Q&A: You asked, we answered: Top Five Questions To Ask A Cleaning Company

Question: #1: How many years have you been in business and what accounts do you service that are similar to mine?

Every company has to start somewhere when they first open their doors. Do you really want a brand new company to use your facility as the training ground for their employees? Experience in cleaning matters! Experienced cleaners are better at what they do because they have training and years of application. While experience is a big factor in hiring a company, enthusiasm is also an overlooked element.

When you are ready to hire a commercial cleaning company, look for someone that has years of experience, enthusiasm, and a good solid track record.

Question #2: How do you screen your employees?

Every janitorial cleaning company should at a minimum screen their employees for a criminal history and drug use. We do that for every applicant. This is important because as a cleaning company we are sending people into our customer’s offices. What works better is finding the right people for the job. This can often be done through an extensive application process that includes personality testing.

Question #3: What kind of training do you give your employees?

After we have screened the applicants and found a good match, we put our employees through a comprehensive training on how to clean and consistently deliver good service. Beyond the basic training, there are a number of specialized training that we go through like medical cleaning, industrial cleaning, school cleaning and commercial janitorial services. Each of these areas has a unique set of protocols for cleaning that require training. Each employee gets trained for the type of facility they will be cleaning to ensure consistency and standards.

Question #4: How do you motivate your employees?

This is a tricky question because what motivates one person may not motivate another. After we hire a good candidate and train them, we have to manage and motivate them to work hard and excel at doing the best they can in cleaning. Many companies offer incentives for stellar performance and of course, everyone gets held accountable for their work. When employees are not performing well, they are managed appropriately to do a better job. This helps us protect our customers from having to live with poor customer service.

Question #5: Do you have insurance?

Yes, we have insurance. Every cleaning company should be insured. There are several factors to having insurance as a cleaning company. Here are the four types of insurance that every cleaning company should carry to protect themselves and their customers.

1. General Liability Insurance
2. Property Insurance / Business Owner’s Policy (BOP)
3. Worker’s Compensation Insurance
4. Umbrella Liability / Excess Liability Insurance

These types of insurance help to protect the cleaning company and the customer’s property from injuries, property damage, etc. Not all cleaning companies carry everything. Most St. Louis, Missouri cleaning companies will carry the necessary insurance. You should ask before you sign a contract with your cleaning company.