As a property manager or office manager, you already know that there are many cleaning companies out there within a 50 mile radius of zip code 78701. You are also very away that if it does not work out with the one you hired, you can hire a different one but at a very high cost: Your TIME!
Changing cleaning companies is not as easy as hiring another one. Here is a short list of things what happens on the back-end.
a) Expect a learning curve for the new cleaners. Depending on the square footage and layout of your facility, expect a 3 days to 2 week learning curve.
b) Send an email to all of the tenants letting them know a new service provider
c) Set a new alarm code
d) Different consumables to purchase
E: Coordinate with accounting new vendor, w9, etc
In order to avoid not choosing the right company, here are a few important guidelines to follow when contracting your next cleaning company:
- Does the company have experience? When looking for a cleaning company, make sure they service clients similar to yours. Cleaning an office is different from cleaning a medical facility.
- What type of equipment does the cleaning company use? Make sure they have the right equipment and chemicals to clean your facility. Make sure they use Hepa Backpack Vacuums and microfiber mops and rags. Also, do they use the same rag to clean the restrooms and kitchens? Are they trained to not spread germs around the office? Questions like this can help you decide on the right cleaning company for you.
- How is their customer service? Does the commercial cleaning company conduct evening, weekly and monthly inspections? How fast is their response time to emails and phone calls?
- Don’t pick a cleaning company based on the lowest price. That is a common mistake. Take into consideration that cleaning companies have to pay the cleaning crews, buy supplies, pay insurance, taxes, etc. The only two types of companies with the lowest price are:
- a) A very small company
b) A cleaning franchise. We all know why cleaning franchises are more “affordable”, but for those that do not know: Cleaning franchises sell the account X3 to the franchisee during the 1st month and only provide subcontract work.
- Ask “what other services do you offer”? It is much easier to hire one company that does it all. Ask for a quote on the following services if they are needed for your office: Carpet Cleaning, Strip & Wax, Quarterly Buffing Services, Window Cleaning, and High Ceiling Dusting.
Before you decide on a commercial cleaning company look them up on yelp and call their references. These two item will help ensure you hire the best janitorial cleaning company!