Maid Brigade Of Multnomah County & East Metro

"Good morning, Thank you for your honest feedback. It sounds like a few administrative mistakes left a negative impression on our company. We apologize for the lack of notification in regards to the snow day. No that this is an excuse, but it was a very manual process of emailing each client. During those 3.5 days of rescheduling, we missed 3 clients by mistake out of the 213 reschedules that we had. I would have liked to have seen it be 213 out of 213 because for those that did not get notification, I can see how it caused confusion and uncertainty. In regards to the lack of access into the condo. We have specific instructions to call a cell phone to gain access so that the client will meet. In respect to our clients, we follow those instructions. Thus, unless we have specific notes to utilize a concierge, management service, neighbor or other means to get into the home, we do not overstep our bounds. To add, your assumption of lack of English skills is completely false. The team member that was at your place the last two times ONLY speaks English. And looking back to the previous ten cleanings, you have had at least one team member that speaks English very well. Again, we apologize for the scheduling mistake. You should have been notified of which day we were able to reschedule your condo to. In addition, if you did receive the email, it would have noted that we would resume your regular schedule, on your regular team's route, thereafter; this would have included the option of notifying the office if it did not work. We are sorry to see you go and do understand that it was our mistake that prompted this. We had worked with the client that the file was under for seven years and enjoyed making life easier."

"We are very sorry the member had a poor experience with our company. I do understand how one or two bad services can leave a lasting impression on a client. We have not cleaned this home since September of 2008. However, during her final two cleanings, her expectations weren't met. During that time we were starting a new team supervisor and despite our training sometimes mistakes are made. Most notably, forgetting to tell her partner a request I had made while I was doing the walk through with the client. The member had requested not to dust the desk and I had told the supervisor but she did not relay that to her partner who went on to do it as that is part of our "routine" cleaning. We did have a remedy for that which was crediting the client for the time spent on the task times 2. The client had called to cancel. My words were not we are "firing you" to her but I also did not do what most would expect which would be to implore to retain our service. I instead agreed, saying it was for the best. The comment, "it is for the best" was based on many factors. One, we did mess up twice in a row for the client. This caused high emotions. I definitely understand when you feel that you aren't being heard, that frustration will take over. The client had raised her voice to me (again, understood) when she became irate. However, she was degrading towards the employees. I can handle many things personally, and will deal most in a very professional manner but I do protect my employees. They work far too hard and knowing, in hindsight, I should have instructed both cleaners the task at hand to ensure another mistake was not made. It was at that point that I decided it wouldn't work. It was then that we agreed to refund the entire visit and call it square. I hope that she did find a service that met her needs. We clean for 50 to 60 houses on a daily basis. Luckily, we have a 96% satisfaction rate which means we continue to please most. Unfortunately, we only tend to be very vocal when not pleased. This is human nature. We admitted we messed up, try to remedy it the only way we could being that we did something we weren’t supposed to by way of credit. Greg Nicklas Maid Brigade"

"THANK YOU FOR YOUR FEEDBACK. I HAVE PUT YOUR REQUEST TO FOCUS ON DUSTING IN YOUR FILE AND WE WILL REVIEW IT WITH THE TEAM, BEFORE YOUR NEXT VISIT, ALONG WITH THE POSITIVE ITEMS...THE PATS ON THE BACK, IF YOU WILL. THANKS, GREG NICKLAS"

