Choosing a commercial cleaning company sounds pretty simple. Get a few quotes, compare the pricing, check some references, and pick a company.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that way.
We’ve been in the commercial cleaning business since 2007, and we’ve taken over plenty of buildings where the previous cleaning company started out strong but slowly went downhill. Restrooms start getting missed. Floors aren’t being cleaned as often as they’re supposed to be. Complaints take too long to get resolved. Eventually, the customer realizes they’re spending too much time managing their cleaning company.
A lot of those problems can be avoided by asking the right questions before you hire someone.
Here are nine factors I would look at when choosing a commercial cleaning company.
1. How do you know the cleaning actually got done?
This is becoming one of the biggest issues in our industry.
Most commercial cleaning happens at night when nobody from the customer’s organization is there. You come in the next morning and assume everything on the scope of work was completed.
But was it?
If you’re managing a large facility, you shouldn’t have to walk the entire building every morning to make sure your cleaning company did its job.
Ask the company a simple question:
How can you prove the work was completed?
A good system should be able to show you when the cleaning took place, where it took place, and ideally provide photographic documentation.
This is one of the reasons we developed our Proof of Cleaning™ program at Caring Commercial Cleaning. Our team can provide time-stamped and GPS-verified photos documenting the work being performed.
We don’t think customers should have to take our word for it.
Regardless of which cleaning company you choose, there should be some type of accountability beyond someone checking a box on a piece of paper.
2. Have they cleaned facilities similar to yours?
Commercial cleaning isn’t one-size-fits-all.
Cleaning a small professional office is very different from managing the janitorial program for a large school, government facility, or multi-building property.
For example, schools may require background checks, coordination around school activities, summer deep cleaning, and daytime custodial coverage.
Government facilities can have security requirements, restricted areas, detailed scopes of work, and strict contract requirements.
Large commercial properties may have multiple tenants, property managers, special requests, and different cleaning requirements throughout the building.
Ask potential vendors for references from customers that are actually similar to you.
If you have a 300,000-square-foot facility, a reference from a 5,000-square-foot office doesn’t tell you very much.
3. Are they properly insured?
This should be an easy one.
Before hiring a commercial cleaning company, request current certificates of insurance, including general liability and workers’ compensation coverage.
You should also ask whether employees are bonded.
A professional cleaning company should be able to provide this documentation without any hesitation.
4. Who is actually going to be cleaning your building?
At the end of the day, you’re not hiring a logo or a website. You’re hiring the people who are going to show up every night and clean your facility.
Ask how employees are hired, screened, and trained.
- Are they employees or subcontractors?
- Are background checks performed?
- How are new employees trained?
- What happens when your regular cleaner calls in sick?
- Who supervises the account?
These questions become especially important when you’re dealing with schools, government facilities, or larger buildings.
You also want to know whether the company has enough management staff to support its accounts. A salesperson may be very responsive during the bidding process. The more important question is who answers the phone six months after the contract starts.
5. What happens when there’s a problem?
There will eventually be a problem.
That’s true with every cleaning company, including ours.
Someone may call in sick. A cleaner may miss something. A toilet may overflow. An unexpected event may be scheduled. Something will eventually happen.
What matters is how the company responds.
You should know who your main point of contact is and how quickly you can expect a response.
For larger facilities, I would also ask what happens after normal business hours. If there’s an issue at 9:00 PM, can you reach somebody who can actually do something about it?
A good cleaning company doesn’t promise that nothing will ever go wrong.
They make sure problems get fixed when they do.
6. Is the scope of work detailed?
One of the easiest ways for a cleaning contract to go sideways is a vague scope of work.
“Clean restroom” sounds straightforward until the customer and cleaning company have two completely different ideas about what that means.
A good scope should clearly spell out what gets cleaned and how often.
- Daily.
- Weekly.
- Monthly.
- Quarterly.
It should also explain what supplies and equipment are included and what services would be considered additional work.
The more detail you have before the contract starts, the fewer disagreements you’ll have later.
7. Don’t automatically choose the cheapest price
Everybody wants a competitive price. We do too.
But there’s a point where a cleaning company’s price simply doesn’t support the amount of labor required to properly clean the building.
