Linda's Cleaning Specialties

We were initially pleased with Linda's services but our fourth cleaner, Drew, failed to adequately clean the:

- kitchen appliances;
- shelves in the kitchen;
- dish drying and spice racks;
- mildew and soap scum in the bathrooms, especially the grout;
- shower and tub;
- baby's bedroom including the floor behind the laundry basket, under the crib, behind the rocker, and next to the diaper pail;
- dust in the living room;
- behind, next to, and under the couch; and
- glass and mirrors (were not streak-free).

Although out home initially looked clean, further investigations revealed that significant portions were left out.

We contacted Linda to request Drew not be sent to our home for future cleanings. At no time did we ask for a re-clean, refund, or to be compensated.

We understand that cleaning requires significant work and at no time did we seek to undermine the work that Drew had completed. Our primary concern was that he had completed half the work in twice the amount of time as did the previous cleaners sent by Linda.

What earns Linda's Cleaning Specialties a 1/5 stars is the way Linda conducted herself in managing client expectations.

In following up, Linda requested that she look at Drew's work. She requested that she come by our home on a Sunday afternoon.

My husband and I have a one year-old and two full-time jobs. We are both lawyers and volunteer our time in addition to our day jobs. On a Sunday afternoon, we are taking care of our child, cleaning up after lunch, prepping meals for the week, catching up on laundry, and trying to squeeze in some family time before prepping for the 50-70+ hour work week we have ahead (usually by doing some work-related tasks Sunday evening).

Sunday afternoon does not work well for us. So we agreed to Sunday evening at 7 pm. We felt it would be worthwhile to address the issues, point to the deficiencies, and otherwise establish a positive rapport so that the same mistakes would not be made in the future.

Linda arrived late at approximately 7:30 pm.

She followed us through our home and noted the deficiencies left behind by Drew. Then she proceeded to explain why it was, in essence, our fault.

Linda noted that Drew had cleaned from 1:00 pm to 5:50 pm when he was scheduled to clean from 1:00 pm to 5:30 pm. We had apparently received 20 minutes of free cleaning services.

Linda neglected to note that she had in fact advised us Drew would be taking a 30 minute lunch break, which would extend the cleaning time. Drew did not take a lunch break, so the extra time was considered free "cleaning" time for us. Despite the fact that we expected the cleaning to be completed at 5:30 pm and had to reschedule our evening plans to account for the cleaner being in our home longer than originally scheduled.

Linda then proceeded to explain that because more than two months had lapsed between our current clean and our last clean, she should have charged the "first time" rate instead of the "regular" rate. This is because more dirt, grime, etc. would have accumulated, which would necessitate a deeper clean.

We advised the reason we had not requested her cleaning services sooner was because we were away for large portions of the summer. Although the time span was longer, the dirt should not have been significantly more because our home was empty. But sure, fair enough. Longer time lapse = more dirt = higher rate.

Then charge us the higher rate. We would have been pleased to pay the higher rate to get the same level of cleanliness. Just let us know prior to the cleaning being undertaken and we will make the necessary arrangements. Don't point to what you should have charged to make excuses for what you should have done.

So at this point, Linda has made the problem our fault by (1) advising that we got 20 minutes of free cleaning; and (2) advising that we should have paid more. She then concludes that there is nothing "more" she can do in terms of mitigating the problem, i.e. she cannot send out a cleaner for re-clean, spot clean, or make good the loss in any way.

Wait. What?

All we had asked is that Drew not be sent out in the future. We hadn't asked for a re-clean, refund, or to be compensated

We've already taken this time for what it is: a lapse, maybe a miscommunication. We understand the work has already been done and it is what it is. We only wanted her to address the issue in the future. Maybe apologize.

No, not Linda. Why take responsibility when you don't have to?

As it is, we will not be using Linda's Cleaning Specialties again in the future. And we don't recommend you use her either. There are better companies out there. Definitely better customer service.

The time she spent showing up late, interrupting our Sunday, looking at our home, blaming the problem on us, and causing aggravation -- that's 1.3 billable hours in law land and invaluable good-night-cuddles in parent land.

This is my first ever YELP review so that should say something about this company. I was in a super bind needing services within 24 hours and Linda came through. She was reliable, responsible, and efficient in finding someone to come out in under 12 hours. Dawn was amazing! She worked quickly and efficiently. I was worried about time and she managed to get everything I had needed done. I would definitely use Linda's services again.