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Having a cleaning contractor to clean your office comes with numerous benefits, but the most important of all is that you get to focus on your work whilst still providing a positive impression to clients when they visit your office. Your employees also get to work in a clean environment and productivity is at an all-time high.
Finding the ideal company to handle your office cleaning requirements can be a daunting task, fortunately this articles covers some essential guidelines on how to find the perfect contractor. Here are some of the things you need to consider when hiring a cleaning contractor for your workspace:
1. Check each company’s background
Try to ask questions about each cleaning company, where they are coming from and if they can give you a superior services compared to other companies available in the area. You could also find out how they operate, how many days in a week do they work? How many hours in a day are they available?
2. Ask for references
Do a little research on the company’s reputation before deciding to work with them. Get to know where each company stands within your local business community and find out how well they satisfy their customers’ needs. You can do this by going through some online reviews or feedback from the people they have worked with. Find out if other companies are satisfied with their services and if they would recommend them.
3. Do they have liability insurance?
Any cleaning business with an intention to grow should be fully insured, they should be able to provide proof of this insurance that shows the level of cover they have. In addition to liability insurance the cleaning company should have workers compensation insurance and hire regular employees and not cash-in-hand workers.
4. Make sure the company employs professionals
As a prospective employer or subcontractor, it is important to ask whether these cleaning companies vet their employees. Doing so allows them to hire the best employees that can be trusted in your premises without constant supervision. How do their employees behave at work? Are they professional? Do they do their work properly? You may also need to know how these people dress for work. Are they presentable in their line of duty? Do they have any sort of identification or badges?
5. Is the company well established?
Does the company have a proven track record? Can they demonstrate what they have achieved for other clients in the recent past? Having an established process is good proof of great standards and an established reputation is also important.
6. Does the cleaning company have a checklist for their employees?
A couple of important questions should help you to make an informed decision. Do they have an established process that includes a checklist for their staff? These checklists allow their workers to clean every part of your office space in an ordered manner. Make a point to find out the kind of cleaning supplies and equipment they use. Are they proficient in identifying and dealing with trouble spots and what kind of products do they use for the cleaning operation? Do they use organic or synthetic chemicals? Do they have a precise list of areas to cover?
7. Go for companies that operate in your local market
The best suited cleaning companies are those with an office close to your location. This means they can get to your location faster, and in case you need to talk to them in person, face-to-face communication helps a lot. Companies with local managers are also great because they are easy to reach. Franchises, on the other hand, can be hard to work with because most of the times their management is located in other cities.
8. Does the company have Material Data Safety Sheets?
MSDS lists are an integral part of safety procedures for any cleaning company. Any business that makes people handle chemicals must have an MSDS list for each substance, harmful or not. The MSDS list displays each chemical’s properties and the effects of prolonged exposure to them. They come in many languages and each worker is entitled to access them. The list has procedures of handling and transporting substances safely within the work setting.
9. Is the company flexible?
You need to look for a company that can reschedule their plans so that they can accommodate yours. If you need to work at night, the crew should be available late in the evening when everyone in the office has gone home. When a cleaning company is flexible, they’ll help you save a lot of money and time if you need to change your schedule on short notice.
10. Consider your employees health and safety
A good cleaning contractor should do more than just tidying up your work area. They should have a proper understanding of hygiene. For example, the places where your employees congregate frequently should be kept clean and disinfected at all times. Effective cleaning could help prevent the spread of infectious illnesses like the flu.
All areas should be thoroughly cleaned, beginning with desks, furniture, carpets, windows, and even computers. Their cleaning products should be suited to task, and the cleaners should have protective gear if working with harsh chemicals. Keen attention to detail will, in turn, make your workplace a healthier and more pleasant place to spend time.
Final Thoughts
Busy companies need to be clean at all times to leave a positive impression on prospective clients. Having a reliable cleaning company like Swift Services is a vital cog in the corporate machine.
