Choosing a Crime Scene Cleanup Company in Minnesota
We at Scene Clean are occasionally asked about “competitors” in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro, and greater Minnesota. As a general rule, we reserve our opinion or judgement, in an effort to be gracious and fair. Unfortunately, recently, we’ve discovered a lot of fly-by-night, inexperienced, unqualified folks that were in completely unrelated fields, that have decided that bio-hazard and hoarding remediation is easy. Worse yet, they pretend to be the one thing they aren’t, which is experienced. This type of work shouldn’t be entered into without a sincere commitment to the community they serve, not just to make a quick buck. In this industry, clients cannot afford to be mislead into being some ill-equipped start-up’s “guinea pig.” It’s unfair to the people of Minneapolis/St. Paul and greater Minnesota. We also know in our hearts that Scene Clean is the best company for bio-hazard and hoarding remediation in Minnesota.
We hope this will give you tips on questions to ask potential companies and later what sets Scene Clean apart, because it’s a lot.
First though, below is some disappointing information, tips, and warning signs about some other companies in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area and greater Minnesota.
- Do they have a UPS store address to intentionally fool clients into thinking they have a local presence? These jobs either gets outsourced to only they know who, or the response time is delayed, because they are coming from out of state, or out of the area.
- “Bait and switch” estimates. Now, the unexpected can certainly arise, but you should know about the unforeseen ASAP. These companies intentionally mislead to get the job, and bill higher later. Unreliable estimates can also be from a lack of experience, or cutting corners.
- Temporary/day workers. Which means that you don’t know who’s in your home with other companies! It also can likely mean that the temporary staff isn’t properly trained, properly protected, or properly insured! We have even seen current owners in this industry with criminal backgrounds. Not following proper procedures, and untrained staff can put you at risk of liability or worse!
- They are a franchise. Their roots are not in the Minneapolis St. Paul metro or even greater Minnesota. The owner paid a fee to “buy into the company,” took a 40 hours class, and suddenly they are “experts” that you should rely on? Paying a franchise fee and taking a small class does not make you anywhere near an expert in this industry. Its takes years to learn the skills needed and have a firm understanding on how to help.
- They’ve only been in business less than a year or two. These companies are entrepreneurs/opportunists from random fields unrelated to bio-hazard and hoarding remediation. (Do you want a painter, car salesman, or mechanic cleaning your home after a traumatic event?)
- Ask how long they have REALLY been in THIS business. Ask for verification, beyond the BBB, which isn’t always accurate.
- Ask how long the staff has been with the company. Do they do background checks?
- Do they use person first language with people who hoard? No? Then they likely have zero training or knowledge on hoarding disorder and behavior and don’t deserve to work with you or your family. You should never hear the derogatory word “hoarder.” Ever.
- They routinely film and videotape scenes for shameless self-promotion and click-bait. YouTube videos, an Instagram page, posts on Facebook exploiting the families and homes they are tasked to serve. A lack of compassion and discretion is a huge red flag.
- They might run their business out of a residence! This makes it impossible to comply with regulations and maintain professional standards.
- Not following state and federal guidelines, cutting corners. We have seen the issues caused by poorly trained staff performing work incorrectly. Improper medical waste storage and transportation.
- Do they have verifiable references for you to contact prior to hiring them? ASK!
- If they pressure you, or hang around for you to sign a contract before you’re ready – ask them to leave.
- Inconsistent online reviews. A quick google search can provide a lot of reviews of bad experiences.
- Unlawful/unethical use of logos from governmental or other agencies to imply their approval or endorsement of the company.
Here are 2 examples of our competitors reviews:
What sets Scene Clean apart:
- We are located in a large multi-unit facility right in the NW Minneapolis metro area. Which means we can get anywhere in the metro quickly.
- We strive to make our estimates as comprehensive and accurate as possible. We have seen what “could be” and account for it. We want our estimates to be fair and honest. We will also keep in communication with you if issues arise.
- Our staff are either full-time, part-time, or casual. (Many of our casual staff are off-duty Police officers, paramedics or public safety professionals.) All of our staff have to complete mandatory training and ongoing education. WE DO NOT HIRE TEMPORARY DAY WORKERS. This type of work is not proper for temporary staff – it’s unfair to them and our clients.
- We are proud to be locally owned and family owned! We were founded by a retired Paramedic that served the community for many years starting in 1995.
- Our founder served on the board of directors to The Hoarding Project, a non-profit based in Tacoma, Washington.
- We are proudly in our 7th year of business.
- We are members of the Minnesota Hoarding Task Force (MNHTF). We speaking publicly on hoarding and actively work to serve the community.
- We have contracts with large MN companies, and approval to work with state programs, both of which require vetting and some require extensive time and effort to qualify for.
- Many of our staff have been with us since we opened.
- We only use photos and video sparingly, for educational and informational purposes. We don’t exploit our clients circumstances for our benefit – EVER.
- We are diligent about our safety and training standards, even asking in 2017 to be voluntarily “audited” by a governmental agency to ensure compliance. Our training standards exceed anything mandated.
- We have TONS of references and reviews, we’d be happy to share as many as you’d like. See most of them right here on our website, scanned in exactly how we received them.
- We don’t pressure clients. We work with you to decide on the best course of action – in your time. We’ll even work with insurance for you for one less thing to worry about.
- We consistently get 5 star reviews – just ask Google. We have more 5 star reviews than most of our competitors COMBINED!
When Choosing a Crime Scene Cleanup Company in Minnesota, the choice is really not hard, choose Scene Clean.
Examples of our reviews:
