New City Business Spotlight: Loyal Customers & Employees

Every local business has a story worth sharing with the community. The plan behind this series at Patch is to shine the spotlight on all our favorite local businesses, and to learn a little about the ones we may not know that well.

This is as much about supporting local businesses as it is about celebrating the places and faces that make our community special. Click here to get to a simple form where local business owners can answer a few quick questions to be part of this ongoing feature.

Our spotlight today is on Sherry Rosenstein and Alan Rappaport.

Business: Budget Home & Office Cleaning Service, Inc.
Owners: Sherry Rosenstein and Alan Rappaport
Website: http://www.budgethomeandofficecleaning.com
Address: New City, NY

How did you come up with the name?

39 years ago the name was created to coincide with cleaning services offered at “budget” prices! We have always provided quality service and a reliable and trustworthy staff coupled with a company that maintains all necessary insurance policies and our prices are often less than independently working cleaning ladies with no insurance. We are the longest-running cleaning company in Rockland County and because we are not a franchise, we pass the savings onto our customers! So, “Budget Cleaning” provides excellent service at prices to fit every budget!

Why choose that location? Why start a business in this town?

We serve all towns in Rockland County but we reside in New City.

Briefly, what business are you in?

Home and Office Cleaning

What’s the most difficult moment or challenge you’ve faced as a business owner?

The only challenge has been to maintain a quality staff with quality workers. However, we have conquered this challenge and some of our employees have been with us for up to 25 of the 39 years!

Were there any challenges that made you second guess your decision to be an entrepreneur?

There are always challenges as an entrepreneur. Finding quality office personnel or replacing employees who have moved on or retired. Competing in a relatively difficult market can be tough but our reputation has helped to lessen the competition. However, I do believe in any business there are daily challenges, that is just part of being in the business world.

What’s been your favorite moment or proudest achievement since opening?

In 1975 when we started this business, The Rockland Journal News did a feature article on us. To this day, that very article is framed and in our office. From that day, the business has grown and here we are 39 years later. A family run business whose reputation has been untarnished. We pride ourselves on pleasing our customers and we beleive this has made for the success we have achieved throughout the years! It has been our pleasure to serve Rockland residents for all these years and so appreciate their patronage!!

What’s the most innovative idea your employees or customers have had that you put into practice?

Unlike other cleaning companies, we send the same english speaking cleaner to each appontment. We found customers to dislike different cleaners showing up to each appointment as well as customers dislike a crew of cleaners running around their house. We guarantee the same cleaner at every appointment so the customer gets to know the cleaner and gains trust and are able to rely on the same person at each appointment.

How do you deal with difficult customers?

Difficult customers are definitely a challenge. Fortunately, we are in the office Monday through Friday and available weekends to field questions and/or problems. Our philosophy is simple - ”The customer is always right”. At least 99% percent of the time! We go to extreme lengths to please our customers and that is why a large majority of our customers remain with our company throughout the years. Many have been with us from the company’s inception!

How does your business give back or get involved in the community?

We donate to charities such as “Make a Wish”, St. Jude’s, The Alzheimer’s Association and most recently ALS. We also serviced the local chapter of the American Cancer Society for a number of years and cleaned their offices as well as provided cleaning services to sick patients which was arranged throught the American Cancer Society of Suffern, before they closed the Rockland office a couple of years ago.