How to Choose Dependable Commercial Cleaning Services

Whether you are an experienced Facilities Manager or a business owner, finding and hiring dependable, expert commercial cleaning services can be a tall order.

It can be all too easy to choose the wrong cleaning company because anyone can say anything about their services, true or not. Perhaps you are thinking about outsourcing the commercial cleaning services in your facility.

How do you figure out who is actually capable of delivering on their promises of great service to you and who is not? No matter what you might hear in a sales pitch, there’s one vital component to any commercial cleaning services company, and that is people.

Rule #1: Commercial Cleaning Companies Aren’t in the Vacuum Business, They’re in the People Business

All too often, cleaning companies focus on the wrong things and don’t understand the critical role of their employees in the equation.

Or, they have a hard time finding and keeping good people, and the emphasis on products and equipment becomes smoke and mirrors to cover a revolving door of mediocre employees.

Take a scenario many Facilities Managers have experienced. Al is a Facility Manager looking to hire a commercial cleaning service. He asks a couple of his contacts for recommendations, calls a few people, and sets up some appointments.

Pete comes in from ABC Commercial Cleaning Services to tell Al about their services and gives him a price quote. Pete’s not a bad guy, he’s friendly and he shows up on time.

Pete tells Al about a new green cleaning product line they use that is, according to Pete, better than anything else out there. He talks a lot about their new floor machine, vacuums, and cleaning products.

But Pete never really explains what makes the company better beyond equipment and supplies. Al knows that the products don’t operate on their own.

Pete never once mentions the people behind the vacuum, the floor machine, and the spray cleaner. He says absolutely nothing about who will be in Al’s building at night.

Pete has forgotten Rule #1: commercial cleaning services aren’t in the vacuum business, they are in the people business.

That Pete would fail to mention the single most important factor in the success of the relationship should concern Al, and it should. Does Pete have good employees? Who knows?

If a commercial cleaning service company doesn’t understand that the most critical component of success is people, then it won’t matter how hi-tech the floor machine is or how superior the window cleaner is. The service will suffer.

Good people are the cornerstone of every service company.

When you’re searching for the right provider to care for your facilities, they must understand how to find and retain really good people. There are exceptional commercial cleaning services in Michigan, but there are also terrible ones.

The range of experience and qualifications in the industry is tremendous. Commercial cleaning is often seen as a low-cost startup business: buy some equipment, hire some people, and you’re good to go. That assumption is wrong.

Each year the industry is flooded with new operators, most of whom disappear almost as quickly as they appeared.

Finding the right people, training them, managing them, and motivating them day in and day out is much harder than it looks.

Yes, equipment, products, and procedures matter. But a person operates the vacuum. A person is responsible for spotless windows. A person checks their list at the end of the shift.

People who work in a commercial cleaning company where they are compensated equitably simply do better work.

Employees who are well trained, treated respectfully, given opportunities to learn and grow, and recognized for going above and beyond, are the kind of people who bring the right attitude and work ethic into your facility.

Rule #2: Great Employees Create Great Results in Your Facility

Employees who are well-trained, consistently treated respectfully, offered opportunities to learn and grow, and acknowledged when they go above and beyond will bring the right attitude and work ethic when they enter your facilities.

So how do you find a company that understands the vital role people play in their success, so that you can get good or even great commercial cleaning services in your facility?

Ask the Right Questions to Find the Right Commercial Cleaning Services

When you are considering hiring commercial cleaning services, start with referrals from colleagues or Facilities Managers you know and trust.

If referrals are in short supply (which is common because many Facilities Managers are unhappy with their cleaning services), be prepared to ask direct questions like these:

• How do you verify employees’ work eligibility? Are all your employees legal hires?
• Do you subcontract any part of your business?
• What methods do you use to screen prospective employees?
• Who supervises the employees who will be in my facility?
• Who do I call when there’s an issue?
• How many other facilities and/or teams does that person handle?
• How do you see your people?
• What do you do to find and keep the best-qualified employees?
• Do you have a system to handle complaints?
• What exactly is and is not included in your quote?

Is There an “Easy” Button for Finding a Solid Commercial Cleaning Service?

While there is no substitute for getting information first hand, industry associations can save you time and help you create a short list.

CIMS Certification is available to commercial cleaning services and other janitorial providers through the ISSA, an industry association for building service professionals.

CIMS stands for Cleaning Industry Management Standards. It sets criteria companies must meet to prove they follow established industry best practices.

The six areas of best practices the commercial cleaning industry considers critical are:

• Quality systems
• Service delivery
• Human resources
• Health, safety, and environmental stewardship
• Management commitment
• Green building

Any business that invests in best practices is demonstrating a strong commitment to serving customers well.

Companies that meet these certification requirements are more likely to have already addressed common service issues and risks. In practice, CIMS certification often translates into a more proactive cleaning partner for your facility.

Find the companies working hard to be the best in the industry. Ask your questions. Verify they understand the role great people play in your satisfaction.

When you do, you’ll be far more likely to find a commercial cleaning services company you can trust and rely on.