One of the changes that few people expected when vacation rental really hit the travel scene big years ago was how much guests would insist on the importance of hotel-level cleanliness. Guests expect places to be spotless and will often list it as the number one expectation they have when checking into a place. Knowing this, what are some things you should keep in mind when looking for a vacation rental cleaning company?
Not the Same as a Residential Cleaning
While some residential cleaning companies, like us at MaidThis, do vacation rentals as well, not all of them do, in part because they are different services. Yes, of course there’s cleaning involved, but those who are having the home they live in cleaned regularly do not expect hotel-level cleanliness. Nor do they expect cleaners to look for damage from previous guests. Nor do they expect their toilet paper and other supplies to be topped up. Those are just a few things that you would expect from a vacation rental cleaning service.
Often these cleaners have either had experience cleaning in hotels or have had enough experience to deliver what guests expect, which in turn leads to higher ratings and more reservations.
Communication Is Key
One of the challenges in the cleaning business is communication. Clients want to be able to pick up the phone or send an email and get in touch with their cleaners. An easy way to judge the communication style of a cleaning company is in their early interactions with you. If they aren’t getting back to you rapidly early on, when you aren’t even a client yet, it’s not likely that that’s going to improve.
Check Reviews
An easy way to check the credentials of any vacation rental cleaning business is by looking at their reviews, whether on Google or elsewhere. Here you can get a variety of voices sharing their experiences in receiving what you’re looking for: top-quality cleaning. While no business is perfect with only 5 star reviews, the best cleaning companies have a preponderance of 4 and 5 star reviews which can give you the confidence to hire them.
Ask About Availability
Unlike residential cleaning, which works on a standing schedule, often at the same time every time, vacation rental works around the arrivals and departures of guests. The best cleaning companies can sync with your property management software so that the cleanings can become automated and one less thing you need to worry about.
One more worry-free part of the process that MaidThis covers is our Never a No-Show Guarantee. If, for some reason your primary cleaner is ill or unavailable, we will have a backup cleaner to cover the turnover, guaranteed!
Check the Checklist
One more thing to keep in mind: the best cleaners, like airline pilots, work off checklists. It doesn’t matter if you’ve done something a thousand times, what matters is making sure you don’t forget a thing, because that one forgotten thing can cause a star or two when it comes time for a guest to leave a review. Find out if your cleaners work off checklists or just wing it each time. (Pssst: MaidThis uses checklists.)
