Top Signs You Need To Change Commercial Cleaners!
If you own a business and have a contracted janitorial/commercial cleaner, you may have started out happy with the service. At first, it was a honeymoon phase. Your floors were sparkling, not a spec of dust in site, and you never think twice of what has to get cleaned, you know it will get done.
Until…
Things start to not work for you. Carpets aren’t as clean, floors don’t sparkle, and your employees keep sneezing from dusty fans. You start to realize your relationship with your cleaner isn’t working out. But what if it is still sparkling? Or has never been that great, you just tolerated it all before?
Do you thrive on Consistency?
The cleaning needs of businesses need to be taken care of consistently. Gaps in time and thoroughness can really show up at the worst time. A client could notice the dust collecting on shelves, or a bad rainstorm could have employees dragging in wet mud and debris into your front lobby.
Consistency also gives you peace of mind. You can depend on things being done right, on time, and when you need it most. You don’t have to worry about the cleaning and you can focus on your business. It sounds great and it is achievable with the right cleaning company.
So how can you tell when it is time to say goodbye to your current commercial cleaning? Here are some tips to help you figure it out!
Things are sometimes good. Sometimes bad.
Commercial cleaning should always be good. End of story. But sometimes we let things slip. Things that are sometimes good and sometimes bad have a habit of snowballing. It can start small. You may notice things cropping up. An unemptied trashcan here, a muddy footprint from two days ago, and a dingy window there. You may even let it slide. But then the next time it is two trashcans, a track of dirt in your lobby, and your front door’s glass is smeared with dust.
When things start to crop up like that, you will start to see that the inconsistency is happening more frequently. It almost becomes expected for the work to not be as great. When you reach that mindset, your expectations go down but your stress goes right up.
We already touched on the important of consistency and clients will often feel it most when they can’t seem to get the same quality of work again and again,
You can’t get hold of them.
There is nothing more frustrating than working with a company and having them ghost you. They may randomly communicate at odd times but much of the time you are chasing them. Missed calls, unanswered emails, all of it adds up to more stress for you.
Or, you may have consistent contact with your commercial cleaner. But for some reason, things never really get done properly. You may ask for certain things to get done, and only half ever are cleaned. Or your request for areas to be cleaned properly gets ignored and the areas are cleaned fast and improperly.
Either way, this frustrating communication dance gets old. It consumes time and energy that could be spent elsewhere. Disconnecting yourself from it is the best move. This is your business you are taking care of and you deserve to receive prompt responses to your inquiry.
They’re a bit too old-school
It can seem like cleaning is cleaning, what changes? But a lot can change and quickly. The COVID-19 pandemic changed how many businesses looked at their cleaning practices and the importance of cleanliness for the health of their employees and clients. Like any business, commercial cleaning can fall into a rut of cleaning practices if they don’t keep up to date with the latest cleaning practices. The latest cleaning trends as shown by FC&M continue to demonstrate that moving with the changing times is important to commercial cleaning businesses.
Here are a few ways cleaning has changed.
Green cleaning products such as low-VOC
Water-saving equipment
High-Tech Disinfection Methods
Increased emphasis on employee wellness and clean work areas
Equipment also may need updating. If their equipment looks ancient and leaks, doesn’t perform well, or seems ready to stop working, this could create larger problems. Sometimes a reliable vacuum can last years but it never hurts to be sure it is running as reliably as it can.
If you have a commercial cleaner, you can ask them about their practices, including their cleaning products. Their practices may be out of date or stuck in the 90s. It is important for the health of your staff and customers that they be as up to date as possible, to prevent any hazards or illnesses from becoming a big problem.
You’ve almost made that call more than once.
This is a big sign many business owners often ignore. It is similar to a gut feeling you may have about a situation. If you have ever been so frustrated you picked up the phone, almost sent that email or text, and stopped yourself, it may be just a one time thing. But if you have done so several times before, then it may be a sign that your relationship with your cleaner isn’t 100% working.
Knowing that your professional relationship is on shaky ground can create a toxic atmosphere if you don’t act to rectify it. This can mean that you may find yourself struggling to treat your cleaner with mutual respect, harbour resentment, or even put off hard conversations. The more you delay, the more you begin to feel uneasy and your business could suffer as well.
Having those hard conversations is necessary in business. Remember that if you find yourself nearly sending that cancellation email more than once, it is a sign that something is very wrong with your business relationships. The only solution is to talk it out and come to a conclusion that works for you and your business.
Safety isn’t the number 1 concern
At Clean Works, the safety of our staff and clients remains our biggest concern. Work should not and cannot be done if the conditions are unsafe. This gives our clients peace of mind and our staff the knowledge they need to perform their duties safely. This isn’t just something we stick on a business pamphlet; we believe in the safety and protection of staff, clients, and anyone who may be involved.
When it comes to safety, it may be easy to notice something is wrong and dismiss it as just business. Perhaps something that that company does differently.
Examples of unsafe practices may include:
Excessive amounts of water on the floor after mopping
Lack of safety equipment such as goggles and gloves
Electrical components left near open water and/or in poor condition
Climbing too high of ladders without safety equipment or training
Speaking up when you see something that appears unsafe and hazardous is everyone’s duty, but when you see it at your own place of business, it becomes very important. Not only is it your place of business, but it is where you, your employees, and clients should be able to move about in a safe, unhindered way. This means no tripping or slipping hazards, equipment and cleaning supplies out of reach of anyone but trained staff, and clear signage.
If you raise your concerns to your cleaning partner, if it is not taken care of immediately, it may be time to reconsider your relationship with them.
Trust Your Gut—And Upgrade Your Clean
If reading this list felt a little too familiar, take it as your sign. Running a business comes with enough challenges; chasing down your janitorial team or worrying about slipping hazards shouldn't be one of them. You deserve a professional cleaning partner that respects your time, values modern wellness standards, and delivers the exact same sparkling results on day 100 as they did on day one.
Don't wait for a major slip-up or a ruined client impression to make the switch. Let Clean Works restore your peace of mind with our transparent communication and high-tech, safe cleaning methods.
Stop tolerating the bare minimum. Click here to schedule a talk with the Clean Works team and experience safe, consistent, and thorough commercial cleaning!