Frequently Asked Questions

Look here for the answers

What is the company philosophy?
What are your hours?
What other information can you tell me about your services provided?
Do you offer any additional services?
What can I do to help DSCC?
How will rate changes be handled?
What are my payment options?
Do I have to pay sales tax?
Can I tip for excellent work?
What type equipment and supplies does DSCC use?
What about Quality Control?
What time can I expect DSCC to arrive on my scheduled day?
What if something is broken or damaged?
What about general safety?
What do I need to do to allow you access to my home?
Is there any more information I need to know about keys?
What about my pet?
Are there any parking requirements?
What about holidays and vacations?
What if I need to cancel my appointment?
Are any late fees or fees for returned checks?
What if I have additional questions or comments?

  1. What is the company philosophy? Top

    Desert Sky Custom Cleaning, herein referred to as DSCC, is a quality cleaning company. We use a variety of cleaning products, accommodating each customer's individual needs. We provide you with a clean surrounding and healthy home; clean and safe for you, your children, your pets, and of course, our environment.

    Further, we believe that mutual respect and clear communication are the keys to maintaining a great relationship with our clients. We hope that this agreement helps foster this respect and communication with you.
  2. What are your hours? Top

    Our contact hours are: Monday - Friday: 9:00 am - 7:00 pm
    Our service hours are: Monday - Friday: 10:00 am -5:00 pm
    (Service outside of above hours may be available upon request)

    Commercial service hours are by appointment and based on your business needs

    A voice mailbox will be active whenever we are not available to immediately answer your call (we turn the cell phone off when doing walk-through appointments and cleaning jobs) and we will call you back as soon as possible.

    If you need us urgently on the weekend we can help you out, but we prefer email as the best method of contact. Phone calls may go to voicemail, so please leave us a message and expect a return call the following business day.
  3. What other information can you tell me about your services provided? Top

    We will perform the cleaning tasks as scheduled on the attached checklist. We have a 2 hour timeframe. Please note that we provide you with an estimate before we start to clean. If the amount of time needed to clean your home differs significantly from the estimate, then an adjustment of the price will be necessary. Also, if the conditions in your home change (for example additional pets or people living in your home), a price or service revision will be necessary.

    We clean in groups of two to three maids. At NO TIME will there be only one maid in your home, either by request or by staffing shortages. This is for your safety and ours, and we appreciate your cooperation and understanding. Details can be found HERE
  4. Do you offer any additional services? Top

    We are happy to provide you with additional services (i.e. cleaning the inside of the oven/refrigerator/cupboards, cleaning the interior windows, if accessible). Additional tasks need to be requested in advance, so DSCC can schedule the additional time and supplies needed. Additional fees are incurred when additional services are needed. Details can be found HERE
  5. What can I do to help DSCC? Top

    In order to keep our prices as low as possible, it is important for us to have uninterrupted access to the areas of your home that we will be cleaning. Every effort is made to work safely and cautiously, but we cannot assume liability for the safety of others. This includes children and pets. We need to be able to work freely and without distractions. If we are subject to distractions that affect our ability to perform our work in a timely manner, we reserve the right to charge for extra time spent in your home. We ask that you pick up toys, clothing or other items before we arrive so the time we spend in your home can be as efficient as possible.
  6. How will rate changes be handled? Top

    DSCC reserves the right to re-evaluate the rates at any time to allow for business-related costs such as gas and travel time increases, and other cost increases. You will be notified of any rate changes 14 days in advance.
  7. What are my payment options? Top

    Payment is due the day of each scheduled cleaning and must be presented before services are rendered. There are NO EXCEPTIONS to this policy. We accept cash, checks (made payable to "Desert Sky Custom Cleaning"), and can invoice your credit card via PayPal one day in advance via our website( HERE). Monthly prepaid services receive a 5% discount if paid by the 4th of each month. If you pay by cash or check, please leave it in an envelope on your kitchen counter, clearly marked for DSCC.
  8. Do I have to pay sales tax? Top

    If you live in an area where sales tax applies, you will be responsible for the tax amount.
  9. Can I tip for excellent work? Top

    Tipping is neither required nor expected. If you do choose to leave a tip, please make it clear that it is such and leave it on the outside of the envelope with your payment. Our staff is not allowed to take any money that would not be clearly marked as a tip.
  10. What type equipment and supplies does DSCC use? Top

    We provide our own cleaning supplies and equipment. We prefer, however, to use our clients' vacuums for hygienic reasons if allergies are a concern. All the cloths and equipment we use are fresh and clean when we start to work in your home. If you would like us to use your own equipment, we will be happy to do so, but we cannot be held liable for breakage.
  11. What about Quality Control? Top

    We at DSCC want to be sure that you are consistently happy with our service, but we are human and a mistake might occur. Please notify us within 24 hours of your cleaning if you are displeased with the quality of service so that we can return to correct the situation in a timely manner without additional charge. In addition, any suggestions that you may have to help us improve the quality of service are very much appreciated.
  12. What time can I expect DSCC to arrive on my scheduled day? Top

