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Commercial janitorial companies White Rock, Chilliwack, Abbotsford, BC

Commercial Janitorial Companies With Low Employee Turnover Provide Higher Value

Commercial Cleaning Company - The College Of The Rockies

Commercial Cleaning Company Gets An A-Ok At Prestigious College Of The Rockies!

Evergreen Building Maintenance Inc. was awarded the commercial cleaning company contract this summer for the College Of The Rockies in Cranbrook BC.

“It was a tough bidding process against some of the top commercial cleaning companies in BC” says Ranjit Takhar President of Evergreen Building Maintenance.

The contract for cleaning College Of The Rockies is considered quite prestigious since it is the main college serving 6 or 7 cities in the Kootenays and is also one of the primary attractions of Cranbrook, BC.

Approximately 2,500 busy full time busy students use 200,000 sq. ft. of high traffic space including classrooms, indoor and outdoor recreational areas, parking lots, food courts and medical training facilities.  This is quite a challenge considering the College requires a wide variety of expertise from its commercial cleaning company 365 days a year.

Takhar says “This contract proves we are ready to take on larger federal / educational institutions that require full-time day porters and consistent high volume service.”

The RFP from the College was clear that it only wanted to deal with companies that could guarantee that “the work shall be performed by fully trained persons, competent in the particular operation assigned to them.”

Not An Easy Job For Any Commercial Cleaning Company

This is a busy college campus.  They don’t have time for small companies that can’t provide “fully trained” staff for all aspects of the commercial cleaning duties.

Right from the start it was clear that the College Of The Rockies wanted competent who can clean according to “specifications” using the “best techniques of the trade”.

Meeting the “specifications” would require a mature commercial cleaning company that can consistently supply:

  • All labour needed to do the job, at all times. If someone gets sick, they must be able to provide a replacement worker instantly, including another supervisor, if needed.
  • All cleaning supplies, chemicals and materials like sealers, waxes, plastic garbage bags, liners, tampons, sanitary napkins and disposal bags must be of good quality.
  • The commercial cleaning company must have all necessary equipment like polishers, commercial grade vacuums, auto scrubbers, buffers, carpet extractors, etc. and they have to be less than five years old.
  • All materials and chemicals must meet Canada Standards of Safety.

Using the “best techniques of the trade” means each and every person on the job must be thoroughly trained and have experience.  The College would not tolerate amateur “mistakes” commonly made by newbies.  A thorough cleaning and sanitizing of high priority areas would be required every day including:

  • Healthcare facilities such as dental labs, nursing labs and first aid classrooms.
  • Cafeteria and chef’s training classrooms and kitchens.
  • Daycare areas.
  • Aboriginal Gathering Place

“Extras” Are Included In The Contract

In addition to all scheduled cleaning, the commercial cleaning company is expected to

  • wash walls, ceilings, doors and window frames
  • floor stripping and refinishing
  • window cleaning inside and outside the building
  • clean the atrium and glass walls
  • clean light fixtures, lens and interior of fixtures
  • clean dust from ceiling

All tasks must be performed without breaching security measures and in accordance with fire and emergency regulations.

Since the College Of The Rockies is a public institution they also wanted to make sure the commercial cleaning company treats its workers properly.  The contract would only be awarded to a company that could prove that it pays its workers properly and on time.  All workers must be covered by Workers Compensation.

Comprehensive general liability insurance would be required by the company and all employees must have a Commercial Fidelity Bond in order to protect the College, its agents and “servants”.

When you look at all the requirements and scope of service, only an established company would be able to handle the job…new companies and small companies need not apply.

Fortunately, Evergreen Building Maintenance was able to provide proof that they could meet and exceed all the requirements of the College Of The Rockies at a great price!

Congratulations to all the local people that will be working to keep the College Of The Rockies looking beautiful!

If you have a local business, whether it’s small or large, Evergreen Building Maintenance has the in-house resources to keep your premises clean all year long.

Call now for a commercial cleaning company quote 1-855-824-8450 or 250-869-5165.

We’ll do a walkthrough of your building and build a custom strategy to get the best clean every day you come to work!

commercial janitorial company price quotes

How To Help Your Building Janitorial Company Give You Pricing In A Format So You Can Compare Quotes

Have you ever had a stack of building janitorial company pricing quotes for one facility that look like they are each for completely different buildings?

How do you compare commercial cleaning companies if the wording and descriptions in their quotes don’t seem to have anything in common?

This is a real problem for facility managers when trying to get the best value for their dollar.

Do you go for the lowest price not understanding that it may not cover even the essential cleaning services you need?

Maybe you pick a premium-priced quote thinking you will get a more professional cleaning company… and later you find out that the company doesn’t even have experienced cleaning staff?

This is a common problem when the management doesn’t take care of its employees so there is a lot of employee turnover.  They can’t keep good employees, so their costs go up because they have to compensate for the mistakes of beginners.

Commercial Janitorial Company Pricing Factors

  • Labor costs
  • Insurance
  • Taxes
  • Employee benefits package
  • Direct costs like cleaning supplies, toilet paper
  • Equipment costs
  • Training costs for employees
  • Management fee
  • Profit

Janitorial Quotes – Factors You Need To Consider 

One of the best things you can do to make the job of comparing quotes easier is to be clear in your own mind what kind of services you are looking for.  Here are some idea starters:

  • What type of building is it?
  • What kind of business you operate?
  • What are your building’s traffic and use patterns?
  • Where is your facility located?
  • What are the labor costs in your area?
  • What scope of cleaning do you need?
  • Do you have any special requirements?
  • Do you need landscaping services?
  • Do you need parking lot maintenance?
  • Do you need general building maintenance from time to time?
  • Do you need a cleaning service that can be available during the day time?
  • Do you have special projects or interim needs?
  • What frequency of cleaning do you want?

