One of the most common complaints we hear from facility managers is that they can’t get their cleaning company to consistently do the job right. Sure some days it’s good, but other days it is terrible. All too often things are missed leaving you feeling like you are not getting anywhere near what you were promised or what you are paying for. Getting cleaning services in Michigan that are hit or miss is frustrating and costly but how do you get consistency from your Michigan cleaning services?
Let’s first examine where so many other cleaning services in Michigan get it wrong. At Stathakis, we ask questions of our customers and prospective customers all the time. We do this because it helps us tune in to what is going on with our customers, what they need and how we can best serve them. When asked about where other cleaning services in Michigan are missing the boat, here’s what facility managers had to say:
“I’m worried about the security of my facilities.”
“The team I got doesn’t seem like they had much training.”
“There is a serious lack of staff professionalism among the crew.”
“No one calls me back when there is a problem.”
“I’m told it will be taken care of but then it never is.”
“I feel like every few weeks I’m seeing new people, why is there so much turnover?”
“Every morning I walk in, something is forgotten.”
“I think they might have illegal workers and I’m afraid how that could impact my business.”
I know I have had to cut costs and reduce services but I feel like I’m not getting close to what I’m paying for.”
Solutions
Do any of these sound familiar? Far too many facility managers settle for subpar cleaning services in Michigan because they either think all janitorial companies are the same so why change or they know there has to be something and someone better, but they don’t know how to find a better Michigan cleaning service. So if these are the problems, what are the solutions?
“I’m worried about the security of my facilities.”
“I think they might have illegal workers and I’m afraid how that could impact my business.”
The first step in insuring your building is secure is to find a Michigan services company that carefully screens all employees. A company that takes a shortcut on this first important step is likely to take shortcuts all over the place. Screening should at minimum include:
- Drug testing
- Criminal background checks
- Reference checks
- Verification of legal employment status
Other practices like employment verification and personality testing can help find the best people for the job. Likewise, in order to have true security, your cleaning service in Michigan should be fully insured to indemnify you from liability issues.
“The team I got doesn’t seem like they had much training.”
This is a pretty typical complaint. Unfortunately, because a cleaning company is perceived as a low investment business opportunity, too many individuals get into this business with no understanding of what they need to do or need to train their employees to do. Perhaps they take the mentality that ‘anyone can clean a toilet’ but keeping your facilities in good condition is about much more than that. You are paying to have a contractor manage these service and thus, you shouldn’t have to train their people. A professional, established and reputable Michigan cleaning services company will offer comprehensive training for their employees and even specific training as it relates to your individual facility.
“There is a serious lack of staff professionalism among the crew.”
“I feel like every few weeks I’m seeing new people, why is there so much turnover?”
This may be a screening and hiring issue but generally we find it to be a management issue. If the team is unprofessional, it is likely tolerated. It takes energy to manage people effectively. On the same note, employees who do not feel valued or compensated fairly are far less concerned about how they are perceived. Also, if you received little training, you have less job competence and may feel like the work you do is unskilled and unimportant. All of this can contribute to higher than average employee turnover. Michigan cleaning services that work hard to have an inclusive company culture, fairly compensate their people, train them and treat them well generally have employees who take their work seriously.
“No one calls me back when there is a problem.”
“I’m told it will be taken care of but then it never is.”
“Every morning I walk in, something is forgotten.”
This lack of responsiveness is one of the biggest issues in the cleaning and building services industry. Sometimes it is total apathy where literally, your cleaning company just doesn’t care. But more often, it is simply a lack of systems in place that make it easy to know who to call and how problems should get handled. The reality is with any cleaning company in Michigan, there will be problems now and then. A solid, professional cleaning company in Michigan will have a process in place to make sure issues are handled quickly, and correctly, the first time.
I know I have had to cut costs and reduce services but I feel like I’m not getting close to what I’m paying for.”
In a perfect world, you would have a budget that is big enough to get everything on your to do list done. The reality is that in today’s economic climate, budgets are thin, but that doesn’t mean your cleaning service can just phone it in. Professional cleaning services in Michigan employ the use of transparent pricing systems that allow you to customize your budget and needs. If you are working with a razor thin budget, a knowledgeable janitorial service company can help you identify exactly what you can get done for your dollar and then consistently work to that agreement.
At Stathakis, we have worked hard to be a cleaning service in Michigan that delivers the highest quality services in our industry. We listen to our customers and adjust the way we do business to best meet their needs. We’ve heard your complaints, your frustrations and your wishes and we work hard to make your problems history and your wishes reality. From our C3 Complete Customer Care, to our Open Book pricing, we address your concerns head on with real, workable solutions. There is a reason so many revolving doors of cleaning services in Michigan end with us. Facility managers choose Stathakis and get the kind of consistent Michigan cleaning services that make it easy stay put.
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