Welcome Packet

Welcome to ROYALTY! Today is the best day ever because it is the day your life changes. When you decide to join the Sparkling Queens family, we start the process of getting to know you, your needs, your home, and your fur babies. We want to develop a relationship with you so we can bring true joy to your home, and you’ll never spend another evening or weekend worried about the cleaning.

We are a female-owned, small business, that loves to provide amazing job opportunities and give back to our community. Our owner is a military spouse and special needs mom, so we understand that cleaning is a necessity for busy families like yours. We pride ourselves on being able to offer top-notch service that fits your life, is reliable, and makes your evenings and weekends so much more enjoyable.

Since we’re just getting to know each other, there are a few important things that we want you to know about us! Communication is very important to us, so please let us know if you ever have any questions!

Time Estimates: The time that we estimate (especially for your first cleaning) is just that, an estimate. Most of the time we are spot-on with how long a clean is going to take, but since we can quote over the phone, sometimes your home needs more attention than we anticipated. It is extremely important to ensure that your home is picked up and prepared for the clean before we arrive. This means that your floors are free of toys and laundry, counters are free of mail or beauty products, your sink is free of dishes, and the home has been generally picked up so we can spend time doing the cleaning. Once we can do a walkthrough of your home, it may become apparent that we will need extra time for an additional cost. If this is the case, we will give you a call to let you know how much longer we will be there, and you can decide to approve the additional charges. If you prefer, we can also stop within the original time frame under the expectation that not everything will be done-we will simply complete as much as possible within that time frame.

Scheduling and arrival times: We do our very best to adhere to a precise schedule, but in this business, time fluctuates. Some jobs take less time than expected, some take more. Drive time can fluctuate due to things like construction, accidents, and traffic. Thus we operate on a flex-arrival time basis similar to other home services like AC service companies or cable companies. Our morning appointments are scheduled for 8:30 am (9 am on Fridays due to a weekly meeting), but please be prepared for our team to arrive within an hour on either side of your scheduled arrival time. Afternoon appointments are scheduled after morning appointments, but we can certainly have our cleaner let you know when they are on the way just let us know so we can update their work order.

Billing: We are paperless and require a credit or debit card on file (this information will be collected when you make your first appointment) – rest assured, our payment processor does so through secure encryption so your information will be safe. For your first clean, we do charge a 50% deposit to reserve your cleaning date. If the cleaning cannot be completed because the client failed to comply with the aforementioned terms and conditions, this payment is non-refundable. You will be billed automatically to the card on file upon completion of each service. Accounts will be considered overdue if payment is not made within 5 business days and will be assessed a 10% late fee. We’re always looking for ways to make your life easier, so no need to worry about remembering to pay your bill!

Satisfaction Guarantee: Making your life easier is why we do what we do! We will complete a final walkthrough with you at the end of your cleaning. This is your opportunity to be picky, and we appreciate the opportunity to correct any areas that may have been missed. If you are unable to be present for a final walk-through, please let us know within 24 hours if there is a particular area that was not completed to your satisfaction and we will schedule a sparkler to return to your home and touch up the particular areas that you have brought to our attention free of charge.

Special Requests/Additions: As we’ve mentioned, we’re looking to meet your needs, and we know not everyone’s needs are the same. Let us know about special requests ahead of your cleaning, so we can add any special instructions to the work order to ensure your cleaner has enough time to complete your cleaning.

Protecting Your Valuables: To avoid accidental breakage, please secure valuables, fragile collectibles, and irreplaceable family heirlooms. We request you place these items in a cabinet or drawer, or we can make a note on your worksheet not to touch them. Please ensure that all wax melt devices are turned off to avoid damage. Sparkling Queens will not touch potentially sensitive paperwork or documents. Please remove these items before  the day of cleaning. Sparkling Queens takes great care while cleaning your home, but occasionally accidents do happen. The cleaning team will leave a note or inform you of the breakage. The office will follow up with a phone call to determine the best course of action.

