Is Your Commercial Cleaning Company All Promises But No Action?
Finding people that will TELL you they are going to do great work and deliver on their promises is easy.
Finding people that will actually DO great work and DELIVER on those promises is another story.
Were businesses more accountable in the past, or do we just like to imagine it was a simpler time?
So many commercial cleaning companies will make big promises to secure your business.
But like in any industry, promises can be easy to make and hard to keep.
Ask yourself as a Facility Manager: Is your current office cleaning company actually doing what they said they would?
Are they living up to what they promised you and your facility? Are they living up to what you hoped?
Are they delivering a reasonable level of service in your building?
And if not, how do you sort through the promise breakers to find a reliable cleaning partner?
One that consistently does their best and actually delivers on what they promise to you?
Don’t Let Your Cleaning Service Give You Little More Than Lip Service
No matter how well priced a service may seem, if you have to chase down your cleaning staff to get it completed, it isn’t worth the money.
Getting less service than you need is never a bargain at any price.
As a Facility Manager, you need your office cleaning to get done without you having to be constantly on top of it.
After all, isn’t that one reason you outsourced your building cleaning in the first place?
Incredibly enough, in the building services industry, sometimes just doing what you say you’re going to do goes a long way with customers.
That’s why it’s so disappointing when cleaning teams continually fail to meet expectations and deliver on their promises.
Worse yet, when you take the time to complain and the issues still don’t get fixed, it can be downright frustrating.
You are likely inundated with other priorities aside from trying to manage your supposedly professional office cleaning company.
With tighter budgets and more responsibility, if you focus on your cleaning service you won’t have time for other tasks that need your attention.
There are some things only you can really do.
Making sure your commercial cleaning company is getting their jobs done shouldn’t have to be one of them.
What you need is a janitorial company that does what they said they would do, without being repeatedly reminded.
Shopping Locally Has Some Major Upsides
As the Facility Manager of a large facility or multiple facilities, it can be easy to think you need a large, national commercial cleaning company to get your needs met.
What many fail to recognize is that there are very few instances where you truly need a national janitorial company to clean and maintain your building.
In fact, these very large national janitorial companies can sometimes make it harder, not easier, to get customized, responsive, consistent cleaning.
To a giant company, providing connected and customized service can be a big ask.
For most facilities, a mid-to-large local Michigan commercial cleaning service can offer nearly all of the benefits of a national company, with the responsiveness of a local partner.
Not only does it help keep tax revenue right here in Michigan, it also helps you avoid the extremes.
National companies can be “too big,” and very small operations can be “too small.”
Often, established local companies are “just right.”
Commercial Floor Care Facts help facility managers understand the real impact of proper floor maintenance on safety, appearance, and long-term cost savings.
People Are the Cornerstone of Any Service Company
Any responsive, professional service company understands that staff are the single most important resource.
It is the front line cleaners, custodians, day porters, and technicians who come in and out of your facility each day.
They are the people in your building doing the cleaning, care, and maintenance.
That means frontline staff must be well trained and a good fit for your facility.
When talking to prospective commercial janitorial companies, ask about their people processes.
This helps you understand how a prospective cleaning company recruits, screens, and supports the team that will work in your building.
A company that recruits, screens, and hires correctly typically has lower turnover and delivers a more consistent service.
Ask direct questions.
How do you recruit employees?
How do you screen them?
Do you run comprehensive background checks?
What does training look like?
How do you manage and motivate teams to do their best work?
Companies that take these steps usually want to show you what sets them apart.
Find The Company That Has It All
Many facilities need more than basic cleaning.
It can be difficult to coordinate multiple contractors for repairs, floor care, carpet care, construction cleaning, handyman services, window cleaning, and preventative maintenance.
That complexity can often be avoided by partnering with one maintenance company that offers a wider menu of related services.
This can save time and money, because you negotiate through one point person with one accountable partner.
It is also easier to offload extra tasks to a company you already trust and have a relationship with.
The Clearest Pricing Is The Best Pricing
When you go to the grocery store, would you buy something that didn’t have a price tag you could understand?
Most of us wouldn’t.
So why settle for a commercial cleaning company that does the same thing?
Transparent pricing helps you compare bids “apples to apples” so you can understand true value.
An unclear bid can also be a sign of inexperience or intentional obscuring of fees and extra charges.
Don’t partner with a company that won’t provide a clear, accurate quote.
Your planning and budgets require it.
Does Your Professional Cleaning Service Understand Cleaning For Health?
A solid office cleaning service doesn’t just clean to make things look good.
They clean using the science of bacterial and viral spread so that what looks clean actually is clean.
The best companies understand touch points and how to reduce infection risk.
They understand proper restroom cleaning, Smart Cleaning, and Green Cleaning processes, including which chemicals to use where.
If your company isn’t cleaning with health in mind, you are putting people at risk, especially during cold and flu season.
Well-trained cleaners won’t only keep your building looking great.
They help you maintain a clean, healthy workplace.
Referrals And Certifications Are Powerful Tools For Finding Your Next Partner
The best way to find a solid commercial cleaning company is through the recommendation of a trusted professional.
You can also use industry certifications like ISSA’s CIMS (Cleaning Industry Management Standard) to identify companies that have proven service systems.
CIMS certification measures areas that translate directly into better service for you.
There are no shortcuts, but this can help you narrow the list and find a long-term partner.
You deserve fewer headaches and a commercial cleaning service that keeps the promises they make.
Here at Stathakis, we combine state-of-the-art innovations in office cleaning and care with proven training and industry practices to give you the service your facility requires.
If you need office cleaning services, connect with Stathakis.
For more information on how you can get offices cleaner than they have ever been, please contact us at #800-278-1884.
