You see some potential customers heading into your business. As they step through the doors, you notice how they are looking around. They are making strange expressions on their faces. Confused, you try to see what they are looking at. Then you notice it: The stains on the carpet and the dingy lighting with the bugs inside of the enclosures. They whisper under their breath about the dank smell of the place.
They also point to the employee with most of their lunch sitting on their desk, ketchup dripping onto the floor. Quickly they turn around and leave. Embarrassed, you know you have to take action and take it now.
Any business worth their weight knows that their business’s appearance is everything, not only to their employees but also to their customers. People can quickly tell if a business has any pride in its appearance. As a business owner, you know your workspace needs to look its best at all times.
With the sheer number of cleaning services out there, you might be confused about who and what to look for. Do you go by price, quality, or reputation? Let’s find out how to identify professional commercial cleaners.
Is the Commercial Cleaner Licensed and Bonded?
That depends on the size of the cleaning company. For most small-scale residential and commercial cleaners in Texas, there is no requirement to get any type of special license or permit from the state. Larger cleaning services are required to have a license in order to store chemical products.
That said, you need to remember that when dealing with a cleaning company that is not licensed or bonded, your business will not necessarily be protected in case of accidents, damage, or theft.
Always make sure the company has adequate liability insurance. If not, you might find your business dealing with a world of pain trying to replace damaged or stolen items.
We recommend only dealing with licensed and bonded commercial cleaning services.
Are the Employees Vetted?
The last thing you should have to worry about are the employees you’ve contracted to handle cleaning duties at your business. Always check to make sure the cleaning company has performed proper vetting of their employees. All professional cleaning services will state directly on their website whether or not perform criminal background checks on their employees. Some companies perform drug tests and much more.
The bottom line: You potentially have a bunch of people in your building you really know nothing about. It’s hard to trust people you don’t know really well. If you cannot find the answers about how those people are vetted from their company website, contact the cleaning company directly.
If they do not provide this type of information on their employees, we suggest you run like the wind.
Are the Cleaning Teams Trained?
You should always stick to the motto: “You get what you pay for”. It might be easy to try to use a fly-by-night commercial cleaning service to save a few bucks, but in the end, is it really worth the risk?
Always check with the cleaning company to see if the employees are properly trained in their jobs. Ask certain questions to make sure the employees know exactly what to do in case of a hazardous spill or other emergencies. If chemicals are mixed improperly they could cause all sorts of problems for your employees and customers.
If the company’s answer goes something like, “Well, we would advise them to just run”, then you might want to consider another commercial cleaner.
What Do Past Customers Have to Say?
One of the best things you can do when looking for a commercial cleaner is to find out what other customers think about them. Word of mouth is fantastic when attempting to get the real deal on a company’s reputation. Have no shame and ask the cleaning company for a few references to contact.
Ask those references about how the cleaning crew performed their job and if there were any specific problems. See if the crew showed up on time. Did they follow written instructions? Did they forget anything? Find out how professional they were, and especially if they were meticulous and didn’t leave any messes behind. Real-world feedback cannot be beaten.
What Cleaning Methods Do They Use?
- Does the cleaning team follow only a specific list of steps when cleaning?
- Can the cleaning be customized for my business?
- What about performing after-hours cleaning?
Most commercial cleaning teams use a step by step list to ensure cleaning compliance of common areas at all businesses. These lists help to make sure that all teams have a routine way of making sure nothing has been forgotten. Good cleaning companies offer customized plans for your individual business without any problem.
Be sure that the cleaning company works around your schedule and not just their own. Any professional cleaner will be more than happy to work at different hours to prevent disruption to your business.
Check to See What Chemicals Are Used
Make sure that all chemicals used for cleaning your business are safe. If some are hazardous, find out what type they are and what effects they might have on people with allergies or other underlying conditions. Any professional cleaner will be more than willing to give you a copy of that chemical’s Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).
MSDS sheets provide all information about any chemical products, including their makeup and any hazards related to them. They are extremely handy, easy to understand, and help to provide information in an emergency.
Why Allied Facility Care Is the Professional Cleaning Company for You
When you know your business needs the best possible cleaning services, you should consider Allied Facility Care. Serving Dallas and surrounding counties for the last 25 years, you better believe we know what we’re doing.
- We’re local
- We have highly trained personnel
- We perform background checks and drug testing on all employees
- We are licensed, bonded, and insured
If you have more questions about us please contact Allied Facility Care today for more info and a free quote.