"I AM SORRY THAT YOUR EXPERIENCE WAS NOT A BETTER EXPERIENCE. I DID RECOGNIZE YOUR NAME RIGHT AWAY AND WAS PUZZLED AS TO THE TIMING OF THE RESPONSE. THE DATES OF THE SERVICE PROVIDED WERE FROM OCTOBER 15TH, 2004 TO JULY 5TH, OF 2006, THUS OVER 2 YEARS HAS PASSED. TRACY, I DO RECALL HAVING TO DEAL WITH TOO MANY BREAKAGES IN YOUR HOME. I APOLOGIZE AND I KNOW IT WAS FRUSTRATING FOR YOU AS WELL AS US BECAUSE, HAVING 4 BREAKAGES IN A HOME IN A SPAN OF A YEAR IS TOO MUCH AND REALLY SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LIGHT-HEARTEDLY. IN RESPONSE, WE HAD TERMINATED THAT TEAM THAT CLEANED YOUR HOME IN EARLY 2007 BECAUSE OF THE INCIDENTS THAT HAD HAPPENED IN YOUR HOME AND A FEW OTHERS. AFTER REPEATED DISCIPLINARY FOLLOW-UP, WE FELT THAT THEIR LACK OF CARE AND STEADINESS WAS SOMETHING THAT WE COULDN'T CONDONE. THIS IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE CONTINUED TO CHANGE IN ORDER TO PROVIDE A BETTER SERVICE TO OUR CLIENTS. WE CONTINUE TO EVOLVE BASED ON CUSTOMER'S NEEDS AND BETTER TRAINING SYSTEMS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE. IN ADDITION TO SPECIFIC DEALINGS WITH TEAMS AND PERSONNEL, MAID BRIGADE OF PORTLAND HAS DONE THE FOLLOWING: 1. AFTER CONVERTING TO A BEING A CERTIFIED GREEN CLEANING SERVICE, WE REVAMPED OUR TRAINING TIME FROM WHAT WAS CONSIDERED HIGHER THAN OTHER COMPANIES (2.5 WEEKS) TO 4 WEEKS. THIS HAS ALLOWED US TO BETTER TRAIN OUR EMPLOYEES AND THE DIRECT RESULT HAS BEEN A) BETTER QUALITY B) FEWER BREAKAGES AND C) HIGHER RETENTION RATES. 2. WE ALSO HAVE IMPLEMENTED A NEW CHECK IN SYSTEM FOR OUR TEAMS. EACH AFTERNOON, WE SIT DOWN WITH EACH TEAM AND GO THROUGH ALL OF THE NOTES FOR EACH OF THEIR CLIENTS. THIS HAPPENS WHETHER THEY HAVE BEEN A CLIENT FOR 10 YEARS OR ONE MONTH. THIS HAS REALLY HELPED REDUCE QUALITY ISSUES AND REALLY ALLOWS US TO FOCUS ATTENTION ON EACH INDIVIDUAL. I HOPE THAT THESE EFFORTS SHOW THAT WE ARE CONSTANTLY TRYING TO IMPROVE AS A SERVICE. I WISH THAT WE COULD HAVE RESPONDED OR DEALT WITH YOUR SITUATION MORE QUICKLY THAN 2 YEARS OUT BUT I AM GLAD THAT YOU BROUGHT IT UP SO THAT WE COULD INFORM YOU OF THE MANY SYSTEMATIC CHANGES AND RESPONSES WE DID, BASED ON THE INFORMATION YOU HAD PROVIDED US IN 2006. SINCERELY, GREG NICKLAS"