Sparkling Queens is not responsible for breakage due to normal wear and tear, deterioration caused by age or  weather, or damage caused by improper assembly, construction, or mounting of an item (EX: blinds, pictures, fan blades, light fixtures, etc.)

Customers have 24 hours to report damaged or broken items. After 24 hours the customer assumes responsibility for the broken item.

Sparkling Queens is not responsible for damage incurred by the improper installation of any object. All surfaces are assumed sealed. If you know of any surface not sealed, you must notify us so that we may clean it properly. Sparkling Queens does not use bleach, ammonia, or other harsh chemicals.

Recurring Cleaning Appointments: Weekly appointments take place on the same day and time of day each week. Biweekly appointments take place on the same day and time of day every other week. Monthly appointments take place on the same day of the week and time of day every four weeks. Monthly cleanings do not always occur on the same date of each month (for example, if your clean is scheduled for March 19^th, your next clean will be 4 weeks from that date rather than on April 19^th). Please note that should you have to reschedule your recurring appointment, this does not change your recurring schedule as we cannot guarantee your preferred cleaner.

Cancellation Policy: If you cancel or reschedule your appointment within 48 business hours of your appointment date, you will be responsible for 50% of the quoted cost of your service. If we are unable to access your home or you are unprepared for the cleaning, this will be considered a lockout cancellation, and you will be charged 100% of the cost of the booked service. Cancellation within a day puts us in jeopardy of having a gap in our schedule that could have been filled by someone else, and it can leave our sparklers without work. We thank you greatly in advance for your understanding and cooperation. Cancellation fees will be charged automatically to the card on file. Please review our updated skip/reschedule/cancel policy,

Pets: Sparkling Queens is a pet-friendly service and is perfectly happy to service your family, including all your fur (and non-fur) babies.  Please note: Sparkling Queens will not be able to clean a home with an aggressive pet. You know your pets best, so if you have concerns about behavior, anxiety, running out the door, being too close to the cleaner, or walking all over wet floors, please note that it is your responsibility as a pet owner to make the best decision when your house cleaner is coming. If necessary, please crate your pet and/or let us know if there is a pet secured in an area of the home that we should not clean. We appreciate you keeping your pets and our sparklers safe.

Choosing the Right Cleaning Service: We ask that you pay close attention to the service description when choosing and booking a service. If you have questions before booking, don’t hesitate to reach out and discuss them with us! Our team has performed thousands of cleanings and is well-equipped to recognize the work required of a particular job, almost immediately upon arrival. Upon arrival, if it is apparent a different service level is required (for example: you booked a general cleaning and upon arrival, our team observes excess dust and would need much thorough cleaning, the service you’d need is a deep-cleaning.), our cleaning team will report back to the office and you will be notified of additional time/cost. With your approval, the team will proceed with the visit with the necessary adjustments. Additionally, please take note of the services that we do not perform or are only performed for an additional fee.

Adequate Property Access & Working Conditions: We must be able to access your property at the time of arrival, and there must be running hot water, electricity, air conditioning, and toilets must be working. If our team arrives and is unable to gain access to the property at the scheduled arrival time, or there is no running water, AC, or electricity, you will automatically be charged 50% of your estimate and our team will reach out to reschedule.

We are not biohazard equipped: We understand that in the cleaning of bathrooms, for example, we may encounter trace levels of human urine or feces. However, beyond trace amounts, our team does not use bleach and is not equipped for the cleanup of bodily fluids or feces (human or animal). Additionally, we are not equipped to deal with mold remediation. If you have a situation requiring significant feces cleanup, blood, mold, etc. you will need to hire a team with that specific specialty.

Misrepresentation of Property Condition: We get it, life happens. Perhaps the condition of the property has changed since you requested your estimate, or you misunderstood some of the questions during the quoting process. If our team arrives and it’s immediately apparent that the job will require more than the estimated time, we will reach out to you by phone with a couple of options. If time allows in the schedule, we can add additional time to the cleaning for an additional cost. However, if time does not permit, we will reach out with rescheduling options. If the property condition is outside of our scope of services including (but not limited to) large amounts of clutter, areas that are not temperature controlled, blood/feces/mold, excessive scent/evidence of cigarette or other smoke, lack of access to hot water or electricity, or unsafe pets, we will not be able to complete the clean, and we will retain your 50% deposit.

