General Terms and Conditions of Valeriana

Art. 1

Scope, subject matter, written form

  • The following Terms and Conditions shall apply to all services covered by the contractual relationship, including any supplementary and additional orders, including consulting services for the platform www.valeriana.ch.
  • Once Valeriana has confirmed the requested service and appointment (one-off booking or recurring booking), a contractual relationship and contract are entered into. Up until this point, both parties can cancel the order at any time and at no cost. As soon as the 1st booking appointment has taken place and recurring appointments are booked online, the order is considered active and is binding for both parties. Within the 1st month, the contract can be terminated at any time without notice. From the 2nd month onwards, a notice period of 1 month from the end of each month applies. Clients are encouraged to make note of the recurring appointments themselves. Clients also receive a personal link with all their appointments, and invoices can also be viewed there. If a client is going to be absent due to holidays, he/she must give at least 3 days' notice. A short e-mail to this effect will suffice. If this is not done and the staff are unable to access the premises, we will have to charge for the full amount of time booked.
  • Our privacy policy is an integral part of our Terms and Conditions. It can be found at www.valeriana.ch/datenschutz. Collateral agreements, supplements and amendments must be made in writing. This also applies to changes to the written form clause. No verbal collateral agreements have been made.

Art. 2

Services and scope

  • Valeriana accepts orders from clients placed on www.valeriana.ch. A contract between the client and Valeriana is entered into once Valeriana confirms the booking request and the order can be assigned accordingly. Services offered are cleaning, washing, ironing, sewing, recycling, holiday service, pet sitting and running errands. The subject of the order is the performance of the services agreed upon at the time of the order and not a specific success or a specific result.
  • The stated duration per assignment at the 1st appointment is for guidance only. The time actually spent will be charged. After the 1st assignment, a fixed number of hours will be agreed upon with the client (e.g., 4 hours). If you would like to make a change to the assignment, please inform the Valeriana back office in advance. The hours will be adjusted accordingly. This helps the staff to plan their work. If the back office is not informed of the changes at least 1 day prior to the assignment, the scheduled assignment time will be charged. Additional changes and additions by the client are considered to be changes and additions to the order and will be invoiced separately. If the booked time is not sufficient to fulfil the order, no guarantee can be given with regards to fulfilling the order.
  • The work or hourly report governs the issuance of invoices. The invoice is then issued with the date of the assignment and the hours worked. The report forms the basis for invoicing and reflects the time worked.
  • The time agreed upon after the first assignment is adhered to and serves as guidance and as a framework. in the case of additional time spent or the assignment of additional orders, time differences may occur.
  • Valeriana endeavours to ensure the shortest possible journey for its employees to the clients. Outside the Valeriana employee's public transport zone, the connecting ticket is also charged monthly at the half-fare card rate. An example for the Zurich region: From ZVV zone 110 to ZVV zone 121, an additional cost of CHF 6.20 is incurred for the Valeriana employee's return journey. These costs will be paid to the Valeriana employee.
  • Valeriana selects the employee. The client has the right to choose another employee. However, this is only possible if a reason for the requested change is given. The contract is not tied to specific employees. Absence due to holidays, illness or substitution is not a reason for immediate termination of the contract. Valeriana always strives to send the same staff member to each location to ensure personal interaction and relationship building.
  • The instructions sent to clients by email, as well as the checklist sent with the order confirmation, are an integral part of all orders and contracts and must therefore be adhered to by both parties.
  • In the case of illness, appointments must be cancelled by the client 24 hours in advance (except at weekends). Appointments not cancelled in good time will be charged at the regular rate. Appointments cancelled by clients must generally be replaced with substitute appointments and must be made known 3 days in advance by email or telephone. Exceptions are made in case of illness and other emergencies.

What happens if I reschedule or cancel appointments? What do I need to consider? For vacation absence and other impediments, the following must be taken into account. We differentiate between appointment rescheduling and appointment cancellations:

Annual Appointment Rescheduling (with a replacement date):

  • Bi-weekly interval: Max. 5 appointments -> from the 6th rescheduling, an hour of effort will be charged.
  • Weekly interval: Max. 10 appointments -> from the 11th rescheduling, an hour of effort will be charged.

Annual Appointment Cancellation (without scheduling a replacement date):

  • Bi-weekly interval: Max. 5 appointments -> from the 6th cancellation, the planned hours will be charged.
  • Weekly interval: Max. 10 appointments -> from the 11th cancellation, the planned hours will be charged.

