Business Management ABCs

Hiring a Janitorial Service For Your Facility Or Business – A Manager’s Guide

So, you are in charge (or have been put in charge) of the job to hire a janitorial services company to clean your business or facility.

If you have been in charge of doing this in the past, or perhaps you face doing it again, then this article may be very important for you to read.

The janitorial industry is the backbone of the services industry in the United States, with thousands of small, medium and large companies to choose from. The purpose of this article is to guide you through the process of selecting the right company for your business or facility.

First, remember your objective. Do you want someone to do everything in regard to cleaning, and what do you expect to have done? How many services per week have been budgeted for, and what cleaning tasks do you require to have completed. Try to put a list together of everything that you want done, and have this ready for potential janitorial companies that you interview.

Second, contact companies that fit your criteria of cleaning. Ask questions about the nature of their business and the capabilities of their staff. For instance, don’t call a janitorial company that does not strip and wax floors if you have regular cleaning duties AND floor work that needs to be done- you will end up hiring two companies rather than one. Also, companies that are very small, single person operations or part-time operators may have trouble meeting your needs if you job is large or does not have the flexibility if the small operator gets sick or needs time off.

Third, interview the companies that seem to meet your qualifications and ask for a proposal based on your cleaning requirements. Get the proposal in writing and if the company does not provide one, look elsewhere. If they cannot produce a proposal, there is a good chance other things might be missing like bonding, insurance or documentation on workers.

Fourth, ask for references and visit facilities that are similar to yours, to see how clean they are. The proof is in the pudding.

Fifth, compare proposals from the companies you contact and make a selection. Be sure to have all of the details in writing and copies of their bonding, insurance and workman’s compensation insurance.

Now, once you have made the selection, the test will be how well they live up to the expectations you have outlined. If you made the right choice you will have a clean building and the start of a great new relationship with your cleaning company!

Here are some common pitfalls to avoid after you have hired a company:

Do not expect more than what you are paying for. This is a common mistake made by managers and unless things are outlined, up front, before the cleaning takes place, you should not expect extra cleaning duties to be “included”.

Do not ask your staff to keep track of how clean the building is being kept. Don’t ask for a report of problems every day. The result will be employees with nothing better to do than complain to you about the cleaning company. Everyone is great at pointing the finger at someone else’s mistakes and you don’t need the headache.

Do not settle for excuses. If there is a problem, address it as soon as possible and ask what actions will be taken to correct the problem. Most reputable companies have procedures in place to handle problems. Expecting perfection is unrealistic but do not settle for shoddy service.

Do not set “traps” for the cleaning crew. Placing paper clips in the corner or other trick to see if the cleaning staff will notice simply means you are wasting time doing things not related to your job function. Your time would be better spent looking for real issues and helping find ways to solve the problem.

John McTighe has 15 years of experience in the cleaning and maintenance business. You can visit his blog on cleaning and maintenance in the Fargo, ND area at Fargo ND Cleaning or, he has a great resource for articles on cleaning at Big Fish Service Company