You may have seen some of these maids in your apartment block or maybe on the streets. Part-time maids are famous here, working hard at getting you to hire them to work more hours for your household. They are more easily spotted by their uniforms that denote that they are part-timers maids, where there is usually a number indicating the number of hours they work per week. This is usually four to six hours for one day, although some part-time maids like to work more than that (they sometimes get hired by more than one household).
Usually, these part-timers maids will work only on the weekends, and even the working hours are short (from 4-6 hours) compared to most maids in Singapore. They are found cleaning the corridors, common areas, and sometimes even parks in residential estates. A part-time maid usually works more than one house (sometimes 3-4 houses) to make up for most of her day off.
Many will also buy second-hand uniforms from “consignment stores” or hire them from maid agencies for a one-off fee. You will find that as these part-timers go from door to door, they will also carry with them their little belongings like handphones and toiletries because it’s not economical for them to purchase new ones.
When it comes to hiring a maid for household work, most people are skeptical about the quality of service that they would get. Part-time maids or full-time maid services are not always reliable due to their nature of part-time engagement, which can be detrimental in terms of thoroughness and consistency.
Fortunately, there is an answer to your problem…a part-time maid agency. Yes, you heard it right! This is an ideal way to hire a dedicated maid for your household chores without having you worry about scheduling problems and trust issues.
Hiring through a reliable part-time maid agency will set you free from the hassle of finding, interviewing, and hiring part-time maids yourself. Most of these agencies have years of experience hiring and organizing part-time maids for busy people like you.
However, finding the right agency can be pretty tricky as so many of them tout their services on the internet. Coming home to a clean house is appealing, and many people work hard at it. It’s not impossible to find someone else willing to do the dirty work for you. But choosing wisely among part-time maids can be difficult.
Here are some things to look for when choosing a part-time maid:
1. Make a list of desired attributes and qualities in your maid
Your hiring process starts with the completion of this list. This will help you set your expectations and hence avoid any disappointments or false hopes from shady maid agencies that may not provide what you want. For example, if you are looking for a maid who can work on weekends only, you must mention this in your desired attributes list.
Following are some of the essential qualities that you need to look for when hiring a part-time maid through an agency:
- Availability: Availability is one of the top priorities that you should consider. You don’t want to find yourself getting into an emergency and finding your maid unavailable to help you. Ask your agency for a list of part-time maids that can work on weekends and any other day of the week at your convenience.
- Skills: Make sure that the maid has all or most of the skills listed in your required skills list, such as cooking, cleaning, washing, ironing, grocery shopping, etc. You can also ask the agency to provide you with a free trial of their maids for at least one day so that you can see which maid fits your requirements best.
- Part-Time Maid Agency Fees: The next thing to look for is the agency fees. This fee varies according to different agencies, so make sure you are not being overcharged. You can contact several agencies and compare their prices. Also, ask if they provide any discounts on bulk-hiring (hiring maids for more than one day).
- Check Feedback: Another good way to determine the quality of an agency is by checking its feedback online or locally. These days, most agencies have a website with positive reviews from their past customers. You can also ask for references from people you know or from your friends who have hired maids from any agency in the past.
Most importantly, make sure that you can trust them with a clear conscience and don’t let a few dollars come in the way of hiring a good maid for your home.
2. Check their office and security
After you shortlist a few agencies, check their office or hiring center. The location, building, and general environment of the office tell a lot about the agency, so make sure that it is decent before going there. Also, see if they have proper security arrangements for their maids as well as customers. A good agency will always keep their maids and customers safe.
3. Visit the hiring center yourself to check if they are providing what they claim
If you have shortlisted some ten or more agencies, then visit each of them personally. Meet the people involved, see how the maids are dressed and ask about their working hours and the other benefits. Also, ask for a few trial maids so that you can see which one would fit your requirements best.
These are some of the best ways to choose a part-time maid agency to work with. Asking around people you know or colleagues at work will also help find the right agency, so don’t hesitate to do so.
As I conclude, remember that you are hiring not just a maid, but a member of your family who will be living with you so make sure you choose carefully. Nobody wants to deal with the stress of another failed hire after having had bad experiences in the past. So take your time and do it right. If you need a reliable part-time maid cleaning service in Singapore, you may check here: https://part-time-maid.com/services-rate/
Rhydian Choi 
Kim Marks