Are you buying cheap or value in commercial office cleaning?.

Cost & Value, What’s the Difference?
When it comes to commercial office cleaning, there is a HUGE difference between cost and value considerations. We all have budgets to consider, so yes cost is an important factor, but value should be your biggest consideration when choosing a commercial office cleaning service. For example, let’s say you get a quote from four different cleaning companies, we’ll use small numbers here just for purposes of comparison.

Company A               Company B               Company C               Company D

$5                               $10                             $3                               $6

Company B comes in at the highest, so some decision makers will automatically eliminate the highest bid and others may have the inclination to believe Company B will provide the best services. Both of these assumptions are incorrect. Without knowing what is included, we can’t really determine value, only cost. Company C comes in with the lowest bid and again, our bias might be slanted toward picking the absolute lowest cost especially given what tight budget constraints most of us are under. Others may see Company C’s low bid as an indicator that they offer a lower level service or experience more customer turnover and therefore consistently bid low in order to replace lost accounts. Again, without understanding what Company C will or won’t provide, we only know cost and not value. Company A and Company C come in with bids that are very close, so which one is the better choice? Until we know exactly what we are comparing, we just don’t know.

This is probably beginning to feel a bit like an algebra word problem right? The reality is, in order to make the best decision about choosing a commercial office cleaning company, we have to have quality information, and not every company is going to provide that. That in itself can help you make your decision. A company that is committed to a high level of customer satisfaction wants you to understand what you are paying for. When searching for the best value pricing, you want the information you need right in front of you so that you can find comprehensive cleaning at a reasonable price and insure you are getting the level of services you expect for the price you are paying.

For instance, at Stathakis, we offer what we call Open Book Pricing to help our customers understand exactly what it is going to cost to get exactly the services they need. This helps potential customers understand precisely what they are getting for their dollar. It also can help a would-be customer compare us to other commercial cleaning companies in a meaningful and real way. Likewise, Open Book Pricing makes it easier for our existing customers to insure they are getting the quality cleaning they are paying for. Stathakis was the first Michigan cleaning company to offer Open Book Pricing. We review every line item and calculation with you to insure you are on board with our service plan. 

How Do You Find the Right Value In Commercial Office Cleaning?
When it comes to finding the right commercial office cleaning company, it's about value not price. A high quality commercial office cleaning company that provides exceptional services is not likely to be the cheapest provider. And yet, exceptional commercial office cleaning doesn't require that you go with the highest priced cleaning service either. You do need to, as they say, compare apples to apples. So how do you decide between competing commercial cleaning quotes? Brian Mamo, Director of Business Development at Stathakis Systems has this insight to offer:

• Don’t be surprised when you see commercial cleaning prices far below cost, sky high over market and everything in between. This is the result of many inexperienced start-ups flooding the market.
• When a company presents prices are seem far too low, consider it a giant red flag. These unworkably low prices are likely a sign that (1) they will play “shell games” with your pricing down the road (2) they engage in illegal hiring practices that could come back to haunt you.
• Understand how janitorial service pricing is estimated. Examine this article for more information on how to understand commercial cleaning pricing.
• Ask other trusted facility and building managers for any references. Testimonials are a really valuable way to find reliable janitorial service contractors. 
• Carefully screen and interview companies before taking prices from them. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or inquire about even the smallest of details, like uniforms.
• Only accept commercial cleaning prices from established companies that have worked out major kinks long ago and have systems in place to provide you with accurately pricing and valuation. 
• Ask for references and check them.
• Compare apples to apples. Give would-be contractors a standard service specification so you are getting janitorial pricing on the same services.
• Ask if they offer open book pricing. A reliable and honest company will be more than happy to sit down and review every item and calculation line by line.