METICULOUS CLEANING provides outstanding service to our clients. In order to do so, we have set out a very clear set of policies which allow us to offer our clients fair and consistent service.
We adhere to these policies at all times and do expect the same from our clients. Please note the policy is subject to change without notice. Clients are welcome to request an updated copy of our policies at any time.
ADMINISTRATIVE
Our philosophy: Our mission at Meticulous Cleaning is simple: to provide high-quality services for our valued clients. Our Cleaning Experts (CE) go above and beyond to cater to each homes specific needs. Through open communication and exceptional service, we hope to give you the gift of time to spend exploring the Sea to Sky corridor with the people you love most.
Billable time and charges: We charge by the labour hour. If one person works for six hours (1x6 hours), the cost is equivalent to two people working for three hours (2x3 hours); six labour hours have been executed. We have a 3 labour hour minimum on all jobs. All work is rounded to the nearest 15 minute interval. Billable time starts upon unloading of all equipment at arrival to enter the site and ends once all supplies are packed up in the vehicle. If we arrive at the job and are locked out or turned away, 100% of the total estimated job cost will be chargeable to you. If we are dismissed during a job, the total time the CE(s) have been working + 50% of the remaining estimate will be billable.
Cancellation policy: We at Meticulous Cleaning understand life happens, and that occasional appointment adjustments are inevitable. Rescheduling or canceling a booking with short notice causes professionals to lose valuable work. Therefore, fees apply when appointments are cancelled or rescheduled within 72 hours (3 business days) of your scheduled booking. Please refer to the chart below for cancellation fees.
72 hour cancellation or reschedule:
Cancel or reschedule 72-48 hrs prior to appointment / $25 service fee
48 hour cancellation or reschedule:
Cancel or reschedule 48-24 hrs prior to appointment / 50% of the missed service fee
24 hour cancellation or reschedule:
Cancel or reschedule 24 hrs prior to appointment / Non-refundable
Missed appointment:
CE arrives for a scheduled appointment, but are unable to gain entry or get started / Non-refundable
Keys and home access: Keys, fobs, codes, entering and exiting instructions, and any other request pertaining to home access must be discussed prior to each clients first scheduled booking. Please note, that if we are not provided with a key or an alternate way of securing your premises, Meticulous Cleaning will not be held responsible for theft, burglary or damage. For regular service, our experience has proven that providing the office with a door code, key and/or fob is the best way to ensure your clean is done on the day it is scheduled and in the time frame promised. It is also an excellent way to avoid “missed appointment” charges should a key not be left with the concierge or you are not at home.
Scheduled date and arrival time: We schedule cleanings between 9 AM and 5 PM. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we can only provide an estimated time of arrival (usually an hour) as opposed to an exact time. It is in our best interest, as well as yours, that the cleans are done as scheduled. If we arrive earlier, we will contact you for permission to start ahead of schedule. Should there be an interruption on our part, we will notify you as soon as possible to reschedule the clean if needed. We thank you for your understanding.
Estimated Cleaning Time: Because we cannot come out to assess each space, we can only estimate the time it will take to clean based on our estimate formulas and we rely upon our clients for honest and accurate information to make these estimates. We always schedule in the maximum quoted time to ensure we have enough time available on the day of your clean.
How we operate is when our CE’s are approximately an hour away from their estimated finish time, they will call the management team to let me know if they are right on schedule or if they are going to need more time. If more time is needed, we will call you and you then have the option to either approve the extra time or stay within your original estimate understanding that it will not be 100% completed. The client also understands that if they do not approve the additional time, the entire home may not be cleaned and we cannot guarantee our work if we do not have the proper time to complete the job therefore, no touch up clean can be offered.
Should the cleaning requirements exceed what we have estimated, we will do our very best to accommodate completing the job on the same day. However, since we have other clients booked, we cannot guarantee this. If this is the case, we will schedule a mutually convenient time to return and complete the job. Keep in mind that first time visits as well as move in/move out visits do take longer than regular appointments.
