How to choose the right maid agency

With so many maid agencies in Singapore and new ones opening up constantly, customers face a huge dilemma on which maid agency to go to. To choose which maid agency to go to, some customers rely on advertisements/celebrity endorsements, some rely on word of mouth, and some rely on their internet research, while there are also some that just choose a maid agency which is more convenient in terms of location.

In my opinion, I believe customers should do their due diligence and research before deciding which maid agency to choose and hire their maids from. These are 5 key criteria that I believe will help customers make a more informed decision.

1. Reputation of maid agency

One of the easiest factors to determine which maid agency to go to is to obviously consider their years of experience. A maid agency that is well experienced will have an established network of agents that they can rely on to match the right maids for your needs.

Furthermore, they have a good track record that they will be able to solve your problems and advise you accordingly and not suddenly become insolvent. After all with such experience, they would be very knowledgeable regarding the differing rules, regulations and processes in the Ministry of Manpower and the relevant embassies/authorities.

2. Retention Rate

The Ministry of Manpower has also established a link on their website that the public can access in order to do research on maid agencies. Not only does it allow you to check if the maid agency is licensed, it has a very important statistic, Retention Rate.

The retention rate is a very important indicator that shows the quality of the maid agency. It is defined as the percentage of maids placed by the agency who have stayed with the same employer for at least one year.

The higher the retention rate, the better it is. From Dec’14 to Dec’15, the industry average is 47.83%. If the maid agency you are looking at have a retention rate of 50%, it is better than the industry average. Take a look at the table above for Dec’14 to Dec’15.

3. Issues with regulators/authorities and demerit points

From the website given by the Ministry of Manpower, customers are also able to check if the agency has any demerit points. Demerit points are given if the agency breaches the employment agency legislation.

Be wary when dealing with such agencies. Also, check if the agency is accredited with the relevant embassies. A maid agency that supplies Indonesian and Philippines maids should be accredited to both these embassies.

4. Customer service of agency staff

It is important that the staff of the agency is able to provide you with relevant and useful advice. This is so you can make the best decision when hiring a maid. Furthermore, the staff should be clear and transparent when communicating the price packages. Read the contract carefully and ask the agent for clarifications if you do not understand.

5. Quality check done by the maid agency

A good and responsible maid agency that wants to do long term business and provide the best service and maids to their customers should have a system in place. This system ensures that their maids are well-trained in order to manage the employers’ job scope. Good questions to ask the agents include:

Do they go down to the maids’ home country to interview them and ensure their training is done effectively?

How many days and what kind of training to these maids go for?

How can I, as the customer interview the maids? Skype? Telephone? Or just purely select based on the biodata?

Do the agents brief the maids thoroughly on how to be a successful maid?

Although this list is not exhaustive, I hope it gives you a better insight on how to select a maid agency that is appropriate for your needs and requirements. My next article will touch on how to interview maids, whether on the telephone, Skype or face to face.

Written by

Raymond Maids (EA Lic.:90C4749)

singaporemaidsdomestic helpagencyMinistry of manpower