It has happened to nearly every Facility Manager at one time or another. You hire what seems to be a competent and reputable commercial cleaning company. You go through all of the paces to make sure that they have good people entering your facility who have been thoroughly screen to insure the safety of your facility and your employees. You have checked references, confirmed insurance and above board hiring practices. You have put together your cleaning plan and a green cleaning program you feel good about with your new janitorial company. The plan is implemented--you like your team and they do a good job. You iron out a few kinks at the beginning but things seem to be sailing along. Then one of your cleaning team leaves. She did a great job, but a family move means she needs to find work closer to home. Her replacement seems good though and even through some staff changes and changing needs, things are pretty good, until they aren’t.
A few months in, you realize that you haven’t been happy in awhile and every time to look around, you see things that were not done. You’re cleaning company isn’t performing to their agreements and you can’t figure out why. You communicate regarding unfinished work, first to the cleaning team, then to a supervisor. It gets handled but then it seems like its something else. You talk to the Supervisor and it’s clear they understand where you are coming from and want you to be happy, but it feels like they are on one side of a deep cavern and you are on another and there is no bridge in between. The thought of starting over with a new company is daunting because one, it’s a great deal of work, and two, what guarantee do you have that they will work out any better? Aren't all cleaning companies the same?
Janitorial Inspections Bridge the Gap Between a Facility Manager & a Cleaning Company
If it feels like you are missing that bridge to help you arrive at the same place, it’s likely you are. What is the bridge we are referring to? The bridge is janitorial inspections. The chances are you current janitorial company really, truly wants to deliver great work and keep you happy and humming. Unfortunately, without the systems in place to make sure great service happens, it isn’t a goal, it’s a pipe dream. While they cannot make a terrible cleaning company good, regular janitorial inspections can make all the difference between so-so work and great work form your commercial cleaning company.
What the Best Cleaning Companies Understand
Commercial cleaning services and janitorial companies require people to deliver their services. Humans are great but far from perfect. They make mistakes, they misunderstand, they get comfortable or complacent, they take the path of least resistance, and they don’t always absorb or convey input accurately among many other things. Even the best cleaners, the most enthusiastic performers need guidance and accountability to do their best work consistently. It is here that janitorial inspections are so critical.
In the best building maintenance companies, managers complete regular quality inspections. These will often be monthly and can be a walk thru complete with the Facility Manager or without depending upon what that Facility Manager’s preference is. Either way, you as the Facility Manager should receive a detailed copy of the inspection. This gives you a chance to review what your cleaning company’s manager found and see how it lines up with your observations. The inspection will get to the team supervisors and if any action alerts or issues need immediate corrective action, they can be followed up on immediately.
Why Regular Janitorial Inspections Can Make All the Difference
When you go through this process, a few great things happen. One, your cleaning team is made aware that the company has set high standards and has a system of accountability in place. This is great news because the hard workers get super excited that there good work will get noticed and thus stay motivated to do their best. And the less than hard workers are put on notice that they will be held accountable to the cleaning companies standards. Either way, you and your facility get better work more consistently. Likewise, you have a seamless way to communicate issues and really work towards very good service. Again, no company is perfect but those companies most likely to succeed are those that have the tools and systems in place to make it happen. Like we noted earlier, most janitorial companies want to do good work and keep you satisfied but delivering that kind of service doesn’t happen by accident, it happens by intention. Find a cleaning company that offers regular janitorial inspections and it is likely you will be able to build a smooth running partnership that serves your facility well.