As a Facilities Manager, you’re very busy and likely already have a towering to-do list that feels unmanageable.
Most Facilities Managers expect vendors to be solution-based and handle important details in the building so you don’t have to.
One service that can make or break your day-to-day life as a Facilities Manager is janitorial.
If your janitorial contractor handles your account proactively, it takes a tremendous amount of weight off your shoulders and frees you up to focus on other priorities.
But if your janitorial contractor is consistently reactive, the relationship becomes burdensome and can make you wonder why you outsource janitorial at all.
How do you know if you have a proactive janitorial contractor or a reactive janitorial contractor?
A proactive cleaning service checks in periodically, even when you haven’t reported an issue. And when you do reach out, a professional janitorial company returns your phone call promptly.
One complaint we hear often is that some janitorial contractors take an excessively long time to return phone calls.
Ignoring an issue or delaying a response almost always creates bigger problems. But the truth is, many janitorial companies don’t plan their business around being proactive.
At some point, reactive janitorial contractors essentially decide they are going into the complaint business.
All too often, reactive contractors stop doing inspections and stop communicating openly with their customers.
They seem to expect problems rather than anticipate them, and they wait for the customer to report issues. Communication becomes defined by problems instead of solutions.
As a customer, it’s hard not to feel frustrated. You end up managing your janitorial contractor, which you should not have to do when you’re paying a fair price.
Over time, the contractor may even avoid responding because nobody enjoys receiving constant complaints.
If you relate to this situation, there are a few steps you can take to redefine the relationship, or move on and find a contractor who is proactive and delivers on their promises.
1) Communicate in writing whenever possible
This helps you track response times, identify patterns, and monitor how complaints are handled.
Be specific in your emails when defining success for your vendor. Don’t simply say they aren’t doing enough.
Tell them exactly what they are not doing and what you believe was agreed to. This prevents confusion and makes follow-up much easier.
2) Expect meetings and follow-up notes with action items
If your janitorial contractor has no time for meetings, the end of the relationship may be near.
Communication is the single most important part of delivering any type of service.
At Stathakis, we can’t deliver consistent service without regular communication with our customers.
How can we define and refine the needs of Facilities Managers if we never ask?
3) Get the direct cell phone number for the person responsible for your account
You should always have a clear point of contact. When something goes wrong, you need to talk to a person, not a voicemail box.
And while no one enjoys hearing from an unhappy customer, a professional janitorial contractor does want to resolve issues quickly and keep you satisfied .
The person responsible for your account should be easy to reach and willing to find fair solutions when issues come up.
4) When in doubt, refer to your workload specification
This is the foundation of a successful relationship between a Facilities Manager and a janitorial service provider.
Things change over time. Your specification should be revisited at least a couple of times each year as your needs evolve.
A proactive company may initiate these check-ins, but you can also request a sit-down to review the workload specification.
This is especially helpful if you’ve remodeled, added tenants, or experienced any major building changes.
5) Don’t settle for unanswered emails or unreturned voicemails
The building services contracting industry is highly competitive, and there are companies that will appreciate and earn your business.
Outsourcing your janitorial should work for you.
If you encourage good two-way communication, it is fair to expect timely call-backs. If that isn’t happening, find a janitorial company that will respond.
So ask yourself: do I have a proactive contractor or a reactive contractor?
A proactive contractor schedules visits to tour your building. They are solutions-based and always look for better ways to serve you.
A proactive contractor returns phone calls promptly and responds quickly to emails.
A reactive contractor appears only when you ask them to address a problem. They expect you to inspect the building for them. They are slow to return calls and emails.
Most Facilities Managers don’t expect perfection. They expect a fair return of value for their janitorial dollar.
If you aren’t getting responsive service that makes you feel your janitorial contractor values your business, maybe it is time to look elsewhere .
