Inspiring excellence
By Bill Yurgen
Ask Michael Manhoff, local franchise owner of The Maids, to whom he attributes his company’s success and he answers, “Some successful guys claim there is a special woman behind their success. I am extremely fortunate to have 70 great women behind me who every day inspire me to make The Maids the best it can be. By returning the favor to those same employees, I think we have become a very good company for the consumer.”
“It’s truly amazing how most employees will respond when they know the company they work for actually cares about them,” he adds. “We have done our best to create a culture of personal growth and caring that helps to foster the world-class service we are trying to provide on a daily basis.”
A Better Cleaning Company
Mike purchased a franchise with an extremely effective cleaning system. It is so good, in fact, that it is arguably one of the best in the industry.
Before he began the business back in 1999, he did his research on the consumer experience with maid services. Mike learned that beyond things not being properly cleaned, many more consumers left their maid services because they were unhappy about the lack of service. Red flags, like a cleaning company that’s late for appointments, or, even worse, entirely missing appointments, and an apathetic staff are common industry complaints. He determined the way to set his franchise apart from the competition was to provide the very best customer service possible.
Michael’s Rule #1: Be the Best of the Best
Once open for business, Mike employed the methods he’d honed working in the hospitality and retail grocery businesses to make The Maids’ service aspect among the best in the business.
“It’s a fact that companies with high levels of customer loyalty have also earned high levels of staff loyalty,” he states.
Apparently Mike’s strategy has worked well. His franchise’s high levels of both customer loyalty and staff loyalty have fueled impressive growth and the accumulation of a bevy of awards, including best The Maids franchise in the nation.
Michael’s Rule #2: Serve Your Employees
Mike shared another key rule his business follows every day: Serve your employees first so they in turn serve your customers.
“One of the most important ways we serve our staff is to provide them with a pathway toward personal growth within our company,” Mike says.
“We have five managers responsible for the day-to-day operations of 65 maids servicing hundreds of area customers. Our customer service managers started with us as maids and grew into their present management positions. They are the first points of contact for all customer inquiries and requests and will do everything possible to meet, and hopefully exceed, each customer’s expectations.”
Michael’s Rule #3: He Gets It
“Today’s customers are smarter, better informed and more intolerant of being ‘sold’ than ever before,” Mike says.
“They expect that doing business with a company will be as hassle-free and gratifying for them as possible. When they experience good service elsewhere, they bring an ‘if-they-can-do-it-why-can’t-you’ attitude to their next transaction with you. If you don’t deliver, they’ll leave.”
Going Above and Beyond
How does this company’s business practices make a difference to you? Jennifer, director of customer loyalty, gives some sterling examples of things they’ve done to create such a loyal fan club.
“Not long ago, we had a customer approach us whose senior father’s home was in desperate need of attention. The son had not quite come to grips with the fact that his dad was a hoarder,” she recalls.
“In about four hours, we had all of the accumulated things moved, stacked and organized so they could be dealt with afterward. Then we went about thoroughly cleaning the home. Dad was so happy he was nearly in tears, and the son thrilled to have his father back to living in a clean and manageable environment.”
“We take especially good care of our senior clients,” she adds. “When we call to confirm their appointments and they don’t answer, we’ve made it a practice to have one of our vehicles in the area stop by just to make sure everything is okay. We treat all of our clients the way we would want to be treated—like family.”
Clean and Flexible
The Maids’s famous 22-Step Healthy Touch cleaning regimen, that leaves no frequently touched surface like a phone handset or doorknobs and cabinet handles un-cleaned, is a compelling reason enough for utilizing the team’s services.
When you consider the flexibility of The Maids offering one-time cleaning, additional special cleanings, monthly, bi-weekly or weekly service, as well as a host of specialty services listed on the website, TheMaidsNortheastOhio.com, it is easy to understand how Mike’s insistence on superior customer service has led to such tremendous growth.
To discuss how The Maids can make your home cleaner, and your life a little less complicated and a lot healthier, you can phone 440-735-6243 or 330-220-0098. To learn more, visit TheMaidsNortheastOhio.com.