You can't deal with your dirty windows for one more day, so you have decided that you are going to hire a window cleaning service. Window cleaning services are a great way to save you time, keep you safe and make your house sparkle. However, before you hire the first truck that drives by your house, there are a few things you should check on first.
Much like anything else, the cost of getting your windows cleaned is not going to fluctuate too much regardless of who you hire. So if you are feeling like you are getting a price that is "too good to be true", chances are you're right. Here are a few things to check before you hire the wrong person.
Reviews
Let's face it in the year 2020 many unemployed (or underemployed) workers have turned to Gig work to fill in the gap, and while we have nothing against the new gig economy, hiring someone to come clean your windows that doesn't know what they are doing could spell disaster for you and your house. Before you invite a window cleaning service to come into your house, take a moment and read some of their reviews. You can easily find reviews on Google, Yelp, and Facebook.
Better Business Bureau
Not every business is a member of the BBB (Better Business Bureau), but this can be a great tool to see if anyone has launched any complaints against the company you are looking to hire. It is free. All you need to do is go to www.bbb.org and look up the company you are considering. Even if there is not much information there, sometimes
no news is good news. If you see a lot of activity (complaints) you should probably consider someone else.
Nextdoor
Have you visited www.nextdoor.com ? Often your neighbors can be the best source for finding a trusted window cleaning service. If you have not already signed up for Nextdoor, signing up is easy and you can quickly get added to your neighborhood. From there, you can easily ask your neighbors for recommendations on window cleaning services, solar panel cleaning services or just about anything else. Your neighbors will be quick to tell you about their experiences with a specific company and quick as they are to tell you all the good things, they are often even quicker to tell you who they would stay away from.
Last but most important!
There is one final thing to do to make sure that the company you are hiring is the right fit for you. Call them and ask these three questions:
1) Do you have a business license?
Any company that is doing business should have a valid business license for the city they are working in (ask to see their business license for your city). If the person you are about to hire is not able to supply you with a copy of their business license for your city there is a good chance they are not quite as legit as you may have thought.
2) Do you carry General Liability Insurance?
It is important that whoever you select carries a minimum of a $1,000,000 general liability insurance policy. This is key to making sure that you are protected against anything that they may do while on your property. Window Cleaning can be an inherently dangerous activity. If you choose a company that is not properly insured, you can end up getting stuck with the bill should they accidently cause damage to your neighbor's house or someone walking by. Don't just take their word for it. Ask them to supply you with a Certificate of Insurance. (extra points if you have them add you as an additional insured). Any business that has the proper coverage should be able to supply you with this information.
3) Do you carry Worker's Compensation Coverage?
Many homeowner's policies contain some type of coverage for occasional workers and you can always check with your broker to see if you have this coverage, but do you really want to be the one responsible if a worker hurts themselves on your property? Like we said before, Window Cleaning and Solar Panel Cleaning can be an inherently dangerous activity. If the person you are hiring is properly insured they should be able to have their carrier send you proof of their policy. We don't suggest letting anyone work on your property without making sure they have the proper coverage.