The Myth Of The Perfect Commercial Cleaning Company

While finding the right commercial cleaning company for your facility isn’t always going to be a fairytale with the perfect happy ending, it is certainly a worthy quest to embark upon. Still, it can feel like a futile pursuit. Maybe this is in part because many cleaning companies will offer promises of service that seem straight out of mythical stories where they are the one and only hero cleaning company that can vanquish dirt in your facility. Finding a company that not only makes promises but can actually deliver on them is quite a feat. While finding a janitorial company that can and will deliver effective, consistent, high quality service is the goal and we have a couple of tips and tricks to make sure that you can find the right company for you and your building without having to go on an epic, lifetime journey slaying monsters and dragons along the way. Don’t give up on your quest to find the best commercial cleaning company just yet.

Blind Bids & Cloudy Pricing Don’t Lead to Happy Endings

It happens all too often that a Facility Manager will accept a less than clear cleaning contract thinking. Maybe they are mesmerized and hopeful about finally getting the service they need but all too often they find that promises disappear in a poof of air or worse, that it was all a devious trap. Many cleaning companies will offer unbelievable, mythical prices, too good to be true as some would say, and it can be easy to convince ourselves this is what we need. However, these low, unclear prices are often a sign of two things. The first is inexperience, a company that lacks experience in janitorial and commercial cleaning will often not know how to properly construct a bid leading to inaccurate, unclear pricing. Second is that a cleaning company is trying to hide fees and charges in order to get your business now and get more money out of you later. By having an unclear bid, they can effectively obscure these charges. Never partner with a company that can’t or won’t produce a clear janitorial bid for your building. You deserve to know exactly what you are getting and what it is going to cost.

Communication Must Be a Part of the Story

The next critical aspect of any successful commercial cleaning service is a quick system in place to respond to problems and customer issues. Now of course, when you ask if there is such a system in place, every company will answer with a resounding yes. But, not every company can back this assertion up.  The key here is to ask to see their plan, to walk you through how they handle issues now. The best commercial cleaning services will have a clear written plan/policy on how they respond to customer requests, complaints and other issues. The truth of the situation is that not even the oracle of all cleaning companies can operate with peak performance in your facility without some feedback. After all, you know your facility the best. As such, regular communication is key to your satisfaction as well as receiving a high level of consistent cleaning service in your facility year after year.

People Are Key

The cornerstone of any successful service business is their frontline staff, as they are the people that represent them. You can’t have an epic story without the very best characters. One significant problem when it comes to the janitorial and commercial cleaning industry is the high turnover rate that often leads to an influx of new people servicing your facility. This can bring with it a couple of major problems. The first is that no matter how good a company is at training their cleaning staff, nothing can make up for experience and getting acclimated to the unique needs of your facility. So, with a constant revolving cast of characters, what you’ll find you are missing is practical experience reducing the quality of service. The second issue that will come up is that of security in your office. With new staff constantly entering and leaving it can be difficult to properly screen employees, putting you building at risk or giving tenants and employees the impression it isn’t safe.

Require A Regal Reputation

When it comes to protecting your kingdom from the dragon that is dirt and germs, you want to have the right dragon slayer for the job, right? So how do you find a this almost magical, mythical cleaning company? You don’t want the man that boasts about his skill but rather the one that has a reputation for quality dragon slaying. Finding the right commercial cleaning company for your building can really come down to who you know. Recommendations from other industry professionals and trusted Facility Managers are great if you can get them. While no one is perfect, these companies consistently provide a high level of service earning them a reputation for their solid work ethic, professionalism, easy to understand bids and quotes, open communication lines, and proven practices.

Check Certifications

In lieu of a trusted recommendation, you can use the ISSA’s CIMS and CIMS-GB certification to separate the princes from the frogs. This particular industry certification requires companies to hit a series of benchmarks in service, people, training, communication, green cleaning and other core areas to ensure that if you partner with this company, that they will deliver the highest quality cleaning service. Essentially, going with the commercial cleaning service that has secured professional certification from an industry organization is like magic to save you the time of doing all of the due diligence from the start. Of course you still will want to determine that they will be a good fit but you at least start well ahead of the game.

Getting Your Happily Ever After

Get your fairy tale ending, or at least pretty close by finding and partnering with a commercial cleaning company that will service your building most effectively for the best possible price. Any janitorial company that invests and values their staff, offers clear, easy to understand janitorial bids, and has a solid reputation is likely to keep your building looking it’s best. As an added bonus, you can quickly identify companies like this by taking advantage of the ISSA’s CIMS certification to quickly sort the pros from the nos. As long as you know where to look, there are truly professional commercial cleaning services and finding one for your facilities is possible and will make your job and life much easier in the long run getting you closer to happily ever after.

Here at Stathakis, with over 30 years in, we have carefully developed and refines our standard of service that meets or exceeds that of our closest competitors. We have achieved CIMS certification through hard work and determination and continue to meet CIMS certification year after year. We have also worked hard to create lasting relationships with our customers and offer the businesses of southeastern Michigan the service they deserve by adhering to and even expanding janitorial best practices.

Are you searching for commercial cleaning services in Ann Arbor, Detroit, Royal Oak, Farmington Hills, Farmington, Dearborn, Livonia, Troy, Auburn Hills, Novi, Plymouth, Downriver or surrounding areas? Are you looking for commercial cleaning services, office cleaning, school cleaning, industrial cleaning, medical cleaning or other building services and need more than the same old song and dance, please contact us to learn more about how we can assure you get the service you and your facility require.

Budgets Are Often A Balancing Act

A continually changing economic landscape is keeping budgets low or in flux. As a Facility Manager, it is undoubtedly frustrating to have to do more work with less money. You are often called to keep quality consistent with less than you were working with before. It can be frustrating to feel like you must be a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat you don’t have. However, even with this set of challenging circumstances, some managers have figured out unique solutions on how to manage their facilities with less money.

Do you, as Facility Manager, have to work on a significantly reduced budget? Or even worse, are you partnered with a commercial office cleaning company that isn’t getting to the level of cleaning that you need? Partnering with the correct professional office cleaning company will not only help you live with a tight budget, but can consistently deliver a level of service that will keep your facility clean and looking good. So, how can you find the right office cleaning service to keep your facility looking good as you weather increasingly tight budgets?

So Many Choices, So Few Real Competitors

The number of office cleaning companies in Southeast Michigan has skyrocketed since the advent of inexpensive websites and mobile phones. Take, for instance, the one man operations, the mom and pop operations, the small part-time operations, the franchisee, the medium and large local service providers and then the national and multinational cleaning companies. In this packed marketplace, only a few of these companies are going to be the right partner for you and your facility. Just because someone wants your business does not mean that they are up for the level of effort and skill YOUR facility requires. When exploring this expansive market of potential commercial cleaning companies, make sure you get an idea of the scale and type of businesses any commercial cleaning company serves in order to avoid companies that either don’t match your facilities needs or are just poor in quality service delivery.  

Don’t Be Tricked With Math That Just Doesn’t Add Up

A questions that pops up over and over again, are commercial cleaning prices intentionally confusing or does it just stem from a lack of experience in bidding? Fortunately, the answer is, it doesn't matter. As a Facility Manager, you need transparent quotes on your cleaning service to compare the value offered by different service providers. First, it’s important for a commercial cleaning service to take time to analyze your facility up front, so that they can understand the specific requirements. Not only is this a good way to provide better cleaning, it’s the best way to get an accurate estimate. Second, having a clear price instead of some meaningless “estimated” cost means that you will not get charged with hidden fees and other upcharges later. While avoiding estimates that are given off hand may be difficult in the short term, finding a company that takes pricing your facility seriously will always benefit you in the long run.

You Get What You Pay For, Kind Of

When our cleaning budget is razor thin, it can be all to easy to convince ourselves that we need the cheapest office cleaning service available. We all know that cheap cleaning may not be the best cleaning, but it's easy to convince ourselves that we can live with less than good service. But all too often, that attractive low price that met our budget goals just leads to a litany of complaints and other issues that require our time and money. So in accepting a too low price we haven’t solved the problem, just moved and delayed it.

Low commercial cleaning bids are often a sign of a host of issues. Not only does it indicate that the company is likely inexperienced at best, it can also be a sign of inadequate training, cheap ineffective cleaning products and illegal hiring and subcontracting. Companies that lowball bids do ONE thing consistently and that is overpromise and under deliver.That being said, choosing to go for bids that are clearly too high won’t always result in better service. Simply put, choosing a commercial cleaning service solely on their bid won’t result in a good partner. You must look further.

Low Pricing Might Be Symptomatic of Larger Issues

The first thought that should pop in to your head when you see a low bid is “how does this company reduce the price of their service so much?” Like everything else, there is a fixed cost of operation for a janitorial services company that determines about where a bid should be. Any bid that is significantly below the rest is a major red flag. First, there is the hiring of undocumented labor. An undocumented worker is a person working off the payroll or someone that has not supplied the necessary identification to verify their legal status or authorization to work. Second, there can be illegally classified workers who are incorrectly identified as independent contractors. Commercial cleaning companies will do this to avoid having to pay payroll, taxes and other benefits that would normally be given to a legal employee. A company that takes these risky shortcuts isn’t likely to be on top of other things like criminal background checks and complete panel drug screening. Finding one shortcut is often a sign that other shortcuts are being taken behind the scenes.

Best Price Versus Best Value

There is a major and important difference between best price and best value. A cleaning company that provides value is one that gets the work you really need done for a reasonable price. If your facility isn’t receiving the care it needs, it doesn't matter what you are paying for it. Value is where service and price intersect. So, how do you find a company that makes value their number one priority? There are a couple of practices you can follow to find cleaning companies that will deliver results where you need them.

Experience Is A Must

Companies with a solid record of experience are in the best position to help you with your significantly reduced budgets. With experience comes an understanding of what services can be cut down and which are non-negotiable when it comes to making sure your facility is clean. Especially with veteran commercial cleaning companies, it’s likely you're not the first person to come to them with a less helpful cleaning budget. With strategies like Smart Cleaning to new innovations in cleaning technologies, it is possible to maintain the overall quality of your facility while staying in line with even less than ideal budgets. Smart Cleaning means that your office cleaner will focus on areas with high traffic and usage strategically while working less in lower usage areas. This will make sure that areas that are used frequently are always in good condition while those that are not are only touched up every once in a while. Finally, larger, more experienced office cleaning companies are often the best equipped and therefore in the best spot to deliver solid, affordable services while still turning a profit.

Tight Budgets Don’t Mean You Completely Sacrifice Service

Even if you are living with an unenviable low cleaning budget putting so many obstacles in your path you feel like Indiana Jones, you are entitled to a reliable, effective cleaning service. The good news is that the most experienced commercial cleaning companies are in a good place to maximize the cleaning you get for your dollar. When looking at prospective companies, it is important to remember the following. Those janitorial companies that provide a transparent price, quality systems and experience are likely to offer you a solid value and service that doesn’t feel like you aren’t getting what you need.

Ensuring Office Safety is as Important as Making Sure It Is Cleaned Well

With many large office buildings there are so many people going in and out over the course of the day. These days, increased security is paramount and that means we need to have an idea about who is entering our facilities as well as some degree of trust that they are safe. We would all like to think that each and every person that we meet is generally a good person, but recently the news has been filling up with headlines like “Maryland Office Shooting Suspect Had a History of Workplace Violence” and “Chef Killed by Coworker” raising real concerns for companies all across the country in terms of workplace safety.  

Safety & Your Commercial Cleaning Company’s Staff

Thankfully although these events understandably grab headlines, they are not as common as it can sometimes feel. However, they raise important safety questions about why these events happen, what we can do to prevent them or at least reduce their likelihood and common sense ways we can make our workplaces safer. So when it comes to your janitorial services company, you want to know who is coming and going and you want to know that they are safe. No one likes a constant stream of new faces in and out of your building at all hours of the day.

