Cleaning

Contributed by Jeremy Maready

Breaking up can be hard to do, but if your commercial cleaning company isn’t cutting it — or cleaning it — it’s time to part ways.

But how do you know when you’re at that fork in the road – deciding whether to keep your current cleaner or make a switch to another company?

As a company in a social media driven world, the sanitation practices, or lack thereof, can make or break a reputation when it comes to customer and employee satisfaction. Online reviews on various platforms can also follow a company indefinitely, long after any indiscretion occurs, or corrective action is taken.

Those negative reviews can cost a company business and chip away at its integrity.

“Don’t let apathy in grading your commercial cleaning company’s effectiveness tank the efforts you make to cater to your employees and customers,” says John Selkow, Office Pride Commercial Cleaning Services director of integration. “Companies should have ongoing dialogue about their expectation of service, problems they are having or services they need. And their cleaning company should be listening." 

So, how does your commercial cleaning company stack up against the competition when it comes to getting the job done? Do you know what to check for when it comes to grading their work? Not knowing can put your customers and employees at risk of illness. No business owner or facilities manager wants to do that.

The following is a general list of things to look for when debating on whether to find a new company for your cleaning needs.

Decline in Cleaning Quality

This might seem obvious at first, but if you don’t inspect the job your cleaning company does, then you won’t notice the little things that are going untouched – especially if you aren’t in the office on a daily basis.

Commercial cleaning requires an eye for detail and if you notice areas consistently being missed, you need to address it with your cleaner. Skipping hard-to-reach areas, not sanitizing high-touch surfaces or not maintaining restrooms can indicate a lack of thoroughness in their work.

Neglecting Health and Safety Rules

A benefit of using a professional cleaning company is that they train their employees the proper way of using the chemicals, following federal guidelines and adhering to manufacturers’ “dwell times,” which is the time that a disinfectant must sit on a surface to kill germs – a critical component of disinfecting.

If you don’t know what those should be, or what chemicals are being used to clean your office space, it’s ok to ask. Your cleaner should not be offended by your desire to understand the services they provide.

Lack of Proper Supplies

Make sure your cleaner’s employees wear the appropriate personal protective equipment and follow all manufacturer and CDC/EPA guidelines for the cleaning products to protect themselves and others.

If your cleaning company isn’t using the proper chemicals and providing the service they promised, it might be time to look elsewhere.

For instance, sanitizing should kill 99.99 percent of harmful bacteria on nonporous surfaces. Disinfection goes just a bit further in its requirements of killing 99.999 percent of harmful germs and bacteria. The main difference between the two is the strength of the chemicals used in the process. Learn which chemicals your professional cleaner uses and determine whether that is right for you and your company. 

Negative Feedback

Whether it’s from employees or customers, negative feedback is a red flag of any company – especially if it’s repetitive.

If you start receiving complaints about missed cleanings, unpleasant odors or dirty areas, you know your cleaning company isn’t meeting expectations. And this could have a significant impact on your business if not quickly addressed.

Frequent Billing Errors

While billing errors don’t equate to unclean environments, it can still make an impact on your company’s bottom line. If you see frequent billing errors and unexplained charges, it’s a big red flag for any cleaning company, and it’s probably time to find a replacement.

“Recognizing these signs can help businesses, building owners and facilities managers make smart decisions when evaluating their commercial cleaning needs,” says Selkow. “We want to work with businesses to ensure they are able to maintain a safe, clean and professional environment.”