Are all Cleaning Companies Created Equal?

Chances are that at some point in the near future, you or someone within your organization will be seeking a new cleaning company. With so many companies to choose from, in what is a very competitive market, it is important to do a little homework before choosing your next cleaning staff. Whenever we work with a new client we initially ask them what is prompting them to seek a new cleaning service. The most common answers typically involve frustration stemming from one of the following three common mistakes:

• Going for the lowest cost provider. While it is important to have a budget, choosing a cleaning company purely based on price can be a mistake and can lead to frustration. It is good practice to get comparative bids, although more than 3 can be overwhelming. Inevitably, one of the bidders will have the most desirable price. But, if the price is too low, comparatively speaking, that should be a red flag that the company has probably bid incorrectly. Chances are, if you hire the company with a very low price, they may be unable to provide the quality of service you require for the agreed upon price. Be sure to understand the staffing plan that supports the proposed price and make sure you are comparing apples to apples when looking at multiple proposals from various vendors.

• Not properly communicating expectations to the cleaning company. Not all cleaning cleaning contracts are created equal. A medical office building has very different needs and requirements than a manufacturing facility, for example. And, while a cleaning company may have experience cleaning all types of facilities, it is important to ask questions up front and be sure that both parties are on the same page when it comes to daily/weekly/monthly tasks. For example, “nightly floor mopping” might mean a quick pass over all heavy traffic areas in some buildings, while it may mean very careful attention to all corners and edges every night in others. It is important for the cleaning company to understand all of the client’s hot buttons or areas of primary concern. And it is equally important for the client to carefully review the cleaning specifications to make sure their needs will be met.

• Not asking how staff are trained, supervised and managed. It is a fact across many industries – and especially in the cleaning industry: finding and retaining good, dependable help is very challenging these days. It is the toughest part of maintaining and growing a successful cleaning business. So, it is essential that your cleaning company has a team of supervisors who oversee their staff and closely monitor the quality of cleaning on a regular basis. In a service-based business such as cleaning, it is important to properly train staff so that they can perform their work in an effective and efficient manner. However, even with the best training, sometimes problems do arise; an unemptied trash basket, a countertop that was overlooked or a spot on a rug that the cleaner was unable to remove. When situations such as these do occur, the management staff should identify and fix them through the inspection process, rather than waiting for the client to find and identify the issue. Make sure to ask about and understand the communication process within your cleaning company to ensure the best possible results for your workplace.

If you are in the process of looking for a cleaning service for your workplace, your satisfaction level is sure to increase if these mistakes are avoided.

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