* Please note: If the appointment requires additional time and we cannot contact you during the appointment to request a time extension, our CE’s will leave the appointment at the end of the scheduled time and will complete the job to the best of their ability. With your permission, we would be glad to set something up for another day to complete the work. We request that you are accessible by phone/email during your appointment in the event we need to reach you.
Service Interference: Meticulous Cleaning has the expectation upon arrival that we will be the only people present other than the owners or caretaker of the home. Should there other services going on during the time of the cleaning and we are unable to do work effectively (i.e. tradesmen, movers, etc), all time spent (cleaning, waiting etc.) are chargeable by the labour hour. Other instances that are chargeable due to circumstances beyond our control include and are not limited to: our staff waiting for movers to clear out contents of the home, any plumbing or electrical issues that are not working or being corrected while we wait, etc. It is your responsibility to ensure the home is free and clear and ready for our staff to work in.
Holidays Hours: Meticulous Cleaning is closed on all statutory holidays. Clients will be contacted to make alternative arrangements for cleans falling on these days.
New Year’s Day – January 1st
Family Day – Third Monday in February
Good Friday – Friday preceding Easter Sunday
Victoria Day – Last Monday preceding May 25th
Canada Day* – July 1st
B.C. Day – First Monday in August
Labour Day – First Monday in September
Thanksgiving Day – Second Monday in October
Remembrance Day – November 11th
Christmas Day – December 25th
Boxing Day – December 26th
Office Hours: Our standard office hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM ‐ 5:00 PM. We aim to respond to calls and emails within 24 hours. Please note, requests after hours will be handled the next business day. For urgent matters, please call (778) 988-7012 or email us at info@meticulouscleaning.ca
PAYMENT
Established Rates: Meticulous Cleaning has the ability to increase its rates at any time during the year – we generally tie our rate increases with minimum wage increases. You will be informed prior to any rate changes for regularly scheduled services. Please note GST is in addition to quoted prices for all products and services.
Forms of payment: Our preferred method of payment is E-transfer. We accept all major credit cards; accept Visa, Amex or MasterCard. We do require a valid credit card number at the time of booking. We may accept alternate forms of payment (on a case‐by‐case basis) however, regardless of payment method, we must have a valid credit card number on file at ALL times, or full payment in advance of the visit. Should there be an overpayment or underpayment, a credit/refund or invoice will be issued. We take a card number for two reasons: firstly, the card will be charged any cancellation or lockout fees regardless of how you choose to pay for your visit should they be incurred and secondly, for a $50 deposit*. By providing your card number, you understand that your card will be charged for these fees in the event a cancellation or lockout takes place, even without a signed form.
Credit Card Pre-Authorization form: We require a Credit Card Authorization form to be signed and emailed to our office at least 48 hours prior to your scheduled cleaning. We will not dispatch our staff without this.
Deposit for first-time and occasional jobs: A credit card number will be taken at the time of booking and a $50 deposit will be charged when you are booked into our schedule. The deposit will be applied as a credit toward your cleaning once completed. The deposit is refundable should you cancel services with a minimum of 72 hours’ notice. Should you book occasional services beyond 3 months (90 days), you will be subject to a $50 deposit and credit card number verification.
Late payment: If full payment is not received within 7 business days of the service taking place (i.e. failure to remit payment, invalid credit card, etc.) the client is subject to an additional service charge of $15.00. Any account in default for more than 30 days may be subject to alternate methods of receiving payment. As payment is due immediately upon invoicing, your next scheduled visit is subject to cancellation until full restitution is made.
ABOUT YOUR CLEANING APPOINTMENT
Cleaning vs. Tidying: We are a professional cleaning company, therefore, our estimated times are based on little or no hindrance to our cleaning. Although we will fold and put away clothes, pick up and put away items etc. this is not accounted for when we provide you with an estimate. If things are not put away, then additional time will be billed for the cleaning. For optimum results within the time quoted, we ask that you spend a few minutes tidying your home before the CE(s) arrive. You know your space the best and where you want everything to go.