Assuring Fit & Suitability In Office Cleaners Requires Some Effort

It all comes down to comprehensiveness and effectiveness of the background checks implemented by the cleaning company in question. Your janitorial services company needs to perform comprehensive background checks on ANY employee that enters YOUR facility. Many companies neglect to be diligent about background checks and drug screening and perhaps fail to appreciate the real risk that presents you your employee and your facility. As time goes on, it is becoming more and more evident that halfhearted, occasional screening isn’t enough to make sure the workplace is safe for you and your employees.  What is needed? There are a couple of key areas that need to be thoroughly examined when performing background checks, not limited to just criminal and drug history. For instance, education, verifying employment history, and reference verifications are all important aspects of someone's employability. Some companies will go beyond and do more to assure office cleaners are a good fit for the work.

What to be on the Lookout When it Comes to Hiring Verifications

Before you decide to outsource you office cleaning to just any building services contractor, make sure you know enough about them. In the cleaning industry, many businesses having a revolving door of staff as a result of an inadequate pool of talent. To err is human, so at some point your office cleaning company will hire the wrong person, and that is ok. But, if your commercial office cleaning company is consistently ignoring or overlooking references, criminal histories, and drug tests because of the cost and time required to check a double check their people, then it is time to find a new partner or move on in your search for effective and safe office cleaning services. Don’t put you or your employees at risk, make sure your office cleaning company is following through with their background checks.

• Criminal Background check (nationwide not just state)
• E-Verify
• Education Verification
• References Follow Up
• Drug Screening
• Employment History Verification

What We do Differently Here At Stathakis

Here at STATHAKIS, we go against the grain when it comes to providing janitorial and commercial cleaning services. Cleaning goes beyond just the task of mopping the floor, taking out the trash, and dusting surfaces, though we do that and do it well. It is about providing the highest quality of overall service, everything from cleaning to helping do our part to assure your workplace is safe. We believe in building relationships with our clients and good relationships are built on trust. We utilize extensive and stringent verification methods when we hire new employees to make sure that they are not only skilled cleaners, but a good addition to your work environment. After all, our business is only as good as our people.

Window Cleaning Can Make A Sparkling First Impression

You make an entrance, with well, your entrance. A sparkling facility sets a positive, welcoming, quality impressions for anyone entering your facility. So much is dependent on a quality first impression, everything from the perceived quality of your service to the competency of the management and administration. So, how do you give the best first impression to everyone that enters your building? The answer is with your windows (of course we love shiny doors too).

Every facility manager knows that a well cleaned building gives an overall atmosphere of stability and professionalism, and it all starts with the state of your windows. A crystal clear view in and out of your building also lends itself to the idea of transparency in your business practice. While at first glance, windows may seem unimportant to the cleanliness and view of your company, in actuality, they can have a very large impression on tenants and potential customers. They let light in and frame what’s in our visual field drawing our eyes in. So when your windows are cloudy, streaky or just dirty, people notice.

Not All Window Cleaning Services Shine

Many commercial cleaning services will offer your standard, run of the mill services when you contract with them: toilet and restroom cleaning, dusting, caring for various floor types, vacuuming, etc. What is all too commonly ignored, however, is a window cleaning service. Not only do most commercial cleaning companies not have the necessary training and equipment to properly clean windows, most simply choose not to offer the service or do it in a way so that you probably won’t ask again. Windows need to be cleaned at least once a month, so make sure that your prospective commercial cleaning service offers a window cleaning solution that works for your building.

An Experienced Professional Window Cleaning Service Can Add Just the Right Sparkle

While any company that offers window cleaning should be on your watch list, that doesn't mean that every company can provide a quality window cleaning. If you aren’t careful who you partner with, your window cleaning might end up doing more damage than good. To many of us, the idea that window cleaning requires specific training might seem a little odd. But commercial window cleaning has very specific technical equipment and processes associated with it to not only clean your windows, but to protect them and keep the clean longer. On top of that, many larger buildings have windows or skylights that require specific safety protocols in order to protect both you and your staff and limit any risk or liability.

How Can You Find a Window Cleaning Company That Shines?

When looking for a window cleaning service there are a couple of key points that you should be on the lookout for:

• Choosing the right equipment and the right process for your specific window will not only save time and energy, but provide a better result.
• Having the best cleaning solutions will ensure that streaking and other impurities don’t taint your windows.
• In order to get the best results, your cleaning staff needs to be well trained and experienced in window cleaning, unlike other aspects of cleaning a facility, the windows are not forgiving when it comes to mistakes.
• Window cleaning chemicals matter, make sure your cleaning solutions are the best available. 

By making sure that your commercial cleaning company adheres to these important points when it comes to cleaning your facility’s windows, you can help make sure that they are always crystal clear and that your building makes a real entrance! Interested in a window cleaning program for your building? Want some help retooling your commercial cleaning program or facility maintenance, please contact Stathakis at (800) 278-1884.

Cut Them Off!

Has service from your office cleaning company gone steadily downhill? Or maybe it’s been a disaster from day one. Is is time to find another commercial cleaning service and cut off your current one but you just haven’t gotten around to doing it? Maybe you tell yourself, what is the alternative anyway? Aren’t all cleaning companies going to offer roughly the same level or lack of service as the one you have now? Or maybe you think that to get the upgrade you need in your office cleaning it would cost you an arm and a leg?

Is Your Office Cleaning Company on the Chopping Block?

With even the best, most responsive and professional janitorial companies, you won’t get services that are 100% perfect or go smoothly 100% of the time. After all, office cleaning services are delivered by people not robots (yet). But when small mistakes become big mistakes become real, daily problems, it might be time to cut your office cleaning company loose. If you have given your commercial cleaning service an opportunity to learn from their mistakes and do better and well, they just aren’t, it’s likely time to say enough is enough and move on.

Common Commercial Cleaning Problems That Cause the Most Problems

What are some of the common cleaning problems that keep your facility from looking and running its best and even reduce the value of what you are getting?

 Is Your Cleaning Company On Top of It With Their People & People Processes?

Service businesses rely on the people as the face of their company. It’s these people that go out into the field and YOUR office each day or night to clean your facility. These people are trusted to not only do a good job, but be a safe and secure presence in your building. So, if your janitorial services company is guilty of poor employee screening, illegal subcontracting and under-the-table payment that can negatively impact you, it might be time for them to get the axe. Taking these illegal and often dangerous shortcuts says a lot about the culture of the company and thus the quality of cleaning you are receiving. Further, companies that take said shortcuts in one place are more likely to take shortcuts everywhere.

