Detroit Maid provides quality and professional cleaning services so that its clients don’t have to take the time out of their day to worry about cleaning and completing other responsibilities. Its identity stems from its Detroit roots, as it was founded by “lifelong Detroiter” Danielle Smith. The company is detail and quality oriented, emphasizing that it was created to ensure a healthy and clean environment in both residential and commercial sites. The ease of scheduling appointments via the website and app prove that accessibility for on-demand services is also part of their brand identity. 

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There is not much brand awareness surrounding Detroit Maid, and there is a disconnect between the brand identity and brand image because of the emphasis on Detroit. According to 5 focus groups conducted in 2019, 78% of people surveyed would not consider using Detroit Maid for a cleaning service because “Detroit” is in the company name and they do not live in Detroit. Their Detroit background is a key aspect of their identity, however Detroit Maid operates in other cities, which is unknown to most customers. Customers in other cities would be able to benefit from using Detroit Maid cleaning services, yet the majority would be inclined to ignore their offers. Therefore, the disconnect between customers’ image of the brand and the brand identity hurts the business.

 

In terms of internal branding, Detroit Maid onboards their employees with a Culture Guide, which describes their “Maidifesto.” Additionally, according to Danielle Smith, Detroit Maid makes an effort to “consistently communicate our message of quality, attention to detail and community pride through regular team meetings, a private team Facebook group and quarterly volunteer and/or social activities.” Ms. Smith has acknowledged that promoting their culture internally has become a challenge as Detroit Maid continues to grow, however the team is discussing ways to further their internal branding in a more scalable manner moving forward. 

 

As for a touchpoint analysis, the product that Detroit Maid offers is commercial or residential cleaning services. The services were originally offered in the Detroit Metro area but have since expanded into Ohio and Chicago as well. The price is set at a standard $60/hour rate with additional services like refrigerator or oven cleaning for an extra $5. This price falls within the average market rate for Detroit ($45-$75). According to Danielle Smith, most customers book 2 or 3 hours through Detroit Maid, or opt for the discounted biweekly or monthly subscription package. Detroit Maid relies strongly on word of mouth and social media promotion. They have also been featured in the media including GoodHouseKeeping, Fortune, Detroit News, which has provided the company with high visibility among their target customer of professional city dwellers aged 26-46.

 

A suggestion we have for Detroit Maid to alter their pricing strategy would be to break down their pricing even further by the room and type of cleaning they will provide. When you look at companies like TaskRabbit and Handy, they break their pricing down by task and room that allows the customer to choose exactly what they want with their cleaning service. The customer can keep increasing or decreasing the price based on exactly what he or she wants. This pricing strategy is very similar to Spirit Airlines where the price can be customized by the customer, and if Detroit Maid were able to include this, they could steal an extra dime that they currently aren’t getting.