    Due to the time consuming, unpredictable nature of cleaning, DSCC cannot guarantee the exact time of arrival. We require the flexibility to arrive and depart between the hours of 8:00 am to 3:00 pm. However, for your convenience we can give you an estimated block of time to expect our arrival; however, we reserve the right to arrive earlier or later than the estimated arrival time due to circumstances beyond our control such as traffic conditions, etc. If we arrive for a scheduled service to find we are unable to access your home, a lock out fee, equal to the cost of the cleaning, will be charged. We encourage all our clients to issue us keys so that lock-outs will not be an issue.
  13. What if something is broken or damaged? Top

    We are bonded and insured and we take great care when cleaning your home, however, accidents can happen. If you notice breakage/damage, note that you must notify us immediately, so that we may take the appropriate action. Items of extreme value (monetary or sentimental) should be dusted or cleaned by the customer. Please note that antiques, irreplaceable one-of-a-kind and hard-to-find items are not covered by our breakage and loss policy. We suggest that such items be moved to a safe location on the day of your cleaning. We cannot be responsible for breakage of items which are unstable or in an unstable environment. All surfaces are assumed sealed and ready to be cleaned without causing harm. Key replacement/locksmith fees are paid only if keys are lost or miscoded.
  14. What about general safety? Top

    For safety reasons, we do not move anything weighing more than 25 lbs. If you wish us to clean behind anything heavy such as a couch, please move it prior to service to allow us access to that area. We do only use a two-step ladder. Wherever windows, furniture or fans are affected we do what is within reach with a two step ladder or extension pole.

    For our safety and the safety of all our clients, please notify us by telephone, at least 24 hours prior to scheduled service, of any infectious diseases that occur in your household. DSCC reserves the right to cancel and re-schedule in such circumstances.

    For our safety, all firearms in a client's home must be stored and locked.
  15. What do I need to do to allow you access to my home? Top

    If you have an alarm system, please be sure that it is turned off before we enter your home. We encourage all of our clients to issue us a key. If you choose not to issue us a key you can leave a key with a neighbor for us to pick up, after which we will return when we have finished our service. You can also give us the code for the alarm system of your garage door or hide a key in an agreed-upon place.
  16. Is there any more information I need to know about keys? Top

    You can provide us with a key that will be labelled with a unique client ID number and locked away for safety when not in use.
  17. What about my pet? Top

    We take pride in being a pet-friendly service and take special care in making your pet feel comfortable during our cleaning process. However, we do need to make sure that safety of our employees and staff are addressed. If you have aggressive pets, please secure them during our service. Please make sure, however, that we still can access all necessary rooms in order to do the scheduled work. We do not clean animal or human feces, urine, vomit or other biohazards. This includes feline litter boxes and dog kennels.
  18. Are there any parking requirements? Top

    We ask you to provide us with a parking possibility next to your home so that we have easy access to the equipment and supplies in our vehicle.
  19. What about holidays and vacations? Top

    DSCC will be closed for regular business during all national holidays unless specifically requested in advance. Fees will be increased 25% for services on national holidays. DSCC also observes 2 weeks vacation during school summer vacation. If your cleaning visit falls on a holiday, every effort will be made to re-schedule your visit for the same or following week, but this cannot be guaranteed. When the client goes on vacation, DSCC will offer a no fee cancellation of regular cleanings when a note of at least 7 days is given. DSCC reserves the right to charge a fee for any cancellation with less than 7 days advance notice.
  20. What if I need to cancel my appointment? Top

    You may reschedule, add, skip or cancel any of your cleanings. We understand that an unforeseen event may occur which will create a need to cancel your scheduled cleaning appointment. If, for any reason, you need to change your scheduled appointment, please give us a full 48 hours notice. Once we take a reservation, we hold that time slot open for you and turn away other potential clients in order to ensure your appointment. In the event of a cancellation of less than 48 hours of notice a cancellation fee of $50 will be charged. The client agrees to pay the entire cost of the cleaning in full for any visit cancelled by them on the day of the cleaning. This applies as well to visits aborted by our staff when unable to gain access to your home due to being locked out, or if, for any reason, a staff member feels that his/her personal safety is endangered enough to cause him/her to leave the jobsite due to actions by the client, guests, or pets on the premises. The client will remain liable for the full cost of the non-performed service.
  21. Are any late fees or fees for returned checks? Top

    Please note that all services performed require payment up front at the time of services. If we arrive and there is no payment, we will contact you for a credit card number. If we cannot contact you, we will reschedule your appointment at that time and you will be billed for our time. (Please see above about cancellations) We will not be able to start our scheduled cleaning until payment has been made in full. However, if there is a billing issue, a $25.00 non-payment fee will be incurred if payment is not made in full on the scheduled service day, and a $25.00 fee is applied to all returned checks if made good within three days of notification. Checks not made good within three days are subject to a fee of up to five times the amount of the check.
  22. What if I have additional questions or comments? Top

    To ensure that all your needs are considered, please address all requests and changes directly to Jamila Miqbel at Desert Sky Custom Cleaning.