From the perspective of a self proclaimed good housekeeping company.
Important factors
Size? No
Website? No
Business Cards? No
Uniforms? No
Insurance? No
Professional sounding? No
Time in business? No
Price? No
Rapport? No; actually maybe yes.
All these things may be important to you but they are not what makes a good VRBO cleaning company. In reality it is simple, it comes down to Quality and Reliability. Quality is great but if the cleaner is not reliable it sucks for you and your guest. If the cleaners are reliable but they do crappy work you right back in the same boat of being in a difficult situation. Who needs these headaches and expenses.
So the short and the skinny of it is if you don’t already have it you should be looking for a VRBO cleaning service that delivers quality and reliability. Anything on top of that is gravy. Can you find someone to clean your 3 bedroom condo for $50? Probably, but if you expect them to be reliable or to deliver quality you are going to be sorely disappointed and so will your customers.
Obviously the best way to find a good company is to get referrals from other owners around you. Unfortunately we are a society of hermit crabs and most of us do not know our neighbors at home much less the neighbors where we go to get away from it all. Often this leads to giving someone a chance, the proverbial crap shot. When shopping for a good VRBO cleaner you will build an initial rapport. If you feel comfortable with this individual or company it may be safe to use them. May I suggest that you trust but verify. Contact couple of references if they have them.
Signs of a good or bad company.
Policies in place for missed cleanings or late cleanings. If a cleaner is late the cleaning should be free.
Inspections should be performed on a majority of the cleanings and the inspectors/supervisors salary should depend on the quality and reliability of the housekeepers under them. This would obviously only apply to a larger company.
How does the company track and schedule cleanings. Trying to remember the schedule or using scratch pieces of paper may work if you are only cleaning a few units but it rapidly becomes a source of reliability problems when organizational skills are no where to be found.
A few things to keep in mind. Cleaning is not rocket science. Most enter this business because of the low bar for entry. This being the case it is difficult to find good help. Once you have found a good company do not let them go. If you have been in the business of VRBO for any period of time you know that finding a good cleaning service can take more than a little doing.