Office cleaning prices can run the gamut from unbelievably low to knock your socks off high. The challenge when considering office cleaning services and price is to first know exactly what you are buying and second, to get a price that reflects real value.
Understanding pricing is critical to you getting real value for your facility. You need to know how much you should be paying for your office cleaning services. You must understand how to guard against overpaying.
Likewise, you should understand why a low-low price on your office cleaning might be a red flag. Office cleaning services are an important component in keeping your facility well maintained and operating effectively, yet spending more doesn’t necessarily net you more.
So how do you determine how much you need to budget to get the value you need, the service you deserve, all at a price you can live with?
Understand How Commercial Office Cleaning Pricing Works
With commercial cleaning prices, there are a number of factors that impact cost. For this reason, one-size-fits-all pricing or even straight square footage estimates don’t really offer an accurate estimate of what your building needs and what you should be prepared to pay for it.
When you understand the factors in play, it is easier for you to break down janitorial bids from your janitorial services company in order to find the best value for your facility. What variables matter most when it comes to your office janitorial services?
- Geographic Area – Where are your facilities located?
- The Scope of Office Cleaning Services – What specific areas do you need cleaned? What elements are essential? Do you need any outdoor maintenance? Do you require regular or occasional services like window cleaning or specialty floor care? Are you interested in basic, full service or Day Porter services?
- Frequency of janitorial services – Daily, twice weekly, day cleaning, Day Porter or nighttime cleaning?
- Your facility’s Square Footage.
- The categorization of square footage by flooring type.
- Your facility’s population density.
- The total count of restrooms needing maintenance.
Comparing Commercial Office Cleaning Bids
It isn’t difficult to request a cleaning bid from your Detroit area janitorial services. Yet, getting clear bids and transparent pricing can be more challenging.
Without it, you just cannot effectively compare janitorial quotes in a meaningful way. The value in transparent pricing is that you understand precisely what you are getting for your office cleaning budget, allowing you to compare other bids in an ‘apples to apples’ kind of way.
Clear quotes also help you avoid low quotes that aren’t really a value because they include less work, and overly high quotes that charge way more for the same services.
Be wary of very cheap commercial cleaning prices, as they are often a sign that you are dealing with an inexperienced office cleaning company.
With high priced janitorial services, a high ticket doesn’t guarantee great service. To get the most accurate, understandable pricing possible, ask your janitorial services company how many hours they plan to spend each evening maintaining your facility.
Annualize that cost and divide it by the annualized number of labor hours to calculate an hourly billable rate. If they charge too little, they may be taking shortcuts on people and processes designed to protect you, your facility and its occupants, like illegal hiring and inadequate screening.
What should your janitorial bid include?
- Labor costs
- Direct costs (cleaning supplies, toilet paper, etc.)
- Employee health insurance
- Employee vacation time
- Insurance & taxes
- A management fee
- Profit
Don’t Shy Away From Directly Addressing Office Cleaning Profits
Understanding and acknowledging your cleaning company’s need to make a profit shouldn’t be taboo. They run a business just like you and need a reasonable profit to secure long-term fiscal health.
Understanding what constitutes a ‘reasonable profit’ puts you in a better position to negotiate a fair price and solid value from your Michigan janitorial company.
Any office cleaning service that doesn’t negotiate a healthy profit margin upfront will surely come looking for it later in the form of hidden fees and upsells.
Outsourcing your janitorial services functions best with honesty and clear pricing. Healthy, reasonable profits build and sustain successful companies that reinvest in employees, technology and equipment — ultimately benefiting you.
When Razor Thin Budgets Are A Reality
Labor costs are usually the priciest element of your janitorial service, so slashing costs means slashing labor. How can a janitorial services company work with your budget while still delivering an acceptable level of clean?
When you have a reasonable budget and an expert janitorial team, it is ideal to complete the cleaning specification line by line each evening. But slashed budgets force many Facility Managers to balance competing needs.
Smart Cleaning focuses on allocating the most resources to the areas that need them the most.
High-traffic areas are cleaned more frequently, while low-use areas receive less frequent service. This can work — but only when partnering with an experienced cleaning company that knows how to DO more with LESS.
The Useful ‘Shortcut’ CIMS Certification Offers
Overwhelmed with janitorial pricing and the search for the right office cleaning company? Industry certifications like CIMS can help.
CIMS — the Cleaning Industry Management Standard — designates a commercial cleaning company as exceptionally professional and skilled. CIMS certification requires demonstrating compliance and mastery in several key areas.
The CIMS standard measures:
- Quality Systems
- Service Delivery
- Human Resources
- Health, Safety & Environmental Stewardship
- Management Commitment
Find a janitorial company that has invested in establishing themselves as an industry leader and adopting best practices, and you increase your likelihood of partnering with a company poised to deliver what you need.
You CAN get both effective service and value from your office cleaning if you arm yourself with the right information and take the time to find the right partner.
