With so many factors to look out for, the process of finding a professional office cleaner can seem like one long headache at first glance. So how will you know which one is the best for you?
Being equipped with the right knowledge can go a long way in helping you narrow down the choices. Here are 7 great tips which will help you find the most effective and reliable cleaners for your office.
1. Get a list of services and prices from them in writing
There are many things you’ll have to compare when choosing your professional office cleaners, so reviewing the differences between each of them can be a lengthy endeavour. Getting a comprehensive written quote from each one of your potential cleaners not only keeps an accurate record of what each cleaner has to offer, but will make all the information faster and easier for you to compare.
2. Ask if they outsource their staff
Professional office cleaners have different practices when it comes to contracting their staff, so be sure to ask. Contracting cleaners out may come at a lower price to you. But it could also mean the quality of their cleaning could be less consistent. Whether low cost or best quality is your biggest priority, it’s important to find the team that matches your needs.
3. Ask if they do background checks on their staff
More than other services you may hire for your business, professional office cleaning is a service where you will gain peace of mind by finding someone you can trust. Whoever you entrust your office to after hours may have access to items that are very valuable to your business. Background checks are one way to ensure the cleaners you are hiring don’t have any previous history of theft. That’s why it’s crucial to ask whether the office cleaners have done background checks on their staff.
4. Check the average employment time
What is the average employment time of their staff? Employees with long tenures are a sign of a stable, positive work culture. Having long-term staff makes it more likely your next professional office cleaner has developed expert cleaning skills from their long time on the job. If many of their staff always leave within a short period of time, it could be a sign of management issues within the company.
5. Set up a probationary period
A probation is a period of time before you and the cleaning company finalise a contract. It gives you some time to check that your new cleaners are the right match for your business.
During this time, you’ll be able to evaluate how well the schedule for your professional office cleaning is working out for you. You’ll get a better idea of the scope of cleaning you agreed to, and review what cleaning tasks are being completed during the cleaning process. It’s useful to be able to see all of these factors in a real situation and ask for adjustments to them if needed. Last of all, if you are still dissatisfied with the service, you will be able to put an early end to the relationship.
Placing the cleaners on probation will let you experiment and adjust your agreement with the cleaning company in all these ways, without incurring any additional costs or penalties.
6. Know what to do when you’re dissatisfied
If the quality of a cleaning company isn’t working out for you, things don’t have to end with terminating the service straight away. It’s often that good, clear communication is the difference between receiving a disappointing clean and a great clean. The ACCC has a guide about ways you could formally write to a commercial cleaner if you have a problem with their service.
When you first engage their services, be sure to set up a method to contact the cleaner responsible for your office, in case any concerns or instructions are needed to be raised with them. For example, cleaners could leave a log book in the office which could be used to write messages to them.
You should always try giving feedback before committing to hiring another office cleaning company. Every office space is different, so it’s possible the cleaners were plenty skilled and adequate but were simply not aware of your expectations and needs.
If things remain unsatisfactory, you can also try asking for a change in the staff to see if someone else in the cleaning team is a better match for your office.
7. Keep in mind cheapest is not always best!
While deciding to go with the cheapest commercial cleaning company may be tempting because of a lower upfront cost, you could end up paying the price in other ways.
Some companies may attract customers with a low price but make up for their losses with many additional fees. And if the cleaners have only insured themselves with the lowest possible level of coverage, you may end up having to pay for any accidents or damage to your property that may occur while they are cleaning.
Professional cleaning equipment does not come cheap. For example, a high-quality floor vacuum could easily cost over $1000 and cleaning solutions could be $100. The larger your office, the more equipment will be needed to thoroughly clean it as well.
In addition to the quality of their cleaning equipment, the rate at which a cleaning company sets their services may also give away the general quality of their employees. When the number one priority of their management is cutting costs, it’s possible their staff will not have been background checked and are poorly trained. If you pick the cleaning companies who don’t only sell themselves using rock-bottom prices, it will be more likely your cleaners have been trained adequately, and are enjoying a supportive work culture where they have the motivation and interest to excel at their job.
A clean office is a great and easy way to enhance the health and morale of any business. With these few things in mind, you’ll be several steps closer to confidently deciding which office cleaner is right for you. And you’ll be able to start enjoying all the benefits a professional office cleaner can bring to your workplace in no time.