 Training & Professionalism

Being an effective janitorial service, especially with the rapid pace of industry wide technical innovation, requires an unprecedented degree of know-how and training. No matter if you want green cleaning practices implemented or are just looking for straight forward, no nonsense office cleaning, you need a Detroit cleaning company that provides consistent and proven training to its frontline staff so they know what needs to get done and how to do it. A professional cleaning company finds and hires very good people and then good training takes good people and makes them great! Further, better trained employees are often happier and more fulfilled making it a win for both your staff and you.

Is a Lack of Responsiveness & Regular Indifference Telling?

Not every janitorial service provider has the metaphorical “complaint box”. Or, perhaps they “take” complaints but nothing ever gets done with the information. If you’ve been brushed off one too many times or you’ve tried your best to communicate with your cleaning company and never gotten a workable response, it might be time to start looking for a new janitorial company.

Inconsistency

Anyone can get lucky once and a while and your cleaning company is no exception, but ask yourself this, are they delivering solid service on a consistent basis? Or is your Livonia office cleaning service hit or miss? No matter what you budget happens to be, you should always receive a service that is commensurate of what you’re paying for.

They Just Don’t Care

Apathy is all too common when it comes to commercial cleaning. For every janitorial company that is professional and offers a solid value for their services, there are probably 50 that don’t. They may have started with good intention but many cleaning companies simply don’t care about their employees, or the quality of service they deliver. If you have an apathetic cleaning company, you have no other choice but to release them. It can be challenging finding another company to do the job correctly and professionally, but having an apathetic company and not having a company at all are often one in the same. Don’t waste your already tight budget on a company that isn’t interested in delivering the level of service you and your facility deserve.

Janitorial Companies that Make the Cut

It can be tough to find a professional commercial cleaning company, especially when there are so many more cleaning companies that deserve the axe. But the work and effort you put into finding a real ally in your facility maintenance is worth the challenge. There are companies out there that conduct thorough background checks, use proven training techniques and manage in such a way so as to provide the highest quality of service. These experienced companies know how to deal with reduced budgets and can help to make sure you get the most bang for your buck. 

How do you find these companies? The first way is by talking to other Facility Managers. Let their experience and sometimes even trial and error benefit you. Or if you don’t know anyone that you can ask, start looking at your prospective janitorial companies pricing, employee screening and training to see if they’ll fit in your facility. Any company worth their salt won’t just say they do it, they’ll back it up.

Another good way to narrow down the list of companies you have to look at is by taking advantage of the ISSA’s CIMS and CIMS-GB accreditation. Companies that possess this certification perform at the highest level in the industry and have passed a battery of regular, stringent test in core cleaning and service areas. Here at Stathakis, we take these two ideas and combine them by hiring and training the best people as well as constantly looking to improve and test ourselves through hard-work and innovation. Further, we are one of the companies that possess the ISSA’s CIMS certification demonstrating our commitment to operating at the highest level in our industry for building care and cleaning.

Avoiding D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R

Finding the commercial cleaning company that meets the needs of your facility is one of the most important jobs we Facility Managers have. But with reduced budgets and a pile of other work that seems nearly insurmountable, it can be difficult to find the time, and the money, to find and hire this seemingly mythical solid performing company.

Fortunately for you, we have a couple of tips and tricks that can help you take ‘finding a quality Michigan janitorial service’ off of your list for good. The right information can help you weed through the disasters to find the masters, those commercial cleaning companies that are hitting their benchmarks and delivering quality, effective, professional service day after day after day.

Masters versus Disasters: What Do the Masters Do Differently?

The first thing we have to consider is what is the difference between your run-of-the-mill cleaning company and a cream-of-the-crop commercial cleaning provider. Lots of companies will try to convince you that they are the best with a myriad of claims but which ones really matter and can they back these claims up with evidence and observable processes?

1. Good People + Good Practices = Good Cleaning Company

Any company that provides a service is completely reliant and represented by the people that they hire. As such, any company that does not treat their employees as professionals or ignores proper training and screening procedures is risking your facility and the quality of the service that they provide. As a Facility Manager, you want to trust the people that you turn your facility over to unsupervised at night. Further, a company that invests time in training their staff and putting systems into place to ensure high quality service are essentially guaranteeing you responsiveness and professionalism. Remember, great service doesn't just happen, it takes commitment and know-how.

2. No Insurance or Insufficient Insurance Could Spell D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R

When we were young all of us may have skimped on protecting ourselves or our assets with insurance but when you a re a fully grown adult business person, there are zero reasons to invite disaster by taking shortcuts when it comes to insuring themselves and you against workplace accidents. No one wants to think about a time when workplace insurance will be necessary but it is a needed protection against serious and expensive litigation. The unfortunate truth is that many cleaning and janitorial operations, both large and small, run without adequate coverage due to its cost. A solid commercial cleaning company will protect both you and themselves with sufficient insurance and will always provide proof that they are shielding themselves and you from unnecessary legal action.

3. Illegal Hiring Is A Safety & Image D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R

Illegal hiring and illegal subcontracting are two of the most rampant problems in the janitorial industry. Some companies do this under the table hiring as a way to reduce costs to themselves fully realizing that this puts you and your company at risk. Further, companies that are willing to take part in illegal hiring practices are much more likely to do so in other areas as well. The law clearly lays out the rules about who can be hired, who constitutes an employee and who constitutes a subcontractor, and when companies willing violate these laws it unfairly puts you at risk. Any reputable, professional Michigan cleaning service provider will put your reputation before illegally reducing their bottom line.

4. Passion is Key, Is Your Janitorial Company Fired Up?

We’ve all gotten up in the morning and slogged in to work, no matter how much we love what we do. If your commercial cleaning company isn’t dedicated and passionate about what they do, you can imagine the difficulty they are going to have providing the best possible service on a consistent basis. Many would-be, aspirational business owners believe that starting a commercial cleaning company is easy only to find out that, well, nothing is easy or a slam dunk, professional businesses require professional processes and it takes an unprecedented level of commitment and talent to make that happen. The most successful Michigan cleaning companies have a knack for what they do and value honest feedback and it is reflected in their attitude, company culture, and the quality of the service that they provide. While passion does not equate to a successful, effective cleaning and maintenance service, it is certainly and important piece of the service puzzle. 

