Helper Agencies

F

fuglyhk

New member
Has anyone had a great experience with a helper agency ?

We have just moved here and I have 3 sml children. Think an agency might be the way to go.

Thanks
 
Did you find a helper yet? I'm suprised how long it's taking for me. We've been here two weeks and I've only managed one interview though I've chased down many by phone it seems. I'm using asia expat. What worked for you?
 
I used Pleasant Maids Agency at Olympian City. Mrs Woo was prompt in recommending helpers for interviews. I'm still waiting for my helper to arrive but it has only been 3 weeks so can't comment any further.
 
I am STILL looking. Have spoken with 2 agencies and while they replied to my first email promptly - have not heard anything more.
 
I like using gumtree.com, most helpers post their own listing and are very prompt in reply. Most of them are already in HK, so setting up interviews is easy, too.
Agencies seem to be slow, I guess they have large number of employers / helpers / contracts to deal with.
 
We were very lucky and found our helper through asia expat. We shortlisted the ones we wanted to meet (experience with newborn, long contract with previous employers, references etc) and arranged for them to come over to our place to meet up on their off day. We wanted someone we could meet, most of the agencies we spoke to can only arrange for phone interviews/resume/video.

Met our helper on the first weekend we conducted our interviews, spoke with her current employer who she had worked with for 8 years (they were migrating to australia). She arranged for all the paper work herself and she turned out every bit as good as her previous employer told us.
 
shar_ssc said:
I used Pleasant Maids Agency at Olympian City. Mrs Woo was prompt in recommending helpers for interviews. I'm still waiting for my helper to arrive but it has only been 3 weeks so can't comment any further.
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We haven't had a great experience with this Mrs Woo. She has been adding fee on top of fee to process our direct hire. I think going rate is $3000 plus and she has charged us $4500 already! (She started with a $2900 plus $500 medical - but after taking all our papers and contracts, refuses to follow up saying all she will do is hand in the papers and if - for eg. we needed the last employer's termination letter - as employer was relocating - then, we needed to do it ourselves!) In the end we paid her $4500 (what she charges if you find the helper through her) just do she would follow up on the paperwork!

Now she is charging us $300 to hand in the OWWA fee for our helper (on top of the $200 charge for the actualOWWA. Everyone else we checked with says its included - but Mrs Woo says its extra! Actually she was sneaky and going to charge the helper the $300 but luckily the helper told us! If it comes down to it, we would rather pay it than have her charge our new helper - but it doesn't seem quite right that she keeps adding fee after fee after fee!
 
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