Key Questions to Ask Before Signing a Commercial Cleaning Contract

Choosing a commercial cleaning company is a responsibility often left to facility and operation managers, property owners, procurement departments and executives.

While vendor and service provider choices are always important, few of those decisions have the same everyday impact on employees and operations as commercial cleaning. Worker productivity, safety and job satisfaction, as well as a business’s reputation with clients, will be influenced by your business’s choice of commercial cleaner.

Vetting janitorial service providers thoroughly is key to making a smart choice. Although many commercial and office cleaners offer similar services, the quality may vary significantly.

Asking the right questions upfront can save you the hassle of replacing a commercial cleaning company that failed to meet your expectations.

Basic Qualifications to Narrow Your Search

Narrowing your list of potential commercial cleaners to legitimate businesses with verifiable references and qualifications can increase the speed of your search:

Experience and Specialization: Business decision makers know better than anyone the unique concerns their operations must contend with. In Odessa and Midlands, where transportation, distribution and energy businesses make up a significant percentage of the local economy, it’s important to find a commercial cleaning service provider who has experience with businesses like yours.

References: You should skip any commercial cleaning provider that can’t provide references or discourages you from asking. While online reviews can be helpful, speaking to references is often more enlightening when you’re considering commercial vendors or service providers.

Service Plan Customization: Ascertaining whether the commercial cleaner is flexible enough to meet your business’s needs is vital. Don’t risk wasting your time vetting a company only to discover halfway through the process that they can’t adapt their services to your requirements.  

Questions to Ask a Commercial Cleaning Company

What types of businesses are in your book of business? Can you provide references?

The cleaning requirements of businesses vary significantly based on their facilities and operations. A warehouse or manufacturing facility and a preschool or insurance agency have very few physical attributes in common.

A commercial cleaner that has never provided janitorial or cleaning services for an operation like yours may still be able to do the job, but there could be a learning curve. Do you want your business to be the one where they learn through trial and error?

How do you customize your cleaning services to meet your clients’ unique needs?

Determining whether a commercial cleaner has the knowhow and experience to adapt to the differing cleaning requirements of various industries and workspaces is important. Your business may not require the same cleaning services as a dentist, church or auto dealership, but knowing a commercial cleaner has the capability to think critically and customize a service plan based on the space and industry can tell you a lot about them.

A flexible commercial cleaner who excels at identifying needs and providing solutions is likely capable of doing the same for your business.

What are your contract terms, and can they be adjusted to meet my requirements?

This question may seem obvious, but it’s important enough to be worth stating. A cleaner’s contract flexibility or pricing structure will likely play a significant role in your eventual decision. These can be large contracts, and there is often room for negotiation if you receive quotes from multiple vendors.

What types of liability insurance do you have?

Confirm the commercial cleaner carries adequate general liability coverage, workers’ comp and bonding insurance. A commercial cleaner’s answer to this question may help you separate the serious cleaning service providers from the fledgling or amateur operations.

Can you walk me through the typical cleaning process you would recommend for my business?

Even if you have your own cleaning ideas in mind, listening to the commercial cleaner’s recommendations can tell you a lot about how they approach their work. Does their process make sense to you? Did they mention any services you hadn’t thought of yourself? Do you believe their process falls short of what you need, and is there a price difference between what they quoted for basic cleaning and the level of service you require?  

What is your policy and approach to handling complaints or damage to client property?

Mistakes and damage do happen in commercial cleaning. A good commercial cleaner should train employees and hold them accountable to eliminate these situations or make them as rare as possible.

You should never enter into a vendor agreement assuming the vendor can guarantee no damage to your property will ever occur. Be sure you feel comfortable not just with their sense of accountability but also their process for reporting damage and correcting it.

Speak With a Trusted Office Cleaning and Janitorial Service Provider in Odessa and Midland

Businesses seeking a dependable commercial cleaning or janitorial partner should request a consultation and quote from the team at West Texas Commercial Cleaning. We’re dedicated to transparency, accountability and honesty. Our team would be happy to answer any questions you have and provide a custom quote based on your operational needs. Call us at 432-552-9520 to get started.