5 mistakes to avoid when hiring a cleaning company
The last two years have taught us all the need for robust cleaning methods at our business premises, whatever sector we work in. At the start of this year, we are witnessing whole workforces are being affected by staffing problems, due to the spread of coronavirus. If you are thinking of outsourcing your cleaning requirements to a cleaning company, here is a quick guide to the common mistakes to avoid when hiring a professional cleaner.
1. Automatically going with the cheapest quote
In business, we all want to be cost-effective but focusing heavily on the cost of your commercial cleaning quote and choosing the cheapest can be problematic. The cheapest is not always the best solution. You may be sacrificing a quality service or suitable staff for your premises by choosing the cheapest.
But, deciding on the company with the most expensive quote is not always a foolproof solution either. They may have inflated prices by including additional services you do not require on a routine basis.
You need to decide on the best fit for your business and budget. Ensuring you get a range of quotes. But, more importantly, see how the company comes across when you meet them. Are they well presented? Do you have a rapport with them? If things go wrong, are they going to work well with you to correct the problem? It is often these soft skills that set a cleaning company apart and make them a good return on investment in the long run.
2. Not requesting a cost breakdown
Requesting a physical consultation and quote is by far the best way forward. Meeting someone from the company and seeking clarity on the different elements to be included gives you an idea of how flexible they are. This will allow you to ensure you are getting the exact services that you need. It will also stop additional services from being added to your contract without your knowledge.
It is important that you are given details on how the company will conduct quality checks on their operative’s work, how they cover holidays and sickness. Lastly, find out how they address price increases caused by the increase in the living wage; the increases are currently significantly affecting the cleaning industry.
3. Not choosing a local company
The location of the cleaning firm you decide upon may not seem relevant at the stage of quotation, nor in the first few weeks of your new service.
However, when your cleaning operative is absent due to holiday or illness, sometimes with little notice, it is far preferable to have a local company. They can send a replacement to cover the absence. This is particularly true during these times of Covid, where a cleaner can be asymptomatic but test positive on a lateral flow test very suddenly.
Likewise, if your property should undergo renovations, flood, or other damage, even a routine spillage, that requires a deeper clean or specialist machinery, it is far more likely that a local company will have the resource at hand, or local knowledge to subcontract this service.
4. Not ensuring security checks have taken place
It is imperative that you check that the members of staff you have on your site have had adequate background checks.
As a minimum, a company should have references and ID documentation for each employee they send to your site. The ideal is that the company has vetted, trained them at your specific site and have consistency in staffing. Having the same operative each clean means you can ensure people using your site are safe. This is especially important as many premises have high-value products they are selling, or sensitive information and require the operative to secure the building.
The company should be able to tell you how they operate at the time of quotation. A look at the company’s testimonials or Google Reviews should give you a measure of their performance.
5. Using a company who does not share their policies
A genuine established commercial cleaning company should have all policies and procedures in place and available for you to view before you accept any quotation. They should be fully insured, both for public and employer’s liability. Due to the nature of using chemicals and equipment, they should have good knowledge of Health and Safety, including Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health legislation. It is good to look for accreditation such as Safe Contractor or managers with Institution of Occupational Safety and Health qualifications. Many of these flags of a good safe company will be present on their website, indicating that they take everyone’s safety seriously.
At Cleaning Technique, we pride ourselves on ensuring that we have up-to-date policies and procedures, that we fully vet our employees, and work well with all our clients to provide an outstanding cleaning service. We also attend every site, ensuring that we only quote for the work required, at the frequency required. We do not inflate our quotes and ensure that there are procedures in place to cover work when operatives require sick leave. For an honest, reliable, quality service, contact Cleaning Technique today to find out more. We look forward to hearing from you.