5. Do Things the Right Way, the First Time

Going from mediocre to good is the easy part, the path from good to great is significantly more challenging. The only way to zoom ahead of the mediocre and milquetoast in the industry is to wholeheartedly pursue and embrace the industry’s proven best practices. No matter if it is specific to medical cleaning, green cleaning practices, or a color-coded cloth system to prevent cross-contamination, the best Detroit commercial cleaning companies continue to take advantage of these practices to create continual improvement in every level of their service delivery.

CIMS and CIMS-GB Certification Can Help You Avoid D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R

One of the fastest ways to shorten your prospective janitorial service provider list is by taking advantage of the ISSA’s CIMS and CIMS-GB certification. The ISSA is one of the cleaning industries largest associates and provides this rigorous and stringent accreditation program for the best companies on the market. Being awarded this certification is by no means a simple task. It requires a clear and demonstrable dedication to the highest level of service and innovation. As such, it is a clear indication of a company's commitment to your facility’s cleaning and maintenance as well as the consistency of their work. As such, you can use it as a powerful pre-qualification tool when looking at your prospective cleaning companies list. Finding the right professional, responsive, and effective cleaning company doesn't have to be the headache of the century, take advantage of our insider information and save yourself from months of searching and avoid the disasters in favor of the masters.

Smart Cleaning, the Art of More With Less

Have you heard the joke about reduced budgets? The Facility Managers we talk to sure have. In fact, a study of economics usually reveals that the best time to buy anything was last year. Ba dump bump! Budget cuts seem to be a recurring theme in many facilities. As the economy shifts faster that most of us can keep up with, individuals and businesses alike look to protect themselves against financial crisis by reducing spending and trimming costs wherever they think they can.

Regardless of the justification, the burden often ends up on you as a Facility Manager to get more work done for less money. Sometimes the numbers work out and sometimes they don’t and you simply have to live with being under resourced. That being said, commercial cleaning companies have come a long way in technological and logistical improvements and if they understand what you need and what you are up against, many of the bets Detroit cleaning companies can provide you a more efficient, more wallet friendly commercial cleaning service.

With the right commercial cleaning company, you can make sure that your facility is getting cleaned by skilled professionals while still working around significantly reduced budgets. Finding the right commercial cleaning company is the trick. Doing more with less is by no means a beginner’s game. This level of skill and professionalism to maximize your cleaning dollars is imperative and in staggeringly short supply. Many companies will try to make up for this lower level of competence by offering low prices. Don’t be fooled into partnering with such companies. If the work you need isn’t getting done, it doesn’t matter what your paying for it. To best maximize your budget, your commercial cleaning company is certainly going to have to make some cuts but they have to be smart cuts and that is where Smart Cleaning comes in.

Smart Cleaning, What It Is & Why You Are Going To Want It

Smart cleaning is a method of cleaning that strategically targets high traffic areas in your facility and prioritizes them while reducing service to areas that aren’t often use to create a more effective, less expensive cleaning plan. To effectively Smart Clean your building, your commercial cleaning company needs to have a comprehensive understanding of how your employees and tenants use your facility. Without this information, it is impossible to design a Smart Cleaning plan that will be any more effective than a cleaning service basically winging it. Smart Cleaning requires careful planning, customization and taking advantage of different industry innovations as well as a strong commitment from your commercial cleaning company. Those less critical services can be reduced and staggered in frequency reducing the total janitorial hours needed to maintain your facility, the goal being to cut back on non-essential services without the perception that your maintenance is suffering.

Technology's Impact on Smart Cleaning

The first tool your commercial cleaning company has to implement Smart Cleaning in your facility is the numerous innovations in the cleaning industry has to offer. Breakthrough techniques and equipment have cut down on overall cleaning times thereby reducing janitorial labor hours (the largest single cost in the industry), improved the quality of cleaning preformed and reduced the price of resources needed to do said cleaning. Such quality improvements like Boost floor cleaning machines, team cleaning, and HEPA filtration vacuum backpacks are all forward-minded innovations that will both save money and time allowing your cleaning company to reduce their own costs passing cost savings on to you the customer. These technological advances don’t happen by accident, however, you have to partner with a company that actively invests in themselves in order to provide their customers with the best possible cleaning experience regardless of budget.

Detroit Cleaning Companies That Are Up to the Challenge

If the words “Smart Cleaning” are not coupled with a detailed and well thought out plan, then they are little more than words. It is also important to recognize that you can’t just tell your commercial cleaning company to Smart Clean your facility and expect different results. Only you know what areas in your facility are high traffic and what can be implemented periodically and what cannot. When setting up a Smart Cleaning program there are a couple of factors to consider. First, will a Smart Cleaning program actually improve the quality and cost of cleaning in your Facility? Likewise, what things in your facility can be improved and what cannot without dramatically raising the cost of cleaning? Finally, with the number of companies of varying size in the market, which company is best suited to provide you with a professional cleaning service?

Transparent Pricing Is A Necessary Starting Point

When looking at prospective janitorial companies to partner with in order to secure a price range that fits your budget, you have to know exactly what service your getting and what said services will cost. This may seem like a straightforward thing, however, many companies will try to present you with not entirely clear pricing in order to make it tougher to compare prices or to obscure hidden upcharges. Either way, companies that present this type of pricing are inexperienced at best or malicious at worse and you won’t get the level of cleaning and responsiveness that you need out of them. A clear, detailed pricing plan is an indication that the company you are planning to partner with is professional and ready wiling and able to make your cleaning budget go further. It takes a level of competence that you simply won’t find in a company that quickly throws together a rough estimate of the cost of cleaning your facility.

Lowball Prices Should Come With Big Red Flags

We live in the land of the big bad basement bargain price, and it is often against our nature to turn down ever enticing low low prices. However, companies that consistently lowball their prices will not give you adequate coverage and the cleaning of your building needs. A good value is one thing, but very low prices, lower than most quotes are a large red flag for a couple of not so enviable problems. The first is cutting corners with your facility to reduce prices. Another is illegal hiring and subcontracting to overall reduce the price of their service by partaking in illegal staffing and payment processes. Finally, low prices are often a sign that you will be billed with hidden charges at some point during your partnership to make up for lost revenue. Remember, when you see a bid come in well below others, the first thing you should ask is how are they doing the work for so much less.If the math just doesn’t add up, move on.

