Making a change to your facility’s cleaning processes can seem overwhelming at first, but it doesn’t have to be!

Knowing what questions to ask and how to evaluate your facility’s needs will help you get clear on important details and maximize your chances of partnering with the perfect commercial cleaner. 

Ready to successfully make the transition raise the bar at your facility? Here are four clarifying questions to ask yourself before starting the RFP process on your facility’s commercial cleaning needs. 

  1. What am I hoping to achieve by making a change to my facility’s cleaning process?

 First thing’s first: when hiring a professional commercial cleaner, what results are you looking for?

Maybe you have a crystal clear vision on the exact changes you hope to see implemented; you know you’re sick of fielding negative calls and complaints, and user’s feedback has been specific about what areas are in need of immediate attention.

Other times, you only know something needs to change, but can’t quite put your finger on what.

Start by listening to your team’s feedback. What has been circling the drain that you haven’t had an opportunity to tackle up until now? It’s well documented that a fresh, well-maintained office space boosts team morale and reduces employee turnover; the same is true for creating an atmosphere of welcome and comfort for visiting customers or clients. 

Take a walk around your public-facing spaces, as well as your office spaces. Sit in your waiting room chairs. Take in the view from places your team members and customers linger, and observe what needs attention — dust on ledges, forgotten corners where cobwebs gather, air vents and returns that have collected dirt and grime. 

Make a list of things you know need attention, even if you’re not sure about the frequency of cleaning. 

Once you’ve determined the scope of work, it’s time to look at your expectations. 

 

  1. What are my expectations for final deliverables?

Determining how you want your facility to look and feel at a high level will help you to choose a commercial cleaner who can deliver consistent results on time, every time.

Do you need your restrooms cleaned once a week, or daily? Do your boardrooms and conference rooms need service between every meeting, or only as needed? 

If you don’t know the answers to these questions just yet, don’t worry! A good commercial cleaner will have the expertise and industry knowledge to give you a reasonable expectation of what needs to happen, and how often. 

Depending on the size of your facility and the number of employees, you may find your common areas (kitchen, break rooms, lobby) need attention more frequently, while places like cubicles or storage areas only need serviced weekly. 

Weather and changing seasons also play into creating your commercial cleaning bid; cleaning up salt in the walkways during winter or the removal of garbage in inclement weather may seem like small factors, but should be taken into account when outlining your expectations for final deliverables. 

In the end, no request is too big (or too small!) for a commercial cleaner committed to delivering your exact requirements.

 

  1. Am I willing to pay less to get my basic boxes checked, or am I willing to invest for a long-term partnership and consistent, dependable results?

Has this situation ever happened to you?

After days of preparing a proposal for services, you begin to receive bids from a variety of commercial cleaners. Each company received your same desired scope of work — but as you look through the incoming bids, you notice something strange. 

Some are significantly more of an investment, while others are unexplainably less expensive. 

What happened? There’s a reason why you may find yourself looking at two (or more) competing cleaning bids and experiencing sticker shock. Think about your cable provider, and the deal they offered you for your first few months versus the price you paid one year in. 

 Many commercial cleaners price their contracts to win them, not to maintain them. 

And while no one likes to talk dollars and cents, in the world of commercial cleaning, you truly do get what you pay for. 

Bottom line: in the long run, a professional and experienced commercial cleaning company will save you money, along with countless hours of explanatory emails, apologies, and do-overs by maximizing their time and energy to deliver an exceptional result the first time – for the long term

Once you’ve determined your scope of work, your expectations, and gotten comfortable with a price point, the final step is to compare and contrast incoming bids for service.

 

  1. How do I compare and contrast different commercial cleaning bids?

Your bids are in. Your expectations are clear. Your scope of work is outlined. Now, how do you choose which commercial cleaner to go with?

Seeking a more professional and responsive provider is a big piece to the puzzle for many facility managers, and is often the driving factor in selecting a bid.

If you’ve used a commercial cleaning company before, you may have ended your contract due to a lack of performance quality; however, it’s far more common for facility managers to be underwhelmed by the level of customer service or general lack of responsiveness.

At Vanguard Cleaning Systems of Minnesota, we understand how frustrating it can be when your service provider fails to respond to your calls and emails. That’s why a signature part of our discovery and implementation process includes a ‘matchmaker’ communication model, where we match a client with a provider crew who closely mirrors their personality and communication style.

Want timely updates at every interval? Or do you only want to be contacted as needed? Vanguard lets you set the terms of communication so there’s never a question of what’s happening, or when. 

 

At the end of the day, you deserve a service provider who listens to your needs, responds in a timely manner, and makes you feel as important as you are.

Vanguard Cleaning Systems of Minnesota is ready to help you put your best foot forward. CONTACT US today for your FREE 15 minute facility consultation.

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Ready to hire a new commercial cleaning company?

Vanguard Cleaning Systems of Minnesota can help you consider all your needs and options before you make a move. Download our free guide, “8 Steps to Hiring a Commercial Cleaning Company”