My husband and I hired Molly Maid of Forest Hill to clean a house that we had just purchased in Rosemont. When I scheduled the appointment, I discussed the scope of work with the supervisor: We were looking for a "move-in clean" of a 16 year old house. I requested that all cabinets, baseboards, light fixtures, woodwork, appliances, windows, floors etc. be thoroughly cleaned. Contractors had been working in the house for the past two weeks doing painting, light carpentry, hanging light fixtures etc. We had not yet moved our possessions into the house, so surfaces were easily accessible for the cleaning crew. When I made the appointment 2 weeks in advance, I explained the importance of having everything completed in 1 day. The movers were scheduled to deliver our belongings the morning after the house was to be cleaned. I made it clear that cost was not an issue, we just wanted it done right. The woman on the phone said "no problem, we can take care of that."
The cleaning crew (2 ladies) arrived on time as scheduled. I walked through the house with them and they said they understood the scope of work. One hour later, they came downstairs and asked me to inspect the second floor because they were finished. I found they had not used the crevice tool on the carpets and there were years of "gunkies" along the edges of the carpeting. Also, the bathrooms, window sills, baseboards, ceiling fans, stairwell railings (pretty much EVERYTHING) had not been cleaned.
They went back to the second floor, came down 10 minutes later and told me to reinspect. I reinspected. Once again, nothing had been cleaned or wiped. I was told by the crew that they did not have a stepladder and couldn't clean anything they couldn't reach and that they did not have any products with them that could be used on wood surfaces. They also told me they were "dusting" with a dry cloth, not wiping anything down. They cleaned the main floor as I called the office to speak with a supervisor and request she come immediately to my home.
On the main floor, the crew didn't clean ANY appliances (inside or out), wipedown ANY cabinetry, remove any garbage from the kitchen or powder rooms, dust the wood bookcases in the office, wipedown any windowsills etc.....I told them my teenagers could do a better job and sent them on their way.
The supervisor arrived within an hour. As I walked through the house with her, she had a very defensive attitude and made many, many excuses for her crew, but offered no real solutions. Time was of the essence since the movers were scheduled to arrive the next morning. We agreed she would send a different crew late the next morning to clean the areas the first crew had missed. They arrived as scheduled. My husband walked them through the main floor. They said that they did not have a stepladder and could not clean anything they couldn't reach, including cabinets, ceiling fans and bookshelves. We asked them to leave.
My husband called the office and spoke with the supervisor. The supervisor again made excuses for her crew and instructed him to speak with the owner. We left 6 messages for the owner over the next 10 business days. Our calls were not returned but our credit card was charged $264.
We are appalled with the lack of professionalism this company has shown. Not only was our house filthy when our possessions arrived, we were out $264. and had been disrespected. I avidly recommend that homeowners seeking cleaning services use anyone else. My teenagers might be available and certainly will do it for $264. :)
Sincerely,
Marlene Mandulak
2711 Aylesford Dr.
Midlothian VA 23113