Six costly mistakes you MUST avoid when choosing an office cleaning company

1. Six costlymistakes you MUST avoid when choosingan office cleaning company

2. Page2 Six costly mistakes you MUST avoid when choosing an office cleaningcompany Contents 3 Introduction The sixmistakes: 4 5 6 1. Failing to clearly communicate your needsand expectations 2. Choosing a provider solely on phoneand emailcontact 3. Choosing a cleaning company based onprice alone 7 9 10 12 13 4. Overlooking the cleaning company'ssystems for delivering on itspromises 5. Neglecting toask for (or follow up with) references 6. Failing to carefully review the finalcontract before signingoff Summary AboutRoboclean request a quotation: 0800 7565494

3. Page3 Six costly mistakes you MUST avoid when choosing an office cleaningcompany Introduction Choosing an office cleaning company isn’t easy! It can be a daunting task as you choose thecompanythat’sgoingtocleanyourpremisestoyourexpected standard.Withhundreds of different cleaning suppliers offering a puzzling array of services and products, deciding whattypeofcleaningsupportyouneedcanbeconfusing.Furthermore,itcanbedifficultto understand who and what represents the best value for your business. From super-low prices andhigh-pressuresalestounqualifiedtechniciansandnear-worthlessinformation,howdoyou ever find a qualified, competent, professional office cleaningprovider? You start by reading Six costly mistakes you MUST avoid when choosing an office cleaning company.Inthisfact-filledguide,you’lldiscoverhowtoavoidthesix mistakes whenchoosing a contract cleaning provider, as well aslearning Howtorecognisetheattributesofaprofessionalcleaningcompany Why you shouldn’t get a quote byphone The importance of considering the decisionprocess Why you shouldn’t judge cleaning companies just onprice Howtoprepareyourcompany’scleaningspecificationsbeforegettingaquote What questions toask Why you must checkreferences Why you should consider your company’s futurerequirements The importance of doing research before signing anything What your cleaning contract shouldcover Howtocheckthecontract/agreementbeforesigningit How to review theresults Why you need aguarantee Ouraimistohelpyouidentifyandhiretheverybestcleaningcompanyforyourpremisesand avoid costlymistakes. request a quotation: 0800 7565494

4. Page4 Six costly mistakes you MUST avoid when choosing an office cleaningcompany Mistake number1 Failing to clearlycommunicate your needs andexpectations You should prepare your company’s cleaning specification before getting a quote. Determining the cleaningneedsofyourbusinesspremisesmakesiteasierforyoutoavoidconfusionand unnecessary misunderstanding with cleaningsuppliers. For example, simple statements such as ‘floors to be cleaned weekly’ is open to interpretation as it doesn’tstate whetherthis meansmopping,sweeping,orvacuuming.Thenthere’s thetypeofsurfaces involved (marble, wood, concrete, carpet, vinyl orlinoleum). You should also determine how big the space is that you want to be cleaned. Other questions to consider arehowoftenyouwantcleaningtobedone,thehoursthecleanerswillbeinyour premises, yourbudget,andwhenyouwantthecleaningtostart. Somecleaningproviderscanbeginimmediately,whileothersmayneedlongertorecruitandtraintheir staff. Failing tocommunicate your needs and expectations will leave your potential cleaning provider guessing about the scope of yourcleaning requirements. Evenifyoucanonlyprovidesomeoftheinformation,itallowsthepotential cleanerto suggestsolutions atvarious pricepointstomeetyourunderlying goals and budget. If you have a limited budget, be sure to distinguish “must have” services from “would like”services. We suggest our clients use a three-tiered system in which they designateareas as ‘high priority’, ‘normal priority’ and ‘lowpriority’. Here is a sample cleaningchecklist: All cleaning is conducted outside ofnormal office hours (after 6.30pm or before 9:00am Mon –Fri) The cleaner is issued with a security proximity fob and alarm codes, forwhich they are responsible at alltimes The premises will be fully secured upon leaving, unless there is a memberof staffpresent Cleaning to commence on<INSERT DATE> Aninductionofthepremisesandfullinstructiononthealarmsystemto take place before thisdate request a quotation: 0800 7565494

