You want your facility to be a clean and healthy environment
for your employees. Hiring the right commercial cleaning contractor is one of
the most critical aspects of reaching that objective. As with the
selection of any service provider your ability to hire a cleaning contractor
that will meet your expectations will require that you assess several important
factors. Those factors would include:- Communication of Requirements
- Contractor’s Experience
- Hiring and Training of Cleaning
Staff
- Quality Control
- Green Capabilities Initiatives
- Safety Program and Record
- Certifications
- Overall Contractor Value
In this week's Part 1 post we will review the first three
items on the above list.
Communication of Requirements
Many commercial cleaning contractors have a standard
Statement of Work (SOW) that can be used as a basic template for documenting
your specific cleaning requirements. Or, you may decide to establish your own
SOW for the Contractor. In either case, the final (SOW) should clearly---and in
sufficient detail---describe your cleaning requirements.
Having a documented SOW that clearly defines your requirements
and expectations will help ensure that your requirements are satisfied and help
minimize any potential confusion or misunderstanding.
Contractor’s Experience
When evaluating potential cleaning contractors you will be
taking experience into account. Some things to consider:
- Contractor's
Existing Accounts: Does the Contractor have other
accounts that are similar in size and scope to what your account would
represent? Where would your account fall in terms of size on their list of
existing accounts?
- Reputation and
References: Does the Contractor have a solid reputation in the
marketplace? Do they have references that you can verify and talk to?
- Management and
Leadership:
Does the Contractor have strong management and leadership teams? Do they
foster a visible mentality of excellent customer service?
Hiring and Training of Cleaning Staff
The quality of the Contractor's cleaning service will only
be as good as its cleaning staff.
- Employee
Screening and Selection: Does the Contractor have a robust
process for screening and hiring its cleaning staff? Does the Contractor's
hiring process include routine background checks and drug screenings?
- Employee
Training: How does the Contractor train its new cleaning staff?
Do they have a documented training plan that can be verified? Does the
training process include periodic follow-ups? Does the Contractor have
processes in place that promote a mindset of "continuous
improvement"?
- Employee
Retention: Does the Contractor have a history of being able to
retain its highly-skilled cleaning staff? Do they pay wages and provide
benefits that are competitive with other commercial cleaning contractors
in their market?
Your thorough research on
all of the above questions will provide you with valuable insights as you evaluate
potential commercial cleaning contractors.
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