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Some cleaning companies have learnt a lot from other business sectors about how to incrementally charge more.

Here is how they do it.

In the guise of building long term relationships or being an “Adviser”, or providing regular reporting to you, there will be a section based around recommendations.

And the recommendations are always about extra cleaning you need.  And the extra cleaning will always cost you more.

It is the same technique that Real Estate Agents use to “condition” you to list with them (offer you the highest selling price, then slowly condition you to accept lower and lower prices).

In cleaning, it can take many forms but the most common approaches are listed below:

1. Let Your Environment Deteriorate And Then Offer a Spring Clean

When a company only provides the basics in their regular service, the overall appearance of your space will deteriorate over time.  You will start seeing marks on the walls, cobwebs around the lights and dust on the sills to name a few.

Not to worry, your provider will be there to assist you to get back into ship shape presentation with a spring clean service that will cost you a bundle.

While this approach may seem reasonable, it is actually just another way for your provider to increase profits.

MD Commercial Cleaning finds that attending to these things on a regular basis will sustain your appearance for longer and provide a better overall presentation week to week – not just every time a spring clean is done.

2. Over Cleaning

In most environments, there are a lot of items that need to be spot cleaned or cleaned from time to time.  But they do not need to be cleaned every time.

Windows are a good example. Even in an environment where presentation is everything, most windows do not need to be cleaned every time.

We have a client in a retail showroom in Ashmore that has about 100 windows. The cleaning schedule we recommended for this client was to clean all of the windows initially, clean the entrance doors and the windows immediately to the right and left of the entrance every service but to spot clean the other 90 or so panes of glass during a weekly service and clean all glass with a squeegee every 90 days.

We find this approach is the most cost effective for our client and because we want to meet their needs, we are not out to milk every cent from them.

If you are paying your service to clean items every time that only need cleaning occasionally, then you are paying too much.

It may be a good time for you to talk to your cleaner or even find a new one.

3. Under Cleaning

This is where the provider promises a comprehensive clean only to actually just do the basics.  This scenario is very common in the industry and businesses are being over charged for cleaning that is not done every day.

Here are some tips for looking for the tell tale signs:

  • Run your finger across the rear of your computer or the rear of your desk.  If your finger is dusty, first wash it, then use it to call another cleaning company!
  • Look at the base of and the rear of your toilets.  In the mens toilet especially, you may find that some of your staff “missed”.  I hope not, but if you do, address the issue with your cleaning service.
  • Look at your sills – if you see “John Loves Julie 2007”, your cleaner is letting you down.
  • Look at your windows from different hours in the sunlight.  If there are obvious marks such as fingerprints there, your providers are cleaning by the numbers, not looking after your business.

There is always a natural tension between what you would like and what you can afford to pay.  But when choosing a cleaning company, look for one that will work with you to meet your needs without ripping you off.

 

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