Performance, accountability, and follow-through are the most critical elements when considering what to look for in a janitorial company. Beyond a cleaning checklist that’s custom to your facility, you’ll want to know how a company guarantees that the work gets done. We’ll cover the criteria that keep clients using the same janitorial company for years.
A Written Scope of Work Before Anyone Starts
You know you have a good scope of work when it immediately tells you what areas to clean and which ones to avoid. This makes it clear to crews what’s off limits, so you protect what matters most.
Furthermore, the scope of work that details how each space will be cleaned is the key. For example, break rooms can detail that microwaves, tables, countertops, and the exterior fridge surface will be wiped down. The floors will be swept and mopped, and all trash cans will be emptied and replaced.
At DJS, we developed scope of work documents such as these as one accountability aspect. The scope does not change unless you need it to, and your account coordinator visits the site every 30-45 days to walk through every space in your scope document.
Documented Quality Inspections, Not Just Promises
Regarding performance, you know your janitorial company has a system that delivers when someone exclusively designated to your account visits the site at least every 30-45 days. But it’s not enough to just visit; it’s what they do at the site that matters.
The account coordinator should already be familiar with your facility; that’s a given. But to go above and beyond, they walk every space on your scope of work, they check the floors, trash cans, and surfaces.
Account coordinators look for dust at higher surfaces or accumulation by pipes, which is a proactive approach designed to spot problems before they become a bigger headache. Finally, a report is made on the cleaning status of your building, and the notes make it to your email, so you’re left to focus on what matters to you.
We train account coordinators on these methods, so surprises that disrupt operations don’t sneak up on you. Before starting accounts, account coordinators get trained by someone more experienced who is familiar with known issues that silently build up, so by the time they get to an account, they can spot them quickly.
One Point of Contact Who Knows Your Account
When considering follow-through, your point of contact matters the most here. We’ve heard many horror stories where clients call for help, get sent to a voicemail, or a call center that promises a callback – only to hear from someone 3 days later.
What we’ve seen work for facilities is having one person who handles the account, who is one phone call away to a dedicated line specific to them. However, that’s still not enough. There must also be a timeline of when you can expect to hear back.
We have account coordinators call back in less than 24 hours for any incident for all our clients, oftentimes much sooner. If time allows, account coordinators will visit your site to see what the issue is and determine the best solution. They stay on the incident until it is resolved and will get in contact with you, so you never have to chase for help.
What Happens When Something is Missed?
Although companies strive to provide excellent service every time, unfortunately there are times incidents arise in cleaning, or it may be an entirely unrelated matter which we’ll discuss below. The important key here is to know beforehand how your janitorial vendor will resolve these. You ideally want someone who will offer appropriate solutions so the issue is corrected at the next best time.
For example, let’s say a room didn’t get the trash taken out, and desks weren’t wiped down. Your account coordinator then coordinates crews to come back on site so rooms get cleaned properly.
Not all incidents are missed cleanings. Sometimes, urgent matters happen, such as a spill caused by a water pipe bursting, and you need urgent cleaning done. The account coordinator will send a service advisor to document the extent of the damage and provide an appropriate solution.
Whatever the issue is, it’s important to have someone available and responsive to any matter that arises at your building. At DJS we follow these systems to help our clients.
Licensed, Bonded, and Insured (What it Means for You)
Cleaning companies with licenses mean they are legally registered to operate in the state. If they are bonded, it protects you from employee theft at your facility. Insurance with liability coverage protects your building from property damage or injuries on the job, so you don’t have to.
Contract Flexibility and What You’re Actually Signing
Often, facility managers get locked into 1-2-year contracts with janitorial vendors. The core issue with this is the penalty clause. If you want a contract broken because the cleaning quality dipped, you have to pay large fees that usually force people to stay until the duration of the contract, “it’s just not worth the hassle.” It is a phrase we hear often.
To solve this, we implemented month-to-month contracts for partners so there’s never a forced lock. All you need is a 30-day notice, and you can move on if service quality falls below thresholds. Oftentimes, what this really means is that because there’s always a 30-day window, the cleaning remains consistent and of high quality.
This is how DJS got to 500+ clients (and this number is growing).
Track Record and Verifiable Proof
Regarding client counts, any business can tout large numbers, but the key here is consistency over time.
Ideally, you want to look at reviews, how long clients stay with their vendor, and photos that show clean work.
Reviews typically tell you how people feel about their vendor, and oftentimes, you’ll spot which companies have their systems dialed in for clients so spaces get cleaned and stay that way year after year.
We work hard for clients every day, and this is shown in our Google Reviews with 185+ reviews at a 4.9-star rating. Many clients have been with us for years because we show up, hold ourselves accountable, and resolve issues as they happen.
Work With a Team That Hits These Points Consistently for Clients
Reach out to us to request a free site walkthrough if you’re looking for a vendor that will take the time to walk your facility, document exactly what you need, handle problems as they arise without you chasing, and follow through.
You can find more reasons why hiring a cleaning professional is the right fit for you.
