Day Porter and Building Cleaning Services FAQs
The Commercial Property Manager's Office Building Cleaning Resource
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Your Ultimate Guide to Day Porter and Building Cleaning FAQs
If you're managing a commercial business and are looking for tips on office building cleaning, you've come to the right place.
We answer the top questions commercial property managers have about office building cleaning and day porter services.
Before you hire an office building cleaning or day porter service for the properties you manage, you want to ensure they are up to the day-to-day challenges your office buildings present. Your job is to meet the high expectations of your tenants and visitors, which calls for office cleaning services you can trust to keep your property pristine.
If past experiences make you wary of cleaning companies, understanding the ins and outs of office cleaning services can help you find the right cleaning crew. Here we answer the top questions commercial property managers have about cleaning and day porter services.
What questions should I ask a cleaning company?
When choosing a cleaning company, the following questions help you assess their suitability for your needs:
- Are you insured and bonded?
- How long have you been operating?
- Who are your most noted customers?
- What properties do you clean similar to our building(s)?
- Do you have references available?
- Do you offer day porter cleaning? If so, what does that include?
- Can I visit a few buildings you clean?
- Do you offer 24/7 service in case of an emergency?
- How do you hire your cleaning team/porters?
- What equipment and types of cleaners do you use?
- Do you require a service contract?
- Do you use a checklist of the tasks I require to ensure nothing is missed?
- Do you have quality control protocols in place?
- Can you clean multiple buildings for us?
- What kind of guarantee do you offer?
Be sure you check references, visit sites they clean, and fully understand any contracts. Also, always go with a cleaning company that stands behind their work with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
What is the difference between a day porter, custodian, and janitor?
Some overlap between the three roles makes it difficult to decide which service makes the most sense for your office building.
Day Porters
As the name implies, the day porter is on duty throughout the day, available to take care of the details that set your property apart. They ensure every tenant and visitor enjoys the same pleasant experience whether they arrive first thing in the morning or at 5 in the afternoon. They also ensure that all public areas are immaculate, whether a meeting room, common areas in your food court, public washrooms, or outdoor seating areas.
For example, day porters ensure bathrooms always have enough supplies to meet demand and are fresh and clean or ensure the lobby is always tidy, including wiping away finger marks from elevator buttons or spot-cleaning windows. They create a pleasing customer/tenant experience, keeping windows sparkling and commonly touched areas disinfected and responding to service calls for tenants.
Janitors
The janitor is less visible, attending to more detailed cleaning duties, such as polishing floors, carpet cleaning, deep cleaning surfaces, vacuuming, etc. They tend to work either early morning or night shifts when the building is less busy or closed to the public.
Custodians
The custodian is available 24/7 as they focus on the overall care and maintenance of the building. While they might be involved in cleaning tasks, they also take care of minor repairs and building/property upkeep. This might include replacing lightbulbs or updating team member/company names and suite numbers on your directory.
What duties should my day porter service cover?
Day porters are life savers for your corporate office building cleaning when every minute detail is under constant scrutiny. Therefore, if you’re considering a day porter service, they should attend to the following:
- All Day Clean: Your common areas should be pristine to create the best tenant and visitor experience.
- Cafeterias, Kitchens, and Break Areas: All areas where food and beverages are enjoyed should be wiped down, refuse removed, and supplies such as napkins restocked.
- Restroom Cleaning & Resupply: Bathrooms should be sparkling clean and disinfected with ample toilet paper, paper towels, soap, etc.
- Meeting Rooms: Gathering areas and rooms should be reset and cleaned between meetings.
- Outdoor Common Areas: Outdoor areas are maintained with the removal of refuse, tables wiped down, etc.
- Emergency Cleanings: Day porters should also provide emergency cleanings for bathroom messes, major spills that damage carpeting, etc.
Because your property is unique, a good day porter service also handles special requests.
What are the benefits of a day porter?
Day porters are a must for higher-end office buildings where tenant service is tantamount. A day porter offers many benefits, including:
- Immaculate appearance every day and throughout the entire day
- Improved building safety with spills and tripping hazards removed
- Smoother building operations as they spot issues and can report them to you immediately
- Ongoing cleaning and tidying to reduce wear and tear as well as the time required for after-hour cleaning, making your building maintenance more cost-effective
- A customer service liaison can assist with deliveries, set up events and training sessions, help visitors find where they need to go, etc.
- Less micro-tasking for other team members, including yourself, concierges, and receptionists, so you can focus on higher-value tasks.
- Improved property management service
- Added resources to improve tenant and visitor experience
Why is customization important for cleaning services?
Standard cleaning services fail to meet the specific requirements of your office building. Every property is different, so every commercial office building cleaning service should be customized to ensure the property's exact needs are met. A good cleaning service will visit your site, conduct a walk-through to discuss your expectations, and provide a customized quote listing their services.
How do new cleaners ensure their crew meets the requirements of the agreement?
This is a good question. An experienced cleaning company provides onsite training for their cleaning team at each new site. This ensures they understand the services they are to provide, are familiar with the property, and understand any special cleaning requirements.
Are you looking for an office cleaning company that will be a better fit for you? Click here to learn more about our thorough and efficient day porter cleaning and commercial office building cleaning services. We take care of your cleaning needs.
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