When you’re looking at hiring new employees for your business, you usually interview the candidates a few times before you hire them right?
You want to find out the applicant's skills, experience, and whether they will be a good fit for your team.
So why wouldn’t you do this when you’re looking at engaging a commercial cleaner?
When people are looking at hiring commercial cleaners, they view this as a simple task that they can easily check off their to-do list. When really, just like a bad fit employee can ruin the workplace, a bad fit cleaner can do exactly the same thing.
So, you need to treat hiring a commercial cleaner more like you would hiring an employee. Just as an employee, you will be paying the cleaning company an X amount of money, most times not a small amount for their work.
So, would it not make sense to want to make sure that they have the right experience and skills to deliver the standard and quality you are after?
We want you to be able to answer all those questions that are lingering in your mind when you’re considering hiring a commercial cleaning company for your workplace. However, there are so many different types of cleaning companies out there that finding the right one can be overwhelming.
This process is made even harder as most cleaning companies will claim they have “five-star ratings” and “years of experience.”
How do you ensure you hire a good commercial cleaner?
This can come down to the questions you ask your prospective cleaning company.
So, what do I ask or who do I choose?
We understand that there are many different options out there to choose from. We want you to feel confident that you are making the best choice for you and your worksite.
We want you to know that there is a cleaning service out there that will be able to keep your facility clean. And yes, we understand that the right fit may not be In-Tec.
To help you choose the right company for you, we have compiled a list of 10 questions you should ask before hiring a commercial cleaning company.
What are the 10 questions to ask your potential cleaning company?
There are many questions that you could ask your potential cleaning company. However, the team at In-Tec has compiled a list of the 10 most important questions you should ask when interviewing a cleaning company.
1. Can you take care of all my cleaning needs? Or will I need to hire another company for certain services?
Identify your needs. What are you looking for in terms of a commercial cleaning company?
After you’ve established what it is you need from the cleaning company, ask them about all the services they offer and whether they will be able to perform all of them.
2. What do others have to say about you? Can you back it up?
A company that is experienced and knowledgeable in their industry should have some positive references they have acquired from their happy clients. Ask to speak to these clients and get some real client-centred feedback.
From this, you can expect to gain more insight into the company, how they were able to help their clients, and the quality of service they deliver.
Also, check third-party avenues such as manufactures and suppliers that the company uses or may be recommending to use.
3. What are your client retention rates? How recent are those numbers?
Ask about the retention rates of their clients.
Have they been cleaning the same sites for years? Or do they hold contracts for a few months due to their service not delivering what’s expected?
If they have numerous clients that have stayed with them for over 5 years, then this is a great sign.
4. What steps do you take to keep my building healthy? Do you have practices in place to prevent bacterial and viral spread?
A commercial cleaning company must have the health of your facility, employees, and clients in mind.
They will ensure they are using effective procedures to eradicate germs, bacteria, and viruses in the workplace. This can include regularly cleaning and disinfecting high touch points within workplaces, e.g., door handles, light switches, etc.
5. What experience do you have performing the services we’ll need in our facility?
You need to look for a commercial cleaning company that has been in the industry for a long period of time, has a satisfied client base (which is increasing), and always delivers their services.
Ask them what services they perform for their other clients and whether they have the capabilities of performing the tasks you need to have completed.
6. What are your employee retention rates?
When cleaning companies have high employee turnover rates, it’s usually because the cleaner feels as though they have no voice and are being mistreated.
A high employee turnover will negatively impact your facility.
If your cleaning company has long-term employees, they will have more training and experience. They will enjoy coming to work every day and will leave your site clean.
You want your prospecting cleaning company to be able to prove they have low employee turnover rates.
7. What are your attendance rates? How recent are those numbers?
You want your commercial cleaning company to have a plan set in place when sickness or turnover occurs.
If they don’t have an on-call team ready to step into vacancies, then a cleaner may not turn up to clean your facility. You don’t want to pay for a cleaner that may or may not show up.
8. If I have an issue, how long will it take your team to respond? What are your average response times?
When an issue arises, your cleaning company should be able to attend to you promptly.
Ask them what their resolution response time is. Generally, companies should be able to respond to your queries within an hour.
Make sure your cleaning company is attentive and has provided you with email addresses and phone numbers for Operational Managers and Account Representatives so that you can reach them when needed.
What’s even better is if the company has a digital platform where everyone can openly communicate.
9. This quote is lower than others I’ve seen. Can you tell me where you cut corners?
Unfortunately, the cleaning industry is riddled with companies cutting corners to lower their costs.
If you receive a quote that seems too good to be true, think about what that low quote may mean. For instance, the company may be underpaying their employees, illegally hiring employees, or may be underestimating the required labour hours needed to clean your site. A good commercial cleaning company should be paying their cleaner $39.07 an hour according to the award.
10. In what ways is our facility different from your other clients? How will you address those differences?
Make sure your commercial cleaning company is willing to explore your specific needs and expectations.
They should be prepared to create a scope of works that will cater to you. The scope of works should be detailed and precise.
Remember, clarity is your friend. Clarity will let you know when something is cleaned or not.
Interviewing your commercial cleaning company is critical
Knowing that you need to interview your potential cleaning company is only half the battle. You need to know which questions to ask – you want to clear your doubts before paying the price.
Asking these questions is important as they will allow you to gather all the information you need about a commercial cleaning company to make an informed decision.
By asking the 10 questions In-Tec recommends, you will get a better picture of the cleaning company and whether they will be the right fit for you.
Choosing the right commercial cleaning company can be tough and overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be.
We are here to help.
If you’d like to talk to us about any questions you may have, schedule a call with the team at In-Tec.
Also, if you want to find out in more detail about why it’s critical to interview your cleaning company, get a copy of our free guide below.
