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Shopping For a New Cleaning Contractor?

Cleaning an office may seem like a simple enough task, but hiring a company to do it can be pretty tricky. There are over 1,000 commercial cleaning companies in the Houston area alone, and it can be hard to wade through them to find a business that fits. With so many companies advertising professional services, it’s often hard to tell which ones are truly legitimate. It’s important to strive for complete professionalism when it comes to your contractor, so not just any mom and pop operation will cut it. Here are 5 questions to ask yourself in order to find the company that’s right for you.

Are They Established?

Statistically, the longer a company has been in business, the more reliable they tend to be with their service. They’ve taken the time to prove themselves and perfect their craft, while newer companies are more focused on simply gaining clients to start their cash flow. You want a company who puts you first, and who is more concerned with customer satisfaction than building their own business. A good place to start when gauging a cleaning contractor’s reliability is one that has been open at least 20 years.

How Does Their Pricing Compare to the Competition?

When agreeing on pricing it’s a good idea to shop around first. Each company has a slightly different method of price bidding, and while you should obviously be wary if their prices seem high, don’t underestimate the danger of companies who bid very low. Many companies just want to make the sale, and they will bid however low they think they need to in order to get your business. But that won’t result in good service. Cheap cleaning is sloppy cleaning, and in the service industry, you get what you pay for.

What References Do they Have?

You don’t want someone cleaning for you unless you know they’ve done a good job with other reputable businesses whose word you trust. Don’t ever hire janitorial services without contacting their references first. You’re looking for contractors who have had long term and loyal clients. Nothing is more promising than a good reputation.

How Do They Train Their Employees?

While cleaning may seem intuitive to some, the process of professional cleaning takes serious training. Employees need to have a delicate balance between high efficiency and fast results. Not only that, but safety training is also imperative to minimize accidents and potential liability exposure. Especially if your facility is larger, you want to make sure that the cleaners themselves are well equipped to do the job that you are paying them to do. It’s important to make sure any contractor you consider puts their employees through a strict training process. Courses and policies used by contractors should be readily available to you and easily checked.

What Else Can They Bring to the Table?

Some companies have strict policies on what they can and cannot provide for their clients. When looking for a contractor, you want one with maximum flexibility in order to meet your needs. Yes, you want a top notch cleaner, and that should be considered a priority; but what other benefits should you look for? Keep an eye out for janitorial companies who also do construction, are registered vendors, or are woman owned. All of these things can give your company a leg up for additional short cuts and even tax benefits. Every little bit helps.