With any commercial cleaning services there are going to be hiccups. People make mistakes, after all, we are humans not robots. The problem comes up when your cleaning teams are making so many errors, or the same mistakes time and time again that it gets in the way of normal facility function.
Now with Covid-19, an entirely new concern is added to the mix and how well your janitorial service operates is even more critical. If you are looking for a new janitorial service, how are supposed to know which companies aren’t going to be mistake prone? How can you tell which companies understand the serious risks threatened by the current global pandemic and how to fight against them effectively?
It can seem like a rather arduous task going company to company having to deal with the same problems. It can start to feel like all janitorial companies are the same, but they are not. Fortunately, there are some red flags that you can be on the lookout for to help protect yourself from those companies either unwilling or unable to offer you and your facility the peace of mind and effective service you require.
Janitorial service providers that don’t have clear and effective channels to handle complaints and issues aren’t going to cut it. Communication is key for dealing with problems as they come up rather than waiting for them to spiral out of control into an expensive and time consuming mess. As we mentioned above, every cleaning team is going to make mistakes occasionally, the difference between the bottom of the barrel companies and the industry professionals is how they communicate and handle the issue.
All too often we see companies that don’t have proper employee screening or even go as far as to illegally hire to artificially decrease their prices. Any company that takes shortcuts on the most critical aspect of their business, the frontline cleaning staff, aren’t going to be above board with anything else they do. As if that wasn’t enough, employees that don’t feel valued or work for less than they are worth do significantly lower quality work. Poor people practices are a recipe for high turnover and a multitude of issues.
A broken clock is right twice a day, as the age-old adage goes, but no one wants a broken clock or a cleaning company that only gets it right occasionally. Regardless of how your cleaning budget looks, inconsistent service is unacceptable and will only cause problems for you in the long run. Professional cleaning companies take pride in offering an easy to understand quote that shows exactly what you're paying for so that you can hold them accountable for the work they agreed to do. Having everyone start in agreement with what work needs to be done at what price is the first step in a successful, long term partnership. Don’t settle for less just because you are on a tight budget.
The commercial cleaning industry will often get labeled as “low-skill labor” because it doesn’t require a college education. This couldn’t be further from the truth. No matter what type of cleaning service you are searching for, whether it be medical, green or industrial, well trained staff are a must to a successful service. Cleaning isn’t just about making your building look nice, it requires a detailed and robust knowledge of cleaning for health, industry compliance and regulations, proper chemical storage and disposal as well as equipment training. Poorly trained cleaning staff are a disaster waiting to happen, especially right now with Covid-19 and so much on the line. Not only do well trained staff do better work, they feel more valued for the work they do and in turn are more productive and focused on their job. Proper training is critical to a successful cleaning program.
Unfortunately, some cleaning services will just stop caring about the work that they do. Maybe they are poorly equipped, trained or managed. Maybe the apathy runs down from the top. Or maybe they were a poor fit for the work from the get-go. If your janitorial services company is showing signs of apathy, it is most certainly time to find a new service provider. We know that it can be challenging to find a professional cleaning company that fits your buildings specific needs and budget, but it is always worth your time and effort. A good maintenance company can make all the difference to your building and to the people that work in it. While it can often feel like every company you interview is the same, there is an industry professional out there right for you. Don’t throw away good money on a bad janitorial service, you deserve better.
There has to be some trick to finding the best Detroit cleaning company for your building, right? Correct you are, the best first step you can take is talking to your other local Facility Managers about which companies they have found success with. Referrals are one of the best ways to get a feel of which service providers will take your needs seriously. If you don’t have access to referrals, another great step to take is looking at a company’s pricing framework, screening and especially training. Businesses that take the time to implement successful training and screening programs will always be excited to show them off to you.
Now, many Facility Managers simply don’t have the time to sort through a large number of companies, and with the overcrowded cleaning marketplace, it can be challenging to separate the good from the so so or even bad. Let the industry work for you by using the ISSA’s CIMS and CIMS-GB certification to quickly identify which companies have gone above and beyond industry standards. CIMS can function as a strainer of sorts to catch those companies that simply don’t have what it takes to provide a quality service.
In this way, CIMS can be a powerful accreditation tool that you can use to quickly reduce the number of service providers that you need to look at because you know that the people you are looking at are the best the industry has to offer. Save yourself the headache of dealing with all the difficult to understand quotes, shady marketing and hiring tactics, and antiquated cleaning techniques by sticking with a shortlist of CIMS certified janitorial service providers.
At Stathakis, we combine great people, a solid organization dedicated to our employees and customers, enthusiasm and a commitment to exceptional customer service, open book pricing that helps our customers determine value. Likewise, we are ISSA CIMS certified indicating our commitment to the highest standards of janitorial service and building maintenance.