Price & Value Are Not the Same & Cheap Isn’t Always the Bargain You Hope For

Price and value are not the same word. Real value stems from a commercial company that provides superior cleaning at an affordable price. If your building isn’t being adequately cleaned and serviced, it doesn't matter what your paying for it. Cheap cleaning is often ineffective cleaning and with your facilities reputation at risk, it is better to stay away from the cheapest cleaning bid and overly low janitorial bids that seem too good to be true. By Smart Cleaning and partnering with the right commercial cleaning company for your facility, you can have effective cleaning without destroying your budget. Steer away from the companies that offer the cheapest price and instead look for the company with the most experience so that they can help you optimize your budget and provide you with the best possible cleaning service.

You Can Have Reliable Cleaning Even on Reduced Budgets

As many Facility Managers are, you might be working with a less than ideal cleaning budget. That doesn't mean, however, that you can’t have an effective, professional, and reliable commercial cleaning service. The most experienced cleaning companies will always offer transparent pricing and can find ways to reduce the cost of cleaning while continuing to maintain a standard of cleaning in your facility you can not only live with but take some pride in. They will not use illegal subcontracting to artificially deflate prices and they will make use of innovative new processes and technologies to reduce cleaning time and price. Find a company that offers you solid service while working with not against your issues and you can limit the hit on both your budgets and your facility’s overall cleanliness.

You don't need a crystal ball to know that technology is changing the way we do business. From chat bots to apps and more, there is no industry that could not benefit from using elements of evolving technologies to create efficiencies in their business making services faster, better and even cheaper. Office cleaning, like so many other industries, is an ever evolving, ever advancing field whose modernizations have and will continue to make work easier, more effective, and less stressful. But how can you find those commercial office cleaning companies that embrace technology, innovation, not just for the sake of shiny, new things but for the sake of improvement and efficiency? How can you identify the professional, effective companies willing, ready and able to deliver to you the highest level of service and a solid value?

Old School Office Cleaning Versus Modern Cleaning Methods

If your office cleaning is still using little more than rags and mops, it may be time to leap into the future with a new office cleaning service. Advances in technology and processes have improved the quality, efficiency, and environmental-friendliness of cleaning by leaps and bounds. No matter what you need cleaned, anything from floor care to restroom cleaning, always make sure you select a commercial cleaning company that is committed to using these new practices, procedures, products and equipment to get the most value for your cleaning dollar. When your Detroit cleaning company is committed to utilizing these industry advances, not only will you office space get cleaned better and quicker, the price you pay may even be reduced because these advances mean that your company can deliver more for less compared to their competitors.

21^st Century Cleaning & Innovative Solutions 

We’ve talked about the new innovations in technologies and processes that will vastly improve the quality of the cleaning in your facility, but what exactly are some of these innovations? One example is cleaning companies utilizing methods like low-moisture carpet cleaning because it can be very effective while using less water, less waste and getting carpets into service faster. Those companies that are committed to making high tech cleaning work for both them and you the customer also utilize things like team cleaning over zone cleaning, super efficient Boost floor cleaning machines, HEPA filter lightweight backpack vacuums, and a color coded cloth system to prevent cross contamination. These kind of industry best practices set the tone for an overall high level of service delivery from a Detroit office cleaning company.

Finding A Michigan Office Cleaning Company Ready To Take You Into The Future

The best commercial cleaning companies all have something in common. No matter if you looking for a Dearborn office cleaner, Novi office clearer or a maintenance company based right here in southeastern Michigan, what are some things that you can check for that will ensure you choose a company that will provide the best possible care for your facility? The best janitorial services companies hire the best people, provide them with thorough and complete training, and screen them rigorously. They have processes in place to keep open and frequent communication with you so that you can customize and correct your service as necessary. They always push to find better and more cost effective ways to clean your facilities and use state of the art technologies to do so. The best commercial office cleaning companies take pride in the work they do and are committed to continual improvement so they offer clients the best possible experience over the long haul.

CIMS Certification Can Be a Rocket Ship Launching Your Office Cleaning Light Years Ahead

We’ve talked a lot about what an effective and professional office cleaning company does and why it's important, but haven’t talked about how to find and narrow down your list of potential providers. The first thing you should look at is if your prospective janitorial company is CIMS certified. CIMS, or the Certified Industry Management Standard, is a rigorous, voluntary industry certification that indicates a company is a professional, effective, and responsive service provider and that they have met and exceed the highest professional standards. CIMS certification includes but is not limited to these standards:

• Management Commitment: Making sure that a company's management is committed to one vision and puts resources behind achieving it.
• Quality Systems: Putting processes in place to assure that operations are always effective and always forward minded.
• Health, Safety, and Environmental Stewardship: The company follows the highest standards in regulation compliance, workplace training in safety, and health of workers and the environment.
• Service Delivery: Ensuring that delivery of the service is consistent and of the highest industry quality.
• Human Resources: The company makes the management of their cleaning teams a priority.

CIMS doesn’t mean a commercial cleaning company is the perfect fit for your facility, but it is perfect for shortening down the list of potential companies that might be. Not every CIMS certified company is right for your facility, but the company that is right for your facility is CIMS certified.

The Budget Forecast

At Stathakis, we know that many southeastern Michigan businesses are dealing with reduced and even razor thin budgets in your facilities. We also know that the last thing you need is your janitorial company causing problems, creating issues and generating extra work for you. After all, the entire purpose of outsourcing janitorial services is to reduce your workload not add to it. As the budget constricts, the number of things you have to do balloons. Aside from supervising your facility, it is likely you are in charge of lease management, managing space and people, as well as understanding all the pertinent regulations that go with those tasks. Not only do you have to go above and beyond, but it is entirely possible you may also be required to figure out how to do all of this more effectively on a significantly reduced budget. Juggling more objects at an increasing speed, it would seem, is no longer just a circus act.

