A Well Kept Home Inc

"Thank you [Member Name Removed] for the nice review! Alyssa is a great cleaner and has a such a calm manner with dogs....we just love her! If you ever want an occasional clean, feel free to call. You live close by our office and your home is so interesting we all enjoy working there! Regards! Meri"

"Oh wow....I must have turned off notifications as I did not know I had two reviews! [Member Name Removed]I am hoping you are doing well. I sometimes check your website to see what good works you and your family are up to! Feel free to call on us if you need an occasional cleaning as we still clean regularly in Mandarin! Best wishes to you! Thanks for the review! Meri"

"Many thanks for the positive words! It makes a big difference to the staff to get good feedback! We appreciate your business. I hope you have a great summer and get a chance to coast a little bit. Feel free to call on us anytime for an incidental clean if you need it. Otherwise, we will see you in the fall :-)."

"Thank you for the review! You know we have been having some growing pains and I am thankful you are patient while we hire and try to find a good fit for you. As an Air Force veteran, you and your wife are special since you are both Navy pilots! I am grateful for all you do and sacrifice for our country. Really. We feel good when we can make your life better. Thanks for the business and for your service to our country."

"Ughh! I am trying to get this one to be an A! Your place is small and fairly easy but we have bombed and I know it. I hope that we are past that since you reviewed us in Nov. and I think we have been doing better. I did let some things go last year. I was doing the cancer treatment and was understaffed. But I think we have it under control now and we are being more consistent in our cleaning and details! I am sorry I ever did not attend to checking on the cleaning but I do appreciate your patience and willingness to give us another try!"

"Thank you for the review! We appreciate the positive words and you two are a pleasure to clean for. No drama. Predictable! And of course, we love our teachers and professors, too!"

"We love cleaning for you! You are such a generous and kind person it shows in all aspects of what we see...the way you treat your pets and the cleaning staff! Awesome! You are just awesome :-)"

"Wow, thank you! We love cleaning for you because it's such an eclectic little place. If houses had spirits yours would definitely be welcoming, kind, mindful, peaceful......! You referred someone to us recently and thank you for that! And you know we are in your neighborhood frequently so if you ever need anything (post surgery or anytime) just call. We are happy to help out in other ways besides just the cleaning :-)"

"I am remiss for not having responded earlier but I do so appreciate your reviews. And as much as I don't like saying it out loud.....I appreciate the negative reviews too because it prompts us to continue to try harder and do better. We all fall short sometimes and in the past year the company has had some growing pains but we truly do want to provide you with a great service. You were kind to donate a whole bunch of boxed food which I donated to the Salvation Army on your behalf. I did give a few out to some of my own neighbors who are low income. The meals were great because there was no need to refrigerate them. Everyone said "thanks" to you, too. Wherever you land, I hope you do well and if you want me to try to connect you with a great service in your area I will try."

"Thank you [Member Name Removed] for the review. I think of you often when I pass the Dreamette shop around the corner from your old place. And during elections....I hope you and your little critters are doing well and please feel free to call on us for any cleaning needs!"

"Ouch! I am sorry we fell short on this job but I do appreciate your honesty. One issue we had is that we had no phone number for you and it made it difficult to communicate as much as we would have liked. I prefer to text some information because then I have a record of what you asked for or the price we agreed on or whatever. But in your case, we had no phone number at all and all our communication was through Angie's List. Because we are not the least expensive cleaning service we often try to work with clients and stay within a budget they are comfortable with. We were under the impression that you were the tenant living there and you were trying to get it clean enough for your landlord. As a renter, I assumed you would be wanting to keep the price as low as possible and that is why we spent less time in the home. The cleaning technician said she saw boxes in rooms and was unsure whether she should move them to clean under them and again, just how long we should spend. But since we had no phone number for either you or your husband, we had no way to contact you to clarify the scope of the work. While we do not need a detailed list on every clean, many clients will say...I can only afford 3 hours and here are the priorities I'd like covered in the 3 hours. In that way, a list is helpful to us. Also, if you would have let me know you were not happy when you came home, I would have personally come out the next morning to re-clean. I did not get an email, a note through Angie's List or a phone call or text about your dissatisfaction. Every house and client is different and that is why good communication between us is helpful--especially with new clients. For example, we prefer to pull all the appliances away from the walls and clean under and around them. But it will add at least 30 minutes to the clean. We also will clean interior windows but that can add hours and greatly increase the price of the clean. We like to clean ovens and take apart the interior of the fridge to clean it properly but again, it will add at least a full hour to a job for those two appliances. I am sorry I was not more assertive with you about the need for a cell number but I do know I had asked you for one through Angie's List Message Center. As for the refrigerator door we have no excuse. Sometimes stainless steel is very finicky and will not come clean if it has water or other stains on it. Without having seen it I cannot say but I am sorry we did not meet your expectations. If you want to try us again, I will discount the cleaning to make up for this job and I don't think you would be disappointed. All I ask is that you provide me with your cell number and we will start fresh if you are willing."

