What Customers Want From a Commercial Cleaning Company

Commercial cleaning customers demand and deserve quality work

A cleaning business should strive to provide quality work as a foundation of its cleaning services. If a cleaning service is not providing superior service they run the risk of losing customers and gaining a poor reputation. That can be devastating in a world of Google reviews and an already saturated market. In San Antonio there are no less than 328 cleaning companies!

Reputation is critical and key to staying strong in any industry. It is imperative to focus on providing the best service possible to each client. Doing so helps gain and maintain a good reputation and can lead to positive word of mouth that can help expand one’s business.

Attention to detail is another way to show customers that you provide quality service.  Clients won’t hesitate switching to a different company because the little things keep getting overlooked. This could be things like ignoring marks on walls,, not dusting the tops of picture frames, or allowing dust to buildup in the vents. These little, often overlooked, things are significant to clients.

Many clients have installed video cameras and, yes, they actually watch the cleaning crews. This can serve as an incentive for crews to be on their toes but additionally, can help save an account if a question arises. Some businesses even leave “traps” or areas left intentionally dirty to see if  cleaning crews miss things. A common example of this is throwing a small piece of paper in a corner or placing a wad of chewing gum in a, otherwise, empty trash can to see if it was picked up or removed. If  cleaning crews frequently overlook cleaning areas like this it could cause clients to start looking to hire a different cleaning service.

There is more than one way to do anything and the client’s way is the best way! Paying attention to special requests or how clients like certain things cleaned is a must. By consistently making the extra effort to clean as your clients wish, (within reason of course), it’s easy to keep clients satisfied.

Allow for flexibility

Potential cleaning customers want flexibility. People don’t like paying for services beyond what they need, and they also like being able to pay for services on their terms.

Most clients schedule cleaning on a specific day and time. Allowing clients to change their cleaning schedule can be a huge plus.

Offering additional services like window washing or carpet cleaning is often necessary and  can be bundled in the contract so working with clients to determine how often these services should be done is important. Sometimes commercial cleaning companies get into the habit of scheduling these services on a monthly basis when they may only need to be done quarterly or semi-annually.

If a client has a reasonable cleaning request, every so often, try to accommodate them if it will take just a few minutes of added time. Just be careful of scope creep, which is when clients start asking for more and more service without paying for it. This is something new business owners may not anticipate and quickly it can become an uncomfortable situation.

Trustworthy, Courteous, and well-trained employees

Other important aspects of what customers are looking for, has to do with your cleaning technicians and office personnel. The role as the owner of the cleaning business is important, but employees act as the face of your company. This applies to both cleaning crews and office employees who have contact with the clients.
How customers and potential customers interact with employees can benefit your business The first thing people want from a cleaning company’s staff is trustworthiness.

When a potential customer decides to hire a cleaning service, they are trusting complete strangers into their business. Most people are not going to hire a company they feel they can’t trust.

Since your employees may interact with clients and potential clients, you want them to be courteous and well trained. If your staff is courteous it can help build trust with existing clients, and potential customers could be more likely to take a chance on hiring you.

When people can quickly trust your company, know the benefits of hiring you over the competition, and can get an accurate quote fast, they are more likely to choose your company.

Quick responses and good communication

Another factor that customers want from any company is good communication and quick responses. Often companies earn a new client simply because they were the only company that answered the phone when they called. That was certainly the case when our pipes burst during the crazy weather in February 2021! Responding to a situation quickly is something that clients appreciate greatly. Even though they usually don’t really expect anyone to show up at their office within minutes, it is a good practice to do so anyway. Ignore the client and you will be replaced.