Yesterday I had a gardener come around my house for the first time to do some classic garden tasks.
Thinking the job would be done well, I left the gardener to do their work with no worries in mind.
Alas… I have to report that this wasn’t the case.
The job we agreed on at the beginning of the day wasn’t completed to my expectations.
It can be frustrating when this happens, right? When you hire a service and the job that’s done is not up to standard…
Has there ever been a time when you’ve experienced this before?
Unfortunately, this is known to happen in the commercial cleaning industry and maybe it’s something you’re experiencing right now. Because unfortunately, there are cleaning services out there who, for a lack of a better word, suck.
If you’re thinking, “hmm I’m not that happy with my current cleaning service but I don’t know why” then you’ve come to the right place. The purpose of this article is to highlight the 4 key indicators that may suggest your cleaning company is likely doing a terrible job.
Now, you may be able to address some of these problems with them and get them resolved. However, it’s more than likely that you’ll need to go off and find a new cleaning service.
Let’s get into it.
The 4 tell-tale signs to look out for
They assume everybody is the same and their needs are the same
No human being is the same.
No company is the same.
No premises is the same.
So why oh why do some cleaning companies assume every client has the same needs and expectations?
When a cleaning service does this, they generally come up with a general templated scope of works for your site without even ASKING YOU the pertinent questions of what cleaning tasks YOU want done at YOUR site.
This is just a recipe for disaster.
It’s as if they’re like school teachers and just hand out the same document (in this case, scope of works) to all their students. While this does work for students because they’re all focusing on the same task, it does not work for different workplaces.
Why?
- No one client has the same expectations
- Every site has different rooms/areas/surfaces that need cleaning
Before cleaning is commenced at a site, the cleaning company should be sitting down with you to discuss what they think is best for your premises, but also what it is you want from them. By doing this, everyone is on the same page.
If this doesn’t happen, the client typically ends up being dissatisfied and requests for adjustments to be made which may not even be possible for the cleaning service to do.
Assuming each client is identical to the last is the first step to your commercial cleaning service doing a terrible job for you.
They aren’t pricing their services correctly
Some questions to think about.
Ever chosen a product or service based on price only?
Did the cheap option turn out to be really low quality and not what you were really after?
If you choose the cheapest cleaning service out there, you can expect them to cut a lot of corners. If they aren’t taking into consideration the importance of having the right price so that they can consistently provide you with a good service, then they’re not that good.
Or it may even be that they’re providing you with vague pricing or playing pricing games with you! If they’re constantly adding extras onto your monthly invoice that you aren’t expecting, then that’s a tell-tale sign to find a new cleaning company.
You want to choose a commercial cleaning company that:
A: pays their employees correctly
And
B: will charge you the correct (and appropriate) amount every time
👉 Don’t know how much a cleaning company should charge hourly? Take a look at our article How Much Does a Commercial Cleaning Service Cost for all the answers and more!
They don’t train their cleaners consistently
How would you feel if you started a new job and your boss expected you to get straight into it on your first day?
No training, no supervision, no help.
Would you feel comfortable? Or, nervous? (probably the latter).
Often, most commercial cleaning services throw their cleaners into the deep end immediately. They are offered inadequate, or if any training at all. They aren’t:
- Taken around the site and shown which areas/surfaces to clean
- Shown how to use the cleaning equipment and products they’re given (if this is even the case – sometimes they have to bring their own)
- Educated on cross-contamination and how to prevent it
- Trained in using any new technologies or cleaning solutions
Without trained cleaning staff, you will never have a consistently clean, safe, and healthy site – this is why your cleaning service is not up to scratch.
You want to be sure that your cleaning company are training their staff to enhance their skills, and to also be consistent in the services they’re providing.
👉 Got the urge to read more on cleaner training and supervision? Read our article here Do Your Cleaners Receive Proper Training and Supervision.
High turnover of staff
Is your commercial cleaning company going through staff like there’s no tomorrow?
Are you constantly seeing a new cleaner turn up at your site?
Well, this can only mean one thing – they have a high turnover of employees.
When cleaning staff are paid poorly, work in difficult conditions, aren’t provided with proper training (which diminishes their pride), and aren’t supported, they quit their job and move on to find the next cleaning company.
Why would they stay when they aren’t being treated fairly? Would you?
Now, the impact high staff turnover can have on your site includes:
- Rotating in and out of cleaners can lead to poor quality work
- The cleaners don’t learn the ins and outs of your premises fully = can’t work efficiently and effectively
- Your relationship with the cleaning staff and the actual company itself can become affected
- The costs to the cleaning company could be increased, which could be passed on to you
If you’re constantly seeing new cleaners at your workplace every other week, then that’s a sign of a bad cleaning service.
Find a commercial cleaning service that values its employees, trains them, and works with them.
Does your current cleaning provider check all 4 boxes?
Were you nodding your head or saying “mhmm” to all 4 tell-tale signs?
If your answer is yes, then it’s time to look for a new commercial cleaning service.
You don’t deserve to deal with a cleaning company that cuts corners, and certainly, not one that doesn’t offer the service initially promised.
We get that finding a good commercial cleaning company can be a hard and daunting task. But never fret, because the team at In-Tec has the exact solution for this! Download our eBook below, The Ultimate Guide to Selecting a Commercial Cleaning Company and follow the easy 6 step process. Feel confident about choosing the right cleaning service for you!
