In our still recovering economy, many buildings continue to operate on the thinnest of budgets. Maybe the business itself is still recouping form past losses or perhaps, there is a fear of future collapse that makes owners and operators want to be more financially austere. Whatever the case, with increasingly thin facility budgets, it can be challenging to get the kind of office cleaning you need to keep things running smoothly long-term.
A reduction in the amount of help or the frequency of cleaning can leave both you and your office cleaning company unsure about what is expected and what is possible on a reduced building services budget. So how do you weather these lean times, still get the job done and keep your tenants, employees and customers satisfied? Without the ability to ‘throw money at a problem,’ facility managers and Michigan office cleaning companies are having to get more creative in order to keep office cleaning at or above a minimum acceptable standard.
This can be challenging because no one is getting what they really want. Your office cleaning company wants your business, they want to keep their teams working and they want enough time to do the job they know you will be happy with. You really want enough money in the budget to get the job done without thinking too much about what must be put off because of budget constraints. In this scenario, the only way to reach a compromise workable to everyone is to communicate and formulate a plan so that everyone knows what is expected and what success looks like.
Getting good office cleaning on a reduced building services budget means thinking hard about what is essential. You cannot get everything you want, but perhaps you can get what you need. Only you the facility manager really know your building and tenants enough to decide what that is. When you know, you can sit with your office cleaning company to work out exactly what they can cover for the budget you have. Maybe emptying trash cans daily is a must have, but vacuuming can be done twice weekly rather than daily for a cost savings that doesn’t compromise the long-term condition of your facilities or tenant satisfaction. Maybe quarterly window cleaning needs to be pushed to twice yearly in favor of regular floor care. Whatever it is, it is vital that you work with your office cleaning company to insure everyone is on the same page.
If you don’t agree on the specific tasks that are included, neither you nor your office cleaning company will ever feel like there is a fair return of value for your money. If you reduce your budget, but don’t work out a new plan with your office cleaning company, they will decide where to cut back and it might not be where it works okay for you. You may come in and notice only things that were not done. Yet, if you know what is and what is not included, it is easier for you to understand what you are paying for and manage the expectations of your tenants and head off tenant complaints. For example, if you reduce vacuuming to twice weekly, you can let tenants know and manage their expectations. If they know the vacuuming will be done Wednesdays and Fridays only, they won’t call on Tuesday asking why it wasn’t done.
An office cleaning company that offers Open Book Pricing can work with you to come up with a plan of essential services to get you through these lean times. You shouldn’t have to struggle day to day with getting your office cleaning done to a respectable level. Both you and your office cleaning company should agree and be aware of exactly what your services include. Just because you have reduced the amount of money you are spending on office cleaning does not mean your office cleaning company should have no accountability. With a little communication, creativity, flexibility and planning, you can get the office cleaning you need.
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