Having an in-house team conduct cleanings is helpful and effective to some degree, but it should never be your only line of defense. Coupling your internal janitorial team with a commercial cleaning company that provides sanitizing services will result in a level of cleanliness that is necessary to stop the spread of germs in the workplace, especially of those as dangerous as coronavirus. But how do you know which commercial cleaning company is right for your facility? Here are a few questions you should ask any potential cleaning company you’re considering to make certain you’re choosing the right one: 
- How often will you service my facility?
This is an important question to be asked, as many cleaning services might only be able to service your facility based on their own tight schedules. As a business owner, you need to be able to rely on a regular cleaning schedule. Ideally, the size and traffic level of your office should determine how often a commercial cleaning company services your facility. For businesses that see hundreds of outsiders each day, daily cleanings may be necessary, while those that see very few visitors could be best suited for weekly cleanings. However, your cleaning service should be adaptable enough to service your office space as many times as you deem necessary.
- How can we hold you accountable, or make sure certain items are always completed?
When you hire a company, you should have an agreed upon list of each service that will be performed at every visit. Your cleaning team should never come in and only do what “looks” like it needs to be done. So, it’s important that you have a way to evaluate your professional janitorial service as they service your facility. A great way to do this would be to ask them for or provide a detailed checklist for on-the-spot accountability. It’s also beneficial to maintain a relationship with your primary point of contact, whether that be an owner, a supervisor or the person in charge at every cleaning. Communicating with this contact regularly will ensure that expectations are clear for both parties.
- What level of communication should I expect between your company and myself or my organization?
Hiring a commercial cleaning company that handles everything you need isn’t going to be helpful without a system for easy communication that promotes problem-solving and accountability. Similar to the second point above, your disinfection team should have an open communication style that values candor from their customers, as frequent, honest communication can be key to creating a trusted relationship between you and your cleaning service provider. - Do you specialize by industry?
This is a crucial question to ask any commercial cleaning company, especially if you are in an industry that requires a different approach to cleanliness, such as a health care facility. The sanitation services they provide should meet – or better yet exceed – your industry’s standards. They should also be knowledgeable of any changes in industry procedures or policies.
- Who do you hire, and how do you train your staff?
While the commercial cleaning service you are thinking of selecting might be great, be sure to learn more about how they train all members of their staff, as upper management or customer service personnel will not be the team servicing your facilities. Your professional janitorial service should have employees that are professionally trained and held to high levels of accountability and quality.
Are you ready to maintain a clean, safe and healthy building? ServiceMaster TBS Division would love to discuss what commercial cleaning and disinfection service procedures would work best for your space. Please give us a call at 856-770-2731 or click here to set up a consultation with CEO, Frank Talarico Jr.