Labor is by far the largest cost in commercial cleaning.
If one company is dramatically cheaper than everyone else, ask why.
- How many labor hours are included?
- How many employees will be assigned to the building?
- How often are certain tasks being performed?
- What’s included in the base price?
Sometimes a lower price comes from operating more efficiently. Other times it comes from putting fewer people in the building and hoping the customer doesn’t notice.
We’ve been able to save many customers money by looking at their existing cleaning program and finding ways to schedule the work more efficiently. Our customers save approximately 15% on average when switching to Caring.
Saving money is great.
Just make sure you’re comparing the actual service you’re receiving and not simply the number at the bottom of the proposal.
8. Can they handle your organization as it grows?
This may not matter if you have one small location.
It matters quite a bit if you manage multiple facilities.
Ask whether the company has the management structure, staffing, technology, and reporting systems necessary to manage multiple locations while maintaining consistent standards.
Cleaning one office is one thing.
Managing multiple campuses or facilities spread across Greater Houston is another.
If you expect your organization to grow, it’s worth choosing a cleaning company that can grow with you.
9. Look at their track record
There are a lot of cleaning companies out there, so look for things that help separate established companies from everyone else.
- How long have they been in business?
- How long do their customers typically stay?
- Do they have industry certifications?
- Have they received any outside recognition?
- Are they an awarded vendor through cooperative purchasing contracts?
For schools and government entities, cooperative contracts such as Choice Partners can be especially valuable because the competitive procurement process has already been completed and purchasing may be considerably easier.
At Caring Commercial Cleaning, we’ve been serving the Greater Houston area since 2007. We’ve cleaned everything from schools and government facilities to large commercial properties, and we’ve continued to invest in technology and systems that make it easier for our customers to know exactly what they’re getting.
Commercial Cleaning Vendor Checklist
Before hiring a cleaning company, here are some questions worth asking:
Accountability
- How do you verify that the cleaning was completed?
- Can you provide photo documentation?
- Will I receive reports automatically?
Experience
- Do you currently clean facilities similar to mine?
- Do you have experience with facilities of this size?
- Can you provide references?
Insurance and Protection
- Can you provide current general liability insurance?
- Do you carry workers’ compensation insurance?
- Are your employees bonded?
Employees
- Are cleaners employees or subcontractors?
- Are background checks performed?
- How are employees trained?
- Who supervises my account?
- How do you cover employee absences?
Customer Service
- Who will be my primary contact?
- What happens if I have an issue after normal business hours?
- How quickly are complaints normally resolved?
Scope and Pricing
- Will I receive a detailed written scope of work?
- How many labor hours are included in the proposal?
- What’s included in the monthly price?
- What would be considered additional work?
Experience and Scale
- Can you manage multiple locations?
- What certifications do you have?
- Are you available through any cooperative purchasing contracts?
Frequently Asked Questions
Accountability is one of the most important things to look for. Commercial cleaning usually takes place when the customer isn’t there, so there should be a way to verify that the work was actually completed. Photo documentation, time stamps, GPS verification, inspections, and reporting can all help provide that accountability.
Commercial cleaning prices vary based on the size of the building, frequency of service, facility type, scope of work, and amount of labor required. When comparing proposals, don’t look only at the monthly price. Ask how many labor hours are included and exactly what services are included in that price.
Yes. Ask for current certificates showing general liability and workers’ compensation insurance. You should also ask whether employees are bonded.
Ask about their experience with facilities similar to yours, employee screening and training, insurance, supervision, quality-control procedures, emergency response, scope of work, pricing, and how they verify that the work was actually completed.
Looking for a Commercial Cleaning Company in Houston?
Choosing a cleaning company shouldn’t mean giving yourself another company to manage.
You should know what’s being cleaned, know who to call when there’s a problem, and have confidence that you’re getting what you’re paying for.
That’s exactly what we’ve tried to build at Caring Commercial Cleaning.
If you manage a school, government facility, office building, or commercial property in Greater Houston, we’d be happy to take a look at your current cleaning program and give you a quote.
Request a free walkthrough and cleaning proposal or call us at 281-738-3951.
And with our Proof of Cleaning™ program, you don’t have to wonder whether the work got done.
We’ll show you.