Surely everyone is capable of doing their own cleaning. However, there are certain ‘messes’ and/or large spaces that require an entire team of dedicated cleaning personnel with the right equipment to get the job done. Regardless of your reasons for requiring the services of a professional cleaning company, there are several things to take into account before you hire one. These factors will affect your final decision and the quality of service you can expect.
Apart from understanding the basics like costing and establishing a work time-frame, here are five, vital questions to ask a cleaning company prior to hiring them.
1) Do You Send Employees or Contractors?
Cleaning agencies come in all shapes and sizes. Where some offer solely house cleaning services, other companies provide an array of services which covers domestic needs, as well as more comprehensive, commercial needs like hospital sterilization, for example. Regardless of the size and capacity of the agency, however, if the demand for services is more than the company’s ability to supply, they will most likely opt to hire individual contractors.
On the other hand, some cleaning companies choose to entirely outsource the services they provide, acting merely as middlemen between customers and cleaning contractors. Keeping the customer’s best interests in mind, it is advisable to hire a cleaning service that sends employees as opposed to contractors since the agency itself would then be held responsible for any issues regarding the quality of service, pricing, etc.
2) Do You Offer Insurance?
It goes without saying that allowing a cleaning company to handle your property requires a sense of respect from the agency. That being said, this won’t protect you from potential mishaps, damage to your property and/or theft of possessions. This is where insurance comes into play. There are various types of insurance policies offered by reputable cleaning services, some of which are specific to a particular need, while others more inclusive of many other liabilities under a single, broader plan.
In order to protect the customer from any kind of liability, there are two key forms of insurance that a cleaning company should carry:
- Liability Insurance – Simply put, if a customer’s property is broken and/or damaged during its handling by the cleaning company’s crew, the customer will be compensated for the cost of replacement or repair.
- Workers’ Compensation – In the event of a cleaner sustaining an injury on your property, you could find yourself involved in a court case if the company does not carry Workers’ Compensation. This policy is specifically designed to prevent any issues that may arise with regards to the legal aspects of such a situation. By handling any medical financing towards an injury acquired on the job, all parties are protected from potential loss.
3) Are You Bonded?
A cleaning agency with the relevant insurance policies in place will give customers a sense of faith in the company’s services. However, not everything can be controlled. In the unlikely event that the work doesn’t go as planned, a surety bond will ensure that the services are executed, regardless, and at a professional standard. Whether deadlines are missed or personnel need replacing, there is assurance for the services provided by a bonded agency.
While the ill-intentions of an individual cannot be prevented by an agency, it can, on the other hand, be policed and insured. Therefore, if something is stolen from the customer by a member of the cleaning crew (and it is proven), a fidelity bond will help compensate for the loss incurred. Fidelity bonds help protect the goodwill in the relationship between the cleaning company and its customers, meaning the agency intends to put its customers ahead.
4) Do You Reference/Background Check Your Employees?
Along with the assurance of having hired an insured and bonded cleaning service, it is advisable to inquire about the screening measures taken by the company to ensure that their employees are professionally trained, experienced and trustworthy. By performing background and reference checks on potential employees, the cleaning company can gain a plethora of information on cleaners before hiring them.
More importantly, candidates are scanned through criminal database searches to ensure that they do not have a criminal record. Apart from this, reference checks give the agency (and the customer) the reassurance of dealing with trusted and hardworking individuals. This enables the cleaning company to maintain a standard with whom they employ as their representatives. Moreover, with the security of having properly screened personnel along with all the relevant insurance, all liability will be kept to a minimum.
5) Do You Bring Your Own Cleaning Supplies and Equipment?
Finally, the last thing to consider when hiring a cleaning company is the equipment used for the service. Given that they’re a cleaning agency, it would imply that they have their own cleaning equipment; however, this may or may not include things like soaps, floor cleaners, etc.
On the other hand, if your chosen cleaning service does offer their own cleaning products but you would prefer to use your own, this can typically be arranged by request. With regard to their equipment, customers may inquire about the quality of the tools used, sterilization of the same, etc. By discussing the details of the cleaning duty, equipment and products, you can rest assured that the results will be satisfactory.
To make an informed decision when hiring cleaning services, having the company answer the questions above will certainly simplify the entire process!
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