’t – there’s nothing worse than showing up to provide a service only to realize that you can’t because you’re not prepared. You will have a better idea for recurring service with the same customers what you should take. It’s common sense but remember if you show up for a cleaning assignment and can’t provide the service then you don’t get paid, so be prepared!
- What cleaning equipment and supplies should I have?
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Our application form indicates a variety of cleaning equipment and products that we recommend. Our decision to offer you cleaning assignments is not only based on your level of experience, and eligibility, but also what cleaning equipment and products you have and whether, in our judgment, you have what is needed to accept our cleaning assignments.
While it is not necessary for you to have everything, everyone needs to have the basics, items that we feel are important are indicated as “Recommended Item” on our application form. More and more consumers opt for Eco-friendly (green) supplies. Bear in mind, these items are not only those we recommend but are also items our customers are looking at that influence their decision in booking our service.
Most items can be purchased at Target which has a terrific selection of cleaning equipment, tools, and cleaning supplies.
As an independent contractor, it is in your best interests to invest in having a well-rounded selection of cleaning equipment and supplies. Not only will customers look upon you more favorably but also us as a cleaning company that is offering our assignments to you for servicing.
- What happens if I don’t have the above items?
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If you are experienced with Eco-friendly cleaning products then you will already have them; if you’re not then it’s a learning curve. Once you have them you will see the difference and there will be no going back. Many of our other Pros that are starting with us will buy them progressively over a period of time. Making an investment in these products is not only wise but it will be appreciated and noticed by our customers whose homes you clean. It may influence them to give you a larger tip.
As a cleaning company with a reputation for using Eco-friendly cleaning products the decision making process we go through in determining who to offer our assignments to is influenced by what cleaning equipment and cleaning products our Pros have in their possession, as well as their cleaning experience. You have already been asked to send in a group photo of your cleaning equipment and products evidencing that you have what you claim to have. We are very experienced and are only interested in like-minded cleaning professionals who are compatible with our vision.
- How am I advised of each cleaning assignment?
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Currently, each cleaning assignment is assigned manually via SMS. We are looking to automate this process and will keep you updated with our progress.
- How are the assignment details communicated to me?
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To begin with you will be sent a text message that looks like:
“Can you do a 3.5 labor-hours assignment tomorrow in Manhattan at 9 AM? 200 West 57th Street”If you reply yes and the assignment is given to you (this might depend on how quickly you respond because if you are slow to respond it may be taken by another of our cleaning professionals) then the format of the assignment looks like: “Monday, 11/12 @ 9 AM. Name: John Smith. 200 West 57th Street, apt # 5A, Manhattan. Someone is home. 1/1/Deep Clean 3.5 labor-hours @ $xx = $xx + Tip $xx (if customer includes on order) = $xxx.
Floor mop: Yes
Floor mop item: Rubbermaid
Vacuum: No
Step stool: Yes
Toilet brush: No
Heavy-duty bathroom cleaner: No
Paper towels: No
Kitchen trash bags: Yes
Is this a moving clean: No
Carpet: No
Area Rugs: Yes
Wooden Floor: Yes
Other: Tile
Is this a moving clean? No”The designation of 1/1/Deep means 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom home with Deep Clean service. This does NOT mean you only clean the bedroom and bathroom, it’s how we designate the size of the home – you clean the whole home including the living areas and kitchen, except for the basement unless it is part of the customer’s order. Many customers will select from our optional add-ons like “clean inside oven” etc. Our details to you will advise you of the specifications of each assignment and whether any add-ons are included. The estimated amount of labor-hours increases as add-ons are selected. The listing of items that follows with Yes or No responses indicates whether the customer is in possession of these mentioned items, “Vacuum: No” doesn’t mean you don’t vacuum, it means the customer doesn’t have a vacuum therefore it is necessary for you to take one with you.
We are working to provide you with full details via a link and email as we move toward a more integrated platform.
If you can’t do the assignment on the advised day and time, but you can do the same day at a different time, or another day e.g. next day at the same time then let us know. We may be able to change the schedule with the customer – most customers have some flexibility. It’s best not to assume but to ask, there is no harm in asking is there!
- What is a labor-hour?
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A labor-hour is the amount of time a cleaning assignment will take one person to clean. So a 4 labor-hour assignment will take 1 person 4 hours. If there are 2 service professionals working together then they will each work 2 hours that makes up the 4 labor-hours.
- Will I work by myself or together with someone else?
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If you have a cleaning buddy you work with then that’s great as this means you will be offered larger size homes, and/or more assignments. It is also perfectly fine to work by yourself however you will be restricted mostly to 4-6 labor-hour assignments.
- What if I have a friend or colleague who should like to work with me?
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Let them complete our Application Form and if it looks like they have the experience and the necessary tools of the trade (or can share with you) then we can consider offering you both a greater number of cleaning assignments as well as those with a larger number of hours.
- What if a customer asks me to provide an add-on service such as an inside oven/fridge clean?
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If a customer has requested any of our add-on services then it will be included in our specifications to you and will appear like: “Monday, 11/12 @ 9 AM. Name: John Smith. 200 West 57th Street, apt # 5A, Manhattan. Someone is home. 1/1/Deep + clean inside refrigerator, + clean inside oven 4.5 labor-hours”. If it’s not part of our communication to you then it has not been ordered and the customer may be seeking to take advantage of you, and us. We only pay you for specifications as per each placed order. If a customer wants additional services then they must let us know so we can revise the assignment specifications thus increasing the number of labor-hours that we pay you for, and give you approval to provide the ordered service.