Checklists: A comprehensive Meticulous Cleaning checklist is what we follow depending on the service you have booked (Light, Basic, Deep). We strongly encourage you to review it. If there is anything else that you require for your booking that is not listed, this must be discussed with our office at least 48 hours (2 business days) before your visit otherwise we cannot guarantee it will be added to your next service.
Breakage and Damage Policy: The CE(s) are as careful as can be, but from time to time an accident will happen. We do everything we can to correct a situation gone wrong if it was indeed our fault. The only way to build client trust is through integrity, meaning we will alert you to an at‐fault breakage or damage. We will work out a fair solution which involves repairing or replacing the item within reason (or providing a credit in the amount of the breakage). Clients will have 48 hours to report anything broken or damaged in the rare instance that we should fail to do so. In any case, the client and Meticulous Cleaning must resolve the issue within 15 business days (we work very quickly to ensure this). After 15 business days, the case is closed and no compensation will be granted. Meticulous Cleaning cannot take responsibility for anything that is previously damaged. If an item is damaged by a CE, we will leave it for you to see. We cannot guarantee reimbursement or credit for a breakage or damage that is reported after the 48 hour window or any breakage or damage that we cannot physically inspect.
24 Hour Guarantee Policy: We at Meticulous Cleaning hope to not only meet, but exceed our clients' specific needs and requests. Understandable, we are human and errors are inevitable. Our 24 hour Guarantee policy is designed to provide our clients with 100% satisfaction. If the client is unsatisfied with an aspect of the clean based on our original agreements, they can request a return visit up to 24 hours post service. This offer does not apply for any cleaning where the time has been capped or where the cleaning time is actually longer than the quoted time and we have to return to complete the job. Should we not hear from you within 24 hours of service, the guarantee expires. We are unable to issue refunds or credits.
Finishes, fixtures and appliances in your Home: Meticulous Cleaning is not responsible for damage caused by poor or incomplete installation and finishing of floors and countertops, tiles, and other finishes, fixtures (including plumbing), and appliances within your home as well as any breakage or damage caused by other trades people. Our staff are not responsible to try and repair anything, they are not trained to do so. We assume all is ready to clean without damaging or harming the item. Should we notice something amiss, we will let you know. However this is your home and general household maintenance and repair is your responsibility.
OUR OFFICE STAFF & CLEANING EXPERTS (CE)
Our Staff: Meticulous Cleaning clients may not solicit our CE(s) or other employees to be contracted or employed by you or your affiliations for cleaning services of any kind. If you would like to hire/contract one of our workers to work independently for you or your affiliates, you may request such services by informing our office in writing and you will be required to pay a referral fee in advance.
Your Cleaning Expert(s): Your Cleaning Experts have been thoroughly trained and prepared for offering you professional cleaning services. Since consistency is one of the core values of our company, we make every effort to schedule you the same CE(s) at every visit. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we cannot always guarantee the same CE(s). At any given time, there may be a change to your CE(s). To ensure that the CE(s) change maintains the quality you expect from Meticulous Cleaning, we ask you to provide us with any pertinent details to your home to make for an easy transition. Please note, at our discretion we may send any amount of CE(s) to complete the work depending on what we see fit. This will not affect the cost or quality of the cleaning; only the physical amount of time we are in your home.
Gratuities: Clients may wish to leave a gratuity for the CE(s). This is not expected by the CE, nor will the quality of your cleaning change if you don’t leave one. If you wish to leave one, kindly leave a gratuity in an envelope or with a note stating ‘for Meticulous Cleaning’, or add it to your payment on Square.
Change in Personnel: In the event that we have to temporarily or permanently change your CE(s), we will make every effort to notify you of this change and take your preferences into account when assigning a new person to service your home.
Coverage: We provide our employees and clients with several coverage packages to assure the best possible experience. Our employees are covered by the Workplace Safety, as well as covered by a Commercial General Liability package of $5,000,000 and a fidelity and dishonesty bond (meaning we are fully bonded and insured).
