Perhaps you have tried working with an office cleaning company before, but it wasn’t delivering on promises. When cleaning staff is unprofessional, unreliable, or not doing a thorough job, it just doesn’t seem worth it. You aren’t paying your employees for a job half done, so don’t pay a cleaning company for a service you are less–than satisfied with, either.
After letting go of those services, did you decide to delegate responsibilities amongst your employees (and yourself)? Even with the best internal cleaning systems, you might be asking yourself some of these questions:
- Your in-house cleaning practices are good, but are they good enough?
- Are these extra responsibilities leaving employees feeling strained?
- Are employees sharing germs and getting sick?
- Is it difficult to get work done because you keep looking at your full trash bin?
A clean office is crucial to making good first impressions with clients. No one wants to walk into an office and see overflowing trashcans, dirty floors, and dust. Your potential client will likely turn around and walk right out if they see those conditions.
Along with client relations, a clean facility has a hand in maintaining overall employee job satisfaction. It’s no secret that employees who work in a clean environment are happier, more productive, and less stressed. This all leads to better health and less sick days, which is great news for any business to run smoothly.
The good news is that there are good cleaning companies out there! With the right company, you can develop a lasting, mutually beneficial relationship: they clean your facility like ghosts in the night, and you support their business.
7 Steps to Choosing the Perfect Office Cleaning Services Company
1. Ask for Recommendations
If you don’t know where to start, ask for recommendations. Put out a social media post asking for recommendations for cleaning companies, ask another business owner in the same building, and ask your employees.
Perhaps a friend in town has found a great cleaning company and would be happy to pass on their information. Use your resources and connections!
2. Search for Local Cleaning Companies and Review Their Websites
Go to your favorite search engine and search for cleaning companies in your area. You will have a whole list of options to sift through, so spend some time looking at websites. Look to see if the website looks professionally done, if their information is credible, and browse their offerings.
- What organizations or companies have they worked with?
- Do they have “before and after” photos?
- Are there testimonials from past and current clients?
- Do they offer a free quote?
- What facilities do they service?
You will be able to get an idea if the company can meet your needs and is who they say they are. Check to see how long the company has been in business and their experience with your type of facility.
3. Read Reviews and Check References
Find reviews and references. Sometimes, this is listed on a company’s website. Other times you will need to search for reviews. Look through the reviews and see what people are saying about the company.
- Do they make any guarantees?
- Do they show up on time?
- Are they professional?
- Are they thorough?
If you’re still unsure about the company after browsing reviews, use your resources again and seek out references. Has anyone in your social or professional circles used this company? Or do they know someone who has? What was their experience with them?
4. Get a Quote
Once you have a list of potential companies, reach out to them and ask for a quote. Have a list of questions ready when when you call:
- Are they licenced? Do they have liability insurance? It’s essential that a cleaning company carry liability insurance and is fully licensed. If not, don’t proceed with the conversation and move on to the next potential company. You might be able to find information about liability insurance on the company’s website. If not, be sure to ask about it. You put your company at risk if you hire someone without a license or liability insurance.
- Ask About Flexibility Find a company that can meet your exact needs on your timeline. Will you need the cleaning company to come at the same time on the same days every week? Does your schedule fluctuate? Could your hours change? Ask about any potential scenarios and clarify what stipulations are in place for making changes to the schedule.
- Ask About Service Options Consider everything you wish the office cleaning company to do. Be sure that they can perform all needed tasks. Do you just need light services, such as emptying garbage and vacuuming? Or do you require more through services, such as restroom cleaning, floor buffing, and cleaning reception areas?
- Ask About Their Office Staff Is there a main office and if so, what are the hours? Who schedules the cleaning services? Who would you contact if there was a problem or you needed to make a change? You need to make sure there is a responsive office that communicates regularly with clients.
- Ask About a Trial Period Do they offer a trial period before signing a longer contract? A trial period can be a great way to try someone out before making a long commitment. During this period, see if company representatives show up on time, do a good job, and communicate effectively.
5. Narrow Down Your List of Companies And Have Them Do A Walkthrough In Your Facility
Once you have gathered initial information from several companies, narrow your choices to two or three. Ask each company for a commercial cleaning proposal. To collect details for this proposal, insist on a janitorial walkthrough. This allows you to personally meet a representative from the company and talk through your exact needs. It’s a good sign if the company brings a commercial walkthrough checklist. This ensures that the representative can gather the information necessary to complete a proposal.
Some information the company will gather on the walkthrough includes:
Labor Requirements and Costs
Labor costs are an essential part of a commercial cleaning proposal. The company should note the facility measurements, cleaning frequency, and distance to your office from theirs to calculate these costs. By seeing your facility, they can get an accurate picture of the needed work.