Provide Your Janitorial Service With Solid Information So They Can Give You A Solid Quote 

  • Tell them the total square footage of your building
  • Break the square footage of each flooring type (carpet, hardwood, cement, marble, etc.)
  • How many people typically use your building during the day?
  • How many people use the building in the evenings?
  • Are people using the building on weekends?
  • Are there regular “special events” that need to be built into the quote?
  • How many washrooms are there?
  • How big are the washrooms?
  • What did your previous cleaning service miss or failed to do?

This type of information will help commercial janitorial services estimate how much cleaning supplies they will need.  They can establish budgets for trashcan liners, toilet paper, paper towels and hand soap.  If you have different flooring types, they can budget for time, materials and employees with specific expertise.

Remember to prioritize your “wants” and “must-have’s”.  Some companies may be able to give you a price break on services of more value to you.  In other cases it might be too expensive to include some services on a regular basis, but becomes affordable on less frequent basis.  For example, you may get your hardwood floors waxed every quarter instead of once a month.

Call now for a free, confidential commercial cleaning and building maintenance quote from a commercial janitorial company that provides transparent pricing:   1-888-559-6870 or 250-999-2796

Kelowna Janitorial Services – We’ll Give You An Easy To Understand Pricing Format So You Can Easily Compare Quotes!

A Question of Clarity – 10 Questions to Ask Your Cleaning Company

You’ve answered the first question – Do I want to hire a professional cleaning company to save time and money on all of my cleaning requirements? – with a resounding ‘Yes.’ Good choice. But now comes the task of choosing a cleaning company. There are many out there, but finding the right one for you and your business requires gathering information and doing research. You want to find a professional cleaning company with the skilled staff, ample resources and dedication to the task at hand. In order to help make your job that much easier, here is a list of 10 important questions to ask any prospective cleaning company.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN ESTABLISHED?

Look for a cleaning company that has been in business a minimum of 10 years and has grown throughout those years. Look for a company that invests in its staff and training, owns and operates the latest cleaning equipment, who cares about their clients’ needs and has the experience and reputation to back up any claims they make.

WHAT IS YOUR LEVEL OF CLIENT SATISFACTION?

Research the cleaning company you are thinking of hiring and find out what their clients have to say about them. Look for a company whose clients are very satisfied with the services provided and that the commercial cleaning company can handle your specific needs.

WHAT SERVICES DO YOU PROVIDE?

Does the cleaning company have the staff, skill, and capability to do what you need them to do? You may need just a general clean, or a specific clean with specialist equipment. A professional cleaning company will ensure they remain up-to-date on all the latest procedures and products to ensure complete client satisfaction.

WHAT IS YOUR CAPABILITY?

Does the cleaning company have the capacity to handle the work you need them to do? Different buildings, different requirements; so look for a cleaning company that can handle a wide variety of diverse industries, whether it’s retail, financial, healthcare, real estate, commercial office or government.

WHAT IS YOUR AVAILABILITY?

Make sure the cleaning company you choose can modify their supply to your demand. They need to meet your requirements and scope of work, and adapt their cleaning schedule – daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly – to your bespoke requirements.

WHAT ARE YOUR RATES?

Just as in any other business transaction, you want to make sure you’re getting the most for every dollar you spend. Ask your prospective cleaning company their rates and compare them to their competitors. Ask whether the rates are all-inclusive or whether there any extra fees for additional cleaning (E.g. emergency clean-ups).

ARE YOU INSURED?

This is important to protect your business and ensure your financial security. All professional cleaning companies will have the requisite liability and workers compensation insurance needed to conduct their operations safely and securely. If there is damage to any flooring, furniture, or equipment, it is the cleaning company who will foot the bill, not you.

WHO DOES THE CLEANING?

The larger the company the higher the chances of multiple cleaners entering your business throughout the year. Every cleaner must be trained, certified, background-checked, and equipped to handle all of your requirements, and be familiar with your workspace. You may not often interact with your cleaners, or you may prefer a regular cleaner (or team of cleaners) you can build a working relationship with.

WHAT TRAINING DO YOU GIVE YOUR EMPLOYEES?

A professional cleaning company must ensure that every member of their staff is consistent in their delivery of top quality cleaning services. All employees must be held to the same high standard, and the company dedicated to comprehensive and continuous training for all of their staff. A professional cleaning company will implement ‘green cleaning practices’ and refrain from using harmful chemicals such as bleach in order to keep your workplace healthy and safe. They will also make sure that their staff has been properly instructed in the use of the latest green cleaning products.

WHAT IS YOUR QUALITY ASSURANCE POLICY?

Ask the cleaning company what quality assurance policies they have in effect. How do they guarantee their work, and what happens if you have query regarding their work? The right cleaning company will ensure that all of the work they do for you meets with your complete satisfaction. Any concerns you may have must be dealt with swiftly and efficiently so that, come rain or shine, your workplace looks spotless.

Asking the right questions will get you the answers you need. Or, if you want to save even more time and money, you can skip these 10 questions entirely and call Evergreen Building Maintenance directly.

You can rest assured that you will be pleased with our answers to all of the above questions. Locally owned and operated, EBM has been a leader in the janitorial industry for more than 28 years. We specialize in commercial buildings and service 2.5 million square feet every day. We have the skills and expertise to guarantee only the very highest standards of cleanliness.

Please make the call; we’d love to show you what we can do.