"When Can You Get Started?"

Understanding the Realities of Janitorial Service Startups and How to Avoid Running Out of Toilet Paper

When a potential client contacts us, it’s often because they’re dissatisfied with their current cleaning service. After listening to our pitch on why we’d be an excellent partner for their custodial needs, most prospective customers ask two key questions:

1. “How much will this cost?”

2. “When can you get started?” For details on the first question, click here. This article will focus on addressing the second question.
   

“My current cleaning vendor quit! Now what?”

Here’s a typical scenario: Facility Manager: “Bob, we’re still not getting the results we need. We’ve decided to switch cleaning companies. I know our service agreement has a 30-day termination notice, and I’m informing you today that we’re contracting with a new janitorial service.” Bob: “Alright, I’ll inform my team. I just wish I had more notice.”

A week later, Bob leaves a voicemail for the Facility Manager: Bob: “Hey, after I told my team they wouldn’t have jobs in 30 days, they all left quicker than Gladys Knight and the Pips on that midnight train to Georgia. I also cleaned out my stuff over the weekend. If you ever need anything, give me a call. Hope we can do business again in the future!”

After hearing Bob’s message, the Facility Manager urgently calls the newly contracted janitorial company: Facility Manager: “ACME just notified me they’re not coming back, and the plant manager just told me there’s no toilet paper in the main restroom. I need you here now!”

Custodial Startup Realities

Reality # 1 - Hiring the Right Team Takes Time A common misconception is that janitorial companies always have a large pool of ready-to-go employees, like a staffing agency. This is not true. We need to consider the right mix of male and female team members, and part-time and full-time staff for each customer, and then start our recruiting efforts.

Reality # 2 – Janitorial Work Requires a Detailed Plan While janitorial work isn’t overly complex, it does require a detailed work plan to be done effectively. This plan includes specific details on how and when the scope of work will be accomplished, including cleaning sequences for each team member, checklists, and other items to ensure consistent results.

Reality # 3 – Proper Training is Essential Many people think they know how to clean, but most do not understand the specifics. It’s crucial that every team member knows how to use equipment correctly, which chemicals are safe for different surfaces, how to sweep, mop, and dust efficiently, and how to work safely.

So, When Can You Get Started?

Realistically, it takes about three to four weeks to get started. This period allows us to find the right people, train them properly, and establish a good work plan.

But What About the Immediate Needs?

If you’re facing an urgent situation, like running out of toilet paper, here are some steps you can take to manage the transition:

1. Ask your current cleaning company to honor their commitment. Remind them of their obligation to provide service through the end of the 30-day agreement.

2. Check if your new cleaning company has a “floater” team member. This person can provide minimal coverage if your current company fails to meet their obligations.

3. Contact a staffing agency. They might be able to supply someone to cover essential tasks during the transition, such as emptying trash, cleaning restrooms and break areas, and ensuring there’s always toilet paper in the main restroom.
   

By following these steps, you can ensure a smooth transition without compromising the cleanliness and functionality of your facility.

How Much Will It Cost To Clean Your Building?

“How much does it cost to keep a facility looking and feeling clean?”

It happens almost every time. As we are presenting our proposal for janitorial services, the prospective client will begin to flip through the pages of our proposal to find the page where we have detailed our pricing. Knowing where this cost comes from is very important to facility managers. And if you know what factors drive the price, you are in a better position to select the best contractor for the scope of services. The following items impact the cost of cleaning in your building: 

1.     Number of people using the facility

2.     Type of business

3.     Characteristics of the facility

4.     Type & frequency of services requested

5.     Quality expectations

Before looking at these issues, it is important to point out the obvious. The single greatest cost associated with cleaning your facility is the cost of labor, and more specifically, how many labor hours are required to keep a facility clean and orderly. Each of the following factors has a significant impact on the estimated labor hours.

Number of People in Your Building

This is the greatest influencer on cost. Simply stated, people make messes that must be cleaned up. “People” may be employees, students, visitors, or patients. For example, a 30,000 sq. ft. call center with 400 employees across 3 shifts will cost more to clean than a 300,000 sq. ft. distribution center with 60 employees. More people means more trash, more dirt on floors, more refilling of restroom supplies, and simply more mess.

Type of Business

Certain types of businesses tend to create greater cleaning needs. For example, many manufacturing facilities tend to create a good amount of dirt, dust, and grime that may be more difficult to clean than a corporate office building. Schools, medical facilities, and public venues tend to require a greater amount of wiping of surfaces to disinfect. What each business “does” can significantly impact the amount of time it takes to clean.

Facility Characteristics

Time to clean a building can vary considerably depending on cleanable square footage, number of restrooms, floor types, building density, age of the facility, and a host of other factors. These building characteristics determine the type of cleaning to be done, the supplies & equipment needed, and the man hours necessary to do a good job. For instance, an older building with hard surface floors and crowded cubicles will take much longer to clean than a new building with big offices and carpet floors.

Type & Frequency of Services

Most janitorial agreements include the “big four” base daily custodial services: trash collection and removal, dusting and wiping surfaces, floor care (vacuuming and mopping), and restroom care. However, depending on the frequency of these services, cleaning hours can go up or down. For instance, in a medical facility, floors are likely mopped daily. However, a corporate office might only require this 2x per week.

Quality Expectations “what is clean?”

Let’s face it, what is considered clean to one might be filthy to the next. Since expectation levels can significantly impact the cleaning time, it is important for the facility owner and the custodial team to have a clear understanding of the requirements. One facility owner shared with us that she wanted “to be able to run her finger across the top of the door frames in their offices at any time and not find any dust.” It is appropriate to have cleanliness expectations, but uniquely high expectations might require additional man hours.

So how much will it cost to clean your building?

The answer to this question is “it depends.” As mentioned earlier, labor costs account for most of the expense to keep your facility clean. How much labor varies depending on the number of people using the facility, the type of business, the characteristics of the facility, the frequency of services requested, and the expectations of quality.

If you would like to discuss the janitorial program at your facility and get a free estimate, feel free to reach out to us.