Commercial Office Cleaning & Pricing
Bad Advice#1 Expensive Is Better.
There are many people who have the opinion that expensive is always better. They will spout the axiom “you get what you pay for” like it’s an infallible truth. The reality is much, much more complicated than that when it comes to commercial office cleaning. Often times, the high pricing of commercial office cleaning services has little or nothing to do with getting the job done well and more to do with factors unrelated to good work. For instance, many inexperienced companies price too high because they don’t have a solid understanding of how to bid and price for the work. Other companies price high to give themselves a wide range to negotiate to a more reasonable price. Other companies price high hoping a facility manager who is perhaps unfamiliar with the going rate will just say yes. Unfortunately, price while of course a factor in choosing your commercial office cleaning service, is not a good decision making factor beyond is it reasonable and can I afford it. Pricing simply doesn’t give you enough information to separate the great commercial office cleaning companies from the bad.
Bad Advice#2 Go Cheap Office Cleaning Services Are All the Same.
On the flip side of the price coin are the people who espouse that commercial office cleaning companies are all the same and thus you should just pick the cheapest one. These guys are just as mistaken as the high ticket advocates. First, commercial office cleaning companies are not all the same. Second, price is a consideration just not the consideration when it comes to finding the right office cleaning service. A cheap bid on your office cleaning might reflect any number of things. Again, it may be that an inexperienced, start-up company many not understand how much work it is going to take to clean your offices and thus underbid. Before you congratulate yourself on scoring that low bid, consider that it won’t take long for the office cleaning service to realize they just cannot operate at that low priced office cleaning. Soon they will be asking for more money or cutting services until they feel they are getting paid reasonably for their time.
The best way to find a great commercial office cleaning company at a reasonable price is to look for a reputable, well established service. Commercial office cleaning is about value not price. Are you getting a reasonable price for solid, consistent office cleaning? Firmly established office cleaning companies know their business inside and out and understand how to accurately price their services. Even better, a responsive office cleaning company can help meet you halfway when it comes to sticking to a building services budget by helping you determine where to best spend the money you have. The best office cleaning companies can help you spend less to get more out of your office cleaning. Ideally, you should look for companies with a good reputation who offer transparent pricing so you know precisely what you are paying for.
Go Big Or Go Home
Bad Advice #3 A Big National Office Cleaning Company Is Always Better.
Bigger is not always better, especially when it comes to responsiveness. Sure, big national janitorial companies and office cleaning companies can handle accounts that might be too mammoth for small and mid-level office cleaning companies. But if you aren’t one of the big fish, don’t expect to get better service. Large national corporations can be too big when it comes to real, responsive service. Think about the difference between McDonald’s level of service and the attention you get at your locally owned neighborhood restaurant.
Go big or go home? Well, sometimes choosing companies that are local to your area is better. Not only is the service likely to be more responsive and customized, a local company puts money back into the local economy, benefitting all of us right here in Michigan. Likewise, local Michigan office cleaning companies have a small local pond to fish from meaning they will often work harder to keep their customers. When a big national cleaning company loses an account, they just go get another one.
Office Cleaning, Just Who’s Job Is It Anyway?
Bad Advice #4 Just Let Your Receptionist Or Office Assistant Clean Things Up.
Think for a moment about your admin staff. Let’s use Janice the assistant as an example. Janice does a lot of things in your office. She often drops off your FedEx packages. Sometimes she even picks up lunch for the sales team meeting. She does some filing, helps complete projects and chases down things you need. She’s a Girl Friday for sure but how do you think Janice is going to feel when you ask her to restock and clean up the men’s room? Do you think Janice wants to be around bleach and cleaners in her new work outfit? Do you think she’s going to appreciate scrubbing sinks after her forty-dollar manicure?
Using existing staff to clean your office is a recipe for disaster with the likely result in lower morale and higher turnover. Even if you consider hiring a dedicated office cleaner, that is a costly proposition. Trying to manage your own office cleaning is like running a business within a business. Unless you have always dreamed of running your own office cleaning service, it is bets left to seasoned professionals.
Better Advice for Commercial Office Cleaning
Find an established company with a good reputation that treats their people well. Look for a commercial office cleaning company that is responsive to the needs of their customers. Office cleaning companies have some of the highest attrition rates of any industry, find a cleaning company that experiences less turnover and you will no doubt get better, more consistent service. Ask them how they find, screen, train, motivate and reward good people because these are the people who will be in your offices. Consider industry certification as an easy way to cull down your maybe list to the best, most proficient companies. Ignore the bad advice, consider the good advice and follow your gut when it comes to selecting a commercial office cleaning company and you’ll be on your way to the sparkling offices you, your employees and customers deserve.