The Maids

Kathy Senseman is a Registered Dietician. Her husband, David, worked in medical sales. But since 1987 they have been in the business of keeping homes clean and healthy.

“You just never know where professional life will take you,” Kathy said. “We were looking to have our own business, and this one seemed to be one with opportunities.”After purchasing the Homewood franchise of The Maids in 1987, their business expanded in the 1990s. Today Kathy and David own and manage four franchises: Homewood, Birmingham, Huntsville and Roswell, Ga.

“It never dawned on me that we would end up with friends all over the country,” Kathy said. “It’s a great support system.”

2012 marks the 25th anniversary of their Homewood operations. One employee, Terrie Price, has been there since the beginning.

“Terrie was here before we were,” Kathy said.

The company’s goals involve more than just quality, guaranteed cleaning centered on the customer.

“The employees are all those things they are supposed to be,” Kathy said. “They really care about our customers.”

The maids are trained for one of four functions—kitchen, dusting, vaccuuming or bathrooms—and the team cleans the house by section.

Clients post comments and reviews on The Maids’ website all the time, testifying to the company’s hard work and success.

“Our business would not be what it is today without our employees and our customers,” Kathy said. “It is a lot of fun dealing with them.”

It’s also important to the Sensemans that they give back to the community. Through the nation-wide Cleaning for a Reason program, they provide monthly cleanings for four months at no charge for women who are undergoing treatment for cancer. They provide this service to two customers per month.

The Maids customer service team won the judges award in the Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook Off in 2011.

“They get there real bright and early in the morning and have a lot of fun with it,” Kathy said.

The Maids’ giving spirit carries over to their signature yellow cars as well, which boast Breast Cancer Research Foundation Alabama license plates.

“Because we are an all women-based company, we put some focus on women’s diseases,” Kathy said.

In fact, it’s good health that is at the heart of their mission.

“We clean to make our houses healthier as much as we do to make them look good,” Kathy said.

The Maids’ own environmentally friendly cleaning products and HEPA filtration vacuum cleaners are great for people with asthma, allergies or other breathing problems. Also, the company does not use ammonia-based or bleach products, and they do not use feather dusters, which stir up dust and allergens into the air that we breathe.

The profits from being a great maid service with employees that have fun with their jobs, according to Kathy.

“We try to take life in stride around here. The most important thing for us as a company is that we deliver what we promise, and we really do that.”