Is Your Cleaning Service Living Up to Standards?

How Do You Define “Clean”?

Sometimes it’s easy to see when a cleaning service isn’t meeting your standards, but other times, the signs are less obvious. This article provides guidance on how to set clear expectations with your cleaning provider and offers advice on steps to take if your standards aren’t being met.

Setting Standards – Defining “Clean”

If you ask ten people what “clean” means, you’ll probably get ten different answers. Similar to asking someone to define “beauty,” each person has their own perspective. This difference in views can make “clean” a challenging concept to standardize. If you’re managing your facility’s upkeep, you’ve likely encountered this problem.

Instead of relying solely on subjective ideas of cleanliness, create a detailed scope of work to set clear standards. This document should outline tasks to be performed in specific areas (such as offices, bathrooms, and break rooms) along with how frequently each task should be done (daily, weekly, monthly).

With a defined scope of work, both you and your cleaning provider can conduct routine inspections to ensure tasks are being completed as agreed.

Objective Metrics for Evaluating Performance

Since the idea of cleanliness can vary from person to person, it’s best to rely on objective metrics to gauge if your cleaning service is meeting expectations. Consider the following indicators:

1. Complaint Tracking: A core aim of any cleaning program is to reduce interruptions by minimizing complaints. Keep track of issues like “the restroom is out of soap” or “the trash wasn’t emptied.” Maintain a log of complaints, whether they’re received by email or verbally.

2. Response Times: Set up a process for reporting service issues to your cleaning vendor. If they don’t have a dedicated service portal, email works just as well. Track how quickly they respond to and resolve each issue.

3. Inspection Results: Routine inspections are crucial for maintaining quality. Ask your vendor to provide inspection reports regularly so you can be sure standards are being met.

These metrics are primarily objective, easy to track, and provide a foundation for accountability in your cleaning program.

Steps to Take When Your Vendor Misses the Mark

Even with well-defined standards and metrics in place, there may still be times when your cleaning service falls short. If this happens, consider these steps to get things back on track:

1. Meet with Your Vendor: Discuss the specific issues and ask targeted questions like, “What’s causing the high turnover in the cleaning team?” or “Why has the response time slowed from three hours to two days?” Digging into these issues can help identify ways to improve performance.

2. Reinforce Your Expectations: Reiterate your expectations to your vendor and set a realistic timeframe for improvements. Give them a fair opportunity to correct any issues.

3. Plan for a Change if Needed: If problems continue, start exploring alternative options. Research potential replacement vendors, meet with them, and prepare a thorough request for their services. Be sure to inform your staff about any upcoming changes so they’re aware.

By defining expectations clearly, relying on measurable performance metrics, and staying prepared to switch providers if necessary, you can keep your facility in top condition and ensure your cleaning service aligns with your standards.

How to Compare Janitorial Service Bids Effectively

Have you ever been surprised by the big differences in price when comparing cleaning service bids? It's not unusual to see significant price variation between different janitorial service proposals. So, what causes these differences?

The biggest factor is usually how many staff hours each company estimates it will take to clean your facility. However, other key aspects also affect the overall pricing. Here are six critical components that should be included in every cleaning proposal:

Labor Costs

The largest portion of your cleaning bill—typically around 60%—is the cost of labor. When creating their bids, cleaning companies should focus on answering two important questions:

1. How many hours will our staff need to clean this facility?

2. What is the going hourly wage in this market?

Providing clear details about your facility helps vendors calculate the number of staff hours needed for the job.

Pro Tip: Companies that ask for detailed information and take measurements tend to offer more precise estimates. Additionally, local or regional providers often have a better understanding of labor rates in your area compared to large, national companies.

Employee Taxes & Benefits

In addition to wages, other direct employee expenses should be included in the proposal. These may include payroll taxes, benefits (such as insurance and retirement plans), background checks, drug testing, and uniforms. These costs vary depending on the benefits the company offers and local tax requirements.

