How do you choose the right janitorial or
cleaning company for your business?
1. Company Culture
You want to make sure that the company and persons you choose to clean your
business fit within your business' culture. Hiring a cleaning company which
holds the same values as your business will make for a much better
understanding and will make for a better working relationship. Simply put -
it's the cleaner who does the job, not just the cleaning equipment.
2. Recognizing the "hot spots" of your business
These are areas in which for you there's no negotiation - something that may be
outside the norm of just taking trash out or cleaning bathrooms. If there are
certain areas that are "hot spots" (or very important) to you and
your business, your cleaners will make these areas priorities. Take, for
a simple example, the lobby area; if it drives you crazy to see the magazines
stacked and would rather see them fanned out, that's how you want it. If your
cleaner doesn't take that to heart, every morning when you walk in, you'll see
those magazines stacked - or worse, scattered all over the place - and it'll
make you think your cleaners don't care.
3. Communication
Communication is key to any business, and is especially important in the
janitorial business. How are your concerns being communicated to the cleaners
cleaning your building? Does it go through a long email chain, or can you call
or text the supervisor of the cleaning company to make sure that your concerns
are being communicated directly to the person(s) doing the work?Having one point-person in your company will help to ensure that all communication is clear.You'll want to
make sure there's a seamless line of communication so that your concerns are
taken care of immediately. Photographs of the work being done will provide
evidence that your concerns have been addressed.
Important in communication is also discussing with your cleaning company every
area that is expected to be cleaned. Don't ever assume that your business is
just a "normal" clean. Over-communicating upfront is better than
assuming that your cleaning company will clean everything you think.
4. Setting Realistic Expectations
The cleaning company you hire should set up realistic expectations of what
will be cleaned. Square footage is key in this, however, many factors come into
play with regard to number of garbage cans, blinds that need to be cleaned,
kitchen areas, and number of bathrooms, as well as extra detailed areas, or
high dusting. Different types of flooring or counters (granite, marble,
stainless steel) may take extra care and should be considered. High traffic
areas should be noted. Here, again, communication is key in making sure you and
the cleaning company you're considering are on the same page.
5. Background Checks and/or Drug Testing, Legal Worker Status
Your business is important. The cleaning company you're considering should run
background checks and/or drug testing as well as confirming that their
employees have legal worker status.
6.Training
Once again, we'd like to say that it's not the cleaning equipment that does the
job, it's the person behind it. While you may not think it takes training to
clean a building, you'd be mistaken. Unfortunately, too many cleaning companies
just put a vacuum in a new employees hand and send them on their way. A trained
cleaner will assess the area to be cleaned, and will know the best way to clean
the area efficiently and effectively. They will feel good knowing they are
serving their clients (you) and will provide a better working environment for
those working in the business.
We are a commercial cleaning company specializing in growing our people and completing outstanding work in the Portland, Oregon and Spokane, Washington areas. If you'd like a free estimate from The Cleaning People NW, LLC, please call
today! 971-409-9108