This is to ensure that the financial security of our staff is not jeopardised. The employee receives their share of the payment. No appointments may be cancelled during the notice period, otherwise, the notice period will be skipped. If this happens, the hours will still be charged, even without the assignment. If a long absence is planned, a break can be taken by mutual agreement.

  • In case our employees are ill or leave for holidays, Valeriana will inform its client in advance. Where possible, a substitute will be organised. However, this cannot always be guaranteed as staff shortages may occur.
  • Final cleaning with acceptance guarantees, clearing or moving of furniture, curtain and carpet cleaning are not offered or performed by us our employees.

Service description:

Maintenance cleaning

What is maintenance cleaning?

At Valeriana we offer "maintenance cleaning". Maintenance cleaning is the recurring cleaning of a flat, house or office at regular time intervals.

The time interval (daily, weekly, every 2 weeks or monthly) is always agreed upon individually between the client and Valeriana. All work that requires telescopic handles or ladders (i.e. over 2.20 m) is not included within the scope of maintenance cleaning and belongs to the more demanding service category "intermediate cleaning".

Maintenance cleaning can be applied to all kinds of properties and includes the cleaning of private households, stairwells, offices, business premises, schools, kindergartens, supermarkets and shopping centres. Good to know: We generally do not move furniture to the side in order to clean underneath it. The following is a list of what maintenance cleaning includes:

Maintenance cleaning of floor coverings

  • Vacuuming floor coverings incl. carpets with a hoover.
  • Wet mopping hard floor coverings, e.g., tiles with a mop Maintenance cleaning of sanitary facilities
  • Dust and damp cleaning up to shelf height 2.20 m (without ceiling lamps)
  • Thoroughly cleaning toilets, sanitary facilities, wet areas, urinals, toilet bowls, washbasins, bathtubs and shower cubicles with detergent.
  • Damp treating and cleaning fittings, mirrors and wall tiles in the splash area
  • Emptying hygiene and waste containers
  • Cleaning hard floor coverings with a wet mop
  • Damp cleaning door handles and window sills (inside), light switches, wall decorations, ceilings and wall lights and radiators as required

Maintenance cleaning of living room and kitchen

  • Dust and damp cleaning up to shelf height 2.20 m (without ceiling lamps). For high cupboards, other special items beyond our usual scope, please contact us to discuss, we always find a solution.
  • Thoroughly vacuuming textile floor coverings
  • Wet mopping hard floor coverings (PVC, linoleum, wooden floors) and cleaning floors with a mop
  • Wiping outside of kitchen cupboards and handles with a damp cloth, cleaning and wiping worktops, kitchen sinks and fittings with a damp cloth
  • Wiping tiles in the kitchen area with a damp cloth
  • Wiping mirrors with a damp cloth
  • Wiping windows and door handles with a damp cloth and removing handle marks are removed
  • Wiping window ledges, light switches, wall lighting and radiators (as required) with a damp cloth
  • General surface cleaning of furniture, wiping with a damp cloth
  • Removing cobwebs provided that a ladder is not necessary

We will gladly do more for you! We offer the following additional cleaning services:

  • Window cleaning (inside and outside)
  • Fridge cleaning
  • Oven cleaning
  • Ironing

For additional services beyond the scope of maintenance cleaning, please contact Valeriana in advance by email at service@valeriana.ch or by telephone.

The following work does not fit within the scope of maintenance and is not offered by Valeriana:

  • Cleaning of windows/frames inside and outside, as well as blinds, as soon as a ladder is necessary
  • Deep cleaning, stone floor or parquet floor or maintenance treatment
  • Carpet deep cleaning: extracting, removing stains, etc.
  • Cleaning lamps, cupboards, etc. over a height of 2.20 m
  • Intermediate and deep cleaning in sanitary areas, e.g., shower cubicle, bathtub, WCs, sinks and tiles — as well as fittings

Art. 3

Cleaning materials

  • Customers shall provide the following equipment free of charge and in working order: hoover incl. spare dust bag, mop (incl. 2 mop attachments), 10l bucket and household paper. All other utensils (microfibre cloths, non-scratching sponges, feather dusters and cleaning agents (bathroom, kitchen, glass, oven, WC and limescale cleaners, grease remover and all-purpose soap)) will be brought by the Valeriana staff in their cleaning backpacks. We work with ecologically compatible products by Uni Sapon. Products are included in the hourly rate and are not charged separately. The clients shall endeavour to support the employee as much as possible in the fulfilment of the order.
  • In the event that objects and property are damaged due to incorrect work equipment, all liability is excluded.

