We all know how important communication is. Have you ever been on a job where the expectations were not clearly communicated? If so, you know how frustrating it is to try to make someone happy when you're not sure what they really want. How can any team win when no one knows where they are going or precisely what needs to be done? And if employees don’t have a clear plan, how do they know when they are finished? Direct communication about the “game-plan” is critical to the relationship you build with your janitorial company.
This clear and direct communication is a street that runs both ways. This is why it is so important to make sure you clearly communicate your expectations with your janitorial company. And in return, they must insure they have systems in place to make it easy for you to determine what you need, understand what it will cost and help you let them know when the plan needs adjusting or there’s an issue.
It's not up to you to have to communicate directly with the staff that comes into your building to clean, rather with the management of your janitorial company. That is why you hired a janitorial company right? So that you didn't have to directly supervise more employees. A good Janitorial Company talks to their customers to figure out what their expectations are and has tools to clearly communicate those expectations to their people.
Finding a Janitorial Company With Great Communication
Janitorial companies are in the people business first, the communication business second and the cleaning business third. In the business of cleaning, the recipe for the best janitorial company would start with the best ingredients—people. Then, great communication is thrown into the mix so that everyone understands what they need to do to help create the winning recipe. Last, the right cleaning products and equipment are added like final touches making a dish that much better. Any janitorial company that skips on any of these three important elements is likely to deliver service that falls far from your expectations.
How can you stack the deck to find a janitorial company with all the right ingredients to build a successful partnership with? First, look for a janitorial service that understands how critical their people are to their performance. The best janitorial companies will be passionate about how they find, screen, hire, train, motivate and reward very good employees. Any company can say their people matter but a company that really puts people as a priority will have a solid plan in place.
If your prospective janitorial service passes the “people test,” the next mile marker is how they insure everyone understands and agrees as to what is going to be done and how often. The cleaning spec not only keeps everyone on track by outlining a plan and what success looks like, it helps insure transparent pricing so you know exactly what you are getting. Beyond that first agreement between you and your janitorial company, how will they insure communication stays open and they have a system in place to hear your concerns and issues, and relate those clearly and effectively to their janitorial staff. The best janitorial service will have the right systems in place to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Partnering With the Right Janitorial Company Is a Recipe For Success
When you find a janitorial company that hits all the important benchmarks, you have a much, much better chance of forging a great working relationship that will be mutually beneficial for many years to come. If you don’t have the time or inclination to do all of the due diligence needed to really get a look at the workings of a perspective janitorial company, consider using industry certification as a kind of shortcut.
Most industries, including janitorial and building maintenance, have industry certifications available to them. The ISSA is one organization that certifies janitorial companies. When companies have voluntarily met the rigorous objectives set for them by the ISSA CIMS certification, they have already had to demonstrate their aptitude with people, customer communication, training and more. CIMS certification is one way to cull down your list of perspective janitorial companies to the ones most likely to meet and exceed your expectations. Sure there are some really awful janitorial companies out there and yet, there are also professional, adept janitorial companies that will work hard to earn and you’re your business. With a little effort, you can find a janitorial company that keeps your facilities in good order and makes it look easy.