Fed up with your cleaning contractor – 4 signs it’s time to change
Without regular management of the cleaning contract, it can become stale and overlooked. Organisations often stick with unsatisfactory cleaners, thinking that it’s difficult or a hassle to change. It’s not! Staying in a partnership with an unreliable service provider is not ideal, and could even affect your staff morale. Consider a change to your office cleaning contractor.
In this blog we look at four signs that it could be time to review your existing cleaning contractor.
4 signs that it’s time to change your cleaning contractor
There’s no support for onsite contract cleaning staff
Office cleaning staff need regular and reliable support and management, plain and simple!
One of the biggest complaints we hear from new contracts is that their previous cleaning team do not feel supported. Not just in training, for example health and safety, but also in the correct cleaning methods and usage of the specified products.
Understanding responsibilities within the cleaning team is essential, and schedules will list out all the tasks allocated to roles. This also provides compliance and reassurance that the cleaning specification is being carried out in accordance with your contract.
Lines of communication need to be clear and responsibilities explained and understood. This will allow small issues to be quickly resolved before they escalate.
In addition lines of communication need to be clear and responsibilities explained and understood, and any small issues can be quickly resolved before they escalate.
You never see your cleaning area manager
Cleaning area or regional managers should be regular visitors to ensure the contract is running well.
Prescheduled client meetings are the perfect way to discuss service and delivery, and plan for upcoming events or office changes.
Regular quality and compliance audits should be done during these meetings, ideally with the client in attendance. All results will then be fed into the site Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) which should be reviewed at least quarterly with you.
This is also an opportunity for mangers to review onsite equipment, check stock ordering and amend staff shifts to cover holiday.
Poor communication and slow response time
You shouldn’t have to wait days to get a response from your provider for something that you need. If they take several days to respond to emails or calls, and repeatedly fail to follow up or progress specific issues, then it’s definitely time to consider change to one that can communicate and respond in a timely manner.
Re-occurring staff issues, especially around payroll
Nothing annoys and demotivates cleaning staff more than incorrect pay, especially if payroll errors are made time and time again.
This comes down to accuracy with timesheets and communication between supervisors or managers and head office. Any pay queries that are escalated to managers or head office should be dealt with and resolved as a matter of urgency, ideally within 24 hours.
Paying the correct amount at the correct time should be the priority of every cleaning company.
TemcoUK Facility Services is a professional commercial cleaning contractor - change to us!
Established in 2001, Temco is an expert in commercial office cleaning. We understand that as businesses adapt to hybrid working, so too do our cleaning schedules need to adjust to reflect the changing landscape.
Our cleaning managers are experienced and we have a stable team. This gives you consistency, reassurance and expertise for the management of your contract. We specialise in cleaning, and tailor our office service to meet the unique requirements of your business, whatever days you work and whatever your office occupancy.
Our comprehensive list of services covers everything including office window and carpet cleaning, washroom services and pest control.
If you would like further information please contact us on LinkedIn, email hello@temco-services.co.uk or call us 01895 520370.
The Benefits of using a Professional Office Contract Cleaning Company
With many organisations starting to plan for the return to the office as lockdown restrictions ease, staff are seeking reassurance that their workplaces are clean and hygienic. It’s no surprise therefore that Facility Managers are reviewing their options and looking at the benefits of using a professional office contract cleaning company to manage their cleaning provision. Cleaning plays a major role in the defence against reducing the spread of transmission and infection from coronavirus in the office environment.
There are many benefits of outsourcing office contract cleaning.
Compliance & Accountability
Professional cleaning companies offer compliance in areas such as staff vetting and health and safety, offering reassurance through certification and trade accreditations such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and SafeContractor. Strict industry standards are followed to ensure compliance and safety.
Professional specification and contract reporting
Accurate specification and schedules can be created detailing all the tasks that have been agreed in the contract. These typically would include how often hard floors are swept and damp mopped, and in these COVID times whether frequently touched surfaces (such as door handles and push plates) are to be sanitised throughout the day or not.
These provide transparency on the service, leaving no room for misunderstandings.
Professionally trained staff
Training needs to be comprehensive and include not only chemicals, equipment and consumables but also health and safety such as manual handling, control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH), PPE and warning signage. Up to date risk assessments for cleaning tasks should always be available and regularly reviewed. Selecting companies that directly employ staff further ensures compliance.
Complete Solutions
Professional companies will be able to offer a wide range of sanitising and hygiene solutions. For example disinfections and fogging for instant response to suspected or confirmed COVID outbreaks, or surface protection options for longer term solutions
Sustainable solutions
For organisations that have sustainability at their core, having a choice of cleaning materials matters. Professional office contract cleaning companies can access commercial ranges of environmentally friendly solutions. One such example is the SoluPak. The range offers a unique cleaning concentrate, packed in water-soluble film sachets and all packaging is 100% biodegradable and plastic free, and the film dissolves to become part of the cleaning solution. The amount of plastic is dramatically reduced using only reusable plastic trigger bottles. Plus, all products have the following accreditations: Ecolabel, Vegan and Cruelty-Free
Focus on core business
Outsourcing the office cleaning to a professional company allows organisations the focus on their core business. The cleaning industry is well-established with safety and compliance at its heart.
Specialist equipment and chemicals
Professional cleaning companies have access to specialist equipment and chemicals and these will have been tested and independently certified. An example would be ensuring anti-viral cleaning materials are approved to EN14476 to give peace of mind that the products are effective and compliant.
Understanding dilution and manufacturers contact or kill time is another important factor as this determines how long the chemical needs to work.
Investing in the latest cleaning equipment not only increases productivity but also greatly enhances the finished result. Take the iMop for example. This modern, easy to use scrubber dryer cleans even faster than a conventional scrubber and is up to 70% faster than wet mopping. The two counter-rotating brushes scrub deeper for 90% cleaner surfaces when compared to standard mopping. The iMop technology leaves floors dry which reduces slip hazards, and as it is battery operated there are no trailing cables which eliminates trip hazards. Faster, cleaner and safer!
Service excellence, Visible difference, Positive results
Experienced cleaning companies are good at what they deliver, so the end result is consistent service excellence which makes a visible difference to the look and feel of any business.
A clean and hygienic office also has a positive effect on workplace productivity, plus additional benefits including increased motivation and better staff mental wellbeing. In these uncertain times where many UK workers are concerned about returning to the office, having the highest cleanliness standards in place is essential to give staff reassurance that the office is safe.
TemcoUK Facility Services provides professional office contract cleaning in London and the surrounding areas
Based in Uxbridge, London, Temco has been delivering professional office cleaning services for over 20 years to many organisations, from blue chip and corporate head office buildings to industrial and educational environments, keeping workplaces clean, safe and hygienic.
Temco is agile and very client focussed and has an excellent record of professionally managing cleaning contracts. This offers safety and compliance as standard via rigid reporting, training, auditing and effective health and safety procedures.