EXPERT ADVICE
MAKE SURE IT’S NOT JUST THE PRICE THAT IS RIGHT!
When it comes to selecting a cleaning contract, price will invariably be a key consideration, but there is a lot more at stake, says Sean Canty, Director at CAM Specialist Support.
Price will always be an important factor when tendering cleaning contracts. According to the University of Warwick there are more than 32,000 companies in the cleaning industry in the UK; that’s a lot of competition in anyone’s book. This, combined with tough economic conditions, the lack of clarity following the Brexit vote and a growing use of outsourced services, puts a constant pressure on cleaning firms to cut their prices. However, although price is an important consideration, it shouldn’t be the deciding factor when procuring cleaning services.
A FAIR PRICE Although a low contract price can be initially attractive when procuring services, the saying ‘you get what you pay for’ should not be dismissed as just a cliché. The low cost tends to have a knock-on effect on employee pay and working conditions. If wages are low then it can affect productivity, quality standards and staff turnover. The fact that many contracts are short term can mean less investment in training and development, which in turn leads to worsening worker conditions and deteriorating service levels for the client.
The result is that you could well fail to receive the service you expect and end up paying more in the long term through management time spent trying to resolve issues, or retendering and starting the whole process again.
www.tomorrowscleaning.com
People who are paid fairly and treated well tend to be more committed to their work and more loyal. So, if you use a Living Wage (or London Living Wage in the capital) accredited company, you are bound to get a better service than from one that has to continually recruit and train new staff. At CAM Specialist Support our aim is always to attract and retain quality staff to the cleaning industry and so we reward them accordingly. When a business treats people fairly its employees are more loyal and it has a greater chance of being around for the long term. It’s good to know it’ll be there when you need it.
EXPERTISE Ensuring the company you employ specialises in the type of cleaning you need is another important consideration. All cleaning companies are not the same and you may find that they can’t all meet your requirements. For example, we are experts at high level cleaning and can reach those parts that others may not even think about, never mind be able to clean. We have a variety of access methods, including rope access, cradles, mobile elevated work platforms and water-fed poles so we can safely and effectively reach those high up places.
Whereas once window cleaning was a job for a man with a bucket, sponge and a ladder, modern techniques and equipment are needed for today’s office buildings, shopping centres,
sports stadiums and the like. It’s important to know your contractor is up to the task.
SUSTAINABILITY The cleaning industry is associated with the use of a lot of resources and chemicals, but that doesn’t have to be the case. For example, the traditional way of cleaning windows for large buildings requires thousands of litres of pure water to be delivered to the site. Now, however, CAM Specialist Support uses compact, portable, sophisticated filtration systems instead. This filtered water prevents smearing and reduces the risk of algae growing on window panes. The financial and environmental cost is also lessened as water no longer needs to be transported and the use of chemicals is eliminated.
In my view it comes down to this, if you find a supplier who has the specialist skills required, and is responsible enough to care about the people it employs and its impact on the planet, then you’ll have a better chance of it caring about your contract too. That has to make it worth looking beyond the price tag.
www.camsupport.co.uk Tomorrow’s Cleaning October 2016 | 81
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