There are dozens of agencies in Dehradun offering domestic help, and from the outside they all look the same — a phone number, a promise of "verified staff", and a fee. The difference only shows up later: when the maid stops coming, when a problem arises, or when you realise nobody actually checked who this person is.
Here is how to tell a genuine agency from a middleman, before you pay anyone.
A genuine agency will list it without hesitating: Aadhaar, permanent address, police verification, previous employer references. And they'll show you the documents. If the answer is a vague "sab verified hai", that's your answer.
An agency with a physical office in Dehradun has something to lose if they treat you badly. Someone operating only from a phone number can disappear the day after payment. Ask for the address, and go see it if you can.
Every agency says they offer replacement. Ask for specifics: within how many days or months, how many replacements, and at what cost. Verbal assurance is worth nothing when the maid leaves in week three.
Get every number before committing:
This tells you a lot about how an agency operates. Genuine agencies earn from employers, not from workers looking for jobs. An agency that charges both sides is squeezing people who can least afford it — and that attitude usually shows up in how they treat clients too.
The answer should be an immediate yes. Any agency that pressures you to accept someone without meeting them properly, or rushes the decision, is prioritising their placement over your household.
Good agencies stay reachable after placement. Middlemen go quiet once the fee is paid. Ask specifically what support looks like three months in — and check whether they actually pick up the phone when you call.
| ✕ | Full payment demanded before you've met anyone |
| ✕ | No office address, only a mobile number |
| ✕ | Refuses to show verification documents |
| ✕ | Pressure to decide immediately — "yeh chali jayegi, abhi bol dijiye" |
| ✕ | Quotes a price before asking about your household |
| ✕ | Charges the maid a fee as well as you |
Reviews are useful, but read them the right way:
| → | Look at review count, not just rating. A 5-star rating from 8 reviews means less than 4.5 stars from 400. |
| → | Read the negative ones. How an agency responds to complaints tells you more than the praise does. |
| → | Check the dates. Reviews spread over years suggest a real business. Twenty reviews in one week suggest something else. |
| → | Ask for one client reference in your area. A confident agency will give you one. |
Some agencies only place part-time cleaning staff. If your needs change later — cooking, childcare, elder care — you'd rather not start over with a new agency. Check they handle:
Describe your requirement and ask: "do you think we actually need full-time help, or would part-time be enough?" An agency that always says full-time is selling. One that occasionally tells you to spend less is worth trusting.
Ask for their office address and visit if possible, ask exactly what they verify and to see the documents, get the replacement policy in writing, and check Google reviews — looking at the number of reviews and how the agency responds to complaints, not just the star rating.
Agencies typically charge the employer a one-time placement fee, separate from the maid's monthly salary. Ask for the full breakdown upfront — agency fee, salary, and any charge for replacement — before committing to anything.
No. Genuine agencies earn from employers, not from job seekers. An agency charging registration fees to workers looking for jobs is a warning sign about how it operates generally.
Yes, and you should. Any agency that discourages this or pressures you to decide immediately is prioritising the placement over whether the person actually suits your household.
This is what the replacement policy covers, which is why you should get it in writing before paying. Ask specifically: within what period, how many replacements, and at what cost.
Everything above applies to us as well. We have an office on Sahastradhara Road you can visit, we'll show you verification documents for any candidate, and our replacement terms are given in writing before you pay anything. We never charge job seekers.
And if we think part-time help is enough for your household, we'll tell you that.
WhatsApp us: +91 7417306749
Call us: +91 9520955629
Register on our website: labourwala.in/contact-us
