Statement of Work Should List Precise Cleaning Frequencies

The onsite management POC (Point of Contact) needs a clear understanding of the expectations in the SOW (Statement of Work) so that they are not requiring services above and beyond what was originally negotiated. 

One key point during negotiations is to clearly state how often a given task is to be performed each visit (be it seven days per week or two days per month). Beware of a manager misusing the concept of “performance based cleaning” which in its more basic form states that “building/area is to be kept clean at all times” yet the contract clearly limits tasks and frequencies in order to keep costs down.

An example is when a building manager will complain to the Building Service Contractor that the trash cans were not emptied on Tuesday night at an account that is only cleaned on Monday and Thursday. Another example is for them to complain that a rest room was not clean at 11 a.m. when it is only serviced once per day at 7 p.m.the prior night. Such instances reaffirm the need for documentation of when a task was scheduled to be performed and when it was actually performed to the standards in the SOW.

Often a well-meaning, aggressive onsite manager can misinterpret those expectations and generate complaints as well as time consuming meetings focused on the wrong issues. It is important that the BSC coordinate with the manager so that he/she knows when an area is serviced and have a clear time line for when it should be inspected. Of course, a rest room cleaned at 7:00 PM and not used until 7 a.m. the next morning should be able to be inspected the next day. The BSC may need to document tenants working late, security guard usage and other reasons that they sink was dirty, paper on floor, etc. 

Without documentation of when tasks were actually performed the BSC can be at a distinct disadvantage in the Quality Control discussions. Your comments and questions are always welcome. I hope to hear from you soon. Until then, keep it clean…

Mickey Crowe has been involved in the industry for over 35 years. He is a trainer, speaker and consultant. You can reach Mickey at 678.314.2171 or CTCG50@comcast.net.