10 Things To Look For In An Office Cleaning Company
Hiring a professional office cleaning company for your business is a great idea! It provides a clean and healthy environment for your staff and customers, makes a great impression, and can even reduce absenteeism and improve productivity. The key is hiring the right office cleaning company. Here are ten top tips for selecting an office cleaning company that will bring the most bang for your buck:
1) Hire a Company That Has Commercial Cleaning Experience
Your office represents your business; this is not a job for residential cleaning crews. You want to hire a reputable commercial cleaning company that has experience with office environments. Office environments have very specific characteristics that require specific cleaning processes and techniques. You want a business cleaning company that understands the value of first impressions, knows how to safely clean electronics, and understands the importance of sanitizing high-touch fixtures and appliances.
2) Expect Flexible Scheduling
Let’s face it, your nine-to-five business hours are set aside for conducting business. You need an office cleaning company that has the resources and flexibility to accommodate your business needs. You can not have people trying to clean while others are trying to work. Regardless of your business hours, a professional office cleaning service will be able to work around your productive hours and ensure your workplace is clean and sanitary at the start of every workday.
3) Inquire About Extended Services
You may not need your floors stripped and polished every week, but you do not want to have to hire another contractor to manage this task when the time comes. It is far easier to work with a trusted partner for all of your cleaning needs. Make sure your office cleaning provider offers all of the services that you require and has the equipment and resources to get the job done.
4) A Well-Trained Staff
Cleaning may seem like a mundane task that ‘anyone can do’, but you’ll be surprised at the difference proper training and experience can make. If you think your office is being thoroughly cleaned when assigning the cleaning to your staff, you are sorely mistaken. A well-trained office cleaning crew will produce results well beyond your expectations and will make you wonder why you ever assigned those duties to your office staff. Nothing against your staff; we’re sure they are very good at their jobs, but their job is not office cleaning.
5) Ask About Customizable Cleaning Plans
Every office is unique and every office has unique cleaning needs. From special requirements and budgetary restraints to security and privacy concerns, it is important that you hire an office cleaning company that can customize a plan to meet your unique requirements. Can they develop a plan that allows for daily cleaning, weekly deep cleaning, and quarterly floor stripping and polishing? These are the questions you need to ask.
6) Defined Communications Protocols
A well-organized office cleaning company will have in place set communications protocols that ensure that you are able to address issues, change plan parameters, and get answers when you need them. Communication is the foundation of good partnerships. Make sure that your office cleaning company understands and implements defined communication protocols.
7) Supervised Cleaning Crews
Regardless of the work environment, unsupervised staff often fail. It is vital that your office cleaning company provide supervised cleaning crews. There should always be a recognizable chain of command that is respected and adhered to. This requirement goes hand-in-hand with communications protocols. You should be able to reach out to a crew supervisor who is directly responsible to a division manager, quality control supervisor, or company principal.
8) Safety Training
Is your office cleaning staff fully versed in and expected to adhere to OSHA safety guidelines? If not, you need to hire a different office cleaning provider. Safety guidelines are in place to protect both workers and those who congregate in the environments in which they work. A wet floor without a sign can spell disaster for both your reputation and your bottom line.
9) Licensing and Insurance
Whatever commercial cleaning company you choose needs to be licensed to operate in your state or community. They should also have liability insurance to cover any potential issues that may arise while they’re in your facility and you should ask for proof of both. This is no joke! An unlicensed contractor will likely not be covered by your insurance and an uninsured contractor is not worth your time or money.
10) Trust
A level of trust may be difficult to determine during the hiring process, but there are resources that you can use to your advantage. Online reviews, word-of-mouth, and gut instincts are all valid measures of trust. Most important is the post-hire data that you gather from your relationship with your provider. Do they follow through on promises? Do they meet expectations? Are they responsive and supportive? If you can answer ‘Yes’ to these questions, you have found a provider that actually provides an office cleaning service that will better your business.