10 Things to Look for in a Commercial Cleaning Company

Posted by Glenn Cleaning, June 02, 2021

Knowing what to look for when hiring a new cleaning company for your business can be hard. However, it’s essential to carry out your research to avoid issues best you can before you sign your cleaning contract. 

We’ve already covered cleaning company red flags on this blog, and now it’s time to take a look at the things you should look for once you’ve decided you need to change cleaning companies. Without further ado, here are ten things to ask your potential new cleaning company when shopping around for quotes.

1. Clear pricing & services offering

The quote and contract you receive from your potential new cleaning services provider will be a good indication of their professionalism for several reasons. 

The quote and contract you receive should include a detailed list of the services included in your regular cleaning service – like vacuuming, dusting and the cleaning of restrooms so you can keep them accountable for the service they’ll provide for you. It should also make it clear what the price for this regular cleaning service is.

You need to also check what you can do if you’re not happy with the service you’re getting.

Another thing you should look out for is how your prospective cleaning company can demonstrate the value they’re promising to you. For example, do they have a time and attendance system in place to showcase that they’re actually delivering the hours they’re charging you for?

2. Customisable quotes

You might need additional services, too, so make sure these can also be included in your quote and that their pricing is clear so as to avoid unpleasant surprises once your invoice comes in. Whether it’s fortnightly window cleaning or monthly carpet cleaning, your contract should include details about additional services, their cost and how often they need to be carried out.

You should also make sure that you can customise the frequency of your regular contract cleaning service as well as the add-ons you need to get the best possible value for your money.

3. Flexible scheduling

You need your cleaning company to be able to work around your schedule, not the other way around. This way, your cleaning service runs seamlessly alongside your daily activities and doesn’t become a hindrance to your staff or customers.

That being said, you also need your cleaning crew to be consistent and show up at the agreed-on time each week – this speaks to their reliability and allows you to plan your days accordingly.

Ultimately, what you want from your cleaning company is a can-do attitude and a willingness to be flexible in order to support you best. If your needs change, your cleaning service should be able to change with them. 

4. References available

A professional cleaning company should be able to provide you with a number of references so that you can find out what their existing clients think of them. If they can’t provide you with these, you have to wonder what they might be hiding. And of course, read any reviews and case studies available online!

5. Specialism in your industry

Depending on your industry, you may require your cleaning company to have specialist training or certifications. Healthcare facilities and companies within the food industry need their cleaners to have specific certifications and access to specialist cleaning equipment.  

Meanwhile, cleaners working within schools have to have been carefully vetted with extensive background checks, so you need to make sure your cleaning company carries these out and can provide proof of this.

6. Employee vetting

Your outsourced cleaning staff will have access to your business premises, also giving them access to expensive equipment and proprietary information. That’s why you need to make sure your office cleaning service provider properly vets their employees.

Professional cleaners should always be identifiable through their uniforms and name tags while working on your premises to add to your safety and to give off a professional image.

Finally, you should ask whether your cleaning company outsources any of their services – safety and consistency are much simpler with cleaning companies who rely solely on their own staff.

7. Proper training

In order to provide you with a consistent cleaning service, your cleaners need to have received proper training. So ask the cleaning company you’re considering for details of how they train their staff. This should also include safety training to keep your staff, customers and your cleaners safe.

8. Commitment to eco-friendly practices

These days, every business should be looking for ways to decrease their carbon footprint, and choosing a contract cleaning company who takes sustainability seriously is a great example of how to do just that. 

Using eco-friendly cleaning solutions can also help decrease the number of toxic chemicals in your workplace, which can be a big help to employees and customers with allergies. Not only that, but a cleaning company who can help you integrate better recycling practices to your waste management system will help you be greener overall.

9. Straightforward communication channels

You need to be able to get easily in touch with your cleaning company if you have questions or if any issues arise – this is a must for good customer service. Make sure you understand who’ll be your main contact within the company and how you can get in touch with them as well as the quality monitoring they have in place. 

The importance of personal chemistry shouldn’t be undermined here; your account manager should be professional, friendly, and have a can-do attitude when it comes to any shortcomings of their cleaners – so trust your gut instinct when talking with them before you sign your cleaning contract.

10. Passion for what they do

It may sound a little cliched, but having a passion for what you do is hugely beneficial to delivering a high-quality service. This passion should be noticeable from the whole organisation, from the Director to the cleaners themselves.

Office cleaning may often be seen as “unskilled” work and somewhat of an afterthought, but this is not the case at Glenn Cleaning & Support Services. With our average length of service being six years and many of our managers having started out as cleaners themselves, it’s clear that our efforts to create an inspiring and supportive work environment have paid off. And when you have that, the passion for what you do follows.

Glenn Cleaning & Support Services

If you’re looking for reliable, professional commercial cleaning services in the South of England, you’ve come to the right place. You can read more about how we do things at Glenn Cleaning & Support Services here.