Choosing a Commercial Cleaning Service
A commercial cleaning service becomes a necessary addition to a small business once the business has expanded beyond a certain point, or the business moves from a garage to a corporate office building. As a business grows, the workload placed on every individual becomes greater, and obligatory chores such as vacuuming, dusting, and scrubbing toilets are quickly dismissed. After a long day of work, a boss cannot expect their employees to work late to complete menial chores in addition to maintaining the cleanliness at their own homes. Additionally, trying to attract new customers in a dingy or gritty office will rarely yield positive results. Therefore, hiring a commercial cleaning service becomes necessary. There are a few steps to consider before taking the leap and hiring the first crew you come across.
- Determine how often your business needs to be cleaned. Regular administrative offices with 25 or more employees will usually employ the services of a commercial cleaning service on a daily basis. Smaller companies usually opt for biweekly service, and companies consisting of 4-5 members and limited client visitation can squeak away with only a monthly cleaning (with basic tasks such as trash pickup being performed by those who work at the office themselves).
- Configure a list of cleaning services needed. Are the floors tiled, carpeted, or hardwood? Will the potential cleaning service need to buff the floors at least once a week, or if your business is smaller and has a small amount of foot traffic, every other week?
- Make a list of the cleaning companies in your area. Proximity is a good way to narrow down the list of cleaning providers in your city. Limit your search to commercial cleaners within a 5-mile radius, and begin the interviewing process. If the closest companies seem too new, sketchy, disinterested in your business, or unavailable, broaden your search to a 10-mile radius.
- Ask around. If you have colleagues in similar industries, inquire about whom their office or business uses. Likewise, if you’ve found a cleaning company that seems unbelievably good– offering extremely affordable prices with a wide variety of services – feel free to call the Better Business Bureau to see if any negative feedback has been reported. Also, run an Internet search on any potential commercial cleaning services you’re considering, as several websites will provide free reviews from other local users.
- Check for attentiveness and customer service. Once you’ve determined who the operating manager is at your potential new cleaning crew, pay careful attention to their attentiveness to your questions. Are they eager for your business? If they’re abrupt or slow to return phone calls, chances are their cleaning crew’s skills aren’t top-notch either. Efficient and open communication at the top level is a good indication of the work ethic and quality of the laborers conducting the cleaning work at your business.
- Get an estimated cleaning quote before hiring a service. Good cleaning services have cost calculators on their websites to help you get an estimated cost of hiring their services. This helps you with making up your mind before choosing a cleaning service.
- Make sure the company has authentic licensing/permits and valid references. One of the most important considerations that should go into hiring a cleaning crew is checking the company’s credentials. Also ask for a list of other clients, and feel free to contact them as a reference.
You may also require to hire cleaning services during your end of tenancy period. You can try these tips for moving out.