Pop quiz: How much do you really know about the people you hire to work in and around your home? Through casual conversations you may know where they live, their children’s names and ages. You might know someone for whom they’ve done work or have a friend or acquaintance in common (that’s probably how you found out about them in the first place).
But, what do you really know about your landscaper, electrician, painter, plumber, the cable guy, the guy who fixes your appliances, or the person who cleans your home each week (and to whom you have given a key!)? Are they financially responsible? Have they ever fallen into legal trouble or veered over the line into petty criminal behavior? And what do you really know about the people your service providers employ or how they go about hiring them?
Statistically speaking, there is a high probability that all of the service providers who come into your home are upstanding, law-abiding citizens. They work, right? And perhaps everyone should be forgiven the minor transgressions of their teenage years. But, while you don’t need to be paranoid, you can at least be sensible. As a homeowner and customer, it is always your right to inquire about your service provider’s hiring and other business practices that-if not executed properly and consistently-can create financial liability, even danger, for you and your family.
Five critical sets of questions to ask:
• Hiring practices. How and where do you source new employees? Do you check personal references? Do you conduct criminal background checks? Do you verify your employees are legal to work in the U.S.? And do you use credible sources for background checks?
• Tax practices. Do you have a federal employer’s tax ID number? Are all of your employees of the W-2 variety? Do you pay all FICA, social security, unemployment insurance, and other required tax withholding for yourself and for your employees?
• Bonding and insurance practices. Are your employees bonded and insured to cover any damage to or theft of my property? Are you and your employees covered by workers’ compensation insurance in the event someone gets injured while working on my property?
• Certification and training practices. Do your employees have all the required professional training and certifications to conduct the work I am hiring them to do? And if there is no required certification, do you offer employees training to ensure the protection of my assets?
• Security practices (for instances where service providers require unsupervised access to your home). How will you store my key? Who will know that you have it and where it is kept? How will my key be marked? And how susceptible will it be to loss, duplication, or theft?
Do not be afraid to ask these questions! If a home service provider is not paying their taxes or insuring their employees properly, you can be financially liable for back taxes, penalties, interest, and for loss or damage to your own property. Also, when you show you are savvy in the hiring process, your service provider is more likely to treat you with respect in other areas, for example, in assessing the work you need done or in quoting you fair rates.
Something else to consider: Best business and employment practices cost business owners money. In order to cut costs, many independent businesses or individuals skip the necessary precautionary measures of running criminal and personal background checks on their employees, thus attracting less than reputable employees to these smaller shop businesses. The benefits and job security provided by a more reputable company tend to attract and retain reputable employees that are keen to their stature in the employment screening process. If a home service provider quotes you a rate that is substantially below market or below their competitors, the difference is likely to be in their operating costs. So, don’t just take ‘yes’ for an answer to the above questions. Ask for documentation! If a potential service provider gets
offended or tells you it is none of your business, they could be getting ready to sweep THEIR dirt under YOUR rug.
Maid Pro
239-596-5200
www.maidpro.com