two types of client
• Are they a member of their professional body, for example, the Irish Contract Cleaning Association? As members of these associations risk expulsion for non- compliance with legislative regulations and industry standards. Typically, companies who are members of their industry body are those who are most serious about standards, ethics and compliant service to their clients. The website of most industry bodies will display the list of its members.
• Can the cleaning contractor show you real facts on their quality management systems and quality management procedures?
• Does the cleaning contractor display a genuine enthusiasm for cleaning?
• Can the cleaning contractor back up their claims in their sales pitch with real examples, real solutions, and real figures? Or are they loosely telling you what they think you want to hear?
• Can you validate the claims being made by the cleaning contractor? Ask for multiple references and call at least one. Ask the reference client-detailed questions that
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help you validate all of the above, to check the client's experience of the contractor, bearing in mind that the references will most likely be clients that the contractor knows will provide a good reference. Also bear in mind that your requirements and expectations may be higher than that of the reference client, so ask them "why" when they say "yes" or "no" to your questions.
For those of you reading this, who currently vet and validate your contractors in a similar fashion to the above, you are working best-of- breed practices and should be congratulated. For those of you who do not, I would encourage you adopt some, if not all, of the measures above to enable you to move closer to best-of-breed practices and reduce the risks to your organisation and to help raise the professionalism of your organisation.
There is a price for a quality, reliable and 'safe pair of hands' cleaning service, but the cost of a poor quality and high-risk service provider will be even greater. The only question that remains is: which does your organisation hold in highest regard?
About Shane Shane Curran is Managing Director of National Support Services Ltd, a contract cleaning company servicing the Leinster area. He is also the former Chairman of the Irish Contract Cleaning Association (ICCA), though National Support Services Ltd still remains a member (www.ibec. ie/icca) and won the Best Small Contract Cleaning Company at the bi-annual ICCA Industry Awards in 2010 and in 2012.
www.nationalsupport.ie
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