5. Page5 Six costly mistakes you MUST avoid when choosing an office cleaningcompany Mistake number2 Choosing a provider solelyon phone and emailcontact Themistakemostbusinessesmakewhensourcingacleaningprovideristopickupthephoneoremail businesses and get quotes. But calling a cleaning company and asking them for an immediate quote won’tgiveyouanyreal ideaofthecompany,its services oritsstaff. Sohowdoyoudiscernthereal deal fromthe‘toogoodtobetrue’smooth-talkers?Carefullysourceout acoupleoflocalcleaningproviderswithgoodonline reviews, andinvitetheirrepresentativetovisityour premises and assess yourrequirements. Theprocessofinvitingseveralcleaningcompaniestobidforyourcleaningcontractandwalkingeach company through your company’s specific cleaning requirements can be tedious, but don’t rush the decision. Make sure each sales representative sees every room or space on the premises so they can provide you with a detailedquotation. request a quotation: 0800 7565494

6. Page6 Six costly mistakes you MUST avoid when choosing an office cleaningcompany Mistake number3 Choosing a cleaningcompany based on pricealone For years, prices have been driven down simply because it is so common to compete on a low-cost basis.Whilepriceisundoubtedlyan importantpartofyourdecisionmakingprocess, itshouldnotbethe onlyfactoronwhichyoubaseyourchoice. In the highly competitive world of contract cleaning, it is tempting for a supplier to offer you a ‘loaded’ cleaningspecificationfor very littlecharge. Theservice willnormallystartwellbutthendeteriorateafter a few months as the supplier looks for ways tomake savings. The old adage, “you get what you pay for” really apply to this industry. When reviewing quotes, some critical questions must be asked. Firstly, which company offers the better value for money? A considerablylowerbidthantheaverageforthesame servicesshouldraisearedflag.Itisnotsafeto assume thatthepricedifferenceistheresultofefficiencyandslimmerprofitmargins. Find outhow the lowest bidder achieves lower prices. With salaries, cleaning chemicals, equipment, machineryand overheads rising, competition necessitates lowering thecost ofcleaning,whichmeansthatsomething’sgottogive. Andthat‘something’isoftenthequalityofcleaning, through: Skimping on stafftraining Using lower quality cleaningproducts Cutting back on work supervision andcustomer-support services Notcomplyingwithcertainaspectsofyourspecification Ofcourse,thisdoesn’tmeanthatyoushouldalways pickthe highest bidder. An exceptionally high bid could be the result of inefficiently delivering services, charging you for extras you don’t need, or recouping a premium associated with being part of a nationalfranchise. At Roboclean, we take the view that every cleaning operation has a time value attached to it and therefore must contain an element of cost. As long as you agree with this concept,wecandesignacleaningservicetofityourbudget, and the service will remain constant throughout the period of thecontract. request a quotation: 0800 7565494

7. Page7 Six costly mistakes you MUST avoid when choosing an office cleaningcompany Mistake number4 Overlooking the cleaning company's systems fordelivering on itspromises The size and structure of the cleaning company you choosegreatly influences its flexibility, reliability and overall ability to deliver on its promises. For example, a small husband and wife operation might offer great rates and a personable service, but they lack the resources or manpower to ensure your account is not neglected in extenuating circumstances. With big contracts, will they have back-up personneltocoverinasituationwhereoneormoreoftheirregularcleanerscallsinsick? Onthecontrary,doyourcleaningrequirementcallforalargenationalcleaningservice chain?Typically, when you sign a contract with the big players, they assign your contract to a third party franchisee in your area. These franchisees are normally individuals or small groups of individuals who pay a fee to obtainaccountsthroughthenationalchain.Whiletheydoreceivetraining,thenationalchainsgenerally skimponthesupervisionrequiredtoensurethatquality standards arebeingconsistentlymet. National chains may be a good choice for large chain businesses with multiple facilities in multiple regions because, as well as the convenience of dealing with central headquarters to service multiple facilitiesspread across thecountry,theaccountsizeofthesebusinesseshelpsensurethattheirneeds are prioritised andsatisfied. request a quotation: 0800 7565494