Having a direct paid relationship with our customers is not permitted, if it takes place and we find out then we will not offer you any future assignments – honesty is an integral part of our working relationship.
- What if the home is very dirty and cannot be cleaned to our high standards within the allocated time?
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All cleaning assignments are different, size of homes vary, as well as their cleaning condition. While we try to capture as much information as possible from each customer when they place their order, it’s down to how truthful and accurate their reported information is. It is common sense for our Pros upon arrival to look around the home and determine its overall cleaning condition based upon their experience. Usually this is done together with the customer who may share certain preferences. If a home is outlandishly dirty and in your professional opinion cannot be cleaned to high standards within the allocated number of labor-hours then send us a text message and advise condition, perhaps send some photos, and advise how many additional labor-hours will be needed. We will then communicate with the customer who will decide whether to expand the assignment or whether they want you to clean as well as you can within the designated period of time and in accordance with areas of greatest importance to them. It’s important to have good communication so the customer is ultimately satisfied with the cleaning service.
In such situations, most of our more experienced Pros will take before and after photos so that, if necessary, they can be shared with the customer.
- Can I also work for other cleaning companies while accepting Maid EZ Assignments?
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As an independent contractor, you can do whatever you want. We encourage you to work for other cleaning companies, to have some of your own direct customers (just not those that place orders with us since that would be a conflict of interest and dishonest). Naturally it is hoped that as you progress that you will want to take on as many of our assignments as possible and increase your earning potential.
- Will I receive customer tips (gratuities)?
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It is always at the customer’s discretion whether to give you a tip. Some do, some don’t. In our experience and based on the value of the assignment itself, a customary gratuity ranges from $10-40 – this is your money to keep. Never ask a customer to tip you, it is unprofessional and bad manners and it will likely result in the customer not wanting you back and possibly giving you a bad review.
- Customer Property – Damages
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Our more experienced Pros know that if anything is accidentally broken, it is best to notify us immediately so that we can reach out to the customer. It is best to let the customer know, and not to hide it from them out of fear, most are more understanding when such matters are brought to their attention, and less sympathetic when trying to pretend such breakages did not occur.
- Customer Personal Belongings
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In selecting us for cleaning service, our customers are opening their homes, and exposing their family members, pets, and all their personal belongings to you. These personal belongings are THEIRS, in as much as this may be considered by some to be a taboo subject, we need to state very clearly that any customer property (including but not limited to jewelry, cash, other items of value, food) are NOT to be removed from customer premises unless specifically given to you by the customer. To take what is not yours is theft and will not be tolerated period. Report to us of theft will result in the immediate termination of our relationship. Honesty is an important aspect of one’s work ethic.
- What happens if I get a bad review?
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Sometimes it happens when a customer is overly demanding or perceives you to have an attitude with them. Sometimes the customer is at fault and sometimes it is the service professional. We will try to understand what has happened and if necessary to intervene. The best rule of thumb is to simply accept that the customer is always right and not to argue with them or to do something that they would not like. Getting great reviews ensures you get offered more assignments and increase your revenue; similarly getting bad reviews could potentially have the reverse effect, it may even result in the termination of our relationship. We are only interested in working with pros who want to succeed, do good work, and have a positive attitude so please take this into consideration.
- How do I get paid?
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We pay everyone via PayPal (no exceptions), our customers pay us this way, it’s immediate and online. If you don’t have a PayPal account, then visit www.paypal.com and sign up. It’s totally free, you don’t need a bank account, and you can ask them to send you a debit card and link your account to your cell phone. It’s also 100% secure, in fact using PayPal is more secure, so we believe, than bank accounts. If you have a bank account, then you can also link your PayPal account to your bank account and transfer funds between them. If you don’t have or don’t want to have a PayPal account, then regretfully we can’t consider you as one of our cleaning professionals.
- When do I get paid?
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We pay everyone on a daily basis following the satisfactory completion of each cleaning assignment.
- Are customers required to sign off on a completion form?
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Yes, it is necessary for all customers, or their designated representatives, to be present during the cleaning service, to supervise, and to fill in and sign our completion form. In accepting our cleaning assignments, you are representing that you will go to the customer’s home and to provide a cleaning service. Getting each customer to complete and sign the form acts as confirmation from them that a) you showed up for the cleaning assignment, and b) you completed the assignment to their satisfaction. Receiving a photo of the completed and signed form back via text message or email expedites our payment to you.
- Do I need to sign any agreement with Maid EZ?
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Yes, you will need to sign our Work for Hire Agreement that sets out what our relationship is and other important details.
- How much do I get paid?
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Our interactive, online Application Form sets forth how much your labor-hour rate will be. You will see that by having or investing in certain recommended products that this will increase your labor-hour rate – this of course is subject to verification via group photo of your cleaning equipment and supplies. We reserve the right to also do random checks.
Depending on your level of experience, how many assignments you do, how many 5-star reviews you receive from our customers; how punctual you are, and when you signed up with us all goes towards our deciding, at our sole discretion, whether to further increase your labor-hour rate.
We believe people who are given respect, opportunity, and ability to earn more pay are happier with what they do and work harder to maintain their success and this in turn is beneficial to us as a company.
Our interest is in you and to create the basis for a long-term relationship with you as a self-employed independent contractor. You may decide this is not for you long-term, perhaps it is a stepping stone for you elsewhere. Whatever you decide we recognize this is your life-journey and we welcome our relationship with you if you should like it.
Thank you for taking the time to read through these questions and answers, we hope you find it useful.