With all the different Companies in today’s market offering Janitorial Services, how can you choose the one that is right for you? Below are a few things to consider when making this decision.

1. Choosing the Janitorial Solution

As a business or building owner you probably know that there are a lot of commercial office cleaning services that you can choose from, but that doesn’t mean that they are the right company for you. When you go about looking for janitorial solutions you will want to take your time and choose the company that is right for you. Ask questions of each of the services that you consider, and if you don’t get the answers that you want, why not keep looking for a service that will provide you with the janitorial solutions that you need? You’ll be glad that you took a bit more time in the end because you’ll get what you want and need without the hassle of having to deal first with people that don’t know what they are doing or simply cannot meet your needs or standards.

2. Consider what janitorial solutions are right for you.

Even if you are new to owning a business or building you probably have a good idea of what you want and need from a janitorial service or those that provide you with your building maintenance. You should take some time to really sit down and think about what you want and need. Make a list of the things that you will absolutely need a service to provide you and then other things that you don’t necessarily need but would be really nice. When you speak with or meet with janitorial companies be sure that you have these lists with you so you can let them know what you are looking for. Be sure that your requests are reasonable, and if you find that a company cannot provide you with what you are looking for it’s wise to simply keep looking.

3. Are they legally allowed to provide you with janitorial solutions?

As your business has grown you may have worked with small janitorial companies or individuals and this is appealing because it can save you a lot of money. The problem with these individuals is that they can also cost you money. You want to work with an office cleaning staff that is licensed to do business in your country, state, city, and county. This is important because if the company or individual is not licensed they likely are not insured or bonded! What’s the big deal? The problem is that an uninsured janitor might get hurt while mopping, and when they fall they want you to pay for their medical care. You might trust your janitor or office-cleaning providers, but you never know what is going to happen when someone gets hurt and doesn’t have the money to pay their own medical bills.

4. Experience counts when it comes to building maintenance.

When you are interviewing candidates to provide you with building maintenance you will want to ask about experience. Experience is not everything, but it does count. If you interview five different companies and they all have about the same prices but four of them have 1-year experience and the other has 25 years experience, you may want to weigh the experience more heavily than everything else. While lack of experience is not something that should keep you from doing business with what seems like an otherwise qualified janitorial service, if you have the choice, those that have been in the business for awhile are usually a great option. The reason that experience counts when providing janitorial solutions is that businesses and individuals get more efficient and effective as they go along.

5. References, References, References!

If you meet someone who wants to provide you with janitorial solutions for your home or your business and you click on a personal and professional level, that is great! One thing that you may not want to overlook is the opportunity to ask the individual for references. As much as we all like to trust people that we work with, references are the only way that we can truly get a glimpse into the integrity and abilities of a janitor or office cleaning provider. The fact of the matter is, there are some really nice people out there that run building maintenance and office cleaning businesses that just aren’t good at what they do!

6. Your Building Maintenance Provider

It’s important to remember that you will need to build a relationship with your building maintenance and office cleaning providers. The reason for this is that you need to be able to openly communicate about what you need, what is being done well, and what could be done better. It’s a good idea to build a relationship with your service providers right out of the gate so that you can build those relationships and have all of your services performed at a time that is most convenient for you, your clients, and your employees or tenants.

7. Janitorial Solutions: provide personal input.

When you interview different janitors and office cleaning companies you will likely find that they have a specific way of doing things. This is often nice because they can give you a list of what will be done each time they visit your office or building so you will know what to expect.

While this works for some people it’s important to remember that because you are paying for the janitorial solutions that you can provide your input and let people know if their systems will work for you or not. Most companies are more than willing to listen to what you need and create an office cleaning plan that is specific to your office or building. If the company or individual is not willing to consider what you need or change their plan it’s generally a good idea to seek help elsewhere. Be sure to provide your personal input, as this sets a standard for the building maintenance and office cleaning service that you employ. If you don’t set the standard you might be really disappointed with the service.

8. Getting The Right Office Cleaning Staff

There’s a lot that goes into finding the right janitorial solutions for your office. If you have unique needs, you simply need to work with a company or individual that is willing to provide you with your office cleaning and building maintenance on your terms. You may have to pay a bit more for unique services that you require, but in the long run you really do get what you pay for!

9. Conducting an On Site Walk-Through

The walk-through provides an important step in selecting the right janitorial service provider. The walk-through provides an opportunity to start developing your short-list of potential service providers. You will have the opportunity to meet potential service providers and get a sense for the company you may be working with.

Additionally, companies that make the investment in time and effort to learn about your company, your facility, and your service requirements are more likely to protect that investment by ensuring they consistently meet your expectations if chosen.

Some janitorial service providers will skip the walk-through and submit their response based simply on a price-per-square-foot. The risk with this pricing model is that it does not take into account the following important considerations:

• Age and condition of the building and its components
• Building density
• Building use: retail, health-care, laboratory, office space
• Building layout
• Number of restrooms & fixtures
• Types of Supplies

If the service provider bids incorrectly due to an item listed above you may find they can’t afford to keep providing you service… or they may simply cut corners to hit their budgets.