Choosing and Hiring a Commercial Cleaning Company

What is commercial cleaning?

Kat’s Cleaning Service ensures your office environment is freshly cleaned on a scheduled basis reflecting a professional environment. Commercial properties include business centers, warehouses, churches, libraries, and more. You may be a solo business owner or a seasoned facilities manager at a large company. Either way, finding and hiring a dependable commercial cleaning service can be daunting. Searching ‘commercial cleaning services near me’ is just one step of many in the hiring process.

Any cleaning company sales rep can say anything they want, and so it is easy to choose the wrong cleaning company. What is the best way to navigate the hiring process? Which cleaning company will deliver the quality you need for the price you can afford? We recommend that you start with the people and focus on establishing a good relationship.

Think about it. Commercial cleaning companies, in addition to cleaning, are actually in the people business.

Some cleaning companies will focus on cleaning and forget about the vital role of their employees. Companies may also find it difficult to hire and keep good dependable people. They focus on products and equipment to lure clients but pay no attention to the revolving door of employees. 

Jerry with Acme Commercial Cleaning Company

Let’s use an example scenario that many facilities managers have encountered. Bob is a Facility Manager and needs to hire a cleaning service. He inquires with a couple of friends and associates, calls a few referrals, and schedules appointments. 

Jerry arrives from Acme Commercial Cleaning Company and tells Bob about the Acme service plan. Continuing, Jerry answers the question of what is commercial cleaning to Acme and gives Bob a quote. He explains the new eco-friendly products used by Acme and says it’s the best product on the market.

Acme owner, Jerry, forgets, however, to explain what sets Acme apart from the other companies – the reasons to hire Acme beyond the machinery. Consequently, Jerry fails to mention the people who work at Acme, the people who will be operating the fancy vacuums. Good people are the basis of Acme’s value. Sadly, Jerry says nothing about the people who will be in Bob’s business overnight, the people who actually make Acme tick.

The owner forgot the most important rule. Cleaning companies aren’t in the fancy vacuum business or the eco-friendly cleaning product business. In fact, when potential clients ask what is commercial cleaning, the cleaning companies should start with we’re in the people business. Jerry failed to mention the most important element of making a sale – that the staff at Acme would build a trusting relationship with Bob while the facility got cleaned each day to his satisfaction.

Hiring

Does Jerry and the Acme Commercial Cleaning Company have good and hard working employees? Nobody knows and Bob certainly doesn’t know.  If Bob doesn’t understand that Jerry has terrific employees that can be trusted, then it really doesn’t matter that Jerry has high-tech machinery or uses green cleaning solutions.  

Great employees are the very foundation of a great service company. It’s the single most important element when you search for a company to clean and care for your business location. A big difference between domestic and commercial cleaning is the interaction between client and cleaning service company! 

The one element that must be present when you are searching for the right company to care for your facilities is that they understand how to find and retain really good people. Reputable service, trusted experience, and certified qualifications are essential. Every year the commercial cleaning industry is inundated with new startup competitors, and most of them will vanish as quickly as they arrived on the scene.

Hiring good people, getting them trained, and keeping them motivated is a difficult proposition.  Sure, equipment and good products are necessary, but a person actually operates the machinery, a person will wash the windows and make them sparkle, and a person has to choose chooses to use eco-friendly products to protect the environment. A well-trained staff who are shown respect offered advancement, and are awarded for their excellence are the kind of people who bring the right attitude and delivers Bob a clean and safe facility.

So how does one find a cleaning company that embraces this vital concept of “people first?” 

Ask good questions.

When you are about to hire a commercial cleaning company, ask for referrals. Your friends and colleagues should be able to provide names and contact information of those they have used and trust. Let’s say there are no referrals and you are interviewing companies, be prepared to get answers to these questions.

▪ What is commercial cleaning to you and your employees?

▪ Do you verify the eligibility of your employees? Are they legal to work in this country?

▪ What screening methods are used during your hiring process?

▪ Will the employees be supervised when they are in my facility?

▪ Can I call somebody when there is an issue?

▪ How many locations and cleaning crews does that person oversee?

▪ What factors go into hiring the best-qualified employees?

▪ How are complaints dealt with?

▪  Regarding your quote, what is included and not included? 

How can I easily hire a good commercial cleaning company?

We wish there were a magic cleaning service wand. If so, we would wave it and get the perfect company to clean your facility. But there is no substitute for rolling up your sleeves and getting the information you need first hand.

However, there are some cleaning industry associations that can make the process a little easier. Cleaning Industry Management Standards (CIMS) certification can be obtained by a commercial cleaning service, and other janitorial and cleaning certifications are also available. CIMS establishes guidelines for which companies must adhere to in order to receive a “best practices” designation. There are six areas that commercial cleaning companies are rated on:

▪ System quality

▪ Delivery of services

▪ Human Resources

▪ Health, safety, and environmental care

▪ Commitment to management 

▪ Ecological Awareness

If your business takes the time to do its due diligence, collect referrals, perform in-depth interviews, you will find a good and reputable commercial cleaning company to manage your facility and its cleanliness.  Many cleaning companies address industry issues, quality customer service policy and prudent hiring procedures.

Kat’s Cleaning Service is a top-rated commercial cleaning company in Kansas City. The team is ready to take care of your facility so that you can focus on taking care of your business. Contact us today!