How Budget Reductions Impact You & Your Facility

The metaphoric hole in your budget isn’t going to go away. In fact, increased competition and economic pressure may actually make it larger as businesses try to go farther on less. While this may not be bad news for you, your job as Facility Manager is likely becoming, if it hasn’t already, a lot more complex and demanding than previously. That being said, challenges and competition in industry is what drives the American economy and just like other businesses, the janitorial industry is changing to meet the needs of an evolving marketplace. Working with less, professional janitorial companies and suppliers are working to cut down on waste and optimize processes to work cheaper and more effectively. Now the task for you as the Facility Manager is finding which commercial cleaning provider is going to do this best. While the current climate may necessitate working leaner, it is a sink or swim situation for a lot of companies. Partnering with a commercial cleaning company that approaches these challenges with a plan and action to back it up is what will lead to a successful partnership.

Smart Cleaning can be Your Solution to Tighter Budgets

At Stathakis, Smart Cleaning is the name of the game when it comes to helping Facility Managers with their janitorial budgets and prevention of service drop offs. “What is Smart Cleaning?”, you may ask. With Smart Cleaning, we work with suboptimal janitorial budgets in a given facility and strategically choose which services are most beneficial to the cleanliness and function of the facility. Services can then be ranked and delivered at a frequency that helps better manage your budget and makes sure your facility is still well-maintained from the perspective of your building’s occupants and visitors. Our complete analysis asks the questions:

• “What tasks are we performing that might be unnecessary?”
• “What tasks and duties are must haves that need to be included regardless of reduced budgets?”
• “What are we doing currently and does it make sense given your maintenance and budget needs?”
• “Where are the areas we might be able to get by with less?”
• "How can we use janitorial industry innovation, products, equipment & processes to better meet our customer's needs?
• “What better, more efficient ways might there be to complete those things that are necessary?”

Partnerships Make Smart Cleaning a Success

You can’t just ask your commercial cleaning company to start Smart Cleaning and expect the problem to be solved. If only it was as simple as asking our service providers to do better work for cheaper right? Many companies don’t have the capability to further optimize their cleaning practices and asking them to do more for less is a great way to create problems with the work that they do. Smart Cleaning means that you need to sit down with your janitorial cleaning company and discuss which services are important and which are not while looking out how they can be better fitted to your facility. As a janitorial company, we need to know the ins and outs of your building to best customize our service for you. We need to know exactly what your priorities are and what things can be given less attention. Smart Cleaning is based on upfront communication between you and your commercial cleaning company. It is nuanced and in order to work, must be customized to your particular facility. While it may be more work, in the long run, it offers a lot of benefit to yourself and your facility.

What is Smart Cleaning?

Smart Cleaning isn’t just a word, its ideas, processes, and knowledge that when combined together, give you better service for less money. Many companies may dismiss it because its seems complicated, but in actuality its a simple, common sense approach to cleaning. There are a couple of key, general components that apply to your facility and the planning process no matter what:

The Smart Clean approach requires:

• Site visits a must in order to look well beyond simple square footage in determining work and pricing.
• A complete review of your needs to be able to put the focus where it is needed most.
• Getting a real sense of your facility and how you use it
• A thorough understanding of your pain points, whether with former janitorial services or within your own company so we can provide solutions that will actually help you.
• A complete review of services and how they can be condensed and scheduled to minimize the appearance of less by employees or tenants.
• Leaner approaches to cleaning through improved staff training and time saving tools like Team Cleaning, where appropriate.
• Clear, effective communication in order to catch problems early and adjust in real time.
• Establishing efficiencies with the use of better, high tech equipment that reduces labor hours while still delivering effective service.

It is important to remember, however, that Smart Cleaning isn’t about just doing less cleaning. Rather it is the deliberate transition focusing on the most critical services that have the largest impact on the functioning of your facility. Smart Cleaning comprises the processes and implementation of targeting waste and inefficiencies by eliminating overlap or unnecessary work and taking that saved time and using it somewhere more meaningful. This is the only way a janitorial company can try reduce cost while keeping a professional, effective cleaning service. For that reason, Smart Cleaning can only be done by companies that are veterans in their industry. The amount of work and knowledge and training that goes into Smart Cleaning means that only the best of the best in the trade can make it all come together.

Could your facility benefit from Smart Cleaning? Are you working with a less than ideal building maintenance budget?

Here at Stathakis, we have over thirty years experience developing a standard of service and working hard to create lasting relationships with our customers and offer the businesses of southeastern Michigan the solutions and services they deserve. In a perfect world there would be healthy budgets to care for your facility without thought to livable cuts and efficiencies but we know the pressure Facility Managers are under.

If you are a Facility Manager in Ann Arbor, Detroit, Royal Oak, Farmington Hills, Farmington, Dearborn, Livonia, Troy, Auburn Hills, Novi, Plymouth, Downriveror surrounding areas and you are looking for janitorial services that deliver without breaking the bank, please contact us to learn more about how we can assure you get the service you and your facility require.

Pricing

The Disasters

The disasters prices are cloudy, often applying fuzzy math that makes it both hard to compare cleaning quotes AND understand exactly what you are getting and what it is going to cost you. Commercial cleaning companies that operate with less than transparent pricing typically either do not have the experience to accurately price their services or they are trying to purposefully obscure what their services are going to cost.

The Masters
When it comes to the masters, these cleaning companies want you to know precisely what you are purchasing and how much it will cost you. They understand you need transparent pricing to compare janitorial quotes and make a wise decision about the best value for your facility.  They also understand that having a clear janitorial quote with clear pricing provides a clear picture for assessing their performance maintaining your facility. The “masters” have the experience to accurately price their services helping you make good decisions for your facility with good information.

The Cleaning Quote

The Disasters
The disasters when it comes to commercial office cleaning will often issue a quote without really getting to know or visit your site. The problem with these quotes is they aren’t based in reality. Janitorial bids based on square footage alone don’t really give a complete picture of how many labor hours will be needed to meet your requirements. A cleaning company that isn’t willing to the put the work in at the beginning of the relationship to give you solid information is likely to fail to attend to other details down the road.

The Masters
The master understand that providing you with an accurate cleaning quote based in reality means they have to know more about your building than square footage. They need to square footage broken out by flooring type, the approximate population of your building, how many restrooms you have and any other requirements specific to your facility or industry type.

