Questions to Consider When Selecting a Janitorial Service Provider

The importance of maintaining a clean and sanitary workplace simply cannot be overstated. A cluttered and unclean work environment can have detrimental effects on your employee’s mental health and physical health.

A dirty workspace can lead to increased sick days and other losses in productivity. The best method to ensure you are providing a consistently clean and safe workplace for yourself, your employees, and your customers is to retain the services of a quality janitorial services provider.

When selecting a janitorial services provider for your business it is important to be aware that the scope and quality of the services provided by different janitorial services can vary considerably. Consider the following questions when selecting a janitorial services provider for your company to ensure you are getting the professional level of cleaning your employees and your business deserves.

What Specific Janitorial Services Does the Company Offer?

First, you will want to know exactly what services they will provide. It is important to note that not all janitorial service providers provide the same scope of janitorial services. Some janitorial service providers provide only basic services like vacuuming, mopping, and emptying trash receptacles. Others provide disinfection and sanitation services along with basic tidying and cleaning tasks.

Before choosing a janitorial service provider, determine the level of cleaning that your business requires. Choose a janitorial service provider that matches the level of service you require.

What Level of Disinfection and Sanitation Services Does The Company Offer?

Cleaning, sanitation, and disinfection are wholly different processes. Since the onset of COVID-19, the important role of disinfection as a component of regular janitorial services has been increasingly spotlighted. It is crucial to ensure that the janitorial service provider you select for your businesses is able to provide disinfection services, and if needed, decontamination services. This helps limit the spread of communicable diseases from the seasonal Flu to COVID-19.

In order to meet this demand, your janitorial service provider must make use of cleaning and disinfection agents and/or equipment that has been approved and certified by the CDC and EPA as effective against the viruses that cause these communicable diseases. Cleaning and disinfection agents can be researched on the EPA website. You can enter the products’ assigned EPA registration number in order to get confirmation.

Next, you will want a better understanding of their employee policies.

What Are the Company Policies for Hiring and Employee Management?

The quality of the janitorial services provided by any company is dependent on the quality of the company’s employees. For this reason, it is worthwhile to inquire about the specific hiring practices and employee management policies of any janitorial service provider you are considering.

The following is a list of hiring and employee management protocols employed by the best janitorial service companies.

Background Checks and Drug Testing

Janitorial services are generally performed after the business is closed for the day. Staff is often entrusted with keys and access codes to enter all areas of the business after hours. Providers who perform pre-employment background checks on every staff member are able to provide the added peace of mind. This is because you know that the people entrusted with unsupervised access to your business and property have no criminal background. You want people that can be trusted to care for your business property as you would.

Pre-employment and or regular random drug testing ensures that the people entering and cleaning your property are not using or under the influence of illicit drugs while working on your property.

Geofencing

Many janitorial service providers are turning to geofencing applications to ensure that staff is showing up to provide services at the scheduled time. It also allows you to confirm that they are remaining on the premises for the entire allotted time required to complete the requested services.

Employee Retention/Turnover Reduction Measures

Every task has a learning curve and janitorial services are no exception. There is a marked benefit to selecting a janitorial service provider with low employee turnover. Long-term employees have the experience, knowledge, and skill to provide the highest quality janitorial services.

A janitorial service provider that offers competitive pay, health benefits, ongoing training, and opportunities for advancement is more likely to have a loyal and engaged staff with little employee turnover.

Dedicated Office Staff

Look for a janitorial service provider with dedicated office staff who are available to answer questions. Not only that but you want someone who can provide solutions to problems that may arise.

Does the Company Have Adequate Liability Insurance Coverage?

Make certain that the janitorial service provider that you select maintains adequate property liability insurance to cover any damage to your property. A good janitorial service provider should also carry adequate worker’s compensation insurance. This covers injuries that occur while the employee is engaged in working on your property.

What Will Our Partnership Be Like?

Finally, you want to understand the details of your partnership. Before making any contractual agreements you will want to be certain that this partnership fits all of your needs.

What hours will you be available?

Are there cleaners available 24/7? Are they able to come clean after your business hours? If you have a special occasion that calls for cleaning will they be able to come at any time?

How often will you service my facility?

Is this going to be a daily, weekly, or monthly occurrence? Some janitorial services do not have the resources to clean your office daily.

How do the contracts work?

Is it month-to-month or yearly? Ask if you can add services as you need or are there set packages that can’t be deviated from?

How can we hold you accountable?

You do not want to leave it up to them to clean what they think needs to be done.

Can there be a checklist of services you require that they need to address? Are there before-and-after photos? If they clean for you will and do not meet your expectations will they come back to fix it?

What level of communication can we expect?

Will there be a point of contact? How often can you contact them with questions and how quickly will you receive a response? Will there be open, honest communication?

Some cleaning services may give you a number you can contact at any time. Others may prefer email during business hours or have an automated system.

Keep Your Space Clean with Citi Cleaning

Citi Cleaning specializes in a wide range of janitorial services including but not limited to pressure washing, janitorial services, and floor care for small, large, and corporate businesses. We take pride in delivering quality cleaning services 24/7 customized to meet your company’s needs.

Citi Cleaning provides commercial cleaning disinfection and decontamination services, using EPA-registered, hospital-grade disinfectants. These are effective against a host of dangerous pathogens, including COVID-19.

Visit our website to get a quote and learn more about why you should pick Citi Cleaning as your janitorial service provider.