Businesses have an important decision to make when it comes to keep the office clean. Would they want to add cleaning staff to the company payroll or should they hire a cleaning company to take care of their cleaning needs? One thing is for sure, hiring a cleaning company is possibly the best decision which a business can make.
Although, there are both advantages and disadvantages to hiring a cleaning company, the benefits easily outweigh the drawbacks. There are simply more reasons to outsource this type of work. Besides, a business should focus on its core competencies and not something that can be done cost effectively by outsourcing.
The main reason why businesses should consider hiring a commercial cleaning company is because they understand every aspect of the cleaning process and know how to keep an office in top condition. The cleaning company knows the extent to which a sparkling clean office could make a favorable first impression on clients. They will even work for you for the hours that you actually need them.
So, if you are planning on hiring a cleaning company, then this post is just for you. The top 10 tips for choosing the right cleaning company are covered to help you hire the best company. Whether you are looking for a cleaning company to handle the necessary cleaning tasks such as vacuuming the floors, emptying the wastebaskets or washing the windows, these 10 tips will most definitely ensure that you end up hiring a reliable cleaning company.
- Conduct Thorough Background Checks
The first thing that you need to do is conduct thorough background checks. When it comes to hiring the right cleaning company for your office, it is vital that you ask the right questions. However, you also need to ensure that the answers provided to you are accurate and reliable. This helps allow you to hire the best service at the right price.
Find out the number of days that the cleaning company would be able to work and the hours that are available. This is especially important if you want all the cleaning to be done before the office closes for the day. Find out if the cleaning staff would be able to work after the employees leave for home and whether they are to be trusted.
Thorough background checks will also you to find out whether the cleaning company is telling you the truth. You need to know if there are any hidden charges and how their experience has been working for other companies. Compare the rates of the cleaning company with others. Enquire about their hiring procedures and if their employees are properly trained, as well as the methods used for training them. You should know whether the company only hires experienced team members or they hire newbies.
- Inquire About References
When selecting a cleaning company such as Best Cleaning Surrey, you have to do some research on the reputation of the company. It allows you to determine whether they are the right cleaning company for your organization. Go through their customer satisfaction reviews and the overall standing of the company within the local business community. References are one of the most important tools for hiring the right cleaning company.
Find out the businesses that the cleaning company has worked for in the past and how they had been rated. Contact the references to find out if they were satisfied with the performance and if they would recommend their services. There are many other questions which the business can ask depending on their needs.
- Check If the Cleaning Company Has Liability Insurance
Proof of insurance should be demonstrated by the cleaning company to ensure that they are fully licensed. Also, make sure to see their workers and general compensation certificates. You need to ensure that the cleaning company hires regular employees and not cash workers. Regular employees are the ones that carry insurance against any type of liability and if there is an injury or accident in your office while they are doing their job, it would help protect both the cleaner and you. Furthermore, the business license of the company should be verified.
The insurance provider should be contact to verify if the cleaning company actually holds the policy and the find out the amount that is covered under the policy.
- Ensure That Only Professionals Are Hired
One of the most important questions that you need to ask the cleaning company is how they hire their employees. Inquire about the vetting and hiring process. You need to be able to ensure that the cleaning staff being sent to your office behaves in a professional manner and knows just how to do their job efficiently.
You can even inquire about the dress code of the cleaning staff to ensure that they appear professional and presentable. The cleaning staff should have an ID badge which would show all of their information and a uniform that is clean and professional.
- Ensure That They Have an Established Cleaning Procedure
In order to know whether the cleaning company is in fact a well-established commercial cleaning company, you need to find out their history of cleaning, serving businesses, ability to demonstrate what they have achieved and have a proven track record. You also need to ensure that the cleaning company has an established cleaning procedure. It shows that the company has an established reputation in the local, regional or national market.
Find out the established cleaning procedure that the company strictly adheres to. This will help you know if follow the highest standards or not, and if they would be able to provide you with top level cleaning service. Go through the entire established cleaning procedure to ensure that no task gets left behind.
- Does the Company Have a Cleaning Checklist for Staff?
An established process would not be complete without a checklist for each staff member. Find out their standard task list for each of the worker and look into the task list to figure out if it is compatible with your organization. It helps ensure that the cleaning staff cleans every single corner of the office.
