I recently moved into a new condo and was approached by Borigarn who offered me the chance to try out their cleaning services in lieu of an honest review. I was considering changing maid companies as my previous maid couldn’t come to the new location so I was happy to take up Borigarn’s offer.
My new place is around 80sq meters and isn’t near a BTS / MRT station which has meant some companies have refused to offer their services to me. I was left frustrated at a couple of the more well-known maid services who weren’t interested in coming to my place (even if I covered transport costs). Borigarn didn’t have a problem with my location and the maid arrived at the time agreed.
Communication
I’d previously spoken with their staff (Thai and foreign) to explain what I wanted and was pleased that everything went smoothly (in English). However, I knew the real test would come when the maid arrived and if we could communicate or if she was already aware of what needed doing. The maid spoke basic English and we were able to get by in a mix of English and Thai. Overall communication was fine both from the maid and office staff, something which is really important to me.
Cleaning
I supplied the cleaning materials and after a few minutes showing the maid around she was ready to start. I’ve previously had maids who’ve done the cleaning in a strange way, washing floors before sweeping them or using the mop on the dirty balcony and then using it inside without cleaning it. I have to say the maid from Borigarn looked like she knew what to do and I have no complaints in that regards.
I’ve used three or four different maid companies previously and encountered a few issues with their staff. One would sing as she cleaned which was pretty annoying for me as I was working from home at the time. Another would be on the phone all the time which was again a little distracting. The maid from Borigarn was as quiet as a mouse and I didn’t really notice her as I sat at my computer working.
After the three hours I did a little inspection to check out my place and the maid had done a really good job. What I really appreciated was that she left everything well organized. Previous maids had just put things in drawers or cupboards in a random way, but the maid from Borigarn had put things away neat and tidy. It’s these little things which make a big difference in my opinion, especially when it’s your own house or condo.
Usually I have a maid who does the cleaning, washing and ironing. This takes roughly five or six hours so I didn’t get to see the maid iron or wash clothes but I’d guess she would have done it well based on the high standard of cleaning and tidying up she had done.
Pricing
I find the whole maid industry to be a little unclear when it comes to pricing. It’s not a complaint leveled just at Borigarn but all companies in the industry. It’s not easy to just get a simple price from a website, you’ll often have to fill in forms and wait to get a quote. Sometimes when you do get a price there are hidden extras or the company won’t be able to find a maid who can get to your location on your preferred time / day.
However Borigarn do work on an hourly rate, which becomes lower based on booking multiple hours, and also offer discounts of up to 20% based on buying packages and pre-paying up front. There are also potential extras such as transport and cleaning supplies (if you don’t supply them). You can find their hourly rates and extras on their pricing page. This also acts as a booking system and looks simple to use.
Other Services
Something I had noticed on the Borigarn website is that they offer a lot of other services which are often in demand such as plumbers, nannies and locksmiths. It’s a useful site which I’ve bookmarked to use if I ever find myself locked out of my condo or in need of a plumber. Based on the company having foreign staff, and Thai staff with very good English, I’d feel confident calling them in an emergency situation if I’d locked myself out or to solve a plumbing problem compared to other companies I’ve seen out there.
Borigarn Review
Overall I would be happy to use a maid from Borigarn. Communication in English was easy with their office staff and I could talk with the maid too.
As I don’t live near a BTS / MRT station I would have to pay a transport fee which I would prefer just to be worked into the overall cost. There are other maid companies out there who either don’t charge for transport, or hide it in the overall fee.
The weekly service I would need, five hours plus transport, would be around 1,080 baht per week which is pretty competitive compared to a lot of other maid companies. It’s not the cheapest but I’ve been quoted much higher too by other agencies. With the quality of the maid I think it’s reasonable to pay a little more than other cheaper companies charge.
In the end I managed to get my previous maid to come to my new condo so I didn’t take up the Borigarn service full time after trying it out. However they are bookmarked if I need to change companies or have a need for one of their other services.