Protecting our Sparklers (Cleaning Technicians): Sparkling Queens makes a significant investment in recruiting, certifying, and training only the most qualified cleaning specialists. In consideration of this opportunity, each cleaning technician signs a non-compete agreement that prohibits him or her from working directly with our clients. We ask that our clients abide by this same measure. By accepting our service, you agree neither to solicit, directly or indirectly, nor hire any current or former Sparkling Queens technician who has provided services to your home, without the expressed written consent of Sparkling Queens.

Sparkling Queens reserves the right to cancel any service, at any time, for any reason. Racism, sexism, disrespect, discrimination, or any form of harassment or abusive behavior toward our staff will result in immediate and permanent termination of service.

Sparkling Queens specialists do not use ladders other than the small step ladder we provide, climb up on furniture, or move any heavy items to protect us and our staff from injury. If you would like to clean behind heavy objects, please move them before your cleaning.

• Due to safety regulations, our cleaners must wear non-slip shoes at all times. They cannot remove their shoes at any point during the job. If you prefer that their shoes be covered, please let us know so we can provide shoe covers.
• Due to OSHA regulations, please make sure your home is 68-76 degrees. We do not clean areas that are not temperature-controlled.
• We are not able to complete fireplace cleanings.
• Due to sanitary and hygiene cross-contamination issues, we are unable to clean areas or homes with live infestations (maggots, fleas, roaches, bedbugs, etc.) until mitigated.
• To ensure the safety of our cleaning technicians and to protect the integrity of the clean, we will not be able to complete a clean when another service provider is present, and you will be charged the full amount of the clean. This means, that please schedule your painter, Comcast guy, or drywall repairman not to come during your scheduled cleaning.

Stay Connected: Be sure to “like” Sparkling Queens on Facebook and follow us on Instagram! If you come home on your cleaning day, the best day ever, snap a picture and tag us! We love to see you sparkle!

• On that note. Please be aware our team does take before and after photos of their work. We also work with a local photographer to often photograph our staff while working. First as a method of team building and accountability. Across teams, our team members like to encourage one another, share tips and tricks, etc., and congratulate one another on particular impressive feats Also a primary way we promote our business is to show samples of our work.  Photos get placed into one secure folder and are anonymous (not attached to the customer's name or address). We never take photos of photos that include people, or anything that would be personally identifiable.

We know that was a lot! We appreciate you taking the time to get acquainted with some of our processes and policies. Reach out if you need anything; we’re so excited to help you become more joyful!

If you have a move clean scheduled with us, please review a couple of additional notes specific to move cleanings.

• Please have the premises vacated of all furniture, debris, and trash. Should our team arrive and anything is left in the home, the team will not complete the cleaning, and you will be charged the full balance.
• Sparkling Queens does not professionally clean carpets. We also do not spot-clean carpets. Carpets are vacuumed only, but we would love to recommend our preferred carpet cleaner to you if you’d like.
• Sparkling Queens only removes dust and cobwebs from corners. We do not clean or wipe walls due to paint and finishes varying.
• Sparkling Queens does not clean areas where there is mold. We would be happy to refer you to a mold-cleaning specialist.
• Please run the self-clean cycle on your oven the day before or arrival. This helps with a more time-efficient cleaning process and helps to eliminate baked-on stains that are hard to remove.
• Sparkling Queens is not able to pull appliances away from the wall due to the risk of pulling hoses or water lines and causing damage. If you would like areas behind appliances to be cleaned, please have the appliances pulled out before our arrival.
• Premises must be reviewed when the move-out clean is complete by either the owner or realtor in charge of managing the move-out clean. Sparkling Queens will not return to the home once the cleaning is complete if no one is available to review the cleaning at its time of completion. With empty homes, dust continues to fall as doors are opened and closed, and often many people have access to the home that can track items through freshly cleaned areas. We would prefer that the client or realtor review the home after the cleaning.