Choosing the Right Office Cleaning Company in London
This may sound the easiest of tasks or decisions to make. However, after several years in the Commercial Cleaning Industry, I am still amazed at the number of Customers coming to us because they have been let down by their previous cleaning service providers. One common reason cited by the majority of the Clients was that they did not pay enough attention to the selection process when they were hiring previous Cleaning Company. Most Clients think, with the plethora of Cleaning Companies vying for their attention on the internet, it would be enough just to pick the one with the most appealing website. To help avoid time and money that could be wasted by not hiring the right cleaning company the first time around, I have decided to write this simple guide on what to look for when choosing a Cleaning Company. Here are the key things to look for in a cleaning company.
Is the Cleaning Company Insured?
The first thing you should ask for when you are choosing a Cleaning Company is their insurance policy. You want to be sure that you are protected from theft or accidental damage. If a Company is reluctant to discuss this with you then you need to look for another provider.
References from Existing Clients
My advice is that you ask for references from their previous Customers, at least 2. This is the best way to find out about the quality of job done by the Company in the past. If a company who claimed to have been going on for years can not provide suitable references then you ought to consider hiring a company who meet this criterion.
Cost (Value for Money)
While I will recommend you hire a company based on your budget or how much you are willing to spend, some Cleaning Companies will offer to do your cleaning at prices even you will consider “too good to be true”. Be wary of Contractors using misleading advertising and sales tactics to get your business. Some Companies are able to charge ridiculously low because the majority of them are not insured and even pay their staff below the national minimum wage. From the onset, you can sense you are in for a bumpy ride. What Companies like these tend to do is send you unreliable Cleaners who have will little or no regard for your belongings or they are awfully underpaid, untrained, not properly vetted and low on the motivation side. Please be aware that good services take time and money so I will advise you to be prepared to pay a little bit more for quality.
Staff Recruitment
Since you will in most cases, be handing over your keys and leaving your belongings around while the Cleaners are cleaning your premises, you need to find out how they are recruited by the Cleaning Company. They should be willing to disclose how they recruit and the checks they have put in place to make sure they do not hire Cleaners with criminal records. Remember it is your responsibility to ensure the Cleaners are right for you. Make sure they do not send you people who are not legally allowed live, never mind work in the country. They must have a proper interview procedure in place and get identities of would-be Cleaners checked.
Customer Service
What level of customer service and support the Company has to offer? Are they only available during peak business hours? Can you contact them during an emergency? What is the response time if you have any queries? It is important to find a company that has various ways to contact them and respond to your queries as quickly as possible. Are they prepared to send Cleaners back to your house/office free of charge if they have not done a good job? A good Cleaning Services provider should have good customer service in place.
Tasks Guide
The Company should be willing to supply you a task list that you can agree to. This is to make sure all of the details of the deal are in writing – from the services provided to cost of service, tasks to be performed on a regular basis/intervals to the frequency of visits. This shows the company is organised and thorough in its approach.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of things to consider but one that will no doubt help when selecting a cleaning company. Whether you are hiring for your home or your office, the selection criteria will more or less be the same.
Author: Charles Alabi is the Managing Director of Citywide Cleaning Services London, United Kingdom. Citywide Cleaning Services provides first class Office and Domestic Cleaning. You may read more about our organisation and the services offered by us.
