Hiring the Right Office Cleaning Service
06Jan 2015

Keeping our offices clean and tidy is an integral part of being productive at work. An environment free from clutter means our minds can be free from clutter too, and we can reach our full potential. Although each individual office worker should be responsible for their own workspace and should strive to keep this as tidy and clean as possible, for the most part, office workers don’t have the time to be vacuum cleaning and tidying communal areas. This is where an office cleaning service can come in and be handy. However, finding the right staff for your commercial cleaning needs can be tricky if you’ve never hired them before, and knowing where to start can be confusing. Here are some hints and tips on how to do so.BudgetFirst of all, when you own an office, it’s likely that you’ll already have a budget in mind and will therefore know at least a rough ballpark figure of how much you have to spend on an office cleaning company. This is the time to sit down, discuss with colleagues if needs be, and calculate an exact figure. Once you realise how much you can spend, you can consider how often you’d like the staff to clean and how extensive this clean needs to be. For example, you may want them to vacuum, wipe down surfaces and clean the toilets every day, but other tasks like mopping and deep cleaning may only be required once a week. Your budget, however, may affect whether these needs can be fulfilled, so prioritizing if your budget is particularly strict is a must.Word of mouthThe best way of getting recommendations on staff is to ask friends and colleagues if they’ve previously used a specific cleaning company. If someone has no ulterior motive to be recommending particular staff, the chances are they’re a reliable company. Similarly, listen out for negative feedback from particular companies, as this can be a warning not to use them. OnlineResearch and look up companies online. This can be a simple way of finding a company because all their costs and services should be listed on their website. A company’s website can also be quite telling in terms of how professional they are; if a lot of time, money and effort has been put into a company’s site, it’s likely that they put the same into their business practices. You can also research costs online and see how specific company’s costs compare to others, as well as read reviews from previous customers. Try typing in the office cleaning company’s name into a search engine and seeing if anything negative pops up, if it does, steer clear.CommunicateOnce you’ve chosen a company, reach out and build a rapport with them. Give them a phone call and maybe arrange a meeting in person. Be as professional as you’d expect them to be. Get a quote and see if you can negotiate terms either in way of getting a better price or in terms of more services. Find out how they operate, what they need from you, and whether they have any questions, as well as their rates and any additional costs. They may prefer to work early in the morning, or late at night, so ensure you know this so you can brief your other staff. The better your working relationship with a company, the higher the chance you’ll have a positive experience.