Janitorial services aren’t a flashy, exciting part of business. For decades, many businesses have treated it as just another box to check. As long as the floors get mopped, trash isn’t scattered on the floor, and dust isn’t lining the windowsills, companies weren’t thinking twice about which janitorial cleaning company they worked with. That changed following the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
When the public became hyper-aware of cleanliness and sanitation, simply checking the box wasn’t enough. And even though most of the COVID-era protocols have been removed from daily life, the public still expects businesses to thoroughly clean and sanitize their buildings. This increased scrutiny has changed corporate attitudes, and enhanced cleaning protocols are a necessity.
One of the biggest challenges that companies will face as they look for a service provider to partner with is the sheer number of choices. Companies of all sizes will be vying for attention, and unless key stakeholders know what to look for, finding the best company can seem daunting. And with the wellness & safety of your staff and your customers on the line, choosing the right partner is crucial.
1. WHAT ARE YOUR SANITIZATION PROCEDURES?
The first question you need to ask any prospective partner is the depth of their sanitation procedures. Not only will this show you the level of cleanliness you can expect the service provider to deliver, but it can also give you a glimpse into their business philosophy.
For a long time, it was standard practice for janitorial workers to be in charge of cleaning the entirety of a specific area. This low-efficiency standard of practice is still used by many businesses and service providers today. More modern practices, like our customizable SYNC 360 approach, are tailored to meet the needs of each company we work with. Instead of cleaning by zone, each employee becomes a specialist in a specific cleaning task. The specialist teams then clean each area in sync, providing a more efficient and thorough clean.
Depending on your industry, you should also look for a janitorial cleaning company capable of managing additional disinfection approaches, such as atmospheric disinfectants and UV cleaning devices.
2. WHAT IS THE SCOPE OF YOUR SERVICES?
Clear expectations are vital to every business relationship, including your janitorial cleaning company. Therefore, it’s essential to have a comprehensive understanding of what the various service-level agreements an offer entails; that way, you know exactly what to expect from your janitorial cleaning company.
Failing to get a clear understanding of the scope of SLAs can have serious consequences for your business. If there are unmet or unrealistic expectations, it will lead to frustration and a poor working relationship between you and your service provider. On the other hand, without clear expectations, it will be impossible for you to monitor the performance of your service provider—leading to poor service quality and a waste of your budget.
3. WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM THE COMPETITION?
There are numerous janitorial cleaning companies out there to choose from, and it’s hard to differentiate between them by simply looking at the services they offer. So you have to look beyond that to see what really sets them apart.
In the consumer space, a company like Apple is set apart from its competitors by offering customers an elevated level of pedigree and an unrivaled customer experience. Clorox and Lysol offer customers such a high level of dependability that during the pandemic’s peak, consumers trusted these brands more than they trusted the government!
The differentiating factors that a service provider can offer should be top of mind when choosing a cleaning company to partner with. At A&A Elevated Facilities Services, we pride ourselves on our innovative approach to cleaning, our storied 50-year history as a minority-owned business, and our commitment to building beneficial relationships with our customers.
4. WHAT ACCREDITATIONS DO YOU HAVE?
Anyone can claim that they are dedicated to delivering the highest standard of cleanliness and service. But unless they are actively working to meet the international standards used within the industry, then their words are cheap.
Two key certifications that you should ask about are the CIMS & CIMS-GB certifications. Both certifications require businesses to achieve the business standards set forth by the International Sanitary Supply Association.
By acquiring the CIMS certification, a service provider shows that they are capable of properly managing a facility’s cleaning—including everything from cleaning procedures to customer satisfaction.
The CIMS-GB certification shows that a cleaning company is capable of assisting clients in achieving points under LEED EB: O&M green building rating system.
As the public becomes more critical of businesses’ environmental efforts, achieving certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design will help companies put their best foot forward and show they’re actively taking steps to be more environmentally friendly.
5. WHAT ARE YOUR STAFFING PROCEDURES?
Trust is an important part of any business relationship, but it’s especially important when choosing a janitorial cleaning company. Having a clean and presentable building is a fundamental aspect of running a successful business. The people employed by your service provider will become an integral part of your business’s livelihood, and knowing your facility is in good hands is crucial.
Background checks are a fairly standard starting point for staffing procedures, and if you’re managing a school, hospital, or government facility, they’re probably mandatory. Knowing that the staff caring for your facility are properly trained is equally important. Be sure to ask about the hiring and training processes so you can get a good sense of who will be maintaining your building.
6. WHAT ARE YOUR COMPANY’S VALUES?
Your company’s values are everything. They shape your internal culture, your external perception, and, ideally, your business dealings. So when you’re looking for a strategic partner, you should work with a company that shares values similar to yours. These values could be anything from commitment to employees, corporate transparency, integrity, or even continuous learning and improvement. Your values are important, and it makes sense to work with businesses that share them. This is especially true about a company’s commitment to diversity.
Diversity has become one of the pillars of modern business. Regardless of what industry you’re servicing, the public expects businesses to promote diversity through more than just their words. If diversity, equity, and inclusion are key aspects of your business’s identity, then it’s important that you ensure that the same is true of your strategic partner. Having common values is just as important as the work being performed.
7. HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN CONSISTENCY AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL?
When it comes to janitorial services, consistency is everything. If you can’t trust a janitorial cleaning company to deliver exceptional results every day, then you have to question whether they’re truly worth having around. For many businesses, working with a janitorial cleaning company is a luxury. And if key stakeholders aren’t seeing the results that they want and rightfully expect, then it will feel like the company is wasting a part of its yearly budget.
You want to ensure that the cleaning company you are considering partnering with has processes and procedures in place to ensure that your building is properly maintained each time they clean. They should have staff trained to follow strict cleaning methods, and their team should be utilizing modern equipment that makes them more efficient and effective. The commercial cleaning industry has changed significantly over the last decade, and you want to work with a company whose methods reflect that.
8. IS YOUR BUSINESS INNOVATIVE?
This question is so important that we’re doubling down on it. There are still businesses, schools, and other organizations across the country that are using the same equipment and techniques that have defined the cleaning industry for decades. Those methods are seriously outdated and severely ineffective at cleaning and disinfecting surfaces where bacteria, viruses, and mold can flourish. This lack of cleaning leaves you, your staff, and your patrons at risk of contracting illnesses from surfaces that could have been properly disinfected.
When you’re choosing a janitorial cleaning company for your business, be sure to ask about whether they’re using the most innovative cleaning solutions. Innovative cleaning solutions like the Clorox Total 360 Sprayer provide more coverage, use less cleaning solution, and require less manpower than traditional cleaners. These are the kinds of solutions that your business needs and deserves from its janitorial cleaning company.
9. WHAT VALUE ARE YOU ADDING TO YOUR CLIENT’S BUSINESS?
Before you sign any dotted lines, you need to determine what the janitorial cleaning company’s value proposition truly is. You should be able to answer this question yourself based solely on the service provider’s answers to your previous questions.
Here’s ours.
At A&A Elevated Facility Services, we’re committed to serving our strategic partners with excellence. We implement the industry’s most innovative cleaning solutions to ensure that our partners walk into a building they can be proud of every morning. We’re committed to maintaining the wellness of each building we clean, and we work closely with management to ensure that expectations are met. We’ve learned a thing or two throughout our 50-year history, and those lessons have enabled us to become one of America’s premier minority-owned janitorial cleaning companies.
If you’re ready to elevate the cleanliness of your facilities, schedule a consultation today to speak with one of our experts.
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