Your Guide To Hiring The RIGHT Commercial Cleaning Company

By Mike Eller
Populist Cleaning Co.

 

Having the right cleaning company is a big deal. The best commercial cleaning companies have the knowledge and training to keep your workplace clean, hygienic and safe. They help you project the appropriate image toward your employees, customers, and other partners in the market place. Studies have shown that in a clean, orderly environment employees have a better attitude toward their employers and are more productive.

 

Selecting the right vendor for a long-term relationship should be your goal.  Choosing wisely saves time and money, but even more important, insures peace of mind. Your cleaning staff has regular access to personal workspaces, board rooms, break-rooms, and rest room areas. They have keys to locks and security information for your building. These are huge issues from a risk and liability perspective and should be taken very seriously during your evaluation phase.

 

How can you make sure you’re making the right choice? Be prepared and allow enough time for the entire process to unfold. Choose a cleaning contractor that can pay attention to what you consider to be the most important aspects of your building: clearly expressed expectations matched with customized specifications from your vendor offer a great starting point to a long-term, professional partnership.

 

The following questions will help you assess your needs in terms of frequency, and necessary duties. The information compiled from your answers will provide a profile that will enable you to determine which vendor will afford the best fit for your company. The first part covers background information on you and your company. The second part will focus on important questions to ask potential vendors.

 

Part I: Questions to ask yourself

What cleaning duties do I need performed?

• Routine janitorial - vacuuming, dusting, bathrooms, trash/recycling
• Specialty services - cleaning refrigerators, washing dishes
• Seasonal services - windows, carpet, tile
• What supplies do I need ordered – rest room paper products. Etc..

 

What is the square footage of my facility/or the area(s) I need serviced?

 

How many bathrooms in my facility? Do I have locker rooms or showers?

 

Do I have any special or delicate surfaces in my facility that would require certain cleaning products (i.e., natural stone)?

 

Do I have any other special considerations (regular office parties, corporate meetings, lots of food events, regular after hours use)?

 

How many people work in my building?

 

What is the amount of outside traffic through my facility per day?

 

When and how often do I want the cleaning staff to clean?

 

What are my cleaning budget and payment terms?

 

Who will be responsible for providing cleaning and paper supplies (ordering, payment, etc.)?

 

What have I been most unsatisfied with in the past or former cleaners/cleaning company: (budget, security, communication, quality of cleaning, consistency, etc.)?

 

Part II:  Important questions for prospective vendors

How long have you been in business?

 

Is your company bonded and insured?

 

Who will have keys and access codes to my facility?

 

Do your employees have uniforms or ID badges?

 

Do your employees undergo background checks?

 

Do you carry workman’s compensation insurance on all employees?

 

What methods or procedures do you use to measure quality assurance?

 

What happens if I’m unhappy with the cleaning or some other problems arise? Look for a complaint procedure and strong commitment to customer service and satisfaction.

 

What kinds of facilities do you currently clean? What kinds of facilities or services cause you the most problems?

 

What do we need to know about your cleaning processes and practices to avoid potential misunderstandings?

 

Ask the vendor to provide their version of specs for your facility. Tell the vendor what you need, but also look for creativity and initiative on the part of the vendor such as potential cost-saving options. If requested, allow the vendor to tour your facility more than once. Taking a second look in many cases allows for a more thorough proposal and a much better understanding of the job at hand. It also shows a sincere approach to evaluating the details and the subsequent price for cleaning your facility.

 

You’ll also want to ask open-ended questions to assess communication style. For example: “tell me how you see your company staffing our building.”

 

Does the vendor answer your questions directly? Note whether the vendor asks pertinent questions and listens to you. Be wary of vendors who try to do all the talking. If they’re talking, they’re not listening, and if they aren’t listening now, will they listen later?

 

Finally, be sure to check references and referrals for qualified vendors.

 

Vendors that provide exactly what you ask for demonstrate their commitment to work hard for your business, and that they are serious about obtaining the contract to clean your facility.

 

Mike Eller is the President and co-owner of Populist Cleaning Co.
Mike has been in the commercial cleaning arena for about 25 years.  His company serves customers throughout southeast Michigan.