You will also need to find out the quality and type of cleaning supplies used by the company. How does the company identify and deal with any kind of trouble spots? These could be mildew or discovered mold. The products that are used for the tasks should also be checked. Are they using natural cleaning products or just chemical based products? Does the company have a list of areas that the cleaning staff would cover, including the stairs, halls and entryway, along with the kitchen areas such as the wastebaskets, desks, windows and refrigerators? There are many questions which you will need to ask to decide if they are the right cleaning company for your business.
- Consider Local Companies
If it is possible, then you should seriously consider choosing a commercial cleaning company that has a local office, or even better, has a local headquarters. This ensures that the cleaning staff would be easily available depending on your needs. It is also helpful, in case of an event where you need to be able to communicate with the cleaning company in person. Besides, face to face conversations and relationships in general are more effective.
Another thing to consider would be to hire a cleaning company that has local management. If the cleaning company is actually part of a franchise, then the management might not be located in the city that you operate in and it would be difficult to meet or speak with the management in person.
Local companies understand the working culture and the cleaning staff would better understand the local dialect or accent. For instance, in the United Kingdom, there is a great amount of accents which might not be understandable by all. Communication is vital to efficient cleaning and that is why you need a local company which employs locals so that there is no miscommunication.
- Ask If the Company Has an MSDS List
MSDS stands for Material Data Safety Sheets. They are an important part of the safety process. An MSDS should be kept for each substance if the business handles chemicals, even if they are considered to be not dangerous.
This information is critical as it determines the reactivity of the chemical with other compounds. Whether it is flammable or not, and what kind of health hazards could possibly result from exposure to the chemicals. Now, the sheets are printed in English, but it is possible that the company provides translations as the staff might be bilingual. All of the workers at the company should have access to the MSDS files. It shows that the appropriate staff handling is something that the company focuses on. In addition to this, the transportation procedures also need to be considered.
- Does the Company Provide Flexibility?
One of the most important things which a business has to determine is whether the cleaning company offers flexibility. The cleaning staff should be able to work around your schedule. In case the cleaning staff is required to work at the office during late hours due to a night meeting, they should be able to reschedule their time when the need arises.
It is also possible to require the cleaning staff to work after hours, when everyone is gone and they should be able to work during such hours. In order to choose the right cleaning company, you need to ensure that the professional cleaning staff is available to work for you around schedules that are convenient for you. Flexibility is something that needs to be guaranteed to help save you money and time as well.
- Ensure That Employees Remain Healthy
Sickness is one of the main reasons for employee absenteeism. Whenever an employee falls sick, chances are that other employees would soon catch the bacterial germs as well. This is why a professional cleaning company is a must as they know how to keep an office perfectly clean.
A professional commercial cleaning company needs to do more than just vacuum the carpet or empty the wastebaskets. It plays a huge role in keeping your employees healthy. The concept of hygiene is perfectly understood by professional cleaning staff.
The cleaning staff needs to pay special attention to the areas where the employees congregate and disinfect such areas. These areas are a breeding ground for germs. If an employee gets flu, then the cleaning staff would have to fight those germs and quickly eliminate them so as to ensure that the flu does not become contagious and other employees end up catching the flu.
Once, the cleaning staff arrives at your office, the pathogens and bacteria would not be able to stand a chance against them. The staff would ensure that the illness from one person does not spread to the rest of the staff in the office. Skilled cleaners will do all of the tasks, including carpet cleaning brooklyn, computers, desks, windows and make use of specialized cleaning products while they wear protective clothing. This results in a healthier workforce which improves productivity and boosts employee morale.
Conclusion
If you operate a business and do not have the time to worry about cleaning issues, then you need to hire the right cleaning company. The above tips have been prepared from experience working with cleaning companies. The tips will prove useful for every type of business, whether big or small. Let the professional cleaning staff arrive once the office closes for the day and work during the afterhours so that all the dirty work can be taken care of.
Remember, an unclean office will most definitely leave a negative impression on clients, suppliers and even prospective employees. This is why cleaning is a job that should be taken care of by the professionals who have an experience dealing with just about every type of task. When you are hiring a cleaning company make sure that they are passionate about cleaning.