You know that obtaining a janitorial service to maintain your facilities is a necessary part of doing business, for a number of reasons. A clean building presents a professional image to anyone who walks through the door, not to mention the role that building maintenance plays in keeping your employees healthy through cold and flu season. When your facility is well-maintained, it benefits everyone who works there.
This begs the question: is your current janitorial service maintaining your building to your standards, or do they lack the professionalism and know-how that are the hallmarks of an effective and efficient cleaning team? Let’s discuss some of the qualities of a great janitorial service so you can see if yours is up to snuff.
Is Your Janitorial Service Experienced?
Is your janitorial service staffed with people who have the experience needed to clean your building quickly and effectively? If management hasn’t invested time and money in effectively training their staff, it’s unlikely that the team will be able to clean at the level that you expect. You don’t want them treating your building like a training ground for a revolving door of new employees, meaning that it will always take longer to get the job done. New employees are simply not as efficient as long-term employees so speed will be a factor and additional supervision will be needed. That costs your janitorial service money, which gets passed on to you.
Plus, if you take a chance on a brand new and inexperienced company, it’s possible that the company could fold, leaving you in the lurch. Does your janitorial service have an established track record with current clients? Are they willing to let you talk to some of their existing clients? If the answer to either question is no, perhaps it’s time to reconsider your service.
Does Your Current Janitorial Service Have a Security Plan?
Today, building security is a big issue. If you’re like most businesses, you have sensitive information in computers as well as on paper, and you need to know that your cleaning service can be trusted. If your janitorial service doesn’t take security seriously, perhaps it’s time to hire a new service. The cleaning team should be carefully screened before they’re permitted to enter your building. Additionally, there should be routine drug screenings and background checks for every employee, and they should perform detailed reference and work history verifications. The service should also be briefed on your particular building’s security protocols and should be prepared to adhere to them.
Is There a Firm Pricing Schedule?
The last thing you want is to hire one company’s janitorial services only to discover that their pricing practices are not transparent. Inexperienced janitorial services often times offer lower pricing to get your business. But when it comes time to deliver, they realize they didn’t leave themselves enough time to get the job done to your standards. Their costs have increased and they may even approach you about a price increase to cover their mistake. Instead, insist upon a very clear breakdown of prices for services, so that you can compare pricing between different cleaning companies to ensure that you’re getting the most for your money.
Are Your Janitorial Services Green?
As more businesses become concerned with their environmental impact, many janitorial services have committed themselves to green cleaning practices. Is the service you’re utilizing willing to adopt these practices if they haven’t done it already? Ask them about their energy reduction plans, and if they’ve confirmed that their green cleaning practices actually get good results. It’s important to remember that green cleaning doesn’t just refer to the products they clean with, but also the method with which they clean and the equipment they use.
Do Your Janitorial Service Have Strict Procedures and Systems In Place?
In the business world, you understand that work goes more smoothly when there are plans and procedures in place that ensure consistent and efficient service. No matter who is cleaning your building, they should be fully briefed on the proper procedures so that your facility will be well-maintained. Regular training sessions to ensure that everyone is knowledgeable about the most up-to-date cleaning processes and customer service procedures are key, as are systems that guarantee quality control. If your cleaning service isn’t conducting regular checks to see if their technicians are doing the work properly, that probably means that they don’t have any interest in holding their technicians accountable for their work. Instead, they depend on you to tell them if something was missed—and you don’t have the time (or the desire) to check to see that your building is properly maintained. A service that has every part of their operation systematized is a well-organized and efficient service that will properly maintain your building for years to come.
What’s Your Janitorial Service’s Communication Policy?
Is there anything more frustrating than encountering an issue with your building’s maintenance, and having no way of contacting someone directly? Instead, you’re asked to leave a message, which you can’t be sure will get to the proper person. You feel like you’re shouting into a void, and your building is still out of paper towels. A service with 24/7 service and a number that you can contact when you find an issue is a necessity. Better yet, if your contact person isn’t available, they should offer you a backup number, so that you always have a way to reach a live person when you discover an issue that needs immediate attention.
Are you unhappy with your current cleaning team? Perhaps it’s time to make a change. Contact us for information about our janitorial services today!