INSIDE YOUR HOME
Chemical Policy: Meticulous Cleaning always strive to use less‐toxic product options and we committed to being a healthier and more environmentally‐ conscious cleaning company. At times, we may suggest a stronger solution if we feel that we are not achieving the results that we feel are expected. No chemicals will be used without your consent and approval.
Pets: We do love pets, and we know that pets can behave differently when their parent(s) is (are) not home. Even the most well behaved pet can feel threatened when a vacuum or mop is being used (we have seen this many times). It can leave your pet feeling distressed and lead to a reaction that our staff are not equipped to handle. In order to ensure your pet’s comfort and our safety, we require pets who seem threatened to either be crated or separated in another room while the cleaning takes place. Some clients prefer to be home for the cleaning to ensure there are no problems with the pet. Other options are to have the pet spend time with a dog walker or a neighbour. We reserve the right to leave the premise if we feel our safety is at risk, as it becomes a WorksafeBC issue otherwise. A lockout fee would be charged in this case. Please Note: Meticulous Cleaning staff do NOT walk, feed or clean up urine or feces left from your pet.
Computer equipment, electronics, cables and wires: Today, the set‐up of many homes include all types of electronics and cables. We wish to ensure they are maintained properly and cleaned with care. You may have a certain electronic item or area with cables/wires you wish to be untouched (i.e. a computer, monitor, television, or cable box). We can only do so if informed in advance to be sure these instructions are included on your work order. Kindly let us know of any requests prior to our arrival.
Delicate and valuable items, or confidential areas: We request that clients store all breakables, valuables and important papers in a safe area that will not be cleaned. Please let us know if there are any areas in your home you’d wish for us to avoid. Our CE(s) are all very careful, however we are human and we feel that being safe is better than being sorry. If a request to clean something is made and the CE(s) feel uncomfortable doing this work because they believe the item or surface is not safe for us to clean, we will contact you for further discussion about how to proceed. Please let the office know of these areas in advance of your visit.
Areas serviced during our visit: We have specialized checklists that we follow to ensure you receive the very best service. Unless indicated otherwise, we will clean every area in your home according to the checklist we discuss to the best of our ability in the time that we have estimated or that you have requested (i.e. a 'capped' cleaning). Any exceptions that we have discussed ahead of time will be incorporated in your work order. You also have the opportunity to let us know, at least 48 hours prior to your visit, if there is anything you wish to add to your appointment. Please let the office know if there is something you would like for us to add, be cautious of, or leave out at your visit.
Special request/ add-ons: Special request may include cleaning inside appliances, inside cupboards and closets, interior/exterior windows, etc. We will gladly provide these services within 72 hours prior to your scheduled appointment. This will ensure we have added adequate time to accommodate your request, or discuss an alternate time for your cleaning if extra time cannot be added to your original appointment. Refer to our “Deep Clean” checklist for a complete list of add-ons available.
Service Limitations: The safety of our cleaning experts is of great importance to us. Please understand that we are unable to service the following:
Cleaning higher than 6 feet tall or above a ladders height of 3 steps.
Cleaning in a home that has a severe mold or mildew problem
Cleaning homes that have been infested with bed bugs.
Cleaning in an area that is still under major construction
Cleaning out/changing cat litter boxes.
Handling of feces/urine/vomit/bodily fluids from pets or humans.
Cleaning floors by hand in areas larger than a 10x10 space.
Lifting or moving of heavy items, over 20 LBS.
Cleaning couches or carpet
Cleaning fireplaces
Cleaning Garburators
Disposal of compost
Sorting recycling (additional charge)
Cleaning BBQ
Cleaning ceilings
In the event that any of these issues do exist, we would suggest you call in a professional to handle such areas. It is your responsibility to alert Meticulous Cleaning if any of these issues exist – CE(s) do have the right to refuse any work which they are uncomfortable doing.
MAILING LISTS: By becoming a client of Meticulous Cleaning you are accepting to add your email to our mailing list. This mailing list will be used to send out booking reminders, newsletters, and special deals. We will not share your details with anyone, it will only be used for internal marketing purposes and direct communications. You can opt-out at any time by contacting info@meticulouscleaning.ca.