The School of Clean

By Bill Yurgen

“When you think about it, it does make a lot of sense. Why wouldn’t you want your maids to be well-trained in proper cleaning procedures if it’s their business to clean homes?” Mike Manhoff, owner of The Maids of Northeast Ohio asks. 

“If you took your car to the wash 30 years ago, dirt was removed by giant circulating brushes and cloth agitators. That was okay for the acrylic painted cars we used to have, but if you ran a modern car with clear coat paint through that wash you’d probably damage the surface. That’s why most modern washes use high-pressure water and chemical release agents to remove grime, and brushes that are much softer,” he continues.

“If you have an expensive car that you love, you certainly don’t want to trust it to an outfit that uses dated equipment or doesn’t know what they are doing. That’s why some people will drive all the way across town to get their car washed by the only place they trust with their ‘baby.’”

So why should someone’s home be treated with any less care than they’d give a car?

House cleaning is very difficult work, that’s why so many families prefer to assign that time-consuming task to a professional service like The Maids. The problem is the very nature of the work reduces the potential labor pool for the job significantly. The business plan with many house cleaning services is to hire anyone who walks in the door and knows how to switch a vacuum off and on.  

After all, they applied for the job. They should know how to perform it, shouldn’t they?

Mike explains his own strategy, “That’s why we leave nothing to chance. We find people of good character and we help them become great service providers. We train all of our employees to give premium customer service and we rigorously train our maids to give a premium clean inside your home—every time. 

We make certain our people use the best products for a chore and the best techniques. We train our maids to clean and handle the items in your home with the same care you would give them. And we make sure they do it efficiently so you aren’t billed for unnecessary time. If anyone new on the job isn’t quite sure what to do, they are with an experienced team member who will help them do the best job possible.” 

Mike’s right. It does make a lot of sense. Coming to the residential cleaning industry with a senior management background in the hospitality trade and the retail grocery business, Mike is not only obsessed with absolute cleanliness, his passion for customer service is legendary.

Maintaining a “The customer is always right” business philosophy, Mike understands how challenging it is to gain a new customer in a very competitive industry, and he also understands the importance of keeping those customers happy long term. That’s why so many of The Maids of Northeast Ohio’s clients came Mike’s way via referral, and they continue to stay with the company.

So why do The Maids work so hard to please? 

First, Mike’s team screens applicants to make sure the people he hires are people he would invite into his own home before he sends them to yours. If you appreciate Starbucks, you’ll understand how Mike does business. It’s not only about exceptional coffee or an exceptional clean, it’s also about an excellent customer experience at every point of contact, every time.

In short, if the employees have a great experience, you will, too.

If you would like to have your home thoroughly cleaned by someone you are happy to invite inside, and who provides a good value, contact The Maids to receive a free consultation and a no-obligation estimate over the phone. You may contact them at 440-735-6243 or 330-220-0098. For more information, visit TheMaidsNortheastOhio.com.