8 Ways to Spot a Professional Commercial Cleaning Company
Tuesday, February 16, 2021 Care, Commercial, HospitalityIt’s no surprise that keeping commercial premises clean is challenging, given increasing customer expectations and strict hygiene standards. This is a reason why most businesses prefer hiring a professional commercial cleaning company to do the job for them.
But with smaller operators offering discount prices on cleaning, it can get tricky to make the right choice. To break through the clutter, here are eight ways you can spot trained professionals from novice cleaners. These will help you make a better decision.
ISO/ANZS Accreditation
For starters, the best way to gauge reputed commercial cleaners is by checking the quality standards they meet. Professional commercial cleaning companies in Australia are accredited with an ISO or ANZS certification.
The certifications ensure the cleaning company is stable, growth-oriented, and follows all the protocol’s required to meet customer satisfaction.
ACW’s management systems are independently audited each year and have triple certification (ISO 9001 Quality, AS/NZS 4801 OH&S, AS/NZS 14001 Environment).
Liability Insurance Coverage
Unlike regular cleaners, professionals have a valid professional, public, and product insurance cover for their staff.
Cleaners are often exposed to the risks of claims such as slip and fall or property damage due to the involvement of cleaning agents or specific processes.
Having liability and WorkSafe insurance enables professional cleaners to negate the risk of claims related to personal injury or property damage at the workplace.
ACW are fully compliant with all OH&S, Fair Work and Labour Hire regulations and hold $20M Public, Product and Pollution Liability and Worker’s Compensation insurances. Our team holds Police Checks and Working with Children Checks where required.
Documented Training Program
Professional cleaners undergo specialized training in infection control. Without suitable training on infection control, cleaners can leave your staff and clients exposed to bacteria, mould and viruses. This can become a significant risk at your facility and may even endanger your industry accreditations or certifications.
An up-to-date training program enables cleaners to take a strategic and systematic approach to cleaning, leading to effective cleaning results and minimized risks for infection. This in turn mitigates those risks for your business.
Timely Scheduled Inspections
Other than carrying out daily cleaning, a professional commercial cleaning company will employ supervisors to carry out scheduled on-site inspections. Every member of the cleaning team will utilize a dedicated checklist for inspections that helps them understand priorities and measure the overall quality of cleaning.
Having a management-level supervisor or Contracts Manager ensures that the cleaning company delivers what they promise, and meets your expectations, meaning you get what you pay for.
While many cleaning companies promise a supervisor, after the contract is signed and started, supervisor visits may be few and far between. At ACW we agree the frequency of schedule site visits and stick to it. And of course we also perform random quality checks as well as being available 24/7 for any concerns.
Documented ‘Escalation’ Process
A cleaning company is made up of professionals grouped within a team who follow a defined hierarchy. Having direct access to upper management, the cleaning staff within each team can resolve any issues without affecting the cleaning work.
Thanks to a working set of protocols and dedicated escalation procedure, commercial cleaners thus minimize the risk of conflict when it comes to cleaning tasks.
Adherence to Scope of Work
Top commercial cleaners utilize a scope of work or specifications document in order to audit each cleaning task. Unlike regular cleaners that do the cleaning without a goal, professionals understand your preferences by taking into account the specific likes and dislikes, and areas that need extra attention.
Agreeing the scope of work also makes it easier to resolve any concerns you may have about particular cleaning standards. The ability to understand what you expect them to clean and at what frequency (daily or as-needed etc.) set’s a professional cleaning company apart from ordinary cleaners.
Flexibility
Compared to the stringent cleaning procedures followed by ordinary cleaners, professional commercial cleaners offer plenty of flexibility.
Need to get the cleaning done during the off-hours, odd-days, or during a specific time slot? Or, have certain preferences for cleaning products and equipment? Commercial cleaners can adapt accordingly to suit your changing needs whenever you want.
Transparent and Responsive Communication
Commercial cleaning companies should be skilled at understanding their customers.
Professional cleaners are transparent with their company policies. They also follow reliable procedures to collect feedback and address any customer queries or complaints in order to take prompt action for resolution.
ACW has a documented escalation process and extensive customer service training to ensure we can respond to any concerns. We believe that honest and regular communication, about what’s working well and areas to improve, helps build an effective long term partnership that evolves as your business does.
Can a professional commercial cleaning company help your business?
Above we’ve outlined the key traits of outsourced professional commercial cleaning companies which make can them a better option than in-house teams or smaller less professional options. Hiring professional cleaners helps keep your premises clean and safe, helps to ensure long term asset value, and ensures staff and customers have an optimal experience. This helps build your brand reputation and maintain long term employee and customer satisfaction.
If you have commercial cleaning requirements and need professionals to support you, ACW is here to help.
ACW is a family-owned facility services company with over 30 years’ experience in diverse sectors, from aged care and childcare to manufacturing, retail and hospitality. Our stellar reputation and long term partnerships are founded on expertise, and our ‘family first’ approach. Whether you’re a client, staff or contractor, across our six specialist divisions, we treat you as part of the family. From daily cleaning to specialist cleans to general maintenance and licensed trades, we’re here for you. Get in touch with us to chat about your needs.
