• In terms of Price & Quality, how does Denver Concierge compare?
  
  

• How does Denver Concierge charge for its services?
  
  

• Does Denver Concierge provide cleaning equipment and supplies?
  
  

• How many persons will clean my home?
  
  

• Do all Denver Concierge housekeepers speak English?
  
  

• Will Denver Concierge always send the same persons?
  
  

• Can I use Denver Concierge occasionally (I already have a regular housekeeper)?
  
  

• Should I be home when Denver Concierge cleans my home?
  
  

• Will Denver Concierge do laundry for me?
  
  

• How do I pay Denver Concierge?
  
  

• Is Denver Concierge a franchise?
  
  

• Does Denver Concierge carry liability insurance and bonding?
  
  

• What if I want something extra done?
  
  

• Is there any type of household cleaning services which Denver Concierge will not do for me?
  
  

• Everyone says they are better, so what exactly is it that makes Denver Concierge different from other companies?
  
  

 

In terms of Price & Quality, how does Denver Concierge compare?

 

With respect to Price, Denver Concierge generally charges more than private housekeepers, because we pay worker's compensation, salary taxes, and insurance. Homeowners benefit from these payments, and are generally happy to pay the 20% or so extra we charge to cover these benefits.

With respect to the franchise cleaning companies, you should generally expect to pay 15 to 30% more for our service. On a per hour basis, we are very competitive with them, but we spend more time in our clients' homes and our prices reflect the additional time.

 

Our quality beats every company in Denver, and most customers who have appointed us to replace an individual housekeeper experience a significant upgrade in terms of quality, consistency and dependability. In this respect our service represents good value.

 

How does Denver Concierge charge for its services?

 

Recurring housekeeping assignments account for over 75% of our total revenue, and about 90% of such assignments are performed on a fixed-fee basis. Such fees are most often established by one of our managers performing an In-Home Price Quote.

 

Most occasional or one-off housekeeping assignments are performed on the basis of an hourly rate, which may vary according to duration and location. These rates are often quoted over the phone and can be arranged at short notice.

 

We clean a lot of very large houses. Bearing that in mind, our average housekeeping charge is $118 per visit. If you want to learn more about our housekeeping prices, check out our Ballpark Housekeeping Price calculator, or Arrange an In-Home Price Quote.

 

Does Denver Concierge provide cleaning equipment and supplies?

 

We Use Our Own Vacuums

Most homeowners have bad luck with loaning their vacuums to housekeepers, because vacuums require significant ongoing maintenance and occasional repairs. If you allow someone to use your vacuum regularly, then be sure they have agreed to maintain / repair it, because sooner rather than later, it will need it. We use and maintain our own vacuums (upright & backpack vacuums). They have very fine filters to keep the air in your home cleaner, and come with attachments designed to clean your furniture, curtains, corners and stair-risers.

 

We Provide Most Cleaning Supplies

Our cleaning supplies are primarily commercial products tailored for residential use. They are very mild, easy on the environment, and unscented. Sometimes for Initial Cleanings, we use stronger products (such as "Ajax with bleach" in place of "Barkeeper's Friend" for corners of showers); such products are used only with special permission from the Team Leaders and are not part of the standard collection of products which will normally be brought inside your home. Our standard cleaning supplies do not include products containing ammonia, oil of any kind, bleach, wax, or perfumes and scents. They are incredibly mild and can be used on fine fixtures and surfaces for years without wear or damage.

Special Product Requests

If you have a preference for a specific product which we do not carry, then we are happy to use that product in place of our own, but ask that you supply it. An example: we normally use water and vinegar on hardwood floors. Some clients prefer a different product-no problem, but they have to stock it for us.

 

Please Provide these Supplies

There are several cleaning supplies which we do not provide: furniture polish (please provide the brand / type suited to your furniture); stainless steel cleaner (if you have stainless steel, then we need it--we don't carry it from house to house, because it is commonly oil-base); any marble / granite or other cleaners which may have been recommended for surfaces and materials unique to your home.

How many persons will clean my home?

 

We're really flexible, except that we have a minimum of two-how many people do you want? Some customers prefer four, so that we are in and out faster.

 

Some customers prefer two, because the extra duration allows us time to do laundry, etc.

 

Our two-person teams are generally comprised of a Team Leader and an Assistant Team Leader. They are carefully selected based on language skills, experience, attendance and dependability. Those customers who request a two-person team generally pay a premium of 15% over our standard prices. We charge less for three or four, because it allows us to better leverage our Team Leaders, drivers, and vans.

 

Do all Denver Concierge housekeepers speak English?

 

We have some exceptional Team Leaders who have been promoted despite the fact that they speak no English. Speaking English is not a hiring prerequisite for us, so cannot be a promoting prerequisite. Please check out our Team Leader Profiles for more information about their qualifications. That notwithstanding, about half our Team Leaders speak English reasonably well, ranging from fluent to adequate.

 

So if this issue is important to you, then we will appoint an English speaking Team Leader to your assignment. Given the fact that about half of our clients are never home when we come, doing so does not cause much of a scheduling constraint for us.

 

Also, our General Manager is perfectly bi-lingual, and is always available to facilitate any communications on the fly.

 

On the other hand, if you are a stand-out micro-micro-manager (generally defined as that person who chases off every housekeeper they have ever had within one month's time), and your primary reason for reading this very long explanation to this sensitive question is that you want to be certain that you can micro-micro-manage our cleaning professionals to tears, without having to worry about being slowed down by any language comprehension issues, then you might consider phoning up one of the franchise housekeeping companies instead.

 

Will Denver Concierge always send the same persons?

 

Usually, yes. We have the lowest turnover in the city, because we pay more and because our employees like working for us.

