10 Questions To Ask Before Hiring Commercial Cleaning Services In BC
It can be quite a challenge finding the right commercial cleaning services in BC, for your needs.
There are so many small, less than credible cleaning companies that are here one day and gone the next. Unless you ask the right questions you never know if you made a mistake until it’s too late.
You want a commercial cleaning service that will perform to a standard that you will be happy with…consistently. You don’t want to worry about security and problems from employees that were injured on the job. That shouldn’t be your problem, but it can be if the commercial janitorial service you hire isn’t set up professionally.
Most importantly, you want the commercial cleaning company in BC that is properly set up to be proactive in handling cleaning problems rather than reacting to problems that have grown because they weren’t handled in time. The last thing you need is to get complaints from customers or unhappy staff members.
Of course, you want the commercial cleaning cost to be within your budget.
If you ask the right questions you are more likely to have a satisfactory experience with your commercial cleaning services company.
Top 10 Questions To Ask Your Commercial Cleaning Services In BC Before You Hire Them
- Do they offer all the services you need, or will they subcontract out some of their duties?
An underlying question here is: Does the commercial cleaning company have their own employees? Or, do they hire day-workers that can be hired cheaply, but they will probably not be hired again.
This is important because with day workers you never know who will be working in your building. Is that secure? Will these temporary workers be able to provide the quality you want?… There could be lots of potential issues.
- Does the cleaning company provide a detailed list of what work they will actually do? Is that list in the cleaning service agreement? If it’s not, make sure it is.
- Can they clean in the nights and weekends? Maybe it’s not convenient to have cleaning staff on the premises during work hours where they may get in the way of your staff or customers.
- Related to that, is: What is their security clearance procedure? Will your building and your staff be safe when the cleaning company employees are around? You want to work with a company that does thorough criminal checks, regular drug testing and gets several references before they hire.
- Is the commercial cleaning company in BC insured and bonded? If they are not insured and bonded, potentially, if one of their employees gets hurt on the job your company could be held responsible for compensation.
Professional commercial cleaning services in BC are always well insured to cover any liabilities.
- How long has the commercial janitorial services company been in the business?
Experience counts. Experienced employees will do a better job, with less wastage and fewer accidents than inexperienced ones.
Experienced cleaning staff can be trusted to identify potential problems before they become an issue with staff or customers.
With the right training and experience, cleaning staff will take care of problems automatically without having to be told to do things.
There will be fewer accidents and experienced cleaning personnel will be great to be around because they are relaxed and happy in their job.
- Can the company provide references? Can they provide references in your industry?
A commercial cleaning company with a good reputation will be able to provide several references. They will inevitably have clients that will be happy to talk to potential new clients for the cleaning company.
Make sure you get several references and you phone them or visit them to get a first-hand review of what their experience has been.
- Will you have one particular person to contact if there are any issues or special cleaning requests?
Find out what their management structure is like. If the company is so big that you are going to become “just a number” after you sign the contract, you may not be very happy in the long run. Things come up. Issues are identified from time to time. If it’s going to be a hassle to get the service you want you will end up being frustrated. Not worth it.
If you know you will have one particular person to contact it will make your life much easier. Ideally, your contact person would be the cleaning team’s supervisor who has first-hand knowledge of your office or building. He or she would know the cleaning staff and be able to address any issues quickly and thoroughly.
Over time, you will get to know the person in charge of cleaning your office or building so you can get a high level of cleaning seamlessly.
- Is the potential commercial cleaning company willing to show you how they came up with their price?
You’ll find, in many cases, especially if it is a competitive situation, the quote you get may not include all the costs you will end up paying.
It’s important to understand what exactly is included in the cleaning company quotation. Be sure to ask: what’s included? What’s not included? What is optional? Do they have packages where you can save money?
Make sure you get all the details in the form of lists from each company that provides a quotation so you are comparing apples to apples.
- Does the janitorial company use commercial grade “green cleaning” practices and supplies?
Green cleaning is certainly better for the environment, but it is also very good for your staff and customers. Many people are sensitive to cleaning agents and chemicals and could have allergic reactions. In some cases the reaction could be so strong it could have legal implications.
It’s better to be safe and provide a higher standard of cleaning and safety for your customers and staff by using “green cleaning” practices.
In addition to cleaning chemicals, several technologies are now available to provide cleaning and disposal so everyone is safe.
Ask the question and have them specify what exactly they do to provide “green cleaning”.
All of these questions are designed to help you as a facilities manager to distinguish fact from fiction as you search for the best commercial cleaning services company. You want to keep your facilities shining and smelling fresh. Don’t be afraid to dig deep and ask for details.
Professional, reputable cleaning services companies are proud of the things that set them apart from slipshod operations.
Call now for a free quote for daily or weekly commercial cleaning services in BC: 1-855-824-8450 or 250-869-5165.
We’ve been around for over 30 years as a top commercial cleaning company in BC with a reputation for consistent performance over the long term. We are passionate about keeping our clients happy over many years.
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