In today’s world, inviting service providers into your home or business requires a leap of faith. Whether it’s a cleaning crew, maintenance team, or contractor, customers are essentially trusting strangers with their most valuable possessions, personal safety, and peace of mind. This is precisely why background-checked crews have become not just a competitive advantage, but a necessity for service companies that want to earn and maintain customer trust.
The Trust Crisis in Service Industries
The service industry faces a unique challenge: the portion of persons age 12 or older who were victims of violent crime increased from 0.98% in 2015 to 1.14% in 2017, with rates of violent victimization against persons ages 25-34 rising from 21.8 per 1,000 persons to 28.4 per 1,000 from 2015 to 2016. In a study of more than 1,000 online daters, 53% of Americans admitted to lying on their online dating profile, and in 2016, nearly 15,000 complaints categorized as romance scams or confidence fraud were reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. If people are this deceptive in dating scenarios, how much more careful should businesses be when hiring employees who enter customers’ homes and workplaces?
The Statistics That Matter
The numbers tell a compelling story about why background checks are crucial:
- 95% of employers conducted employment background screening in 2018
- One in three Americans, or around 70 to 100 million, have criminal records. Over half of Americans, or 42.6 million, admit to having lied on their resume at least once
- Approximately 6% of criminal history background checks found a criminal record in the previous seven years
- 75% of employees have stolen from their company at least once, with employees accounting for 90% of all significant theft losses. Businesses lose $50 billion each year as a result of employee theft
These statistics underscore a critical reality: without proper screening, companies are essentially playing Russian roulette with their customers’ safety and their own reputation.
Customer Peace of Mind: Beyond Just Safety
Doing a background check on those close to your family can give you peace of mind and ensure the safety of your children. In short, when it comes to the safety of your family, you don’t want to take any chances. Our services are quick and easy, so it’s worth finding out who you are trusting to be around your family.
This sentiment extends directly to service industries. When customers hire a cleaning service, home repair contractor, or any other service provider, they’re not just purchasing a service—they’re buying peace of mind. Running a background check provides peace of mind in the hiring process by giving the employer more information about the person they’re considering for a job. And while background checks can’t necessarily eliminate the chances of a bad hire, they reduce the likelihood of problematic hires and the stress, lost productivity, or liability they can cause.
The Trust Advantage in Customer Relationships
Service companies that prioritize background checks create several key advantages:
1. Enhanced Customer Confidence
Facility managers want to have confidence in the employees that the BSCs provide for the project. By performing background checks, BSCs show that they have a sense of duty to the job, which relieves some concern on the part of the customer. In today’s market and today’s world to have background checks on your employees not only helps you but helps the people you’re providing the service for.
2. Competitive Differentiation
BSCs should promote the fact they perform background checks because they may be putting themselves at a competitive disadvantage if they don’t tell their clients what pre-employment screening has been done.
3. Professional Reputation
Firms that perform background checks show a higher degree of professionalism and a more responsible way of doing business. Contractors need to remember that they run a professional organization providing an important service to other professionals.
The Business Case: Risk Mitigation and Liability Protection
From a business perspective, background checks serve as critical risk management tools:
Legal and Financial Protection
You already know high-risk drivers can create financial and reputational liabilities for your business. Imagine not only knowing who those people are, but also receiving violation alerts that allow you to act immediately, without waiting several months—or longer—to take corrective action. Once you’ve identified those with driving violations, imagine how easy it could be to reduce costs – like insurance premiums and claims, worker’s compensation, and employee turnover.
Comprehensive Risk Assessment
Background checks will help your organization identify people who demonstrate risky behaviors such as criminal activity, sexual offenses, money management problems, lack of qualifications and poor driving history. Limiting these exposures can help create a safe environment and prevent future accidents.
Reputation Protection
Certain types of incidents can damage an organization’s reputation by losing the public’s trust and eroding donor support or government funding. Background checks can demonstrate your desire to protect common interests and ensure your organization is doing its best to prevent crime.
Building Trust Through Transparency
Modern customers expect transparency from service providers. It’s a system that breeds trust and satisfaction. Companies that openly communicate their background check policies and procedures demonstrate:
- Commitment to customer safety
- Professional standards and accountability
- Due diligence in hiring practices
- Respect for customer concerns
The Growing Demand for Verified Service Providers
The demand for background-checked service providers continues to grow. The Home Cleaning Services Market, valued at USD 73.54B in 2025, is projected to reach USD 111.53B by 2030, growing at a 8.7% CAGR. Collectively, the home cleaning services market is experiencing a period of transformation driven by technological innovation, sustainability imperatives, and evolving consumer behaviors. The strategic implications of new trade policies, varied segment dynamics, and regional heterogeneity underscore the importance of agility and foresight in navigating this complex environment.
As this market grows, customer expectations for safety and security will only increase. 69% of Americans say they would feel safer using dating apps if every user had been screened or had a background check in order to use the app. 84% of Americans say they have a level of concern about the safety and privacy of the data they provide online in the workplace. If consumers want background checks for dating apps, imagine their expectations for people entering their homes.
Implementation Best Practices
For service companies looking to implement comprehensive background check programs:
1. Partner with Reputable Providers
It’s important to partner with a trusted FCRA-compliant background check service provider for confident hiring.
2. Maintain Compliance
Our partnership with Trusted Employees ensures that we stay up to date with legal regulations and industry standards related to background checks, ensuring our screening processes align with applicable laws to protect your organization and the individuals involved.
3. Communicate Value to Customers
Conducting background checks gives you confidence that you’re picking the right people for the right roles and building a qualified, trustworthy team. Share this commitment with your customers.
Conclusion: The Future of Service Industry Trust
In an increasingly connected yet uncertain world, background-checked crews represent more than just a safety measure—they’re a fundamental component of customer service excellence. Recognizing the significance of background checks is essential for ensuring both personal and professional tranquility by facilitating well-informed hiring decisions and instilling confidence in the individuals and systems upon which we depend.
Service companies that embrace comprehensive background checking don’t just protect themselves and their customers; they position themselves as industry leaders who understand that trust is the foundation of every successful business relationship. In a market where customers have choices, those choices will increasingly favor companies that prioritize safety, security, and peace of mind through verified, background-checked crews.
The question isn’t whether your company can afford to conduct background checks—it’s whether you can afford not to. Your customers’ trust, your company’s reputation, and your business’s future success depend on making the right choice.
References:
- 40+ Background Check Statistics in 2025 | Shortlister
- Background Checks Build Trust With Clients | CleanLink
- Home Cleaning Services Market Size, Share & Forecast to 2030 | Research and Markets
- Navigating the Digital Frontier: Americans’ Concerns for Online Safety in 2024 | Checkr
- Employee Background Checks | Ensure a Safe Workplace | Church Mutual