 

Our Team Leaders are paid better than bank tellers, and we seldom make changes amongst them. However, given our size, it is not unusual for someone to call in sick, and that can sometimes cause a ripple in our schedule. Other times our schedule requires adjusting or tweaking to accommodate our continuous growth.

 

If this issue is really important to you, then you should arrange service by one of our two-person teams. Any permanent shuffling within those teams has generally only resulted from promotions.

 

Can I use Denver Concierge occasionally (I already have a regular housekeeper)?

 

Absolutely. Most such work is performed on an hourly basis (see Prices). Try us once as a fill-in; you are likely to find that we are incredibly thorough compared to your existing housekeeper and then you might then be tempted to book our service quarterly for a top to bottom thorough cleaning to complement the service of your existing housekeeper.

 

The following list of standard cleaning tasks represents a starting point for determining those things which may be included in your assignment. We perform all of these tasks each visit for most of our clients.

 

• Vacuum thoroughly (including edges and hardwood and tiled floors)
• Hand wash floors and clean baseboards
• Dust thoroughly entire home.
• Clean entry-way windows and doors
• Wash all doorknobs and light switches
• Make beds / change linens and towels
• Thoroughly clean shine and disinfect bathroom.
• Thoroughly clean and disinfect kitchen.
• Empty / load dishwasher.
• Pick up and straighten throughout house
• Empty trash containers
• Sweep front and rear porch / patio

 

Should I be home when Denver Concierge cleans my home?

 

"Sure, why not?" and "No need, really."

 

We really don't care one way or another. Some people like to pop up some corn, and sit back and watch the show. Others are disturbed by the flurry of activity, or are really kind of busy doing other things.

 

We often encourage customers to meet the team during the initial assignment, for their own benefit, to gain confidence about the quality of our housekeepers. Meet them, ask them to clean something a little differently, and receive a polite, "Of course, with a smile." They really are quite different from your previous housekeepers, and we are confident that meeting them will reinforce that impression for you.

 

Will Denver Concierge do laundry for me?

 

Sure. We do loads of laundry every day, for loads of customers. It's not part of our standard cleaning list, but is commonly tacked on and included as part of our regular scope. If this issue is really important to you, then you should consider our two-person teams, because they will spend longer in home, and the added lapse of time will allow them to do more of your laundry than a three- of four-person team could.

 

We also offer a take-out service to be used as a complement, or in addition, to our in-home laundry service. Please see our Laundry section to find a solution that works for you.

 

How do I pay Denver Concierge?

 

We're really flexible about this issue, except that we ask that you please do. Most customers start out by leaving a check on the counter. Some then find it more convenient to pay by Visa or Mastercard. If you are using our errand, laundry or dry cleaning services, then charging a card is probably a better method for you. No services will ever be charged to your credit card in advance.

 

Is Denver Concierge a franchise?

 

No, we are a local company. We made all this up ourselves right here in Denver, except that our training and management systems are licensed from the Housekeeping Association, of which we are a founding member. But they don't control us in any way. Besides their minimum insurance standards, which we meet, we set our own service standards and can provide any services we choose wherever we wish.

 

Does Denver Concierge carry liability insurance and bonding?

 

We carry loads of insurance and all our employees are bonded. Denver Concierge is insured through Allstate Insurance Company. Insurance confirmation is available upon request. We carry the following coverage amounts:

 

• Liability - $1 million coverage per incident.
• Fidelity Bonding - $100,000 per occurrence.

We are also specially insured for auto transfers. And of course, we pay worker's compensation insurance.

 

What if I want something extra done?

 

Then we'll do it. We do extra stuff all day long. We do not have set things which are excluded from every assignment. Sometimes while performing our In-Home Price Quotes, we hear, "You are the first representative I've met who spends the entire visit describing the things you do, instead of listing the things you won't do." It's true.

 

If it is a really time-consuming something extra, and you are paying a fixed fee, then we'll charge you for it, and we ask that you arrange it in advance when possible. Please see Flexible Scope.

 

Is there any type of household cleaning services which Denver Concierge will not do for me?

 

Yes. We don't take spots out of carpets and upholstery because we are not trained to, and we don't like to clean windows while on ladders, because it is bad luck for our worker's compensation rates.

 

Everyone says they are better, so what exactly is it that makes Denver Concierge different from other companies?

 

-	We pay our housekeepers more. Other companies pay 28% to 40% of revenue to the cleaners. For us 66% of revenue goes directly to gross pay. Our margins are tighter, but we are huge compared to other local companies, and most franchisees, so we are still more profitable.
-	Our Team Leaders are paid hourly. They are the ones who send the Cleaning Associates back to re-clean the bathroom, when the corners of the showers are not clean. They have no incentive to rush through your house, and take 100% of the flak for any mistake which is made on any of their assignments. They have been with us forever, and are incredibly good. Please see Team Leader Profiles for additional information, because they represent a really big reason why we are better.
-	We have some really effective, and cool training systems. Forget about the films and lectures-these are more of the "you can run, but you can't hide" variety.
-	We are more selective about who we hire. We are presently receiving 17 applications for every person we hire, because we pay well and have a good reputation among employers within our industry.
-	Team Leaders continuously evaluate Assistant Team Leaders and Cleaning Associates. And we continuously choose the best performers for advancement, and counsel any underachievers incessantly.
	We are better managed (see Management), and kind of control-oriented. We provide transportation and equipment and all teams meet daily at our dispatch center to check out keys, work orders, schedules and vans, and receive any special instructions for their day.
-	We care, and believe in continuous improvement. We are better this week than we were last week, and last week we were really good. It sounds kind of simple, but in fact it really is our sustainable competitive advantage. The best way to check us out is to book a Trial Cleaning, or ask us around for an In-Home Price Quote, and we'll explain in detail how we will clean your home.