I’m especially happy to write about this particular JVT neighbor just before the year end. As many homes are getting decorated and all spruced up for some sparkling New Year celebrations at home, it would be a shame to forget to give those high up windows and balconies a glisten.
We surely have a lot of multi-talented and enterprising residents in JVT and I recently met yet another – Suzanne Kalloghlian. She is not only a children’s author, a teaching assistant and a personal tutor, but a budding entrepreneur to boot! She has found a perfect niche in the market when she started her own business a few years back called The Gleam Team. Her team of seven will make your windows sparkle, trust me, I’ve tried. They specialize in window cleaning both inside and out. While they are outside, you can also have them power wash your patios, balconies and garage doors. Specialized in windows, they can change the netting on your sliding door fly-screens as well. Window cleaning is such a drag that I think it’s marvelous to have a great little crew you can call in for a super reasonable price to do one of those perennial dreadful chores.
Suzanne’s straightforward and simple idea took some work to set up. But, after getting the paperwork sorted, the business has taken off thanks to happy client recommendations. I can understand why as Suzanne explained to me her guiding mantra – ‘the customer is always right’ she asserts. “If a customer is not happy, which thank goodness is very rare, it bothers me immensely and I always attempt to rectify the problem if I can,” she told me. Clearly, this strategy is working well for The Gleam Team.
Suzanne and her Gleam Team !
I also think her success boils down to the personal touch. We called in The Gleam Team to fix our ripped and broken fly screens. Unfortunately, the company which had installed them did a terrible job and it was impossible to snap out the frames, as would be customary. I never noticed this issue until we needed the repairs. At first, the team informed me that they would be unable to accept the job for fear of damaging the aluminum frames. But the very next day, Suzanne’s husband came around to check on the difficulties his team had encountered and identified the right solution to remove and repair the screens.
The Gleam Team is truly a family affair. Husband George does the bookings (as Suzanne holds down a full time school job). His professional work is done remotely from home, so it’s easier for him to handle the administrative side of things Suzanne tells me with a twinkle in her eye! Their two sons, Raffi and Zak sort out all the necessary day-to-day running of GLEAM making a big contribution to the business. Suzanne is also quite adamant about taking good care of her staff. She especially raved about Raby & Jason, her main window cleaners, and one of whom you would surely find on every job. “We work as a real team,” Suzanne explained.
Another thing that Suzanne really takes to heart is caring for the planet. They use environmentally friendly products with no chemicals that are safe to both children and animals. Their procedures also account for our desert climate to ensure the minimal water usage. They take special care to avoid water leakage in through the window frames which can happen very easily in some of the construction here and cause lots of damage. The team also wears shoe covers and gloves inside your home to protect carpets and furnishings.
Ho, Ho, Ho! No, it’s not Santa, it’s The Gleam Team!
When I asked Suzanne why she started this business, it came down to simple supply and demand. She had tried to find a company some years ago to come and clean the windows at her home and found the costs extortionate and the service poor. She felt she could offer a quality and friendly service. “I wanted some polite, hygienic, well trained guys that would come and do the job efficiently and quickly, with a smile,” Suzanne remarked. “Since I couldn’t find that kind of service I decided to start my own.”
Suzanne is a curious woman at heart and has been involved in a number of small business ventures throughout her life from owning a bouncy castle company to setting up a costume jewelry distribution business. She is one to always stay busy and has explored many professions along the way. She’s trained in a number of different specialties from medical secretary to interior designer. Suzanne followed her husband to this region 16 years ago. They never had the intention to make this their home, but like many, they’ve established roots here. Her son now lives in JVT with his young family and this is what brought Suzanne and her husband to our neighborhood in the summer of 2016. “It’s a friendly place to live,” she commented. “Now that the weather is cooler, I will be donning my trainers and setting out for a few walks with the dogs and my new grandson to explore the area more fully.” You’ll surely happen upon Suzanne if you also like to walk about. If you do, I encourage you to start a conversation and you’ll certainly be enthralled with her vivacious attitude towards life!
In case a few neighbors want to call in the Gleam Team to spruce up their homes for the New Year, ask about their special offer for group bookings of 4 or 5 homes on the same day! Regardless, Suzanne always gives her neighbors a special deal and quotes JVT residents at 10% less then the going rate. I can highly recommend the service; very professional, very courteous and very clean.
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Phone number: 050 387 4557
Jumeirah Village Triangle 