MAID FOR YOU

Dennis Thompson and his team have focused on the individual cleaning needs of his customers for over 30 years

by Samantha Lambert

With the busy lives people lead today, keeping a home or business clean can be an overwhelming task, and sometimes people just need a little extra help. For the last 30 years, Maid For You has provided professional house cleaning excellence on the Southside and Peninsula. Owner Dennis Thompson and his team do the dirty work, allowing their customers to have more family time and fun by providing exceptional service at an economical price.

Dennis Thompson, owner of Maid For You, first started out in the cleaning business in the early 80's. He personally placed over 7,500 door hangers in residential areas advertising his first cleaning business, and once he began receiving calls, things took off.

After a few years, he merged his cleaning business with the already established Maid For You franchise, and slowly began expanding - creating Maid For You locations throughout Hampton Roads. About nine years ago, Dennis branched out even further, setting up locations on the Peninsula, Providence Forge, and Mechanicsville, and locations west of Hampton Roads - in Smithfield, Courtland, and Franklin.

Dennis Thompson

As Dennis emphasizes: "Customer satisfaction is number one. We pay attention to our customers' needs.

"We are independently-owned, which means we have the flexibility to do things that other franchises cannot do," he points out. "And we go the extra mile - especially with our senior customers."

"They are so professional and
do not miss a thing. They are
also very accommodating and
flexible if I have to change the day for
my scheduled house cleaning."

- Debra Kwansy

Alice Twining and husband Don Myers have been using Maid For You for 25 years. Alice gives the company an A+ rating. "They are so reliable and work really hard," Alice confirms. "I always request special cleaner for my granite countertops and that no furniture polish be used. They follow all of my special requests to the letter." She also notes that the company is very flexible and the employees are very kind to her and her husband.

Maid For You gets it right every time by setting up a profile of each customer. These customer profiles detail which rooms in the home need to be cleaned, particular items that need to be cleaned, if there are pets on the premises (Maid For You loves pets), the square footage of the home, the schedule for cleaning, and any special requests. For example, some customers do not want certain cleaners used on their furnishings, while others will leave a special cleaner out for Maid For You employees to use on their floors or appliances.

Customer-provided cleaning products aside, when a Maid For You employee goes into a home or business, they bring everything they need for a thorough cleaning. The company uses top quality, biodegradable cleaning products that are safe for use around children and pets. Fresh mop heads are used for each home, and separate mop heads are used for bathrooms and kitchens.

Services offered in-home include kitchen and bathroom cleaning, dusting and cleaning windows, vacuuming all carpeting, and mopping and cleaning tile and hardwood floors. Commercial services include steam cleaning carpets and cleaning and dusting all furniture surfaces.

A specific cleaning schedule can also be set up for a customer's home or business. It may be a one time cleaning or a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly cleaning. Maid For You also provides a cleaning service for moving in or out of a home. A personal housekeeping service is also offered.

To ensure excellent service, a quality control card is left for the owner of the home or business when the cleaning service is completed. It lets the company know how satisfied the customer is with their services, as well as any comments they may have. This information is duly noted in the customer's profile. Maid For You is licensed, insured, bonded, and is registered with the Better Business Bureau.

Debra Kwasny is another satisfied client of Maid For You. She has tried other cleaning services over the years, but none who can compete with Maid For You. "They are so professional and do not miss a thing," Debra says. "They are also very accommodating and flexible if I have to change the day for my scheduled house cleaning." She also points out that they don't mind letting her dog out when they come to clean her house.

There is a training period for employees of Maid For You that includes in-house training, which takes place at Dennis's home. Background checks are completed on each employee, as well as drug testing through the company's insurer. All maids wear uniforms and cars are furnished for the employees. There are currently 24 cars available for use by employees.

Dennis's staff includes a total of 30 employees, which includes maids and office staff. There are also five inspectors who provide in-home estimates and complete follow-ups after cleaning services are finished. Cindy Scott has been with the Virginia Beach location for 14 years. Wendy Birch has been at the Suffolk location for over 10.

"Our employees enjoy working for us, and we have a high-retention rate," Dennis says. "Plus, we promote from within the company. Many of our location managers started out with the maid service and then moved up."

Maid for You maintains a website that provides information on their locations and services, as well as an online form to receive a free quote for cleaning service.

"I am proud of the fact that
we have been in the cleaning
business for over 30 years,
mainly due to the quality of our
work and our customer service. For home
and commercial cleaning service, remember
Maid For You has just the maid for you."

- Dennis Thompson

"We try to stay up on trends in the market so that we can provide our customers with the best possible service, and we are constantly fine-tuning our customer relations," Dennis assures.

Maid For You has developed a superior reputation throughout the Southside, Peninsula, and points beyond. "I am proud of the fact that we have been in the cleaning business for over 30 years, mainly due to the quality of our work and our customer service," Dennis reiterates. "For home and commercial cleaning services, remember Maid For You has just the maid for you

The Maid For You team works hard to ensure their clients are completed satisfied with their service, customizing their cleaning schedule to best fit the client's needs