As business owners or administrators the cleaning duties are something that we outsource. We need to be able to concentrate on what we actually need to do to make the business grow, but need to minimise distractions, and a poorly kept office environment can certainly provide a big one.

When it comes to outsourcing your cleaning duties, you need to be clear and honest about what you want and need. Most businesses simply want to maintain a clean office and that is their aim, but you need to be clear in your mind about what it is that you want from your office cleaning contractor so that they can go about providing it. Here are our tips for finding a new contractor for your office:

1.    Think about the size of company you want to deal with
Are you a small business looking for the personal touch and flexibility of an individual or are you a massive office requiring the man power of a professional cleaning company? This is the most obvious question to ask before you trawl the internet for prospective contractors. Reputation and word-of-mouth are always indicators or quality, so look to other business owners for tip offs.

2.    Make sure they visit your office
Most should as standard, but if they try to give you a quote over the phone we recommend you forget it. You need to feel that personal level of service from your cleaning contractor, and have peace of mind that they know exactly what you want, and have worked out exactly how they will go about it by visiting your premises. Not only that, you need to see and assess a face and listen to what this company representative has to say. First impressions are everything, and if you don’t think much of what they have to say to your face, they chances are you will be predisposed to not thinking much of the cleaning job they do.

3.    Dictate your terms
If you have specific requirements, make them clear. For instance, if you only need a couple of cleaners for an hour maybe three times a week then could they clean outside of your working hours? This should be beneficial for both parties as you will not have the distraction of a cleaner banging round the office and they will be able to get on with the cleaning without real live individuals being in the way. If you need people on site at regular times be clear about this and do not flex too much; after all you are the customer and they are providing you with a cleaning service.

4.    Negotiate
Most cleaning contractors will provide you with a free quote before you decide to go with their services. As with anything, make sure you haggle.

5.    Maintain an open dialogue
This couldn’t be stressed enough. If your cleaner is doing a superb job, let them know. If things aren’t being done to your liking, discuss it with them and give them a chance to put them right. It will be much quicker, and far less hassle for you, to allow your current contractor to learn and improve than it will be to go through the rigmarole of hiring a new contractor. Some cleaners will leave a comments book somewhere in the office so that you can maintain this open dialogue, so make sure you do as it will all help to maintain a good level of office cleanliness.