The Good, the Not So Good & the Downright Frightening Janitorial Cleaning Services
There are so many janitorial services in Michigan and throughout the country.
There are large national janitorial services, there are small mom and pop operations, there are large local professional janitorial companies and there are even the man and a mop and small team startups.
If you are a Facility Manager looking for a janitorial company or office cleaning services, there are just so many janitorial companies to consider, not to mention janitorial pricing.
It can be overwhelming. And with so many varying options in janitorial companies, it is important to note that they are all over the place — some good, some not so good and some are even frighteningly bad.
There’s A Long List of Things That Set Effective Janitorial Companies Apart
What is it that you really want from your janitorial services? Most facility managers use words like effective, reliable, consistent, responsive, professional safe, thorough and more.
You want from your janitorial company what we all want from organizations that provide a service: capable, well trained and screened people who are a good fit for the work, doing consistent good work in our facility and being responsive to our individual needs .
Does all this sound too good to be true? It shouldn’t.
The truth is as hard as it can be to find a great janitorial service, they are out there and there are a variety of things that set the best Michigan janitorial companies apart:
- They have a clear understanding of your security needs.
- They have a documented process of employee screening & training that they share with you.
- They strictly adhere to janitorial best practices as defined by professional organizations.
- They have systems to guarantee responsive service.
- They assure reliability through accountability with practices like frequent janitorial inspections.
- They can staff up or staff down as needed.
- They offer a variety of services under one umbrella.
- They have documented systems and procedures to ensure strong service delivery.
- They use technology to streamline processes and create value.
Cutting Through Hype, Sales Claims & Misdirection With Janitorial Services Is Tough
You as a Facility Manager have a number of options when choosing a new janitorial company, industrial janitorial services, office cleaning services and more.
Getting referrals is a good place to start. This is especially useful if you have been in the business for years and have a host of other Facility Managers or vendors whose opinions you trust.
But even referrals can be tricky if your facility’s needs are substantially different from those of the company offering you a referral.
You can also sit down with a prospective janitorial company. Sure you are going to get a pitch, but this can be a great source of information as long as you ask the questions you want and ask your prospective janitorial services company to show you and not just tell you what makes them better.
For example, when a would-be cleaning company says they offer great training, tell them you want to see it. Companies that are serious about janitorial training have processes and verification for everything they do.
Likewise, if you ask a janitorial company about their green cleaning program, they should give substantive specifics and not just generalities like “we are green”.
True green cleaning and cleaning for health requires a balancing act between safety and efficacy.
CIMS Offers You Better Information On a Janitorial Service, But It’s Still Your Decision
Sure your information is limited, and yes many janitorial companies are more hype than help, but there is a single strategy that can streamline your process when looking for a janitorial services company.
That is CIMS or the ISSA’s Certified Industry Management Standard.
CIMS is a certification process offered through the ISSA (International Sanitary Supply Association), the professional organization for building services companies.
The certification is challenging and rigorous and centers on the core systems that define professional janitorial companies.
CIMS covers mastery in areas like:
- Quality Systems: frameworks for effective operations and continuous improvement
- Service Delivery: systems for consistent, quality service
- Human Resources: best practices for managing employees
- Health, Safety & Environmental Stewardship: regulatory compliance and environmental management
- Management Commitment: mission, vision, values and organizational continuity
When searching for a janitorial company, CIMS can be the smartest strategy for streamlining your process.
If you use CIMS to create a shortlist, you’ll start with the most capable companies.
Then you can arrange proposals, walkthroughs, and choose the janitorial partner best suited for your facility.
