Steps to Hiring a Janitorial Service

 

Once you have made the decision to hire a janitor service, there are several steps that you should follow to make sure that you get a reputable company and to make sure you are paying for exactly as much cleaning as you need, no more and no less.

 

  1. Your first step should be to create what people in the janitorial industry call a request for proposal. This document should outline details about your facility such as square footage, the types of flooring you have, a complete list of duties that will be expected, and any special circumstances that might affect how a company cleans or who specifically can complete the job.

 

   2. Once you have prepared the RFP, you should ask for bids or quotes from at least three companies. The more janitorial service companies you ask to bid, the better, but you need to make sure you will have time to review each bid carefully when it comes back. A good way to find possible janitorial services is to do an online search or ask neighboring businesses who they use.

 

  3. Once you have reviewed each proposal, you should probably eliminate the lowest cost option and any company that is showing you introductory or special rates. Many times, janitorial service companies give you one rate that is your introductory rate and the price is going to go up considerably after your trial period. Make sure you are comparing the base rate of one company with the base rate of another rather than sales or specials.

 

  4. With the remaining professional cleaning companies, check to make sure that they are all bonded. Each janitorial service should be able to produce proof of bonding and insurance upon your request. If they cannot, then they are not a good fit for your business. Bonding protects you, the consumer, from any damage or theft that is the fault of the janitorial service or their employees.

 

  5. Next, you should check references for each janitor service. Again, the companies should be happy to provide you with references and you should be skeptical of any janitorial company that will not provide them. When you call a reference make sure to ask questions that require more than a yes or no answer and make sure to ask about the companies weaknesses.

 

  6. Before you sign any contract with a janitorial company, make sure that they are comfortable with you visiting the office during their cleaning hours to check on their work.

 

   7. Ask for a complete list of a janitorial service company’s services so that you are aware of any additional a la carte cleaning projects you might want to add. Every janitorial service will include cleaning bathrooms, but you might have to pay a onetime fee for some heavy duty grout cleaning every so often. Alternatively, you might be willing to pay a fee for carpet cleaning.