As we move into the beginning of a new school year, we all struggle to shake off the summer mindset in order to get back to the serious business of educating our young people. Ask any teacher and they will tell you how much the kids lose over the summer in terms of skills and habits. Maybe too many hours spent in front of the computer or TV, or days at the beach and vacations and everyone kind of loses track.
Kids aren’t the only ones to drift off course a bit. Often our school maintenance can veer off track during the summer days and months that seem to pass in the blink of an eye.
Maybe your summer maintenance went exactly as planned. Or perhaps you scrambled to get everything ready for your incoming students. Maybe you are lucky enough to have a high performing school cleaning service delivering exactly what you need. Or, maybe you have a school cleaning service that just isn’t cutting it. What kind of grade would your Michigan school cleaning company get if you gave them a pop quiz?
1. The best janitorial company for your school
a. Doesn’t have experience with schools but has cleaned some offices
b. Has extensive experience in commercial school maintenance
c. Is the one that really wants your business
The answer is b. Your school facilities need a janitorial company with extensive experience specifically in school maintenance. Just because a cleaning company wants your business doesn't mean they understand how school cleaning is different from general commercial cleaning.
2. If you are interested in green cleaning for your school, look for a school cleaning company
a. With green cleaning programs including energy reduction plans with a proven track record and solid training
b. A green leaf on their logo
c. That tells you they have a green school cleaning program
The answer is a. Anyone can tell you they offer green cleaning but a school cleaning company serious about green cleaning should offer a green cleaning program and energy reduction plans. These should be backed up with proven results and a solid training program. Documented training programs demonstrate a true commitment to green building services and healthy schools.
3. To get the most out of your reduced school maintenance budget, you should choose a school janitorial company
a. That offers you the lowest price
b. That is experienced and reputable to help you do more work with less money
c. That charges the most
The answer is b. Low price often indicates a lack of experience pricing the services you and your educational facility really need. On the other hand, a high price doesn’t necessarily indicate you are going to get better service. The best school cleaning companies understand how to work with the budget you have to set up a cleaning program that works for your learning facility. More important than price is value. Are you getting the most from the money you have? The better commercial cleaning companies will actually be more adept at working with shrinking budgets to help you determine how to best maintain your facility.
4. You need a commercial school cleaning company with
a. A system in place and a proven record of compliance with regard to employee screening
b. A thorough criminal background checks and drug testing.
c. All of the above
The answer is c. People are the benchmark of any school cleaning service and you need to insure your Michigan school cleaning company is staffed with very good people. Employee screening, background checks and drug testing are a must. In fact, the best school janitorial services will also provide education verification, employment history verification, reference verification and more.
5. When selecting your Michigan janitorial company
a. National is better
b. Local is better
c. It doesn’t matter
The answer is b. Everything else being equal, a local Michigan school cleaning company is better. They understand and are committed to their local community. A Detroit area school cleaning company keeps their dollars and jobs right here in Michigan.
6. If a commercial cleaning company wants to work with school cleaning accounts, they must understand
a. Algebra
b. Microbiology
c. How important the right custodial candidate is for school safety and a good overall fit
The answer is c. Any janitorial company that wants to work with schools must understand how critical it is to find the right fit as far school custodians are concerned. A good school janitorial company will know how to attract and vet candidates until they find the right fit for your facility. Of course when it comes to cleaning, it doesn’t hurt to have a little microbiology on your transcripts.
7. In order to provide customized solutions for your school maintenance, your school cleaning company must
a. Have systems in place to solve real problems in your school cleaning as they come up.
b. Have processes that help keep everyone on track & measure results.
c. All of the above
The answer is c., all of the above. In order to get the most responsive, consistent school cleaning, your Detroit area janitorial company must have systems and processes in place to solve issues as they come up, keep everyone on track and measure success.
8. Why is it important for your janitorial company to offer clear, transparent pricing?
a. It allows you to compare ‘apples to apples’
b. It helps measure success by making success straight forward and easy to measure
c. All of the above
The answer is c., all of the above. Your janitorial company should be priced transparently in such a way to allow you to compare one school janitorial company’s price quotes to another. This clear and transparent pricing will also help you and your school cleaning company measure success.
9. In order to insure you partner with a professional, reputable, experienced school cleaning company, you can create your short list of companies using
a. Professional certifications like the CIMS-GB Certification
b. Who has the best looking business cards
c. Who offers to take you out to lunch
While lunch can be fun, the highest performing school cleaning companies may have achieved professional certification like the CIMS-GB Certification. These challenging professional certifications can be a sign of a company’s commitment to industry best practices for school cleaning. They can also be a great way to cull your short list to the best of the best.
10. A great Michigan school cleaning company
a. Can staff up or down to accommodate your facility’s needs throughout the school year
b. Has one solution that works for every customer
c. Knows what you need better than you do.
The answer is a. The best school cleaning companies understand from experience that your school has changing needs, very busy times of the year when you need more from them and slower times where you might need less. The best Michigan school cleaning companies now that there are no one size fits all solutions and they will offer flexibility allowing you to staff up or step down as needed.
School Cleaning Pop Quiz, How Did You Score?
So how did you and your school janitorial company score? Did they get high marks, score an average C or completely fail? From your school’s restrooms to its classrooms, your commercial school cleaning services should keep your facility looking spotless. Even as school budgets continue to experience cuts, outsourcing school cleaning services can benefit your bottom line by providing professional, innovative and responsive commercial school maintenance if you partner with a solid, professional experienced school janitorial services company.
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