Time for a New Office Cleaning Company? Here’s What to Look For

Office cleaning is one of those tasks that is given very little thought by employees, yet can significantly impact their health and wellbeing while at work.

The pandemic may have changed our attitudes towards health and hygiene but did it change your approach to how your offices and workplaces are cleaned? Does your cleaning company now use COVID-safe practices to keep you safe?

Get office cleaning right and your staff get to enjoy a hygienically clean workplace that is safe and productive. Get it wrong and morale takes a hit and health can be put at risk.

Can you afford another hit to productivity and staff morale?

What to look for in a new office cleaning company

When it comes time to renew your office cleaning contract, take the opportunity to look carefully at what’s offered and what competition is out there.

We recommend checking:

Do they have the right certifications?

Having qualified staff and the right certification tells you a lot more than you realise. Yes, a cleaning company with ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2015 certifications are trained to an adequate standard, but it also tells you about their culture.

Certifications cost time and money to acquire and maintain. That requires a significant investment from the employer. So, holding those qualifications tells you the company is determined to invest in their business and their staff.

That’s a good sign on many levels.

Do they have high standards?

Office cleaning is a career for the detail oriented. Everything needs to be cleaned, everywhere needs to look as good as new and all work areas need to be tidy and ready for use.

Does your cleaning company have a reputation for high standards? Do they regularly exceed your own standards to deliver a clean, healthy workplace? Do they clean day in day out to those same high standards without missing anything or making mistakes?

Office cleaning may be one of those invisible building services, but get it wrong and people will soon notice!

Do they tailor their services to your needs?

Will your cleaning company tailor the services they offer to your particular needs? Are they flexible enough to clean on a schedule that suits you? Perform services as and when required as well as having the ability to take on extra work as and when required?

Office cleaning is an everyday service but it should also be flexible. Flexible enough to handle office parties, late working for deadlines, extra work for office moves or weekend working and all those aspects of modern business that demand a little flexibility from your service providers.

Do they have enough experience?

On the surface, office cleaning is simple. Vacuum the floor, empty the bins, clean the toilets. Yet in reality, there’s a lot more to it than that.

Does your cleaning company know how to safely handle cleaning products and equipment?  Are they familiar with COSHH practice. Do they have the right processes in place to protect you and their staff?  Can they follow your compliance process as well as their own?

Do they know when it’s safe to use eco-products and when it isn’t? Can they work safely without presenting risk to staff and visitors?

All these things are learned by experience. The more experience your cleaning company has, the safer and more efficient they will be.

Do they have positive reviews from customers?

We use reviews for everything. From buying a new brand of butter to buying a new house or car. So why not use reviews to check out your office cleaning company too?

Do they have many positive reviews? How do they handle negative comments or reviews? Check on the company website but also on independent reviews sites to see the real story.

A company website will only show the positive reviews whereas an independent site will show the unvarnished truth.

The more positive reviews, the better. The more professionally the company handles negative comments, the better.

Do they communicate well?

Communication is key in any business, especially service industries. Is your current office cleaning provider responsive to emails or phone calls? Do they respond quickly to messages or changes to schedules? Can they understand changes to services or areas of concern?

Communication isn’t just about telling someone else what to do, it’s about ensuring they understand what you’re trying to communicate to them.

Communication is also a two-way street. Does your office cleaning company notify you of staff changes or issues they have found?

Do they understand the challenges of COVID-19?

Most office and building managers know the importance of a hygienic workplace but COVID-19 brought it all to the fore. While much remains the same, much has also changed.

New cleaning practices, new guidelines, new precautions, new products and new challenges require an office cleaning company with the training, expertise and willingness to go the extra mile to ensure your workplace and your staff are as safe as possible.

Do they invest in their people and equipment?

All businesses need to get maximum value out of their equipment but must also recognise when investment is required to maintain productivity and quality.

That includes investing in and maintaining their equipment, cleaning products, uniforms, tools and everything necessary to perform their work.

It’s an investment in time and money but it’s also an investment in your business, your staff and in quality.

If you’re looking for a cleaning company that can honestly answer yes to all those questions, contact NK Cleaning today!