"Yay for the cleaning staff and Inna in particular! Thanks Christina for the positive review! We like cleaning anyway, but we really like cleaning for our military members and families! You have such a spectacular little house we love it. We will see you again this week and feel free to let us know if we ever fall short of your expectations."

"Hey! I was surprised to see this report from you since you have moved but I hope you are settled in your new place now! Florida is still hot so you are not missing much! Thanks for the positive review and for the tips on baby squirrels! We let our little foster squirrel go back to the wild after he was more mature and it was a success...but we miss him. I have a new affinity for squirrels after having had the little critter! We certainly enjoyed cleaning for you in the Ortega area. No sooner had you moved away than another regular client from Historic Springfield moved into Ortega about a block away from your old house. Enjoy your summer in a cooler climate!"

"[MEMBER], I thank you for taking the time to write a review about A Well Kept Home! We take customer satisfaction seriously and we do try our best to make our cleaning experience a good one! The cleaning staff we have now is just superb and I want to publicly thank them, too! I read an article recently from Bloomberg Business that stated good employees are what make a good business...not just good customers. Employees are like a fulcrum for a business....they have a tremendous effect on the success of the company and the experience. I want to give a shout out to the team that not only does the customer appreciate the good experience and service but I do, too! Many times as cleaners we feel at the bottom of the totem pole and we appreciate your taking the time to recognize our efforts. You are a great client and we enjoy cleaning for people who treat us fairly and nicely! Thanks so much and we hope to see you again in the future!"

"Many thanks [member name removed]! I am very thankful for Inna and her service and also for all of our clients! Thanks for your interest in our company and for the quick and positive review. We are trying hard to keep up great cleaning and service to the Greater Jacksonville area. But honestly, we really like to clean for people who appreciate what we do. Cleaning is hard work. We make a big effort to show up on time and do what you expect. Every house and every client is different so it is not so easy all the time. Thanks for noticing and saying a public thanks to Inna!"

"Hello and thank you (removed member's name)! We loved cleaning for you and you were so generous and kind in spirit! Do not think it goes unnoticed! Please call on us again as we would like to help you and your husband get through the holidays as peacefully as possible!"

"Thank you for the comments! We are a small company and we aim to pay attention to details and clean for clients in a very customized way. We don't mind doing laundry or the windows or helping take care of the pets when needed. We appreciate the easy communication with clients and that makes all the difference. Cleaning is not easy and even though it's not rocket science, we take it seriously. And there is some science to cleaning anyway...think vinegar, bleach, ammonia. We remain committed to cleaning in a way that is less harmful to the environment and to our bodies and to your home and pets and children. Please keep us in mind for your future cleaning needs :-)"

"I am remiss in responding more quickly but I have talked to you several times since the review. Cari, the cleaner that works in your home is extremely reliable. She has never missed a day of scheduled work and never once called in sick or with a broken down car. When I think of things I am thankful for...the garbage men, electricity, running water, furry dogs...I am thankful for Cari! Cleaning services that are exceptional are often valued more than some you might find elsewhere. We are licensed and insured. And we are reliable. We use high quality products and equipment. The cleaners are paid well so they are happy and not disgruntled. We try to schedule with a lot of flexibility to keep you satisfied. I am glad things have been working out as you as we like cleaning for you. I want you to feel comfortable calling me anytime you feel something has been missed or overlooked. I thank you for your business and want you to know it does not go unrecognized!"

"Thanks for the feedback! I appreciate that you called me right away when one days cleaning was not up to par. It helps to be able to point out a cleaning miss and make an immediate correction to avoid it again in the future! I hope to see you again in the future as we do a lot of work in and around your area."

"Thank you [removed member name] for your honesty. I know I failed in a couple of ways. I should have stuck to my guns about using my own cleaning products and I should have spoken up about what I feel was more "restoration" than cleaning. Your tile does not seem like it has a consistent seal on it and I should have recommended and explained that sealant is necessary to maintain a clean appearance. One reason I don't use bleach products is that is wears away and is corrosive to sealants. And you use a shampoo that has a dark tint to it. If you are using this dark tinted shampoo every day, then the two days a month we clean, we are not going to be able to repair the damage, especially if your tile is lacking a good sealant. Tile is porous and absorbs the tint and moisture and cleaning twice a month won't really repair the damage done. I failed in that I did not come right out and say this to you as I was reluctant to offend you. Your home is newer, but your shower grout is already missing in places and it is indicative of a substandard building job. It makes it much harder to keep nice and clean from the start. I think I failed my staff too in that I did not come to their defense. In the cleaning industry we say "we clean, not restore" and I did not ever explain that to you as a new customer. The staff does try and I always told them...remember Patricia always leaves a note about the shower so please please please pay attention to the shower! Another way I failed is not budgeting enough time. I think two hours was simply not enough for a home with a young child and a pet. An extra half hour would have made a big difference in our ability to attend to more details. You know what young people say when they break up is...oh, it's not you, it's me! Well, it's me! And I do apologize. I know I have learned from this experience and hope to transfer that knowledge to be able to provide customers with a greater level of satisfaction. I am sorry we were not up to your expectations and I will send you a gift card as a way of extending the olive branch to you! Thanks and good luck in your new home and job."

