Tag Archive for: award winning

Merry Maids of Croydon Celebrates Over 20 Years of Award-Winning Domestic Cleaning Excellence

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If you are looking for a trusted domestic cleaning service in Croydon, you want more than a tidy home. You want reliability, consistency, and a team you can feel comfortable welcoming into your space. Merry Maids of Croydon has delivered exactly that since 2003, backed by over 20 years of experience and recognised for award winning leadership and professional standards.

For local families, busy professionals, and older residents, the business has become a dependable part of everyday life. From regular weekly cleans to tailored support for customers with more sensitive needs, the focus remains the same: quality, care, and attention to detail.

A Long-Established Domestic Cleaning in Croydon

Since launching in 2003, Merry Maids of Croydon has built a strong local reputation. As part of the wider Merry Maids network, customers benefit from national brand standards combined with local ownership and accountability.

In 2017, the business received the North Star Growth Award and the highly prestigious Dallen Peterson Franchisee of the Year Award. This accolade is presented to one franchisee across the entire ServiceMaster network who demonstrates the highest achievement in professional management, growth, customer care, and commitment to brand values.

Merry Maids of Croydon has received consistent recognition from its franchisor for both performance and culture. The business was awarded the Resilience Award in 2020, followed by Best in Class Customer Service and the People Award, Great Place to Work in 2022. In 2023 was also named a Great Place to Invest. More recently, Merry Maids of Croydon was named a finalist in the 2023 BFA HSBC British Franchise Awards and won the Great British Franchise Award 2025. These achievements reflect a clear commitment to high standards, customer care, and meaningful community involvement.

A Business with a Heart

For owner Debbie, improving a customer’s quality of life goes beyond cleaning. She describes the company as a business with a heart.

The team has played a key role in the nationwide Merry Maids Forget Me Knot Challenge, raising over £1,300 in just six weeks for Alzheimer’s Society and Dementia Friends. Supporting customers living with dementia is a cause close to the business. The team understands that routine, familiarity, and trust matter. Consistent cleaning visits, familiar faces, and clear communication help create a calm and reassuring environment for vulnerable customers and their families.

Merry Maids of Croydon also supports customers living with a cancer diagnosis. The team recognises that treatment can leave people exhausted and overwhelmed. By taking care of the home, they help reduce physical strain and emotional pressure at a difficult time. Practical support, such as maintaining a clean, hygienic environment, allows customers to focus on their health and recovery. The approach is discreet, respectful, and tailored to individual circumstances.

Alongside this, the business has supported local food bank initiatives during the cost of living crisis and, more quietly, provided employment support that has helped a Ukrainian refugee rebuild stability in their life.

Trusted Support for Sensitive Needs

Many households require reassurance as much as practical support. This may include elderly clients, customers living with dementia, or families supporting vulnerable relatives.

While not a care provider, Merry Maids of Croydon approaches every home with professionalism and compassion. Staff are trained, uniformed, and fully insured. Strong staff retention means customers often see familiar team members, building trust over time.

This continuity offers peace of mind. You know who is coming into your home, and you know the standards they uphold.

For over two decades, Merry Maids of Croydon has combined professional domestic cleaning services with genuine care for customers and the community. When you choose them, you are choosing experience, recognised leadership, and a team committed to looking after both your home and the people within it.

Need some extra support from a business that cares in the Croydon area? Visit their website or book a regular or one-off clean by calling 0208 663 3268 or emailing croydon@merrymaids.org.uk.

Merry Maids owner in West Midlands recognised as Great British Franchisee

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A cleaning company boss who offers rare job security and long-service awards to the people he employs in the West Midlands has won a major industry accolade.

Tom Jackson, owner of the Merry Maids franchises in Dudley, Wolverhampton, Birmingham South, Solihull and Stafford, has won a Great British Franchisee Award, one of the most prestigious honours in the highly competitive franchise sector.

“It’s common for a high frequency of staff turnover in the cleaning industry,” Tom says, “but that’s not the case in my business.

“I offer long-service awards because, generally, many of our staff stay with us for a long time.

“Two of the admin support staff have been with me for 15 years and nine years respectively – each having started as cleaners.

“And even the original two members of staff that I employed 20 years ago still work for us.

“I believe our staff stay with us because we care about them, and they can feel it, but also because many have been part of our journey and have seen the business grow from just two staff into what it is now.

“I also think people are drawn to the job security that a business established for 20 years brings.”

The Future of Merry Maids

Tom, a former bingo firm manager, is proud, too, that some of his customers have been using the company for 18 years, and one has even had the same cleaner continuously for all that time.

He also actively supports the rest of the Merry Maids network and mentors new business owners like Mercy Ikeji (pictured) when they join us.

“I’ve grown my Merry Maids business from a zero turnover virgin business to, what is currently, the biggest Merry Maids franchise in the UK with 60 staff,” he says.

“It’s a far cry from when I started with myself and two staff using a spare office – but I’m not content to rest on my laurels.

“I’ve set challenging goals for the next three years of growth with a target to be the first Merry Maids with a £1 million turnover.”

Tom is not the only one who thinks he will achieve that.

“Tom is a real asset to the franchising world,” says Merry Maids Brand Leader Vikki Donnachie.

“He is passionate about everything business, from his customers to his staff, as exemplified by his industry-defying levels of staff and customer retention.”

