How to Pick the Best Commercial Cleaning Company?
One of the most important decisions an employer makes is choosing how to keep their offices clean. Having a cleaning crew on the company payroll can be a costly investment in the long run—while hiring a commercial cleaning service is often more cost-effective and provides a better service.
But a reputable service can vary from mediocre to outstanding, which can be problematic for those who have no experience with commercial cleaning. To find the right professionals, here’s how to choose a professional cleaning company.
Conduct Cleaning Company Background Checks
The right questions can help you know if you are choosing a good option. To pick between professional office cleaning services, consider the specific services they offer, what days and hours they work (if you want them to come after your own work hours), and their rates. This kind of information should be readily provided by the cleaning company so you can compare the companies with each other.
Check Up On Their References
Many commercial cleaning services are willing to provide you with some testimonials of satisfied clients, but this isn’t necessary. Instead, ask for references so you can speak with a past client yourself. If the commercial cleaning service refuses to give you any names, ask why. While you’re at it, ask for detailed accounts of what the cleaners did and how much they charged. When checking up on their references, pay attention to how long ago these clients hired them; if too much time has passed, the cleaning service may not be as good as before.
Not only should the company list references for you, but they should also make it easy for you to contact those references. Once you do, ask about the commercial cleaning service’s work and how it has benefited their business. If you’re not satisfied with the quality of the cleaning company, don’t forget to ask for your money back.
“The way to gain good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.”
– Socrates
Conduct Your Own Inspections
You should always check commercial cleaning service references before signing any contracts, but it’s also important to conduct your own inspections. Look for a cleaning company that is well-organized and keeps their equipment in good condition because if the commercial cleaners don’t take care of their equipment seriously, it’s a safe bet that they don’t take very good care of their customers.
Be Thorough
Don’t make a hasty decision about choosing janitorial services based on other people’s opinions or even their prices. Carefully consider all of your options, and compare commercial cleaning services before making a final decision. You can also read reviews for specific a specific company online. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with your janitorial services choices, ask for help from a professional commercial cleaning expert.
Ask About Liability Insurance
Cleaning services are often bonded, but commercial cleaning service insurance can be just as important. A quality commercial cleaning company should have commercial liability insurance to protect both themselves and your company against any accidents or injuries that might occur during the commercial cleaning service’s visit.
The International Labor Organization estimates around 2.3 million women and men around experience work-related accidents or diseases every year (1). As you consider how to choose a commercial cleaning service, an easy way to eliminate any prospects is if they can’t provide proof of insurance and demonstrate they’re fully licensed.
This insurance protects you from any repercussions should one of the cleaner’s employees get injured on the job or if the equipment is broken. Furthermore, if a company has liability insurance, it’s an indication that they have regular, professionally-trained employees rather than cash workers. Make sure they’re insured before you sign a contract with them—in fact, ask for proof of commercial liability insurance.
Be Clear About Your Company’s Cleaning Service Needs
You should be very clear about your needs to make sure you get to find the best commercial cleaning provider to partner with for your business. Be as specific as possible when it comes to what kind of services are needed, how often, and who will be using the facility that is being cleaned. Fore example, a daycare will have different needs than your average office building. The more detailed you are about your cleaning needs, the better equipped a commercial cleaning service will be to give you a quote.
Moreover, if there are specific spaces you want to be cleaned or any equipment that needs special care, make sure to tell them before they visit. If not, chances are they’ll use whatever methods they think are best, which might not be the best way to treat your equipment. Conversely, if you want specialized equipment or devices to be treated with care, let them know beforehand so they can prepare accordingly.
Additionally, when you’re trying to choose the right company, make sure you know what your budget is and how much it can handle. Having a price range in mind will help narrow down your list of companies to find the best one for you. Be sure to tell them what kind of budget you’re working with, and watch out for any hidden fees or extra charges that might come up during service.
For instance, some commercial cleaning services charge different rates—higher rates during normal business hours and lower rates overnight or on weekends. Just make sure that the provider you’re looking at doesn’t have a minimum number of visits per month.
Be Willing to Negotiate
If you’re shopping around for commercial cleaning, be willing to negotiate. Unless you have a fixed budget set in stone, don’t hesitate to ask the company if they can lower their prices for you. This doesn’t mean that you should try and get a rock bottom price or bargain with them—just stick to a reasonable and fair price range.
It’s better to go with a commercial cleaning service that’s willing to work with you than one that refuses to budge on their prices. If the commercial cleaning service business is unwilling or unresponsive, it may be a sign to look for another option.
Ask About Their Business Hiring Processes
Ask prospective commercial cleaners about their hiring process to get a sense of what kind of people you’ll be entrusting to your office. The best company will not only hire fully-vetted, professional employees but also thoroughly train them to handle various situations.
Professional cleaners do background checks, drug tests and use other means to ensure that they’re hiring the best candidates for the job. Every company has its own way of finding quality employees—they may look at previous work experience, education level and even check references.
The best company will not only hire fully-vetted, professional employees but also thoroughly train them to handle various situations.
Ask about their hiring process to get a sense of how thorough they are when it comes to checking employees’ backgrounds and qualifications before they hire them. You might also want to ask if the company will be providing you with a list of people who have worked in your office space before, so you can interview them first.
Additionally, a good commercial cleaning service will provide you with a list of their employees’ contact information so if there is ever an issue, you can easily get in touch with them.
Commercial cleaners should be transparent about how they hire and train their employees so that you know what kind of people are coming to your office space. This way, you’ll feel a lot more comfortable knowing that people who have been well-vetted and trained are coming into your office to take care of the cleaning.
Ask About Cleaning Processes
Inquire about their cleaning processes. Quality commercial cleaning happens when the team uses a cleaning checklist, but not all of them really follow through with it. A good company will have a detailed cleaning checklist with actionable steps to take when performing the maintenance and upkeep of your office space.
On top of that, they’ll also handle different tasks with varying levels of importance. For example, if you have a list of trash cans in your office that need to be emptied after every few days or so, the cleaning service will do it. If something needs to be done on-demand, the team will make sure to take care of it right away.
The best commercial cleaning services are thorough when they assess your particular office space and follow through with their plans and scheduling, so it’s important for you to ask about this.
Ask them how they plan on cleaning your office space—how often will they come by? Will there be a schedule set up? What kind of tools and methods do they use to clean different surfaces and spaces in the office?
When you get a sense of how your office space will be handled, you’ll feel better knowing that it’s in the hands of a cleaning company that knows what they’re doing.
Not sure exactly what services you need from a commercial cleaning service? We have a short guide breaking down the basic services most businesses need. Check it out and reach out to us if you have any questions.