"I am so late in getting to this to say thanks for the review but there you go...thank you! We love cleaning your home and your dog is the cutest thing! Thanks for the kind words! We really appreciate hearing that we have done a good job sometimes! But still feel free to let us know if anything slips!"

"At my first real job and my first Air Force job I was a new college graduate and I outranked all of the members of the staff except my boss, Lt. Col. James Johnson. Even worse, they were all men and I was a girl fresh out of college. When we worked on investigations some came to be covered in the media and in Washington DC where there were hearings about our cases. It was never my nature to head for center stage but if I found myself there, I never took credit for what our team had accomplished. To me is was just lying and exaggerating and Lt. Col. Johnson made sure I knew it was best to give credit where credit was due. And so it is with cleaning. Cheryl and all the other cleaners work really hard, take the job seriously and give 100% all the time. And I have to say, it's much harder to give 100% when some people view your job as low class or meaningless. To us, it is not. We believe you want to come home to a clean and neat home and we try to make sure that happens. We feel we are providing more than just a clean home but also some peace of mind in the process. I take no credit for the awesome job that Cheryl does at your home. It's Cheryl. It's her nature and I know that in the future this aspect of her character will pay off in much greater ways. But I am grateful as a business owner that she is on this team and that she does what she does. Thanks for your kind words and recognition of her efforts as I know she appreciates it. I certainly do!"

"I am sorry we fell short of your expectations. There was a change in price because I bid the job for a regular cleaning every 4 weeks and that was not happening due to your being out of town. The more time that goes by in between cleanings the more time it takes, the more it costs. Even though your kitchen is newer, you do have a large dog in the home and the spots on the floor where the dog drips water are time consuming to wipe up after. We found we couldn't just mop but had to hand wipe every single drip to get the floor clean. I never send out teams of cleaners but many times the first clean I will clean with the staff to ensure they know what is expected and so that I can see them in action and make sure we are all on the same page. I tell new clients that I send out individual cleaners because I find it's the most efficient way for us to clean. I pay the cleaners for their travel time and mileage and paying two cleaners to go clean a fairly small home is just not cost effective and if I were to do that, I'd have to significantly increase the price. I prefer to send out individual cleaners because there is no question about who was responsible for what and there is no confusion about who did what or who was responsible for what. It just makes sense to me. I do accept calls when I can but because we are a small business, I am often busy cleaning and it's difficult to accept calls while I am being paid to clean. That means my free time to talk if often after 8:00 pm at night or before 7:00 am. I do prefer texting because it ensures a certain amount of privacy and I don't have to rely on note taking to see what I said or what someone asked for. A text is a very convenient and private venue for a busy person. Because we had no firm schedule for cleaning it did change which cleaner was available and how much time it would take. It is best for us to be able to project our schedule at least a week in advance as we are a very small company and most of us are mothers of young children. This client was frequently traveling out of town and out of the country and it made contact problematic. This client wanted me to send two cleaners to her house for 1.5 hours each clean. I explained that I pay them for travel time and mileage and I pay them more than double the state minimum wage and sending two cleaners for such a small job was just not cost effective. It was twice the cost for travel and mileage and not something a prudent business owner would agree to. Clearly anyone who knows me knows that I am not motivated by money. I am not a profit seeking person but I do have to make a small amount of income on jobs or else I will be standing in line for welfare and my house will be foreclosed on. I pride myself on paying my cleaners a living wage. A good living wage. And I offer excellent working conditions that are conducive to a family life. We are not a large, impersonal company capable of providing round the clock customer service. We have no secretary or office staff at all and that way we are able to keep our prices lower. The reason my staff was at your house for 4 hours instead of the estimated 3 hours was that it had been 8 weeks since your last cleaning. That means it is essentially an "inital clean" all over again and yes, those take more time and cost more. I don't believe I charged for you for the additional time my staff took in spite of the amount of time that had lapsed in between cleanings. I don't consider it "bad time management" as I sent the cleaner there to do the job, no matter what and I paid them for whatever time it took, regardless of what you paid us for. In the end I do again apologize for it not being a good fit and that we were not able to be more responsive to your cleaning needs. I think a larger company with more staff available at short notice would be a better fit. I appreciate your honest feedback as it helps us learn what we need to do differently and how we can improve our service."

"There are times we do fall short of our and your expectations and I appreciate that you gave us an opportunity to redeem ourselves! We all take our work seriously and we lose sleep on nights when we have received a complaint! Thanks for giving us some room to grow and being patient and forgiving! I hope you don't move again soon but if you do, we are just around the corner :-)"