Office cleaning companies are a dime a dozen.
With a whole heap of commercial cleaning companies in Brisbane to choose from, it can be difficult to tell the differences between them all.
It’s understandable to feel overwhelmed and tempted to settle for the cheapest service when you’re in a rush. However, in your haste to make life a little bit easier, you can end up making the wrong choice.
Now you may be reading this article because a few red flags have popped up recently with your current cleaning company and you’re not sure whether you should be worrying about them or not.
Usually, those red flags are there for a reason and shouldn’t be put aside.
If you’re feeling that your commercial cleaning company isn’t up to scratch, then you may be right.
At In-Tec, we’ve heard all the stories clients have had to deal with when it comes to unprofessional cleaning companies. To work out whether you need a new cleaning service, the team at In-Tec have come up with 6 signs you should look out for when things start going pear-shaped.
The tell-tale cues you need to change cleaning companies
No one should have to deal with a sub-par service, especially when you’re paying big money and expecting a good result.
Unfortunately, there are cleaning companies out there that don’t end up delivering the service their clients expect.
Below, we have listed 6 signs that it’s time to part from your current cleaning service and find one that better suits you.
Let’s get started.
1. You never have the same cleaner turn up
Never know who’s going to show up to the job?
If you constantly have different cleaners or cleaning teams visiting your site, then that’s a sure sign of trouble.
When a commercial cleaning company have a high turnover of employees, you can never be sure how well the new staff are screened, trained, and onboarded. Now high turnover can be for a number of reasons, but there is one that stands out.
Cleaners who aren’t being paid appropriately (as per the Cleaning Services Award) leave their job – no one wants to be mistreated.
If you’re not familiar with the cleaner that cleans your premises, then something’s not right.
After all, we all know it’s better to have experienced, long-term staff who know the specifics of their job, but also love what they do.
Plus, you’ll also find that the quality and service delivered to you will never be the same. If you don’t have the same cleaner, they won’t understand your expectations and also won’t be familiar with your site. Whereas, an assigned cleaner knows exactly what they have to do every time they rock up to work.
2. Lack of communication
It’s always frustrating when you’re trying to get into contact with someone and they never ever reply.
We’ve all been in this position before and it doesn’t leave a good taste in your mouth afterwards. If this ever happens, most of us usually don’t deal with the company or service ever again.
The same can be said for a commercial cleaning company.
You want to be able to express yourself whenever a complaint, issue, or question arises. But not only this, you want your query to be answered or resolved immediately. A cleaning company that doesn’t respond or acknowledge your concerns isn’t the right fit.
If you’ve found yourself leaving hundreds of voicemails and emails that are clearly not being taken seriously, then it’s a sign to hire a new cleaning company.
3. They underpay their cleaners
You wouldn’t want to be underpaid for the work you do, and neither does a commercial cleaner.
But what does this have to do with changing cleaning companies?
If you find that the quality of service being delivered isn’t great, then it’s most likely because the staff are being underpaid, underappreciated, and undervalued.
And if your cleaners are underpaid, they’ll be unhappy in their role and probably won’t deliver a good service to you. In other words, they won’t deliver what was promised.
Plus, you also don’t want to be contributing to modern slavery in the cleaning industry. If you’re unsure whether your cleaners are underpaid, ask the company for an actual timesheet or payslip to find out.
As long as cleaners are being underpaid and aren’t given the right tools, training, and time to get the job done, you’re constantly going to have issues. Your site will most likely, never be cleaned to the standard you want.
4. They use the wrong equipment
Stop and take a look at the equipment your cleaners are using.
Are they using ordinary cloths? Cotton or paper towels? String mop and bucket? Corded vacuum?
If they’re using any of the above at your site, then they’re not keeping up with the latest cleaning equipment and technology. But it’s not just this. They’re also not cleaning your site properly because all those tools do not do an effective job – they don’t remove germs, bacteria, and viruses.
Your cleaner should be using tools like disposable microfibre cloths, i-mops, battery-pack vacuums, and green cleaning products. For instance, microfibre cloths are the ultimate cleaning tool – they are super effective at capturing dust, dirt, grease, and germs. Whereas a cotton cloth would spread dirt around rather than trapping it.
No good cleaning company uses old equipment, bleach, and ammonia-based cleaners anymore.
They should be willing to keep up to date with modern technology and train their staff when need be.
Is this the case for your current cleaners?
5. They arrive late
Or not at all.
And what makes this even worse is when they don’t tell you (remember, lack of communication…).
Timeliness is extremely important in the commercial cleaning industry.
If your cleaner is constantly arriving late, this can be an indicator that they don’t take their job seriously. As well as causing disruptions, late arrivals can lead to rushed cleaning. Because the cleaner has less time, they rush through all their tasks and more than likely, don’t complete them properly.
When you hire a commercial cleaning company, you come up with a set agreement that’s typically in the form of a contract. Meaning, the agreed time to start and finish the clean should always be followed.
Of course, sometimes things happen and your clean needs to be pushed back or forward. As long as your cleaning service let you know in advance, then this is nothing to be worried about.
It’s when they don’t have a good reason for their no-show that you should immediately start searching for a new cleaning company you can rely on.
You don’t want to be left in the dark.
6. Your site is never as clean as can be
We have left the most obvious reason to last, and it goes without saying.
If your workplace remains dirty after your cleaners have ‘done their job,’ then it means they didn’t do it well…at all.
There should be no guessing game whether or not your site has been cleaned properly. Your site should be left clean, pristine, and 100% germ and dirt free every time. No questions asked!
After all, that’s what you hired them to do in the first place – clean!
If the quality and service provided is inconsistent, it probably means the cleaning company are neglecting tasks that they promised they’d do early on, but aren’t actually delivering. If this is the case, it’s certainly a red flag that they might not be the right company for you.
Of course, nobody is perfect. But if your commercial cleaning service is consistently delivering poor results, then something’s not right.
Your next step to finding the right cleaning company for you
Let’s face it.
Your commercial cleaning company should be solving your problems rather than creating new ones. And, the fact that you’ve found yourself reading this article probably means something about your cleaning service needs to change.
If you’ve been nodding your head throughout the article, it’s time to have a serious chat with your cleaning provider. Explain the issues and make sure they understand what you expect of them and what they need to change in order to keep you as a client.
If, after giving them ample time to deal with and fix the issues, you’re still not seeing the results you need, it’s time to hire a new cleaning company.
You want to feel like you’re getting your money’s worth and that the company you choose value you, your site, and your expectations.
So, you need a new commercial cleaning company but how will you choose the right one after your bad run the first time?
Never fret! Just download our guide, The Ultimate Guide to Selecting a Commercial Cleaning Company, and go through the 6 listed steps. By the end, you’ll have the right cleaning company in mind for you!
