Service Bond

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Most businesses seeking cleaning service and some clients looking for a house cleaner will request proof of a bonded company or a bonded cleaner before the start of service. What is a service bond and how will it benefit the parties involved? Let’s first take a closer look at how bonding promotes successful enterprises:

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• It holds business owners to higher industry standards and safer house cleaning procedures.

• It limits unlicensed house cleaners from gaining access the cleaning industry, thus limiting competition and evens the playing field for  businesses

• It strengthens consumer confidence in case something gets damaged or stolen

Now let’s take a look at what a service bond means.

According to wiki a Business Service bond is defined as:

“…surety bonds which seek to safeguard a bonded entity's clients from theft. ... A business service bond allows the bonded entity's client to claim on the surety bond when the client's property has been stolen by the bonded entity…”

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Regardless of the amount experience a company or person have, accidents can and do happen, and things get damaged.  This is when a service bond comes into play. So if company without a service bond breaks your flat screen while performing service, they may be required to reimburse you the fair market value of the set. Some may expect a brand new item even if the one broken was 5 years old and worth about half its original value. Well, that is up to you and the company to discuss. Most service providers will pay a partial reimbursement, even if they lack a bond. This may be the fair market value of the item on the day of the incident or the maximum the service bond is for. However, we’ve met several clients whose previous service provider just skipped town instead of dealing with the situation.

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Now, let’s say a bonded service company or bonded cleaner breaks the same flat screen. According to each specific service agreement, the person or company providing service will reimburse the fair market value back to the client. Keep in mind that each company will set a limit they are able and willing to pay out per occurrence.  So, if an item is damaged that exceeds the bond amount limit set by the company, you will be in a grey area of the law. Keep in mind that many companies will limit the service bond per occurrence to under $200 per incident. Knowing that, it is also a good idea to point out any items that exceed the amount of the bond to the prospective provider, just so extra care is taken when cleaning around these items. Also, to minimize the risk of breakage of high priced items, it is also a good idea to hide them on the day of the cleaning service.

In conclusion, it is a benefit for every customer to do business with a person or company that has a service bond in place.  Just remember to ask for a copy of the bond, make sure it is current and the bond amount fits your specific house cleaning service needs.