Cleanliness, as the saying goes, is next to godliness. That’s especially true for a business where operating, and maintaining, a clean facility is good for business. The million dollar question (or thousand or hundred) is: how do you keep your facility clean in the most cost-effective manner? If you’re like many business managers, the answer is outsourcing your cleaning services to a commercial cleaning service. So how do you choose a commercial cleaning service that can meet your needs and facility budget? What is the process for selecting the right commercial cleaning service for your office and warehouse?
Determine what you need
Do an evaluation of your facility to determine what cleaning services are needed for daily operations. Would a daily floor cleaning of your manufacturing plant contribute to productivity? What job responsibilities do you want your employees to focus on? What job responsibilities do you NOT want them to focus on? Do you want your employees to spend their time cleaning the kitchen? Or washing down and restocking the bathrooms? To make this a company-wide effort, ask your managers to contribute a list of cleaning responsibilities that need to be completed in their workspace.
If you need maintenance at your facility as well, be even more selective about your commercial cleaning service. Choose a cleaning service that offers maintenance services such as power washing, parking lot maintenance, light construction projects, and minor HVAC and electrical repairs. If you need these additional services from your commercial cleaning service, make sure that you ask prospective services if they offer maintenance services and narrow your options to only those commercial cleaning services.
Set a schedule
Commercial cleaning services do the cleaning jobs that you request. Once you have your list of cleaning tasks you need done, determine the frequency you need cleaning at your facility. Do you need a daily cleaning or weekly cleaning? If you need maintenance, how often do you want the maintenance done? Your company sets the schedule. Also what is the optimal time for the commercial cleaning service to begin and finish? Do you want the cleaning service to come in the evening? Early morning? Overnight?
Consider dates for a deep cleaning as well, and how often you want a complete cleaning or facility needed. These tasks can be done on as-needed basis, or on set dates during company shut-downs.
Request a Quote
Once you’ve got a final list of cleaning tasks that need to be completed, request quotes from local commercial cleaning services. Because commercial cleaning services do the cleaning (and maintenance) you need done on a schedule you dictate, understand that the service is not going to be able to give you an immediate answer.
Ask the Right Questions
When you contact commercial cleaning services, be prepared with a list of questions to ensure you get the best results quickly and efficiently:
Service specifics. Be prepared to discuss the cleaning jobs you need completed, your preferred schedule, maintenance tasks, and any other special request you may have.
Proof of Insurance. Ask the commercial cleaning service for information about their proof of insurance, just in case any items at your business are damaged.
References. Ask for references from commercial cleaning services that can provide the cleaning and maintenance services you need at a price within your budget. A commercial cleaning service can provide references from present clients who use their services.
Review the contract
When you’ve narrowed your list of commercial cleaning services, request a draft of the contract for your company’s review. Once your business is satisfied, enjoy the result: a clean workplace that’s good for business—and conducive to growing your business.
