Think about this – Is the same cloth that cleans your toilet, cleaning your telephone. It's sickening, but it happens more often than you would think. Too often we receive calls from people unhappy with their cleaning company. The situation is always the same. The contract has gone to the lowest bidder, but then in many cases quality becomes a distant second to the bottom line. Corners are cut left, right and centre, the staff are unreliable and what's worse, they don't appear to be trustworthy.
There are so many cleaning companies to choose from. Why? Well, the common misconception is that cleaning is easy. New businesses are starting every day because people think that all you need is a cloth, a vacuum and some chemicals.
This makes it so hard to make the right decision – it's hard to tell the difference between so many service providers. So before you decide on your next contract cleaner, here's 6 Questions you should ask.
Do they have lock in contracts?
It's usually only after the long term contract is in place that problems seem to arise. What's worse is that these contracts are written by the cleaning company, so there's no way of getting out of it. At Extra Clean, we don't use long term contracts. We believe that today's performance is our only guarantee of retaining the customer. This ensures that you get a great job, every time, and if there are problems you have an easy out.
Do they have high Performance Management Systems?
At Extra Clean, whenever we start with a new client, there is an intensive induction process for the staff to ensure that they get in the right habits from the beginning. We use checklists that ensure we never miss a spot, and we have random spot checks by management to ensure that we're always providing the most hygienic work environment for our customers.
What Hygiene Systems are in place?
You don't want the same cloth that cleans the bin, cleaning the telephone or the kitchen where you prepare your food. That's why we have many systems, including a colour coded cloth system to ensure that your work space not only looks clean, but is safe and hygienic.
How do they ensure that their staff are effective and reliable?
We invest heavily in our staff. They're initially put through a rigorous training course that meets and exceeds Australian Standards. More importantly, we run thorough background checks. After all, these people are going to be in your business, after hours with access to thousands of dollars worth of equipment, information, etc. More importantly, they all come with uniforms so that if they are around your customers, you won't have to feel embarrassed at their presentation.
What equipment do they use?
Here's where the real dollar saver is. We keep our team up to date with the latest technology, chemicals and equipment. This allows them to save a lot of time when cleaning your work place. We pass these savings on to you in the form of either reduced rates, or we clean more areas. It's up to you!
Who do you call if you have any problems?
If you have any problems whatsoever, you are given one phone number to call – The General Manager's mobile. This ensures that any problems are handled with the least inconvenience. With one phone call you are talking directly with the person who can come up with a solution to ensure you can move on and deal with more important issues.
Site inspections are free, and come with a full proposal on how your company can make better use of your cleaning dollar.
