Welp MagazineSuddenly, it’s clear that vacuuming and emptying wastebaskets isn’t enough for cleaning in a business environment. Cleaning services that offer deep cleaning are experiencing a boom in inquiries and referrals. Small businesses that have been handling their own cleaning may now be considering hiring professionals. Whether yours is an office or retail environment, here are tips on choosing a commercial cleaning service for your business.
Experience and Reputation
Now that having a clean and sanitized work environment has rocketed to top-of-mind, services without much experience may be tempted to jump in. Ensure that any service you are considering has experience in your kind of business environment, with the type of cleaning you need. You can visit company website to check this quickly.
Companies that specialize in providing sanitizing services to medical offices and industries may or may not have experience with your specific needs or the kind of building that houses your operation. A service with experience cleaning office environments may not have expertise sanitizing for food services. For example, you should certainly know how to clean your commercial meat grinder, but your restaurant might benefit further from professional cleaning services for dining areas and bathrooms. It never hurts to have double cleaning duty.
Check on a cleaning business’s reputation carefully. Ask for references and check reviews. Take note of how the business responds to any negative reviews. Be very wary of a business that is dodgy about supplying references.
Hiring and Training
Ask detailed questions about a commercial cleaner’s hiring practices. Do they conduct background checks on all their workers? Find out details about how they train workers in safe practices and the safe use of cleaning products. Ask what kind of personal protective equipment they provide to their workers. This information will give you a better sense of the company’s professionalism and concern for both its workers and your business.
License and Insurance
Cleaning services work with equipment and materials that can cause injury, illness, or even death if used incorrectly. Ask for documentation of licensure, liability, and worker’s compensation insurance, and any other type of insurance against risks that may apply to your business. These potentially include property insurance that would compensate for theft or damage to inventory.
Flexibility and Responsiveness
It’s important to get an idea of whether the company you contact can handle and prioritize the volume of calls they are getting right now. Find out what services are included in both standard and deep cleaning contracts and get a timeline that addresses your business’s needs. Some services are on a nightly, quarterly, or annual schedule (vacuuming, dusting, and emptying trash nightly or stripping and re-waxing floors annually). Find out what would happen if you had a sudden and unexpected need for deep cleaning and sanitizing. A reputable service won’t make promises it can’t keep.
These are just a few tips for choosing a commercial cleaning service for your business. Use common sense and the same kind of diligence you’d employ when entering into any business contract or agreement. If the terms aren’t right, look elsewhere.
