5 Questions That’ll Allow You To Hire The Right Cleaning Company
Asking the right questions to allow you to hire the right cleaning company is important. Cleaning is a personal service because the word itself means something different for every customer. What looks dirty to you could look clean to your cleaning technician or cleaning company. Also, because you’re allowing strangers into your home or community, it’s important that you and your cleaning technician and company are on the same page for consistency and a method that allows you to get any cleaning issues fixed quickly. It’s also important that they have the proper licenses and insurance to operate. With that said, here are specific questions you should ask to hire the right cleaning company.
Top 5 Questions To Ask When Hiring A Cleaning Company
1. Is Your Company Part of a Franchise?
Believe it or not, this is the first question you should always ask. Sometimes franchises offer the lowest price, but their contracts are difficult to break if you don’t read the fine print. At that point, you’re stuck with a bad contract that can’t be renegotiated for pricing. In addition, many franchises pay their employees by the job instead of hourly. Paying by the job unintentionally shifts the technician’s mindset to rush the current job, so that they can get to the next one faster. This causes inconsistency in providing a regular schedule, quality of work, and a regular technician.
2. Will I Receive The Same Cleaning Technician?
Many cleaning companies can’t promise the same cleaning technician. In most cases, a shortage of quality candidates and
company incentives cause high turnover. It also causes a lack of accountability for the quality of work. Consider having the same cleaning technician a perk because that person will know the scope of work well and can provide consistency in work. It also allows you to bring up any issues and hold the technician accountable for inadequate results. This in turn builds a relationship with your company and increases the chances that the completed work will match your definition of clean.
3. How Do You Train Your Employees?
Let’s be honest, the owner of the company isn’t going to train every technician and do it often. This is why it’s important to ask this question. Ideally, a Quality Manager or Supervisor should exist in the company. Some cleaning companies do not have supervisors managing the cleaning technicians. The absence of a supervisor means lack of or no training for a technician, who may then not properly do the tasks that are assigned in your agreement. Sometimes the best cleaning technicians may not have a ton of cleaning experience. However, they have the drive and will to follow directions and be consistent with results.
4. What Certifications Do You Have?
Most companies have some sort of certification to distinguish them from their competitors or provide the illusion that they are more qualified. The good news is that there are valid certifications for cleaning companies that may help make your decision easier. The bad news is that you need to research these certifications to see if they are valid or even legal. This will help you verify if the company is honest or a fraud. It’ll also help you identify if the certification really adds value to your cleaning needs.
5. Do You Have A Customer Service Department?
Be specific when you ask this question. Always ask if you’ll be able to speak to a person vs. a recording. This is important if you have an issue that needs to be resolved quickly because a live person can direct you to the person who can solve the problem faster. Also, this is important if you aren’t sure who to direct your questions to in order to receive the right answers. Having a direct link to someone who can give you answers is uncommon in this day and age. So if you find that company with dedicated support, definitely keep it on the list for hire.
While consistency and customer service are important, so is understanding your service agreement. I’m sure you already know this but it has to be said: Please review your contract carefully before signing. Many times customers need help terminating their contract because it is contingent on the fine print they didn’t read. Not every sales representative will provide all the information in a sales presentation. That’s why it’s so important to read the service agreement and ask the right questions so that your home or community has a clean, safe, and healthy environment.