People 

The Disasters
These commercial cleaning companies don’t understand that the single most important part of any cleaning business is the people. The disasters may not adequately screen their employees and are not likely to offer the comprehensive training that helps good people do their best. Similarly, subpar janitorial companies often take hiring shortcuts with illegal subcontracting and even undocumented workers putting your business and reputation at risk.

The Masters
The masters in janitorial cleaning services know that people are the cornerstone of any service business so they recruit, hire and screen carefully to find those people that are a great fit for the work. A professional commercial cleaning company conducts thorough background checks including criminal background check and drug screening on every single person who enters your facility. With good people, good training, competitive wages and benefits and solid management, the masters have a significantly lower janitorial turnover than the disasters netting you a better value and more effective building maintenance.

Systems & Processes

The Disasters
Those commercial cleaners that are disasters clearly plan to fail because they fail to plan. Whether through inexperience or a lack of vision and direction, less than good office cleaning companies often leave to chance what the better companies plan for. The maintenance of your large building cannot just be left to chance. Poor commercial cleaning companies don’t seem to understand how much planning underpins quality service. They don’t see that without systems and processes on every part of their operations, they simply cannot assure any level of consistency or follow through which translates into spotty at best service for you the customer.

The Masters
The best commercial cleaning companies have a plan in place to deliver effective service to you and that includes systems and processes that assure reliability through accountability. This means that the cleaning services company has systems and processes for every important part of their operations including their employee hiring and screening, janitorial inspections, pricing and janitorial quotes, responding to issues and problems, training their teams on issues specific to your facility and so on.

Consistency

The Disasters
Any commercial cleaning company can do the right thing once, but can they do it over and over again for days, weeks, months and years at a time? Poorly run and operated janitorial companies seem to lack the vision, planning and execution to reach a level of consistency that customers can count on. Sure even the masters will occasionally make a misstep but with the disasters, the missteps are weekly and soon add up to a pattern of inconsistent and ineffective janitorial services.

The Masters
Consistency is what can take a commercial cleaning company from good to great. Consistency will also keep complaints off your desk and keep you from having to continually step in to manage your commercial cleaning company’s people. Success comes from a company having a clear vision of how they want to operate and serve their customers and then using systems and processes to create the consistency to reach that vision.

Communication

The Disasters
Sure mistakes can happen with any cleaning company, but when the disasters make a mistake, they often compound it by not responding promptly, correctly and solving the problem long-term and not just in the moment. When one mistake becomes two, becomes three and more, it is now a pattern of substandard service. When your current janitorial company slips with regard to service, do you know whom to call? Do they get back to you quickly? Is the issue remedied to your satisfaction? Does your cleaning company use the information to change course so the problem doesn’t happen again? If not, you might have unknowingly partnered with a disaster instead of a master.

The Masters

Again, even the masters make mistakes. What truly separates the masters from the disasters is how they respond when things go off track. The masters communicate with you in real time. The best commercial cleaning companies create a plan or solution to the issue and communicate that with you so that everyone is on the same page and knows what to expect. The masters follow up with you afterward to make sure things are really better and their fix wasn’t just a temporary band-aid. The masters regularly communicate with you regarding important issues like changes in staff and new procedures. Communication is a critical part of effective janitorial services, and if your cleaning services company isn’t communicating effectively, it will start to show in your facility.

Technology

The Disasters
Less than savvy commercial cleaning companies are stuck in the past. They don’t have the money or inclination to update their equipment or supplies because they either can’t or think it is an expense without a return. So they use dated, ineffective and even dangerous equipment and supplies in your facility putting you at risk and robbing you of the cost saving efficiencies that much of today’s janitorial technology advancements bring.

The Masters
The masters understand that effective janitorial services are not about a bucket and a mop. These janitorial companies know that embracing technology helps them offer you the highest level of services and even reduce costs by introducing greater efficiency into their processes. They know that effective service and a healthy, safe work environment are important to you. They are willing to invest in their business and therefore, your own, in order to consistently offer their customers the best, most effective, professional cleaning services.

Industry Best Practices

The Disasters
The disasters probably can’t even tell you what the best practices for their industry are much less put them into practice. These janitorial services companies often wing it, and it shows in their service. Maybe it’s inexperience or maybe it’s apathy but either way, you lose.

The Masters
Best practices are those methods and technique that consistently demonstrate results superior to those attained with other means. Over time, the better becomes the benchmark. In the janitorial industry, best practices apply to nearly every part of the business. Best practices can include people processes, like the best, most reliable ways to find, hire, manage and reward the very best employees. Best practices can include using EPA approved cleaning products and a solid commitment to green cleaning practices. Industry best practices include continual improvement and using technology to reduce costs and improve services. The masters understand that just because best practices aren’t mandatory legislated standards, doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be applied in order to assure a certain level of quality. 

CIMS - Certified Industry Management Standard

The Disasters
The disasters may not even be aware of CIMS much less able to achieve it. CIMS, or the Certified Industry Management Standard is an accredited management standard much like ISO 9000 and ISO 14001. Ineffective commercial cleaning companies may wish that had CIMS certification, it is good for business after all, but they don’t have the standards or discipline in place to make it happen. The CIMS standards are rigorous and exacting and most companies are not set up professionally enough to meet the CIMS standards of excellence.

The Masters
Maybe some cleaning companies don’t see the value in having an outside independent organization verify that you have systems and practices in place that all but guarantee good service, but the masters do. They know that customers appreciate being able to contract with a CIMS certified company understanding that a certain quality standard is already in place. These office cleaning services also understand that CIMS certification is a great way to show potential customers how seriously you take best practices and professional standards.

Here at Stathakis, we have spent over thirty years developing a standard of service delivery. We have worked hard to create lasting relationships with our customers and offer the businesses of southeastern Michigan the service they deserve. If you are a Facility Manager in Ann Arbor, Detroit, Royal Oak, Farmington Hills, Farmington, Dearborn, Livonia, Troy, Auburn Hills, Novi, Plymouth, Downriver or surrounding areas and you are looking for commercial cleaning services, office cleaning, school cleaning, industrial cleaning, medical cleaning or other building services, please contact us to learn more about how we can help make your job at least a little easier and make your facility shine.