CLIENT INFORMATION We are a cleaning agency offering all your domestic cleaning and ironing needs at the drop of a hat. Our objective is to take the stress out of finding you a suitable domestic assistant and the problems this can cause. Private householders are not always aware of the problems that can arise in finding a domestic assistant so our careful recruitment saves you the time and cost of trying to find a suitable worker who is reliable and honest. Please take the time to read the following information carefully as it will help you to get the best service from your cleaner and the agency. "Company Policy" "GETTING THE BEST FROM YOUR AGENCY" Honesty & Competence We undertake detailed checks of all our domestic assistants including two official documents showing proof of ID and address, two written references which we follow up by telephone and National Insurance numbers so that checks can be made regarding entitlement to work in the UK. We also personally interview each domestic assistant and select only those who have references which verify their honesty and competence. Reliability The experienced staff in our dedicated office will identify your needs and find a suitable assistant to match them. We aim to provide the same assistant each week on a regular basis. This enables the assistant to become familiar with your particular requirements and helps form an ongoing working relationship. We expect that the first assistant we place with you to work well, however occasionally problems do arise. If this happens please let us know as soon as possible so that we can either resolve the problem or find a replacement. We also endeavour to provide cover for your assistant if they are ill or on holiday however we can only do this if we are given adequate notice. Management As the link between client and domestic assistant, we aim to liaise between you both at all times and to manage the service that we have provided. We always ask the cleaner to let us know if they cannot make an appointment but please do not assume that we know if your assistant does not turn up - call us as soon as possible to enable us to find cover if required or to make alternative arrangements. Likewise we always ask the assistants to give us notice if they are going to be away on holiday. If you know that your assistant is due to go away please tell the agency in good time so that we can find cover for you if required. Furthermore, we ask that you give the agency at least two weeks notice if you are going away on holiday so that we can inform your assistant. If you wish, your assistant can still clean your house whilst you are away providing a key is given to them. Key Security If you are going to give your domestic assistant a key to your property we ask that at the time of giving them the key you and cleaner complete the enclosed Key Deposit Form. A deposit for the keys of £10.00 should then be held back by you from the assistant’s earnings from the first time they clean for you. The £10.00 deposit must be paid back to the assistant when they cease working for you and return your keys. Please note, the agency is not responsible for failure to return the keys and any consequential loss that may arise as a result.  Insurance  As accidents can happen from time to time we carry Public Liability Insurance up to £1,000,000 for major loss or damage with an excess of £100 payable by the client. This only insures your domestic assistant to work inside the house and not outside. Theft is not covered under this insurance. Please note, our insurance policy does not cover any damage as a result of the use of bleach. To avoid any problems do not instruct your assistant to use bleach or any cleaning fluids containing bleach. The insurance policy is subject to other terms which are available from our insurance broker direct on: 01892 603 536.  Maid-2-Shine accepts no liability for insurance unless the agency fee has been paid in advance as per and part of this Trading Arrangement.  P.A.Y.E.  Domestic assistants have traditionally been self-employed workers with payment in cash. However, the Inland Revenue has advised us that domestic assistants working for our clients and paid directly by the client are employed by the client by default (unless the assistant is officially a self-employed individual). If the Inland Revenue contact you at any time regarding your domestic assistant please refer them to us and we will deal with it from then onwards. Please note N.I. is not payable by any domestic assistants who are employed in a private dwelling. Earnings Receipt Form  Always ask your domestic assistant to complete the earnings receipt form. This will help in your accounting and help us to track our worker’s earnings should the need arise.  Refunds Paying the agency fee is like paying membership to a club. It is payable whether or not you choose to take advantage of the agency’s cover or replacement services. However, if your domestic assistant is absent and the agency is given notice but cannot provide cover within a reasonable amount of time we will refund you, by cheque, once there has been a cumulative total of at least 3 missed cleans. A missed clean will be recorded if you telephone us within 24 hours of your assistant not turning up. No refund will be made if you fail to request cover or decline other assistants that we put forward to you. If your assistant cannot provide a clean through no fault of their own (eg. has not been given key / has not been shown alarm code / key does not work in lock / cleaning equipment is not is good order), this will not be recorded as a missed clean. Bank holidays are not considered as missed cleans. Your assistant will clean on another day or an alternative assistant will be provided if you regular assistant is unavailable on your preferred day. Moving Please give the agency at least one month’s notice if you are moving so that we can inform your assistant and provide her with replacement work for when she finishes with you. Please also let us know if you will require another assistant for your new home.  Cancelling the Agreement Hopefully you will be happy with our service. However, if you wish to cancel the agreement we require one month’s notice in writing. We will then write to you letting you know when to cancel your standing order directly with your bank. This will depend on whether you are paying in arrears or in advance. Please remember to cancel the standing order, as we cannot do this for you. We cannot refund you for payments made after the agreement has been cancelled. .Please do not think that we will know if you are unhappy with the service – we may need to be told!  "GETTING THE BEST FROM YOUR DOMESTIC ASSISTANT"  Deciding the Hours/Days Required When deciding the amount of time needed for a domestic assistant it may be better to have less frequent but longer visits per week. This reduces travel time and encourages assistants to work more efficiently. If you wish to alter the hours/days that your assistant works for you please liaise with them directly but remember they may have other clients at other times. Please call the agency if you wish to increase the hours that your assistant works for you or if there are problems in altering hours/days. General Tasks When your domestic assistant first visits your home show her exactly what you want cleaning, where things are kept, and how to operate any unusual equipment such as alarms. To assist your assistant it helps if you break down the duties room by room, and above and below eye level. The Routine It may take a couple of cleans for your assistant to adapt to your particular home and requirements. Try not to follow the assistant as she is working as this can be very distracting. If you find that she is not cleaning to your satisfaction please express this to your assistant she will be quite happy to address any problems. However if the problem persists please call the agency to resolve it or to request a replacement assistant. Communication Cleaning can be a lonely job! Through experience we have found that the best assistants are those who form ‘relationships’ (albeit a distant one) with their clients. They become more willing to please you, responsible, and will go that extra mile for you. From conversations with our assistants we have learnt that any form of appreciation from their client, when they have done a good job – even a simple thank you – goes a long way. If you do not see your assistant often then leaving a note saying thank you shows your appreciation. Keeping the communication alive also makes it easier to tell them if they have not done something how you would like. We all love a pat on the back when we’ve done a good job! Health and Safety When you employ a domestic assistant you are obliged by Health & Safety legislation to provide a safe working environment. Please instruct your assistant in the operation of electrical cleaning equipment and ensure that all electrical equipment you wish your cleaner to use is safe and in good working order. Please do not ask your assistant to clean the exterior of the building or to clean at height above eye level without the use of a stepladder. When using the stepladder there must be another person in the room. We would also ask that you make available to your assistant a small first aid kit. Domestic Assistant’s Payment  Please ensure that payment for your assistant is made in full. Domestic Assistants are dependent on a regular weekly income so if you have to cancel your assistant at short notice we advise you to pay them a £4 cancellation fee. Also if your assistant cannot gain access to your premises through no fault of her own please pay her for her time. This will help to retain your assistant and ensure a good working relationship with her. "Please print this out for you records" Updated 24 January 2007