Professional or Independent, Make Sure Your Cleaner has These Five Things

2020 sure made the importance of cleaning clear, didn’t it?

Cleaning and business have completely changed because of 2020 and COVID. New rules around cleaning regulations, more clear distinctions between cleaned and sanitized, and new procedures to even letting people through the doors of your business is enough to make any business owner simply stop, blink and stare...multiple times.

What I’m hearing more of from new commercial clients is their need to set up a solid cleaning schedule with a professional cleaning service to ensure all new regulations and procedures are properly followed.

Why this increase?

Up until now, many businesses often used either a solo independent cleaner who is not professionally licensed or even an internal team member. They now realize that “cleaning” is about keeping their team and customers safe, as well as making their space sparkle. And this is what many professional cleaning companies have over an independent individual.

I will always say that a licensed commercial cleaning business is always preferred over a solo independent cleaner who is not professionally licensed...however, regardless of who you choose, make sure they follow these five things.

They work to earn your trust beyond “good scrubbing”

Your business is more than a place you conduct work. It’s where you connect with people, support your team, create results, and so much more. Working with a cleaner who you trust to be in your business, often when you’re not there, is important to ensure your space - and your people - remain safe.

While there are absolutely good independent cleaners, who are more often than not cost-effective, is this enough?

Many businesses realize - over and above the implemented safety protocols - that their teams’ expectations for what is now considered to be “clean” have substantially changed.

A professional commercial cleaning company begins to earn your trust by:

• Having a professionally vetted and trained team
• A leader who actively motivates, grows, and engages the team for improvement
• A clear, client-friendly onboarding and communication process
• Demonstrating a consistent team of cleaning professionals and an ongoing training process
• Actively showing a commitment to your business’s success and the health of your people. 

They deliver motivated, reliable, and consistent cleaning standards

Again, independent cleaners are not bad, but they are just that...independent. Specifically, when it comes to having to cancel, there is no backup cleaner to fill in. This is a very common theme these days due to COVID testing and quarantine regulations, ultimately leaving your business in a lurch for services.

How are you going to ensure your business can maintain the proper sanitization standards, let alone represent the image you want?

A professional cleaning company has processes in place to account for team members who are unable to come in. For instance, with Clean Club Calgary, we send the same cleaner for consistency. However, should they not be able to come into work, the rest of our team has the same level of training, along with access to our detailed client preference checklists. This ensures that you receive the same level of quality clean, without having to reschedule.

Cleaning consistent; business image maintained; no missing of a beat (or spec of dirt) when people are...human. Because a professional cleaning service understands your expectations and does everything to ensure they are met when promised to be met.

They look to build a professional relationship

When you hire a cleaning service, regardless of whether they are independent or an incorporated company, they are there to do one thing - complete the work you’ve invested in to ensure your business sparkles while prioritizing the health of your people!

For commercial cleaning, this means that your cleaning team must be equipped with the right tools, along with understanding the exact requirements for your business. At Clean Club Calgary, we invest in the right tools, particularly as disinfecting becomes even more important in this COVID era. In addition, we have pre-cleaning checklists for our cleaners to use prior to your cleaning. This maximizes your cleaning time because we already understand what needs to be cleaned, when. There are a number of additional checks and balances, internal communications, and policies in place to ensure the health of our people, of your people, and that the work actually is completed to your expectations.

An independent cleaner may not have these same checks and balances or safety measures in place simply because it is not required of them. For a professional, incorporated company, we must abide by the standards set by the governing body, ISSA.

They are certified by globally recognized industry-training leaders

Yes. Anyone can clean. Even your own team members.

BUT - a professionally trained cleaning organization does more than clean. Just as you invest in your area of business, we invest in ours.

After all, there is a lot of science and skill behind creating clean, fresh spaces. This comes down to understanding what products can be used on what materials. If your cleaner is not properly trained with this knowledge, then you run the risk of accidentally damaging your office space.

Based on the IICRC Technician certification training I’ve completed (and continue to update), along with participation in regulating bodies, I’ve created a science- and service-based training program for our team. This ensures that all our cleaners know how to properly care for our clients’ businesses. Two of these specific training pieces are:

• Solvent Usage List: This provides insights into what solvents can and cannot be used on specific surfaces. This document is accessible 24/7 for our team, providing easy review when needed for greater client support.
• Cleaning Training Manual: This provides detailed training on proper care for exceeding your cleanliness expectations. As the manual is broken into specific sections, the cleaner must successfully complete all sections of the manual before they are a fully-trained team member. This involves the manual review, a video demonstration, in-office practice, and hands-on training opportunities that are supported by a team leader to review and guide the new cleaner on how to improve (if needed).

Even more, with a professional cleaning company, you know there is proper insurance in place SHOULD damage occur. This is often not the case with an independent cleaner.

Business owner to business owner, proper insurance coverage is a key element to running a business.

They focus on protecting both the client AND their team members

Over and above providing a quality clean, a cleaner’s goal should be to retain clients and work together when issues arise. This is quality service in action. If there are issues, the cleaning company must know they are not meeting expectations and then rectify it. Through a professional cleaning service, you are more likely to have responsive feedback and service implementation.

Again, this is not always the case, however when the company is insured, bonded, and up to date with their WCB, there is peace of mind knowing everyone is protected. These should be non-negotiable pieces when working with any cleaner, including an independent one. I also believe that it is my responsibility to run background checks on all potential hires. Of course, this is for the safety of the client, but also for my team and company.

We are sending people directly into your business. You have to trust that whoever is coming in is directly invested in the success of your company by being committed to their work for you. That is what a professional commercial cleaning company strives for.

At the end of the day, professional and clean should go hand in hand. This is an industry that does not always come with the most respect. However, cleaning is an honourable profession. One that directly impacts the health and wellness of your entire team.

When you work with a company that focuses on the proper training, customer service, and empowerment of their team, you receive a professional cleaning. Not cleaning.

Moving into 2021, if you’re looking to invest in cleaning in a different way, connect with a company (or yes, a solo cleaner) that is invested in their knowledge for your business health and visual impression. 

Ask questions, including those around their processes for hiring, cleaning, and addressing concerns. Better yet, do your research and learn why successful companies invest in their cleaning rather than spend revenue on it.

If you’re ready to see what a cleaning strategy could do for your business in 2021, let’s chat! It’s really about understanding who you are and where you’re going! Send me a message here.