Our people
Turnover is the product
Almost every quality problem in commercial cleaning traces back to who is in the building and how long they stay. Of 49 companies we looked at, two said whether their cleaners are employees or subcontractors and ten mentioned a background check. It is the part of this trade that gets the least marketing and decides the most.
Four commitments about staffing
Each one costs money, which is why they are worth stating rather than implying.
Employees, not subcontractors
Every cleaner is on our payroll, with workers compensation and a background check completed before their first shift. Two of the 49 sites we looked at say which model they use. The subcontract model is cheaper per hour and is the reason a building sees four different crews in a year.
Paid above the local average
It is the single highest-leverage thing a janitorial company can do about quality. It is also the main reason our bid is rarely the cheapest of the three you are holding.
Named on your account
Six of the 49 companies we looked at promise a single point of contact. You get the names of the crew on your building and you meet them at the walkthrough, and if somebody is covering you hear about it in advance rather than finding a stranger at 9pm.
Supervised, and logged
A supervisor walks each site weekly and records what they found. You see the log. An unsupervised night crew is how a good contract quietly becomes a bad one over six months.
What every cleaner clears before their first shift
Certificates go to you before the contract starts rather than when somebody asks for them.
| Identity and right to work | Verified from original documents, recorded and re-checked on expiry. |
|---|---|
| Criminal background check | Completed before the first shift. Re-run annually for anyone on a school or medical site. |
| References | Two, contacted by phone rather than accepted on paper. |
| Photo badge | Issued and worn on site. Buildings with a security desk get the list in advance. |
| Induction | Chemical handling, equipment, your building's access procedure and what to do about a spill or an alarm. |
| Site-specific training | Bloodborne pathogen procedure on medical sites, child protection awareness on school sites. |
What facilities managers ask
Sample answers for demonstration. Replace with your own before launch.
Yes, apart from holiday and sickness cover, and you are told in advance when relief is covering. Continuity is the whole reason the staffing model costs what it does.
We cover with relief the same night and recruit for the position rather than spreading the hours across the existing crew, which is the usual shortcut and shows up in the building within a fortnight.
Yes. They go to you before the contract starts. If a bidder will not produce them, that is the answer to a different question.
However you prefer. Key, fob, code or a security desk sign-in. Keys are signed out to a named individual and audited, and returned on the day somebody leaves.
Want to meet the crew before you sign?
You will meet them at the walkthrough, which happens before any contract.