Art. 4

Conditions and payment due date

  • A booked hour consists of 55 minutes of working time. Clients undertake to settle the amount owed for the service provided within 10 days. A 1st reminder will be free of charge. For the 2nd reminder, Valeriana reserves the right to charge CHF 25.00, as additional expenses have been incurred. All expenses incurred in connection with a debt collection will be charged in full to the customer.

Art. 5

Due diligence and liability

  • Valeriana shall carry out the contracted tasks with due care and attention to the best interests of the Client and shall ensure their success. The client undertakes to cooperate as much as possible in the fulfilment of the contract. Clients are responsible, for example, for ensuring that the mop attachments are washed prior to each use and that the above-mentioned equipment (hoover with spare bag, mop unit, 10-litre bucket, household paper, etc.) is available and in good working order.
  • Valeriana has public liability insurance. This insurance covers consequential damages within the scope of legal liability (personal injury and property damage up to CHF 5 million). Valeriana's liability for other damages, outside the scope of public liability (goodwill), is limited to CHF 500. The same applies to damages of any kind for which the insurance company declines liability. Valeriana is only liable in the case of wilful intent and gross negligence.
  • Wear and tear of the equipment or other objects (irons, hoovers, etc.) as well as minor scratches on parquet flooring or glass or ceramic surfaces do not constitute damage and are therefore excluded from all liability. If any surfaces, furniture or other materials require special care, this should be communicated to our staff before they start working. If this is not done, all liability is excluded.
  • When Valeriana employees perform sewing, washing or ironing work, they do so with the utmost care. Please point out any special requirements to our staff, e.g. special care etc. Clothes made of silk or other sensitive materials (wool) should be taken to a professional dry cleaner. No liability can be accepted for this.
  • In the event of damage, it must be reported to Valeriana within 24 hours so that the damage can be inspected or checked. A photo of the damage and receipts must be provided. No liability will be accepted for damage reported too late or after the fact.
  • There is no damage liability for one-off orders.
  • Valeriana is not liable for data-protection-related damages caused by third parties or due to interruptions of platforms for which Valeriana is not responsible. Valeriana also accepts no liability for content on linked pages. Data protection on linked sites is not covered by these terms of use.

Art. 6

Return of keys and loss

  • It is the customer's decision whether or not to hand over a key to a member of our staff. If a key is lost through the possible fault of an employee, Valeriana is not liable. Nevertheless, we naturally fulfill our duty of care and take very good care of the keys. A key receipt will be given by the Valeriana office. However, if keys are deposited in the letterbox or similar places, also all liability is excluded. The staff is trained accordingly. As a safe alternative, we recommend the installation of a key box. Further information and recommendations on the key box can be found in our online magazine. At the end of the order or in the event of a change, the normal return of keys will take place via a deposit in the letterbox or in person. Keys will not be sent by post.

Art. 7

Staff

  • Valeriana confirms that all staff assigned meet all legal requirements and that these are processed correctly.

Art. 8

Trade secret, confidentiality

  • Valeriana and its employees undertake not to disclose to third parties any information they learn in the course of the contractual relationship. This applies in particular to documents of all types, residential, income and property circumstances. The client also agrees to be bound by the duty of confidentiality for trade secrets.
  • Trade secrets are any information the disclosure of which could harm Valeriana and its employees in any way. This duty of confidentiality shall survive the termination of the contractual relationship.

Art. 9

Working hours

  • Normal working hours: Monday – Friday (8.00 am – 10.00 pm) & Saturday (8.00 am – 8.00 pm)
  • No working hours: Sunday and public national holidays

Art. 10

Direct contact hotline

  • The hotline tel. number +41 44 500 28 72 is available to customers from Monday to Friday from 8.00 am – 5.00 pm. Valeriana can also be reached by email at service@valeriana.ch or WhatsApp +41 78 605 36 85.

Art. 11

Final provisions

  • All legal relations between Valeriana (Social Impact Venture Philanthropy GmbH) and the Client as well as these Terms and Conditions shall be governed by Swiss law. The place of jurisdiction is the registered office of Valeriana, Social Impact Venture Philanthropy GmbH in Zurich.
  • If an agreement in the context of this contractual relationship is invalid, the contract remains otherwise valid.