Hiring a cleaner means giving a stranger your keys. Before anyone does that, they want to know that other people did it and were glad they did. For a house cleaning business, reviews often do the job that a shop front does for everyone else.
Cleaning also has its own hard moments. A vase gets broken. Someone cannot find a ring. A client says the bathroom was not touched. Here is how to earn more honest reviews, and how to reply when things go wrong.
What clients look for
Read reviews for almost any cleaning company and the same themes appear:
- Trust. Whether the same person comes each time, and whether they are respectful in the home.
- Thoroughness. Whether corners, baseboards and bathrooms actually get done.
- Reliability. Whether the cleaner turns up on time, or the company tells you if they cannot.
- Care with belongings. How breakages are handled.
- Clear pricing. Whether the final bill matches the quote.
In the BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey 2026, 97% of consumers said they read reviews, 68% said they only use businesses rated 4 stars or more, and 74% said they want reviews from the last 3 months. A steady stream of recent reviews matters more than a few glowing ones from years ago.
When to ask
Timing depends on the kind of job.
| Job type | Best moment to ask |
|---|---|
| Regular weekly or biweekly clean | After the second or third visit, once the client has seen consistency |
| One-off deep clean | The same day, or the next morning |
| Move-out clean | After the client has their deposit back or the landlord has signed off |
| Office or commercial clean | After the first month, addressed to whoever manages the contract |
A short message works well:
Hi Priya, thanks for having us at your home this week. If you have two minutes, an honest review really helps other people who are looking for a cleaner. Here is the link: [review link]
If you leave a card after a clean, a QR code makes it easy. Our guide to QR code review cards shows how. Send the same request to every client, not just the ones who seem pleased.
Ask clients to mention what kind of clean it was and which area they are in, if they are comfortable doing so. It is more useful to other readers than "great job", but never write it for them.
The rules to keep in mind
- No rewards. No free clean, discount or tip in exchange for a review. Google prohibits review incentives.
- No gating. Do not ask how the clean went first and send only happy clients to Google. Google prohibits this too. See why review gating is banned.
- Yelp is different. Yelp asks businesses not to solicit reviews.
- Staff should not review their own company, and neither should relatives. Reviews with a conflict of interest break Google's policies.
- Fake reviews carry real penalties. The FTC consumer reviews rule, in force since October 2024, allows civil penalties up to $51,744 per violation (2024 figure).
A privacy rule for your replies
Your reply is public and stays online. Never include anything that tells a stranger about someone's home, including:
- The street, the area or the building
- Which days the house is empty, or the client's schedule
- Whether a key or door code is held
- What is in the home, or what it looks like inside
- The names of family members
It is easy to write "we have been cleaning your lovely home on Elm Road every Tuesday" as a friendly touch. Please do not. That tells a burglar exactly when no one is home.
Example replies for common complaints
Keep replies short, specific and honest. In the BrightLocal survey, 50% of consumers said templated replies put them off, so adapt these to your own voice.
"They missed things"
Thank you for telling us, and I am sorry the clean was not up to standard. I would like to put it right. Please call me on 555-0100 and we will arrange to come back.
Only offer a return visit if you will honor it. Keep a note of what you agreed.
"They broke something"
I am sorry this happened, and I understand how upsetting it is when something you value gets damaged. We take this seriously and I would like to sort it out with you directly. Please call me on 555-0100.
Do not argue about the value in public. If you are insured, deal with the claim privately. Only say you are insured if you are.
"Something went missing"
This is the most serious complaint a cleaner can get, and it needs care.
Thank you for raising this. We take a concern like this very seriously and we would like to look into it properly. I cannot discuss the details here, but please call me today on 555-0100.
Then do the following:
- Speak to the client quickly and calmly.
- Check who was at the property and when.
- Speak to your cleaner privately. Do not assume anything, either way.
- Tell your insurer, if your policy covers this.
- Make a written record of what you did.
- If the client wants to involve the police, support that and cooperate.
Never suggest in public that the client misplaced the item, and never name a specific cleaner. See our guide on reviews that name an employee.
"The cleaner was late or did not show up"
I am sorry about this. You should have heard from us before the appointment, and I can see why that was frustrating. I am looking at how this happened. Please call me on 555-0100 so that I can make it right.
"It cost more than the quote"
Thank you for the feedback. A price should never be a surprise, and I am sorry it was here. I would like to go through the bill with you. Please email me at owner@example.com.
A positive review
Thank you so much. Maria will be really pleased to hear this. We are glad the house feels good to come home to.
Check that your cleaner is happy to be named before you use their first name.
When the review is about your cleaner's character
A review that accuses a named person of theft or rudeness can have serious effects on them. Tell them privately before they read it elsewhere.
If it is false and breaks the platform's rules, you can report it. Stay careful about threats. The FTC rule bars unfounded legal threats and intimidation used to get a review removed.
Prevent the next complaint
A few habits prevent most bad reviews in this trade:
- Use a written checklist for each clean and leave a copy.
- Agree the scope in writing before the first visit, including what is not included.
- Note existing damage at the first clean, and ask clients to point out anything fragile.
- Send the same cleaner where you can, and tell clients before any change.
- Have a clear process for keys and door codes, and share it with clients.
- Text clients if you are running late. A two-line message heads off a lot of frustration.
Then look at your reviews once a month, and fix the theme that keeps coming up. Reply promptly too. In the same survey, 89% of consumers said they expect businesses to respond, and 19% expected a same-day reply.
How Reputfy helps cleaning businesses
Reputfy keeps replies in your hands. AI drafts each reply and you approve it before anything is posted, so you can take out any detail about a client's home. Review requests go out the same way to every client, with a record kept, and your review link works as a QR code on a leave-behind card. Sealed reviews and the Reputfy seal give new clients a way to check that your reviews are genuine. See our plans.
