If your company’s Request For Proposal, or RFP, is attracting less-than-stellar cleaning companies, it might be time to do the necessary work to turn it into an effective janitorial RFP.

What’s a janitorial RFP? Well, it’s the document that lays the building’s janitorial requirements and solicits a detailed proposal from qualified contractors. The more extensive a company’s RFP, the better your chances are of finding a great fit and the best value for your facility.

Here are some tips to help you find a new cleaning service with a great janitorial RFP.

Janitorial RFP Tip #1: Narrow Your Focus

Yes, you want to give several companies the opportunity to vie for your business, but not every company is going to be appropriate for your building. For example, if you have a very large building, a very small janitorial company probably doesn’t have the capacity to complete the job in the allotted time.

With that in mind, don’t send RFPs to companies that you know will be unlikely to handle the work. It’s a waste of their time and money to put together a quote, not to mention your own time to read. Create a prequalification process to eliminate companies that are not a good fit for your business and send RFPs to the handful of services who make it over that hurdle.

Janitorial RFP Tip #2: Keep It Simple

For many businesses, the RFP resembles Frankenstein’s monster: it’s cobbled together from spare parts and has taken on a life of its own. While you want to offer vendors as much information as you can, there’s such a thing as TOO MUCH information. As your business grows and changes, your RFP should reflect those changes.

Unfortunately, many businesses add to their RFPs without editing or removing the outdated information first. What data does a vendor need to create a detailed proposal? Well, including information like the cleanable square footage of your building by the type of floor is a far more useful piece of information than giving the company a simple gross square footage.

Interested in seeing some samples? There is a huge repository of RFPs from a variety of organizations, including cities, counties, municipalities, towns, and schools available here. You can search by industry to see what they include.

Janitorial RFP Tip #3: Be Specific About Your Pain Points

Were you unhappy with your previous janitorial company’s service? Is your business considering serious budget cuts, which drove you to find a more affordable janitorial service? Have you expanded your space, but your current service can’t get the job done in the allotted time?

Transparency is the key to a successful RFP. If you’re completely honest about your issues, the vendors can speak to these specifics, offering you their solutions to the problems you face rather than generic protocols. This will give you insight into their problem-solving skills as well as their experience, commitment to customer service,  and general competence.

Creating an effective janitorial RFP is a surefire way to connect with a truly great janitorial service— a service that will tailor their methods to best suit your specific needs, resolving your pain points and issues without missing a beat.

Interested in working with a janitorial company with more than four decades of experience and a reputation for customer service that’s second to none? Contact us today!