The Maids: The Brand Culture Starts at the Top

We asked Amy Olson, vice president of customer experience/marketing for The Maids about the role that the brand's culture plays in creating, framing, and developing its brand message/image to customers. Here's what she had to say.

The Maids has more than 30 years of experience in the highly competitive residential cleaning industry. We know well the importance and challenges of differentiating our brand in the market, and how important culture is in conveying and creating a positive overall brand experience. Personifying the brand culture starts at the top through executive and franchisee leadership.

The personalities of the brand we strive to convey through our culture are professionalism and being detail-oriented, friendly, and considerate. This is exhibited first and foremost through the customer experience provided by staff. From the start of a customer relationship, we make every effort to ensure a customer's brand experience with The Maids is not left to chance, but is carefully planned.

To do so, all staff are trained on our branded customer experience, where every touch point is outlined and orchestrated in a manual. This helps make certain our customers are delighted through every step of doing business with us, from their initial phone call to the follow-up provided after the first service and beyond. The customer experience vision, promoted through internal marketing material, is to Wow every customer through personalizing, owning, and delivering an above-and-beyond experience.

Additionally, our brand image is exemplified through the professional uniforms worn by customer-facing staff members who provide service in customers' homes. Employees wear embroidered yellow polo shirts, khakis, and blue branded aprons. Additionally, teams arrive in branded company cars, painted an eye-catching yellow and emblazoned with The Maids' logo.

Finally, the ownership, management, and internal office culture within franchise offices lead the way in demonstrating the brand. Offices are professional environments, with friendly, welcoming atmospheres. Employees are treated with respect and provided with a great place to work, including a healthy continental breakfast. And special events in the lives of staff are celebrated - birthdays, anniversaries, accomplishments, and other life events - to let staff know they are cared for and appreciated. Staff can then pass on the same genuine enthusiasm and kindness to their customers, whom they interact with throughout the day.