8. Page8 Six costly mistakes you MUST avoid when choosing an office cleaningcompany To ensure your prospective cleaning company can deliver on their promises, here are somequestions you should beasking: Are you insured? Ask to see a copy of the company’s insurance certificate. The best officecleaning companiesshouldshowyoualltheirinsuranceinformationbeforeyousignanything Whoarethestaffmembersthatwillactuallybeservicingmyfacility?Aretheydirectemployeesofthe company, or are they sub-contractors andfranchisees? Do you vet your employees? Remember, the cleaning company’s staff will often be alone in your premisesandresponsibleforlockingupwhentheyleave.Itisthereforeofparamountimportancethat all employees are properly vetted andDBS-checked Whatkindofsupervisionortraining (if any)isprovidedon site tostaffmembersservicingyourfacility toensure that the quality of service is being delivered? Doesthecompanyhavecontingencyplans/staffavailableintheeventofanemergencytoensure that the service being provided is notinterrupted? If there is an emergency or problem that arises at your business (such as the need foremergency carpetcleaning),aretheyequippedwiththe systems andstafftorespond? Do you have references? You should check at least threereferences Doyoucleananyotherbuildingsinmyarea? How long have you been inbusiness? What sets you apart from yourcompetition? Who supplies the equipment and the cleaningproducts? What other services do you provide besides regular office cleaningservices? Willyouprovidemewiththesamecleaningteam? What kind of quality assurance programme do youhave? Howoftenwillyourmanagementteamvisit? How quickly will you resolve issues if there are any? Top companies usually resolve issues with24 hoursandthenfollowupbyphoneoremailtocheckyouare satisfiedwiththefinalresult request a quotation: 0800 7565494

9. Page9 Six costly mistakes you MUST avoid when choosing an office cleaningcompany Mistake number5 Neglecting to ask for (orfollow up with)references Justasyouwouldn’thireanewemployeewithoutfirst askingforandcheckingtheirreferences, you shouldn’t hire a professional cleaning service provider without doing thesame. Any decent cleaning company should be able to name at least two or three relevant references, but don’tjustaccepttheseatfacevalue.Investalittletimetocontacteachreferencetofindoutiftheyhave had any issueswiththeprospectivecompany.Iftheydidhaveany issues,findouthowquicklytheywere resolved. You may also want to ask the reference thesequestions: Were you satisfied with the service received from the prospective company? Didtheproviderdeliverwhattheypromisedintermsoffrequencyandquality? Haveyouhad anycomplaintsabouttheprovider?Ifso,werethey satisfiedwiththecompany’s response in terms of timeliness and overallresult? Doyou have anyreservationsinrecommendingthecompanytome? request a quotation: 0800 7565494

10. Page10 Six costly mistakes you MUST avoid when choosing an office cleaningcompany Mistake number6 Failing to carefully review the final contract before signingoff Now that you have done all the due diligence, don’t make the mistake many businesses do, which is failing to closely check the final contract before they put pen to paper. As with any contract you enter into,don’tassumethatthespecificdetailsoftheservicearrangementyouhavecarefullynegotiatedare accuratelyreflectedinthefinalagreementbeforesigning.Aswithmanycontracts,servicecontractsare often standard agreements with certain key terms modified on a customer-by-customer basis toreflect specificdetails. This may seem obvious, but not everyone read contracts before signing them. Have at least one person not involved in the negotiation process review the contract. Fresh eyes have a better chance ofcatching mistakes, inconsistencies and ambiguities than someone close tothe process. Your cleaning contract or agreement should include thefollowing: Length ofservice Howlongisthecontractfor?Welookataminimumof12months Details of the cleaningservice What services will the cleaning company provide? When will these servicesbeperformed?Howwillitbeperformed?Detailthespecific areas that must becleaned Thecost A cleaning company should be able to provide a clear outline ofthe costs involved. This is all part of the quoting procedure. The pricing structure needs to be very clear. Make sure both parties know what cleaning services are included in the quoted price and whatservices are considered‘extra’ request a quotation: 0800 7565494