Pro Tip: Companies that offer good employee benefits typically have lower turnover rates and more satisfied staff, which can lead to better service.

Supplies

The cost of supplies is another important factor, broken into two categories: (1) cleaning supplies like rags, chemicals, and scrubbers, and (2) consumables such as toilet paper, hand towels, and soap. Most bids will include cleaning supplies in the overall price.

Pro Tip: Request unit pricing for consumable items from the vendor. Regional vendors often have access to competitive pricing for these products and may pass the savings along to you. They may also manage the inventory for you, ensuring you never run out of essential items.

Equipment

The cleaning company will also need specific equipment to handle your facility’s needs. The amount and type of equipment will depend on the scope of the work required. Vendors should account for the depreciation of their equipment in their pricing.

Pro Tip: Choose vendors who use well-maintained or new equipment. Companies with reliable, high-quality tools tend to work more efficiently and have happier employees.

Overhead Costs

Indirect costs, or overhead, are another element that should be factored into the price. These costs cover things like HR expenses, insurance, management, and accounts payable/receivable. Overhead costs should be fairly consistent across different clients and projects.

Pro Tip: Efficient companies keep a close watch on their overhead. Regional cleaning companies usually have lower overhead compared to large, national providers.

Profit Margin

Lastly, vendors need to include a reasonable profit margin in their bids. A healthy profit margin allows them to stay in business long-term and provide quality service.

Pro Tip: Be wary of companies that offer extremely low bids. They may not be factoring in all their costs, which could lead to poor service or unreliable operations. It's wise to choose a company with a strong reputation and several years of experience.

If a cleaning bid you're considering doesn't address these important components, make sure to ask about them. Skipping any of these factors might result in signing a low-cost contract that doesn’t meet your expectations in the long run.

2 Effective Ways to Reduce Costs in Your Janitorial Program

As a manager responsible for janitorial services, you're likely balancing multiple tasks and making various purchasing decisions. While I don't know your exact situation, it’s safe to assume you often face demands to reduce spending. In today’s business climate, controlling costs is more important than ever.

When it comes to janitorial services, as with many other operational areas, cutting costs can sometimes result in lower service quality. The key challenge for facility managers is finding a way to keep services high-quality while still reducing expenses. There's an old saying in the construction world: "You can have it cheap, fast, or high-quality—choose two." This concept often holds true in the cleaning industry as well.

But is it possible to trim costs while maintaining a high standard of cleanliness? Can you save money without lowering the quality of service?

Here are two strategies to consider:

1. Reassess the Cleaning Scope

In the janitorial industry, labor accounts for roughly 60% of expenses. To reduce costs, you need to focus on cutting down labor hours. One practical approach is to reassess the cleaning scope. Frequently, cleaning schedules are followed without questioning if they’re necessary. For example, some areas in your facility might not see much traffic and may only need cleaning once a week, even though the current schedule has them cleaned daily.

Review your facility’s specific cleaning needs for each area. What tasks truly need daily attention? How often does the trash need to be taken out? Is daily vacuuming required everywhere, or just in common areas? Work with a knowledgeable cleaning contractor who can help you find the most efficient cleaning methods for your building.

2. Unbundle Project Work from Monthly Fees

Many businesses end up paying more than necessary on their cleaning contracts due to project work like floor buffing, stripping and waxing, and window cleaning. These tasks are vital to maintaining a clean environment, but some contracts include a fixed amount of project work per year, billed monthly. Often, this work isn’t needed as frequently as outlined, or it might even be skipped, which means you’re spending money unnecessarily.

Instead, consider negotiating a unit price for these extra services and scheduling them only when needed. This method can lead to significant savings over time.

By reassessing your cleaning scope and unbundling project work from your monthly fees, you can effectively reduce costs while still ensuring the quality of your janitorial services remains high. Collaborating with an experienced cleaning contractor can help you implement these cost-saving measures successfully.