Your team and your entire company work hard to ensure that you present a professional image, but that is futile if the cleanliness and hygienic standards of your offices don’t measure up. That is why, as a supervisor, or a facilities manager, one of the most important responsibilities under your docket is to find and hire the best commercial cleaning service. But how do you find the commercial cleaner you deserve?
Nicholas Pastras, a man with over twenty years’ experience employing commercial cleaners in Adelaide, says that the most important aspect you should consider when hiring cleaners is their communication and their accountability structures. “Open communication and accountability is probably the most important single issue in determining a satisfactory cleaning outcomes” says Pastras.
He continues, “In any business relationship mistakes and oversights can happen, but if your cleaners are responsive and accountable, issues can be resolved. That’s why he always recommend people cite the communications policies and accountability structures the prospective cleaners have “your cleaning service provider should have a clear, documented communications process in place so you can be sure they are professional enough to respond to any feedback you give them.”
Apart from communication Pastras highlights a few other critical areas to focus on. Here’s the top points Nicholas Pastras says you should consider when hiring a commercial cleaning company.
Inquire about their experience and employee training policies
You want to ensure that the company has plenty of experience in the commercial cleaning business, but at the same time, you also want a company that offers continuous and ongoing training to its employees because trends in the commercial cleaning industry keep changing, and workplace safety protocols keep evolving. You don’t want a cleaning service whose employees will end up jeopardizing the security of your building. Quality training and vast experience make good cleaners, so before you sign up with any cleaning company, ask them how often they retrain their employees, and how long they have been in business.
Ensure that they have flexible scheduling
Make sure the cleaner you hire is very flexible when it comes to scheduling. You have to decide what time is convenient for getting cleaning done in your business, and then ask the cleaning company to send their people during that time. Do you want the cleaner to come around very early in the morning before work, or is it better if they clean after hours. In any case, make sure that they can guarantee that they will be there at your specified time. Additionally, you should make sure that the cleaning company has teams on standby in case you have a cleaning emergency, and you require some work to be done outside your regularly scheduled cleaning session or in case your regular cleaner becomes ill.
Find out about the facilities they have serviced
There is ‘experience,’ and then there is ‘relevant experience.’ You want a cleaner who has worked with other companies within your industry. This is particularly important if you are in an industry that is subjected to certain regulatory hygiene standards. Even if that is not the case, you may still need certain specialized cleaning services or a certain amount of attention to detail that not every cleaner can understand. It’s easy to work with a cleaner who has experience within your industry because then, you don’t have to do too much explaining, and you don’t have to worry about them missing the mark.
Ask about their service packages or plans
Commercial cleaning companies tend to bundle their cleaning plans into packages for the sake of pricing. Unfortunately, this often means that some clients are forced to pay for services they don’t need while missing out on other services that are important to them. When you negotiate with a cleaner, make sure that they offer customizable services, and their packaged plans aren’t fixed. You should be wary of cleaners who think that a one-size-fits-all package is good enough for your company.
Ask about their supplies and cleaning equipment
One benefit of outsourcing your cleaning service is you don’t have to spend time procuring equipment, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t pay attention to the kind of equipment and supplies that your commercial cleaners are using. Make sure your cleaner shows you their equipment, and lets you know where they source their cleaning supplies. You don’t want them to use harsh or harmful chemicals to clean your offices because that could pose a health risk to your employees. You also want to make sure they use equipment that minimizes noise so as to reduce disruptions and distractions at your offices.
Cleaning is an important aspect of presenting your business and it undoubtedly has a big impact on the first impression your business makes to prospective clients. So be sure to ask the right questions when interviewing people or companies to fill your janitorial needs.