There are many misconceptions and incorrect assumptions about commercial cleaning services.
Assumption 1: Commercial Cleaning Service providers are all the same.
All commercial cleaning companies are the same, so you might as well hire the company with the lowest quoted price, right? Many companies have had bad experiences with poorly managed commercial cleaning companies. Because of these bad experiences, they assume all cleaning companies are the same and go with the lowest price provider every time. This is another incorrect assumption - all commercial cleaning service providers are NOT all the same.
Yes, the price must be a consideration, but it should never be the only consideration when choosing a cleaning service. A low price might indicate an inexperienced company that doesn't understand how much time it will take to clean the building. This company will soon realize they can't operate, much less make a profit, at the low price they quoted, and soon will be asking to raise the price or cut back on the services currently being provided. Or, they'll start cutting back without discussing it with the client, leaving that client frustrated with the quality of service.
Companies that offer low prices to secure an account usually perform subpar quality cleaning and find they cannot fulfill the contractual requirements. The customer begins to notice that their building is no longer being cleaned like it should and realize that perhaps choosing the company with the lowest price may not have been the best decision.
Assumption 2: The higher the price, the better the service.
Is it a myth or reality? People often say you get what you pay for, and in most cases, that's true. The service quality will generally reflect back on the price the customer is paying for that service. But there are a lot of inexperienced cleaning business owners out there who price their services too high. They don't have a good understanding of the necessary experience to price their services accurately.
Assumption 3: Bigger is always better.
Not always. Indeed, if it's a massive organization with several hundred thousand square feet, the customer may require a larger-sized company that can handle the duties. But some customers will assume they must choose a larger company because the larger company will have the resources necessary to manage their cleaning needs. But big companies can be less responsive and provide less personalized service. Large companies must abide by corporate rules and regulations, which often hinder their ability to negotiate prices, personalize services and perform last-minute requests. Also, they typically hire under-skilled employees who are underpaid and tend to be less reliable.
Assumption 4: If it looks clean, it must be clean.
Many customers don't know what it takes to perform commercial cleaning tasks. How many companies looking for cleaning services? Do you think to see the difference between a disinfectant and a sanitizer? They believe everyone knows how to clean, and they assume that since they are hiring a cleaning company, their cleaners must know how to clean. This couldn't be further from the truth.
Cleaning for the health and safety of building occupants is about removing germs and bacteria that can cause illness in the workplace. A cleaning technician wipes a rag across a surface and removes a few fingerprints doesn't mean the surface is clean. It is a professional commercial cleaning company not just to remove visible surface dirt and smudges but to reduce the breeding grounds for bacteria and germs by following effective cleaning techniques that include disinfection and generalized cleaning. If you're not using the right cleaning products in the right way with the right equipment, then all the cleaning technicians are doing is spreading dirt and germs around.
Assumption 5: It's cheaper for the customer to use in-house cleaning staff vs hiring a commercial cleaning company.
You will find many companies employ an in-house cleaning staff to handle their cleaning needs. They may hire full-time cleaners or perhaps have their employees share the cleaning chores. The assumption is that it is much cheaper to have their employees perform the cleaning tasks than it would be to outsource the work.
Sanitizing and disinfecting is science and should be observed as such. The actual costs of employee(s) that are cleaning, besides employment taxes, unemployment taxes, worker's comp insurance, liability insurance, and benefits, can cost up to 25% of each employee's wages. Then you need to manage these employee(s) that should follow strict instructions on the necessary cleaning processes. Between the cost and the risk, customers tend to see this as not a great option.
Conclusion:
Most times, building owners, facility/operation managers, or whoever is responsible for selecting the cleaning company has had a bad experience. As you investigate and get educated on the many different cleaning service providers, hopefully, this helps you understand the true nature of properly cleaning an environment.
I hope this was helpful.