Tools and Supplies Needed for the Job
It’s crucial to discuss tools and supplies. What will your company provide, and what do you expect the cleaning company to provide? Will you provide the paper products and cleaning solutions, or do you require the cleaners to bring everything? Do you want them to use environmentally friendly cleaning products and recycled paper goods? What about gloves and protective equipment?
Your preferences and agreements with the company affect the end price. Make sure this is a thorough process. You don’t want any surprises. If the company doesn’t appear detailed enough in this area, it’s best to go with another company.
Cleaning Preferences
During the walkthrough, point out every service you would like the cleaning company to perform, even down to wiping down the elevator buttons. Again, it’s a good sign if the representative brings along a checklist. They might have suggestions for tasks you hadn’t even thought of. Through your wishes and their advice, you should be able to come up with a great cleaning plan that meets all your needs.
Discuss Safety Concerns
Are there hazards in your commercial building? If so, point them out during the walkthrough. Also, if your commercial is extensive and requires the use of heavy machinery, discuss this. What are safety measures taken when operating this equipment?
Discuss Security and Protocols Specific to Your Office
Typically, a cleaning crew comes to work after hours. What measures does the company have to ensure your belongings and files are safe? There needs to be trust between you and the cleaning company. This is especially important in an office with sensitive files. For instance, there could be patient records in a medical office, so the company will need to follow HIPPA laws. Also, there could be Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards in these settings. Ask about the company’s knowledge of these standards.
Training
Ask the representative about training initiatives. How will they train their staff to perform all duties required with your job? Also, ask about training with hazardous materials and heavy machinery if those are of concern in your particular building.
Discuss Quality
What does quality mean to the company? Who is responsible for ensuring quality? What if you are not pleased with the quality of the cleaning? What recourse do you have? The representative should have thoughtful answers to these concerns.
6. Compare Costs, Flexibility, And Service Options
After performing the walkthrough, the janitorial company should be able to send you a detailed commercial cleaning proposal. This will lay out all details of your building and all agreed-upon cleaning services.
Once you have gathered proposals from a few companies, compare them. Think about what you have learned about each company. Who showed up on time, communicated clearly, and returned your calls?
Now, look at the proposals. Compare services and costs. Also, think about all you learned about scheduling, flexibility, quality, safety, and training. Hopefully there is a clear winner, and you can proceed with signing a contract and setting up services.
7. Sign a Contract
It’s imperative to sign a contract for office cleaning services. If you don’t, you could find yourself in a bind paying for subpar cleaning services with no other choice.
Read through the entire contract before you sign it. Are all the details precisely as you discussed? If you are not pleased with the agreement, make sure it is amended before you sign it. Once it’s signed, it cements the terms.
Essential points to check in the contract before signing:
- Frequency – This is one of the most critical parts of the contract. It spells out how often the janitorial service will send people to clean your building or office.
- Time/Days – The times and days you want your facility to be cleaned should be reflected in the contract.
- Outline of Specific Duties – The contract should spell out specific cleaning duties. In addition, the frequency should also be noted. Some cleaning tasks should be completed daily, while others could be weekly, monthly, or quarterly.
- Cleaning Products – The contract should specify if you will provide the cleaning products or if the cleaning company will. Also, the contract should mention if specific cleaning products are to be used. For instance, if you prefer environmentally friendly or unscented products, this should all be included.
- Paper Products – As with cleaning products, it’s important to state who is responsible for providing paper products. These include paper towels, toilet paper, or other typical supplies used in your workplace.
- Performance Expectations – By providing performance standards in the contract, the service provider is not held to unrealistic expectations. Also, it allows you to ask for work that is not being performed up to standards to be corrected.
- Remedy for Disagreement – If there is a disagreement, the contract should outline the course of action to be taken. It should also provide the consequences of non-performance of either party.
The contract should be thorough. If you aren’t pleased with it, don’t sign it. Make any needed adjustments before signing. Taking the time to do this creates better relationships and clear expectations.
Make A Great Impression With A Clean Office
A clean, well-organized workspace makes a great first impression. It represents your professionalism, and builds trust with your clients, which will help your business grow and flourish.
Staff members also thrive when working in a clean office space. When surfaces are properly cleaned and sanitized, it reduces germs in the workplace. This can help your staff stay healthy and feel safe working in their office space.
Professional office cleaning companies have the knowledge, supplies, and talents to keep your office clean and in great shape. Take a load off your employees, impress your clients, and keep your staff healthy by hiring a facility cleaning services company you can trust.
Has your facility seen cleaner days? Leave the grime to the professionals, and see it disappear overnight.
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