The idea of having to clean your home is not something that gets anyone excited is it? It’s something we are all too familiar with and it’s exhausting! What more if you have to do it once or twice a week depending on how big your household is (or how messy :) ). Just thinking about having to dust, sweep or vacuum, mop and tidy on top of work, and all the other things you have to do for the home, will drive anyone to look for alternative solutions. The most obvious and common would be to get help from professional cleaning vendors. Who hasn’t?
So, how does RM35 for two hours of house cleaning or RM300 for a round of office spring cleaning sound to you? Fair or too good to be true? Who wouldn’t be tempted to find out? No one would fault you for that.
Well, these days, even professional cleaning services are an avenue for scammers. So, beware! It’s when you are checking out the offers or accepting the offers by downloading the app for booking the cleaning service that you could actually be downloading a malware instead. This disguised malware is what will allow scammers to steal your personal or banking details, passwords and even OTPs (one-time passwords) for financial transactions. In these few unsuspecting minutes, you could be financially cleaned out or devastatingly scammed.
Don’t take home or office cleaning services lightly just because you think it’s an easy job to do (and it’s not!), or you see it advertised on social media platforms. Just because it appears on a legitimate site does not mean that it is a legitimate offer. Social media platforms are not obligated to check out the legitimacy of every offer that is posted. For your own safety, here’s what you can look out for when you are checking out the “cheap” offer:
- Social media account profile (eg IG, Facebook) - does it have verifiable details like the SSM company number, how long ago the account was set up and the number of followers?
- Other online presence - official website with alternative contact avenues like email, phone, link-in, reviews and scam alerts?
- Physical presence - legitimate address and phone number
- App download - make sure that it is through the Google Play Store or App Store
- Payment method - make sure there are alternative methods of payment that are secure eg credit card or PayPal
As you are aware, scams can come in various forms. Sometimes, scams can be hiding in plain sight, like when you don’t get what you are paying for from your professional cleaning services. There are certain standards that need to be adhered to and if they’re not, you are not getting your money’s worth. Business owners can find out if they have the right professional cleaning vendor as their partner just by evaluating the following:
- Transparent and contactable – when a company invests in their visibility across all media and is easily contactable, it is trying very hard to be seen and heard. You can put a face to the people there. They are real. Unlike scammers who try to reveal as little as possible
- History and track records – an established company will have a history of success that can give you peace of mind. Especially one who has survived multiple economic crises including the recent Covid-19 pandemic. Their track record of achievements and clientele speaks volume and are a testimony of quality service
- Professionally trained cleaning crew - all companies must train their crew but to what standard? An acceptable standard would be based on the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc)
- Performance and expectations - shouldn’t just be aligned to client needs but also audited against the 100-points Service Audit Process to ensure that cleaning services meet the minimum standard of acceptable performance (MSAP)
- Agility in adopting key learnings and procedures - if a cleaning company only knows how to clean in one set way, it will never be able to ensure safety in the face of new disease challenges. Evolving and adhering to recommendations by Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM), National Environment Agency (NEA) of Singapore, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the US is a necessary practice
- New technology - investing in new technology for the new normal means the company is investing in the health and safety of your business, according to your needs
So while cleaning services may not always be as “cheap” as everyone would like it to be, it certainly won’t cost you your health and safety when you get the right cleaning company for the job. That’s for real.
To find out more on how we give you the best value for your budget without compromising your health or safety, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. Please feel free to contact us at 03-7773 0300 or enquire@maclean.com.my.
References:
1. Scammers can read OTP SMS through an app, deputy minister says
2. Avoid falling for home-cleaning ad scams in Malaysia
3. Woman loses RM12,000 to scammer after downloading home cleaning company app