11. Page11 Six costly mistakes you MUST avoid when choosing an office cleaningcompany Frequency of thecleaning Youwillneedtospecifythetimeanddaysyouwouldlikeyourpremisestobecleanedthatwillbe convenient and serves yourneeds. Who will supply the cleaningmaterials? Mostcleaningcompaniessupply all oftheirowncleaningsupplies,butitisstillworthputtingthisdetail intothecontracttoavoidthepossibilityofcostlymisunderstandingsordisputes. What will happen in case ofdisputes? Specify in the contract what will happen if there’s any disagreement between you and the cleaning company.Askfora30-daycancellation clausetobeincludedinthecontract sothatifyou’re dissatisfied withtheservice,youcancancelthecontractwithoutpenalty. Thecommunicationchannelsthatwillbeusedbyyouandthecleaningcompany. Howwillyoucommunicate?Howoftendoyouwanttoreceiveacleaningevaluationfromthecleaning company;weekly,monthly,oronce every threemonths?Don’tleavethistochance,putitinwriting. And finally… theguarantee! Your provider should be able to offer you a guarantee of satisfaction. For example, if you’re not completelysatisfied withourserviceandwearenotabletocarryoutafreere-clean,Iguaranteenotto chargeyouapenny!Itisaboldwayofconductingbusiness andourclientsloveusforit. request a quotation: 0800 7565494

12. Page12 Six costly mistakes you MUST avoid when choosing an office cleaningcompany Summary Let’s recap… Communicate your needs and expectations. Specify the cleaning service you require for your premises in as much detail as possible when you request quotes. Keep communication lines opento ensure any ambiguities are resolved and questions are answered before providers begin submitting tenders. Insist on a face-to-face meeting and a walk-through your premises. If possible, meet withsomeone that has the day-to-dayresponsibility in the prospective cleaning company. Remember that value is a more important metric than price in the final decision. Scrutinise very low andhighbidderstomake suretherewon’tbecost-cutting measures thatcoulddeliverpoor results, or unnecessary add-ons that could inflateprices. A cleaning company’s claims of superior service are only as good as its ability to deliver. To have confidencethatyouwillreceivewhat’sbeenpromised,taketimetoinvestigatehowtheyarestructured and what systems they use to deliver onpromises. Contacteachreferenceandasklotsofquestions.Goodproviderswillbeable toprovideatleast 2-3 references for facilities of asimilar size toyours. Careful review of the final proposed contract is essential to make sure all specificallynegotiated terms are included, that there are no inconsistent boilerplate terms, and that there are no hidden fees or policies not previouslydiscussed. Finally, ensure that theexpectations of both parties are clear and unambiguous. A little investment of time and diligence at the beginning can ultimately make the cleaning service provider selectionprocess mucheasier. request a quotation: 0800 7565494

13. Page13 Six costly mistakes you MUST avoid when choosing an office cleaningcompany AboutRoboclean Robocleanhasbeenprovidinghigh-qualitycommercialcleaningservicestohundredsof satisfied businesses inBerkshireandthesurroundingcountiesformorethan10years. WhenyouworkwithRoboclean,youhavetheconfidencethatyou’rereceivingthemostoutstanding service experience ever and the best value for yourbudget. Above all, you’ll enjoy peace of mind knowing that your facility is being handled by professionals committedtoyourlong-termsatisfaction,withauniqueattitudetocustomerserviceandcontract management. Weknowandunderstandhowimportantitisforyourpremisestobecleanedtoagreed standards every time,guaranteed. You’re sure to receive: Affordable cleaning services Efficient systems ofoperation Proactive accountmanagement Superior customerservice Eco cleaning –both products and practices Trained,monitoredandsupervisedemployees–notsubcontractors! Reliablecommunication DBS-checkedstaff A customised service plan to meet everybudget request a quotation: 0800 7565494

14. Address : Robocleaning Services Ltd 8 Crossways Silwood Road ASCOT ,Berkshire, UK Zip: SL5 0PY phone: 0800 7 565 494 Email: info@robocleaningservices.co.uk Website:www.robocleaningservices.co.uk