"A NEW RECEIPT HAS BEEN CREATED TO SEND OUT DETAILING THE TIME OF ARRIVAL, DEPARTURE AND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE HOME. WE DO NOT DO THIS FOR EACH AND EVERY CLEANING BUT WILL BEGIN DOING SO FOR CLARIFICATION PURPOSES. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED WITH A SIMPLE PHONE CALL TO OUR COMPANY SINCE THE RECEIPT WAS MAILED OUT ON AUGUST 5TH, ONE DAY AFTER THE CLEANING WAS PERFORMED. THE ESTIMATE GIVEN WAS BETWEEN $225 AND $450, WITH "THE 10% ANGIE'S LIST DISCOUNT" GIVEN AFTER THE TOTAL SUM. THE TEAM REQUIRED $412 WORTH OF TIME FOR THE CLEANING, SO YES, IT WAS UP NEAR THE HIGHER END OF THE ESTIMATE. WITH THE 10% DISCOUNT, THE ESTIMATE WAS BETWEEN $200 TO $400. THE TOTAL AFTER THE 10% DISCOUNT WAS APPLIED WAS $371. (THE DISCOUNT SHOULD HAVE BEEN $20 FLAT, HOWEVER THE MANAGER, BY MISTAKE, GAVE A 10% DISCOUNT--WHICH WAS INFORMATION VOLUNTEERED BY THE MANAGER AFTER THE APPOINTMENT WAS BOOKED, NOT AS A PLOY TO GAIN MORE CLIENTS). THERE CAN BE SEVERAL FACTORS THAT REQUIRE TASKS OR AREAS TO NEED MORE TIME. WE GIVE A "1 TO 2" ESTIMATED RANGE BECAUSE IT TAKES VERY LITTLE TO MAKE A TASK REQUIRE 3 SWIPES INSTEAD OF 1 OR 2 SWIPES. THUS, WE GIVE A RANGE SO THAT 90% OF OUR CLEANINGS FALL WITHIN THAT RANGE. WE CAN NEVER ACCOUNT FOR THE "EXTREME TLC CLEANINGS" BECAUSE THE TIME NECESSARY FOR THOSE CLEANINGS CAN BE LIMITLESS. THUS, OUR ESTIMATE, EVEN AT A 1 TO 2 RATIO, ARE BASED ON AVERAGE LIVED IN HOMES THAT ARE PRETTY WELL MAINTAINED. A CLEANING THAT GOES TO THE ESTIMATED HIGH END OF THE ESTIMATE DOES NOT INSINUATE THAT THE HOME WAS A DISASTER BY NO MEANS. FOR EXAMPLE, NOT SPECIFIC TO THIS CASE: A SHOWER DOOR, TRACKS AND TUB CAN REQUIRE 1.5 HOURS MORE TIME DUE TO HARD WATER AND BUILD UP IN THE HARD-TO-REACH TRACK AREAS. IN THIS CASE, THE TEAM HAD WRITTEN NOTES THAT THE CLIENT REQUESTED TWO TASKS THAT WEREN'T MENTIONED TO THE OFFICE AND THUS WEREN'T INCLUDED IN THE ESTIMATE. THESE TASKS WERE: CLEANING THE INSIDE/OUTSIDE OF THE SLIDING GLASS DOORS AND ROLL UP THE AREA RUGS TO CLEAN UNDERNEATH. BOTH OF WHICH WE ARE HAPPY TO DO BUT DO NOT DO BY DEFAULT BECAUSE SOME CLIENTS WISH NOT TO ALLOCATE TIME FOR THAT. THE OTHER DETERMINING FACTORS THAT PUSHED THE CLEANING TOWARDS THE HIGHER END WAS THAT THE TEAM NOTED THE AMOUNT OF PET HAIR AND DUST. WITH THAT BEING SAID, I DO UNDERSTAND THE CLIENT'S FRUSTRATION. WE NEVER RECOMMEND "CLEANING" BEFORE WE COME. IF THIS IS DONE, THEN PLEASE NOTIFY US SO THAT WE CAN TAKE A ROOM OR TASKS OFF THE LIST. IF WE ARE NOT NOTIFIED, WE ARE OBLIGATED TO DO WHAT WAS PROMISED, IN REGARDS TO ROOMS AND TASKS, AND TO MAKE IT MAID BRIGADE CLEAN. ON THE OTHER HAND, WE DO NOT ACCOUNT TIME IN THE ESTIMATE FOR PICKING UP MANY ITEMS OR ORGANIZING. THUS, WE DO ASSUME THAT OUR CLIENTS WILL REASONABLY CLEAR THE ROOMS/AREAS THAT WE WILL CLEAN SO THAT WE CAN GET TO THE NITTY GRITTY OF THE DUSTING AND THE CLEANING. I AM SURE THIS WAS DONE IN THIS CLIENT'S CASE. I AM GLAD THE CLEANING WAS DONE WELL ON ALL OF THE OTHER FACETS OF A SERVICE CALL (QUALITY, PUNCTUALITY ETC.) HOWEVER I AM SORRY THAT WE WEREN'T ABLE TO FULLY MEET HER EXPECTATIONS IN REGARDS TO PRICE. WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON OUR QUALITY OF CLEANINGS AND TRY TO LEAVE SUBJECTIVITY OUT IN REGARDS TO PRETTY AND CLEAN AND TRULY CLEAN. TO DO THIS, IT DOES REQUIRE TIME. WE NEVER TRY TO OVER PROMISE AND UNDER DELIVER BUT WE DO TRY TO COMMUNICATE FULLY THAT 90% OF THE CLEANINGS FALL WITHIN THIS RANGE AND IT IS BASED ON TIME SPENT. FORTUNATELY, OF THE 70-110 HOURLY CLEANINGS THAT WE PERFORM ON A MONTHLY BASIS, WE HAVE ON AVERAGE 1 OR 2 PEOPLE HAD DIFFERENT EXPECTATIONS THAN THAT OF WHICH WE PROVIDED. I AM GRATEFUL THAT IS THE CASE. EVEN IF A PERSON IS TO LOOK AT A HOME, ONE WOULD BE HARD-PRESSED TO PINPOINT HOW LONG A 8-16 LABOR HOUR CLEANING WILL LAND. 2 SWIPES CAN TURN INTO 4. RELOCATE AN ITEM AND SURPRISE...I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WAS THERE! WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS PROVIDE THE MOST AMOUNT OF INFORMATION AND A DETAILED LIST OF WHAT WE WILL ACCOMPLISH AND GIVE A ROUGH IDEA OF HOW MUCH THAT WOULD COST."