Is There A Measurable Benefit To A National Janitorial Service?
Many Facility Managers that work in larger or more complex buildings may think that they need a national cleaning company in order to have their needs met effectively.
Many industries here in Michigan have stringent and complex compliance and regulatory requirements that necessitate a janitorial company to offer far more than “a mop and a bucket” level of service.
Whether you manage a big building, multiple facilities, or have very specific requirements, it can be easy to assume that a national janitorial company might better meet your needs.
There simply are not many scenarios where this is likely to be the case.
If you have many facilities spread out across the country, a national, centrally located provider might be a solid option to coordinate services across multiple states.
But aside from that, there are no reasons a national cleaning company is going to offer you more effective cleaning or a better value than a solid, effective, large, and experienced local Michigan commercial cleaning company.
Said another way, everything else being equal, a national janitorial service simply isn’t any better.
When we think local, we tend to think smaller, “mom & pop.” But there are often large local cleaning service providers that offer the perfect balance.
You can get a national company’s purchasing power and infrastructure, plus the local benefit of being a priority. You also get a cleaning plan tailored to your building and more responsive service.
Not only can you get everything you need from the right large, local janitorial company, you can also feel good about the positive effects of doing business with a local Michigan company and supporting the larger community.
What To Look For In Any Prospective Cleaning Company
In order to decide which janitorial companies will provide a better service, we first need to look at what good service is.
The majority of Facility Managers from every type of industry tend to agree that these key areas are what constitute a quality provider:
- The janitorial company is interested in a long-lasting, mutually beneficial partnership, not a short-term contract or burn and churn.
- They have responsive, real-time communication to address problems before they spiral out of control and to allow adjustments in real time.
- They provide a transparent, accurate, easy-to-understand cleaning bid so you can compare services and prices and make the most informed decisions.
- Their employees are well screened, trained, and managed so you get the best possible service experience.
You don’t want a commercial cleaning company that isn’t interested in you long term. Building-specific cleaning practices take time to discover, learn, and master.
You also want a company whose employees have the training and motivation to attune to your facility’s specific needs and provide consistent, high quality cleaning.
Do National Cleaning Companies Have More Purchasing Power?
Of course larger, national companies are going to have significant buying power. They service large numbers of accounts and can therefore buy more goods at quantity pricing.
The real question is: who benefits from this bulk buying power?
More often than not, these savings aren’t passed along to you. Instead, they go toward higher operating costs and a higher profit margin for the national janitorial company.
This tends to be the opposite with larger local companies. Because of their size, they also have significant buying power with supplies, equipment, and consumables.
But unlike national providers, they often pass these savings to customers to stay competitive and offer better value.
Do National Janitorial Companies Stack Up With Customer Service?
The primary benefit of smaller cleaning services is the personal level of service. Odds are, you will know who is in charge and they will be more responsive when discussing your needs.
The problem is that many local operations are too small to effectively service larger buildings or multiple facilities.
On the other hand, the chances that a CEO or multiple levels of management at a national cleaning conglomerate will speak to you personally is slim unless you are their largest account.
The larger the service provider, the more bureaucracy and paperwork can get in the way of a personal relationship and great customer service.
And yet, bigger businesses can offer affordable, quality services because of systems and procedures that support standards and professionalism.
The best balance often comes from larger local building service contractors. You get infrastructure, purchasing power, and systems, plus a personal relationship and the sensibility of a local Michigan business that understands your needs and has ties to the community.
National Cleaning Contractors & Their People
In the service industry, the quality and responsiveness of your cleaning company is largely a function of their frontline staff.
Well trained and screened cleaning employees are key to providing consistent service. This is something national companies can do well, and many have strong frameworks for screening and training.
What they may lack is loyalty built from connection and feeling valued for the work. They might manage their people, but they are less likely to create a culture in which employees also manage themselves.
If the national company is structured as a franchise, it may operate like a small business with a big business model. That can mean you get the best of neither.
Very small companies often struggle to keep skilled cleaners because they can’t offer competitive pay, benefits, or steady work. Once again, the happy medium lies somewhere in the middle.
Larger local Michigan cleaning companies have the size to provide competitive wages and benefits, plus training and supervision.
They are also sized in a way that helps staff feel their work matters, reducing attrition and turnover. As a bonus, they often have time for detailed, in-person interviews with prospective staff.
This is complemented by a stronger relationship with the surrounding community since they serve small businesses and community centers alike.
Are You a National Cleaning Company’s Priority?
Smaller or medium-sized accounts with national providers often get lost in a sea of customers. They may not receive the same attentive treatment they experienced during the sales process.
National janitorial companies can replace smaller accounts quickly. Their size allows them to provide a generic service and replace accounts without losing revenue.
They anticipate churn and build their model around it. They simply have many ponds from which to fish.
Local janitorial providers, in contrast, have a smaller pond. They value accounts more because replacing them is harder.
Local companies are also more tied to the community, so poor service travels quickly and can cost them future business.
As a result, local commercial cleaning companies often provide more responsive service crafted around the specific needs of your facility.
Large & Local is the Right Size for Most Buildings & Industries
What it boils down to is that you need an effective, affordable service. You want to be treated like a VIP and receive a commensurate level of responsiveness and support.
You also need a cleaning company with buying power to keep pricing competitive and still invest in techniques, equipment, and chemical cleaning solutions.
And you want solid people systems that help reduce unnecessary turnover and protect service consistency.
These are all qualities of larger local commercial cleaning companies. They can service many industries and buildings effectively, efficiently, and affordably, including big buildings.
A large, locally owned and operated cleaning and janitorial company, like Stathakis, offers the best combination of national infrastructure and local, tuned-in service.
