How do you decide which commercial cleaning service to hire?
Many busy facility owners and managers look at online reviews or ask acquaintances for referrals. Others hire whichever company markets itself best or is the cheapest
But sometimes it’s best to go straight to the source.
Before choosing a commercial cleaning service, do your homework and talk to it directly. After all, this is the service provider you’ll trust to maintain your building and protect your company’s image. Its staff will be on your site regularly. You need to know for yourself that they’re honest and reliable instead of taking someone else’s word for it.
If you haven’t interviewed a commercial cleaning service before, start with the most important topics: safety and security. After that, you can ask about other things that interest you, but if it doesn’t give the right answers to the following five questions, it isn’t worth talking to further.
1. Do You Perform Background Checks on Your Employees?
When you hire a new employee, you probably run a criminal background check to ensure they are not a known predator or thief. Why wouldn’t you want the same information about other people working on your property?
Janitorial services employees have access to your building and the things and people inside every week. You need to know that the cleaning crew is not a threat to others or your property.
If your commercial cleaning services provider does not perform background checks, it does not prioritize your safety. It is not concerned with the consequences of sending a potentially violent, sticky-fingered or illegal worker to your building. And if it does not take this necessary precaution, how else is it putting you at risk?
Never hire a company that doesn’t thoroughly screen its employees before sending them to work for you. There is too much at stake to take that risk.
2. Will the Same Staff Members Clean My Facility Each Time?
Technically, all janitorial services employees should be qualified to perform every task for every client. But there are benefits to having the same team members working at your site every time.
When the same team performs your commercial cleaning service, you get to know them and can trust them to do consistent work and deal with you honestly. They become your liaison to the rest of the company. You’ll feel more secure seeing their familiar faces on your property instead of strangers every time.
Reputable commercial cleaning companies understand client relationships are vital to their success. A company that sends the same employees to your building every time is doing its part to build that relationship with you and give you all the benefits of its janitorial services.
3. What Is Your Employee Turnover Percentage?
If you want a consistent cleaning crew, look for janitorial services with low employee turnover.
Low employee turnover is the mark of a successful company. If employees are happy there, management must know what it’s doing. Loyal employees are experienced and knowledgeable. The longer they have been in a job, the better they are at it. They take pride in their work. They stay in their jobs longer, and their employer saves the costs of recruiting and hiring more employees. These smart companies then pass on those savings to their clients through competitive pricing.
Conversely, high turnover is a red flag. Many janitorial services companies skimp on employee training, wages and benefits, so employees have little incentive to stay and excel. They don’t care about their work. These companies waste time and money on constant hiring and take those costs out of clients at higher prices.
Which commercial cleaning services do you want for your business?
4. What Kind of Safety Training Do Your Employees Go Through?
Cleaning professionals have some of the highest accident rates of any industry. Their work can also create dangerous conditions for people around them. Slippery floors, heavy equipment, strong chemicals and more can put everyone at risk if cleaners do not take proper precautions.
You never want anyone to suffer harm in your facility. Ask commercial cleaning service providers if they provide safety training and what best practices they enforce when cleaners are working. A few of these practices might be:
Using caution signs.
Performing some tasks after hours.
Preventing cross contamination during professional disinfecting services with color coding.
Using eco-friendly cleaning solutions.
5. What Kind of Insurance Do You Have?
When you ask this question, the answer should be “worker’s comp and liability insurances.”
A commercial cleaning service that doesn’t insure its employees is irresponsible and negligent. It might be stingy too.
Did you know that if a cleaner is injured on your property, you could be held liable if their employer isn’t insured? That’s why this question is so important. You don’t want to hire a company that doesn’t care about its staff or clients enough to purchase proper insurance. If it is happy to pass on an employee accident’s cost, how else is it cutting corners and taking it out of you?
Save yourself the trouble and only hire responsible janitorial services that take care of their employees and you.
A Commercial Cleaning Service With All the Right Answers
Interviewing local janitorial services takes time, but it will save you a lot of stress in the long run when you find a reputable company that makes commercial cleaning easy for you.
Happy Employees Cleaning knows
that when we invest in our employees, we are better positioned to take care of our clients. We prioritize employee training, safety and satisfaction so that they give you the best service possible.
We are Fargo’s trusted office cleaning company. Whether you need a restroom disinfecting service, general janitorial services or something else, our team has the expertise, equipment and attention to detail to leave your workplace sparkling clean.
For a commercial cleaning service you always can count on, schedule a free consultation with Happy Employees Cleaning!
