About 30 years ago Dennis Thompson, independent owner of Maid For You in Chesapeake and Virginia Beach, was faced with a big change. His long career with a major food processing company had ended after another organization acquired the business and eliminated his position. Rather than look for another job that could one day be gone too, Dennis reinvented himself. He decided to pursue his long-time dream of having his own business. He attended a business training course and began his search for the perfect venture for him.

    Determination became the backbone of Dennis' life. After a chance meeting with a friend who owned a cleaning firm in Richmond, he decided he would give it a shot. He worked for his buddy for free so he could learn the ropes. "People don't realize how much work is involved when you are starting something from scratch," Dennis explains. Besides learning all the ins and outs of operating a cleaning business without the benefit of an income, he also promoted his new enterprise by spending eight hours a day handing out 7,500 door hangers to local residences and businesses. His determination paid off as prospective clients started calling, and the rest, as they say, is history.

    Ten years later, Dennis was able to combine his business with an already established company called Maid For You. "We are independently owned, which means we have the flexibility to do things that other franchises can't do; we can go the extra mile for our customers," he says. "Customer satisfaction is our priority."

    With today's active lifestyles, housekeeping can be a daunting task, and many people require a little help around their house and/or business. Maid For You is just the company to do it. For more than three decades, Dennis has been providing quality, affordable, professional cleaning services to Hampton Roads, the Peninsula and beyond.  Attention to detail, customized scheduling, and superior customer service are at the core of the lifelong client satisfaction the entrepreneur has achieved.



   
Dennis' staff of 30 cleaning professionals is of the highest quality. For each applicant, he completes a background check and a drug screening, and includes in-house training where they must clean his own home. Each employee wears a uniform that identifies them, and they all drive a company vehicle so that they are easily recognized by neighbors or community watch organizations as Maid For You staff. Insured, licensed and bonded, Maid For You is an A+ member of the Better Business Bureau.

    "To ensure that our high standards have been met, we leave a stamped quality control postcard for each home or business owner to fill out and send back to us with their comments about the service," Dennis says. In addition, an inspector may go by and follow up on a crew while they are cleaning, just one more way Dennis is able to maintain his reputation for excellent customer service and customer satisfaction.

    Whether for home or business, Maid For You will give free quotes for the many different kinds of cleaning services they offer. Thorough cleaning of the bathrooms and kitchen is of the highest priority, and they completely sanitize both areas. Their basic cleaning includes vacuuming, dusting, windowsills, blinds, light fixtures, mirrors, and more. They also offer carpet and furniture cleaning, and will quote a price that is for all services requested. A specific schedule can be set up according to the client's needs - a one time cleaning, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly visit. They also provide construction and move in/move out cleaning.

    For each client, a customer profile is made so that Dennis' staff is able to get it right every time. These profiles detail which rooms in the home to clean, particular items that need to be cleaned, if there are pets on the premises, the square footage of the home, the schedule for cleaning, and any special requests. For example, some customers only want to use certain cleaners on their furnishings, floors or appliances. "I keep up with trends in the market so that we can provide our customers with the best possible service," Dennis affirms.




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

    Dennis' staff is provided with all the necessary products and equipment needed, including biodegradable cleaning products of the highest quality. These products are safe for use around kids and pets. In addition, they use new, clean mop heads for each job and each room to prevent cross contamination. For example, a mop head that has just been used to clean the bathroom would not be used to clean the kitchen, too. And a mop head that has been used to clean one client's home or business wouldn't be used to clean a different client's home or business. 

    Dennis is offering a special promotion for new clients. If they sign up for a weekly or bi-weekly cleaning, their fifth cleaning will be only $100. And he provides veterans, active duty military, and seniors with a 15 percent discount. "Some of my clients have been with me for over 20 years. I enjoy doing a little something extra for our seniors because sometimes they may not have even seen anyone for days, and they just want to talk," Dennis says with a twinkle in his eye. His caring and compassion for his senior clients is evident, as is their level of comfort and satisfaction. "We've even been asked to cook breakfast, but we had to draw the line at that," he says laughing.




    An avid golfer, Dennis will go out on the golf course any chance he gets. He likes to fish as well, but has a catch and release policy because he really doesn't want to have to clean the fish. "It's a relaxation thing," he says. He has two sons, and five grandchildren who live in Charlotte, North Carolina, and he tries to spend as much time as possible with them.

    "I am proud of the fact that we have been in the cleaning business for over 30 years, and I believe it's mainly due to the quality of our work and our customer service. Each client has their individual needs, and we make sure our services are customized to them," Dennis says with a big smile.