Contact us

If you’re in Dudley, Wolverhampton, Birmingham South, Solihull, Stafford and the surrounding areas and would benefit from a compassionate and professional home cleaning service, find your nearest Merry Maids business to receive a free, no-obligation quotation from Tom and his dedicated teams today.

Merry Maids of Croydon wins Business Resiliences award

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A Croydon based cleaning company is celebrating after collecting a business award following the COVID pandemic.  

Merry Maids of Croydon scooped the Merry Maids Business Resilience award following the COVID pandemic. The award is designed to recognise and celebrate achievements in showing resilience throughout the pandemic to a business that responded in an above and beyond manner.

Covid19 presented a multitude of challenges to Merry Maids businesses and employees across the UK, who all responded magnificently in the highest traditions of delivering excellent customer service.

However, it was one business that stood out. Throughout the pandemic, Merry Maids of Croydon responded to the challenges in an exemplary manner by employing exceptional safety protocols, maintaining excellent standards of customer service and actively exploring new opportunities to ensure the future of the business.

Merry Maids of Croydon, is a franchise of ServiceMaster, owned and managed by Debbie Walker and has been successfully cleaning homes in the area since 2003.

Debbie commented: “Myself and the team are delighted to have won the award. It was an immensely challenging time and to know we did as much as possible to help our community and our fellow franchisees across the UK is a great feeling.” Said Debbie

“I was so pleased to be able to return back to work on 1st June 2021 and bring my team back together again. We set ourselves a target to have all our staff back within the business by September 2020 and this was achieved.” Added Debbie

“In the last year we have helped so many families, elderly clients and those that are vulnerable in our community to bring their lives back to some form of normality after what has been a hideous time for all. Nothing rewards us more than making a client comfortable in their home and making them smile when often they are facing difficult times.” Finished Debbie

Brand Leader for Merry Maids, Steve Morris said: “As the Brand Manager for Merry Maids it is one of the great privileges of my role to reward businesses that have achieved great things in the past year. Throughout the pandemic, Merry Maids of Croydon responded to the challenges in an exemplary manner.

“Of particular note, regular contact was maintained between the business and myself, the Merry Maids Brand Leader, for our mutual benefit for which I was extremely grateful. Proof of the excellent business management and customer service skills utilised during this challenging period are now being rewarded by a strong business recovery.” Added Steve

Merry Maids of Croydon are deserved winners of the 2020, and hopefully the only, Merry Maids Resilience Award!” Finished Steve

Recognising some of the less obvious, but nonetheless culturally vital parts of franchising is imperative to ServiceMaster and the yearly awards allows this to happen.

Awards were given for not only growth, but also to those that have given back to their community, or employees of franchisees that have demonstrated their commitment to the brand attributes engaging in initiatives and actions with colleagues and customers well beyond their job description, very often in their own time at their own expense.

“As a family business working for families, we are thrilled to have won, but it simply wouldn’t be possible without our staff. I feel they all need a special thank you. Merry Maids of Croydon constantly strives hard to offer great customer service and a community friendly approach.

“Of course, our goals over the next 12 months are to grow but also to continue to offer an excellent service to our clients especially continuing to develop in certain sectors – working with clients with dementia and the elderly that wish to stay living at home. Additionally, we want to maintain an excellent customer experience and continue to serve our local community”

“Let’s hope we never have to go through a situation with so much sadness and challenge again.” Finished Debbie

Merry Maids of Kingston is crowned a winner in the Great British Franchisee Awards

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Owned and operated by Gary Rolfe, Merry Maids of Kingston scooped a prestigious award this week which recognises excellence in franchising.

After setting up his business in 2017, Gary has taken Merry Maids of Kingston from strength to strength as well as shown resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic which forced many domestic cleaning companies to close their doors for a short while.

Offering services from regular house cleaning, to end of tenancy, builders and one-off cleans, plus more; Merry Maids of Kingston boasts an array of services to suit all requirements. Not only that, they are Dementia Friends trained, and with 12 staff members, are regarded as a great place to work.

Hosted by Which Franchise, the Great British Franchisee Awards focuses on the people who have made the UK franchising a success.  They recognise the outstanding performance of franchisees, regardless of the size of their business or the sector they work in.

With tough criteria to fill, Merry Maids of Kingston clearly demonstrated what it takes to be a Great British Franchisee. From proof of Franchisee Stability and Business Experience, Customer Satisfaction, Inspired Leadership and to Driving Business Growth and Community involvement – this prestigious award is no easy gain, especially following a challenging year following COVID-19.

Gary Rolfe said: “I am extremely honoured and delighted to have won this prestigious award, I am extremely grateful for the fantastic support I receive from Servicemaster, and the award would not have been possible without my amazing staff.”

The awards judging panel consisted of Suki Dehal – Lloyds Bank, Head of Franchising, Aman Nirwal – BDO, Senior Key Account Manager Franchising, Euan Fraser – AMO Consulting, and Derrick Simpson, Companion of the British Franchise Association.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed reviewing all the applications and it has been so refreshing to see how all sizes of businesses from various sectors have coped and adapted their business in response to not only Covid-19 but looking at sustainable growth and business resilience for many years to come. It was great to see so many applications and from a cross-section of franchisees too,” Aman Nirwal, BDO.

Learn more about the Which Franchise Great British Franchisee Awards at: http://www.whichfranchise.com/awards/