Hiring a Professional Cleaning Service?  How do I Choose Wisely? Q&A

What questions should I carefully consider before selecting a professional cleaning company to clean my facility?

How can I avoid problems and lessen potential liability and legal issues?

Are there any risks to contracting with a professional cleaning franchise?

Consider the following three important questions and how the answers can assist you to choose the right professional cleaning company:

Q.  What advice do you have for a company looking to hire a professional cleaning service?

A.  Price should never be the deciding factor. It is especially true in the professional cleaning services industry that you usually get what you pay for.  We know budgets are tight, but outsourcing your janitorial services makes good business sense.  The cheapest bid will not usually be money well spent.  A fair price–often the middle of the road proposal–will often give you the greatest value for your cleaning dollar.

Hire conscientious, proven & professional cleaning service providers. Interview them carefully as you would a prospective employee. You should get a strong feeling that the company will work as a partner and not just a vendor.  Look at their proposal carefully.  What does it tell you about the level of professionalism behind the company?  Check their references.  Do they currently clean other businesses in your industry?  That experience is valuable and worthy of your consideration.

Q.  If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about the professional cleaning industry?  Any inside secrets you could share?

A.  Beware of the cut-throat franchise janitorial companies who start by bidding lower than the competition after which they take their 15-20% cut off the top, then find another gullible franchisee to work for less than $10.00/hr before having to pay his own business overhead costs.

This is an arrangement that usually results in everyone’s dissatisfaction.  Franchise janitorial companies are a high-volume, high-turnover business plan.  We know because one tried to recruit with our company some years ago.  We got a very clear inside picture and wanted nothing to do with it!  The professional cleaning franchisee cuts corners to make his time more profitable.  The facilities manager is exasperated with sub-par service and the flood of complaints she must constantly mediate.  It creates a higher turnover rate and hurts the professional cleaning industry.  Buyer Beware!

Q.  What questions should a facilities manager ask in order to hire the right professional cleaning service?

A.  Ask about liability insurance, worker’s compensation coverage, employee background checks, training programs, etc. to determine the degree of professionalism and level of expertise the prospective professional cleaning services bidder has.

Check their website and get a feel for the company before you call them in.  Don’t mistake a maid service for a commercial cleaning company.  There is a difference in the level of expertise they offer.  Look for a full-service contract cleaning company that can handle all facets of your janitorial needs from office cleaning to floor stripping & waxing to carpet and window cleaning.  Often, when these services are required you’ll get the discount extended to an existing customer and avoid wasting your time arranging multiple walk-throughs, bids and the paperwork required to vet a new vendor.

There are many people purporting to be professional cleaning services who hire illegally and carry no liability or worker’s compensation insurance coverage thus exposing your company to tremendous liability risks.