Where do you begin when hiring a janitorial service? There are over a million janitorial companies in the U.S., and they are not all are equal. How do you know if you are hiring a company that is the right fit for your business?
Choosing a company that will provide a free, no-obligation quote is a good start. Often, before giving a quote, a company representative will meet with you to walk through your facility. By doing this, they can understand your needs and be better able to provide an estimate. From there, they will work with you to develop a package that meets your needs and budget.
That sums up the basic sales process, but what other factors should you consider when hiring a janitorial service?
Basic Factors to Consider When Hiring a Janitorial Company
When hiring a janitorial service company, the basic factors to consider are the same as those you would think about when hiring any contractor.
These basic requirements are a company that offers:
Good customer service
Is there when you need them
Does a great job at a reasonable cost
You may be satisfied if you can find a company that can fulfill those basic requirements, but there are still other needs to consider when looking for a janitorial service. When weighing your options, how can you be sure that a janitorial service can deliver the services you need?
What to Look for When Choosing Janitorial Services
Here is a quick checklist of specific things to look for when hiring a janitorial service:
Each of these recommendations on how to choose janitorial services is explored in more detail below.
There is No Replacement for Experience
Companies don’t stay in business for long when they don’t deliver. When a company has been in the business for a while, they tend to have a proven track record. The length of time in business demonstrates that their customers keep using them. Further, it demonstrated they have the experience needed to get results.
Experienced commercial cleaning companies should be able to provide references or testimonials to establish their expertise.
Training and Supervision
Does the janitorial services company have a training program for their employees? Companies that take the time to train their employees well, including site-specific training, are much more likely to provide quality service.
Once trained, does the janitorial service provide ongoing supervision for its employees? A supervisor may not be on-site for an entire shift, but they may perform periodic site visits and routine audits to ensure standards are being maintained.
Service You Can Trust
One of the most important considerations when hiring a janitorial service is reliability. You are trusting the service’s employees on your premises. For convenience, usually janitorial services do their work at off-hours when there are the fewest people possible in the area. Often the manager or owner has other tasks to complete in the quiet hours while the janitorial staff does their work. They have little time to be supervising outside workers.
When a company is licensed, bondable, and insured it demonstrates they take their reputation and business seriously. These are basic qualifications you can look for when assessing the reliability of a janitorial service.
What Is a Janitorial Service Bond?
A Janitorial Services bond is a type of business service surety bond. When a janitorial company says they are “bonded” it indicates they have purchased a bond to protect their clients from employee dishonesty. This means that the janitorial service’s clients will be reimbursed by the insurance company for any financial loss due to theft by a janitorial service employee.
Bonds are normally less expensive than insurance and are not the same as insurance. The janitorial company will usually be required to pay the insurance company back for any claims, although at a slower pace. What is important to you as a business owner or manager is that the insurance company will guarantee compensation for the loss of money or personal property that is caused by acts of misconduct or dishonest employees of the janitorial company while they are on your premises.
Do Janitorial Services Have Insurance?
Not all commercial cleaning companies have insurance, so it pays to ask the question. We all hope that everything will go smoothly, and usually it does, but hiring a company that is prepared for all eventualities gives you, as the client, extra peace of mind.
The types of insurance janitorial services can have include:
- General liability insurance
- Workers’ compensation insurance
- Commercial auto insurance (for janitorial company vehicles)
- Business owner’s policy
- Commercial umbrella insurance
They don’t need to carry all of these policies; however, at a minimum, a janitorial service will usually obtain general liability insurance.
How Do Janitorial Services Charge?
There are a number of factors that can determine what a Janitorial Service will charge. This is why often cleaning companies will want to meet with you to view the space and get an idea of your requirements before they provide a quote.
Commercial cleaning rates can be charged at an hourly rate or a flat fee for square footage. Some providers have packages that you can choose from. Discussing your needs with your janitorial service provider will result in a win/win solution that works for both sides.
A few of the factors that can determine rates are:
In addition, it may be that you need ongoing service, a once a week deep-clean or help with seasonal maintenance such as floor stripping and waxing.
A reminder here that if a quote seems too good to be true it probably is. It may be that the cleaner is cutting costs in other areas that may cause problems in the long run. For example, they may be using untrained labor or substandard supplies. In addition, a service may be able to charge less if it is uninsured or not bonded, but then you take on the risk of liability.
Are Janitorial Services Taxable?
The answer of whether janitorial services are taxable depends on where you live. In some states, you will pay sales tax and in others, you will not. In addition, because there is a current trend towards states implementing sales tax on various services, just because you do not pay sales tax now does not mean you won’t in the future.
Are Janitorial Services Taxable in Florida?
Nonresidential cleaning services in the state of Florida, which includes janitorial services on a contract or fee basis, are taxable. However, any residential cleaning services are considered to be exempt.
In March 2019, Representative Amy Mercado introduced a bill (HB 1377) that would have made all services subject to sales taxation, and residential cleaning services would not have been exempted. As mentioned above, Florida already taxes janitorial services. Fortunately, the bill was indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration.
Are Janitorial Services Taxable in Pennsylvania?
Sales tax is applicable on both commercial janitorial services and residential cleaning services in Pennsylvania.
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How to Hire a Janitorial Service
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