HURRICANE, W.Va. -- Entering her 13th year of providing services to Cabell, Kanawha and Putnam counties, Teays Maids' owner Barbi Davis and her team of professionals have turned the woes of house cleaning into a science.
In 1995, life circumstances presented Davis with the opportunity of becoming her own boss. The married mother of three was looking for a way to contribute to her family's income because her husband's employment was uncertain at the time. After researching the market needs in her area, she came up with the idea of providing a housekeeping service, something she knew was wanted in her community. Just over a decade later, Davis has been well pleased to see her business grow into one of the largest residential cleaning services in the Charleston-Huntington area.
Services range from an initial deep cleaning, to maintenance cleaning on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis.
With years of experience under her belt, Davis and her team have developed a system of cleaning and procedures that her customers seem to appreciate. If you have been considering hiring a cleaning service to help you better manage your home, Davis suggests there are a few basic tips for making the process simple while still getting the results you expect.
First, she says customers should look for a company with a solid reputation.
"We offer any new customer the option of speaking with a current customer," Davis said. That allows the prospective customer to get a real feel for what to expect.
Next is the need for flexibility. Davis said that life is not always set in stone, and schedules sometimes change, meaning you want a company that can adjust to your needs. That is why Teays Maids does not require a contract, and it allows customers to set up a regular schedule and change it as frequently as they need to.
"We simply ask for several days' notice before their next scheduled cleaning if a change is to be made. We can work with almost anyone's schedule," Davis said.
Davis said the customer does not have to be home for Teays Maids to clean. All employees are insured, bonded and covered by workers' compensation, so customers "can feel secure allowing our staff to come clean their home while they are at work or play."
Another factor is training. You want to have workers in your home who know what they're doing and are familiar with the equipment and products they are using. In addition, all employees should be trained on what products should be used throughout various places in the home to ensure the best cleaning results.
Teays Maids has 23 employees forming seven teams -- six day teams and one evening crew -- and is gearing up to launch an eighth team soon.
"If we have employees that are absent because of illness, we have the staff and means to revamp that day's schedule and still provide the service we have promised to our customers," Davis said.
The teams utilize one of seven company vehicles.
Davis said that under normal circumstances, the same team of trained staff will remain assigned to a particular home. "The only exception is in an emergency situation where we squeeze someone onto the schedule last-minute."
Davis feels that a team effort is required for her business to remain successful. This includes the help of general manager Megan Morell, who does personal walk-throughs with nearly every new customer to determine the particular needs. Yvonne Ginn, staff supervisor and head of quality control, does random quality checks on the teams as they work. Their work is essential to maintaining the day-to-day operations so that Davis has time to concentrate on administrative duties along with her new environmental company, Safe Environmental Alternatives, which specializes in water and air purification.
"We really try to focus on a family-oriented environment and have fun. We do a lot of in-house promotional things to keep things lively and keep that team spirit because if your employees are happy, it makes their job easier and they're going to enjoy it more and make your customers happy," Davis said.
In addition to residential services, an evening crew is also available to clean for businesses after hours.
Davis said with spring just around the corner, now is time for people to make arrangements for spring-cleaning needs.
For more information, call Teays Maids, (304) 757-4848 or visit teaysmaids.com.
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