Even the word “fire” can conjure some uncomfortable feelings among employers and employees alike – there’s nothing enjoyable about firing or being fired.  Nevertheless, there comes a time in almost every manager’s professional life where an employee or employment contract needs to be terminated.  So how do you know when it’s time to fire your janitorial service?  As is the case with any professional relationship, you’re likely to have problems with your janitorial service from time-to-time.  Maybe you need to remind them to remove the garbage or draw their attention to a spot they neglected to clean, but you’re not likely to fire them over these types of problems.  The following are the top reasons to fire your janitor.

Staffing Issues

Major issues like incompetent employee screening, hiring illegal workers, illegal pay practices, and other questionable business decisions are valid reasons to fire your janitorial service.  Not only do you open yourself to legal and liability problems, but you don’t want to work with a company that cuts corners in these ways.  More importantly, when staff feel undervalued, they are likely to suffer from poor morale and motivation, so they’re not likely to do the best job.

Poor Communication

While you probably won’t fire your janitorial service for neglecting a task on the rare occasion, their responsiveness to your complaints and concerns is important.  They should have a clear system in place for dealing with customer concerns, but if response time is excessively long, move along.  You want to have good and open lines of communication with all the contractors you employ.

Consistency

Janitorial services really need to be consistent.  When you first meet with potential cleaners, you likely drew up a cleaning contract that clearly stipulates what tasks need to be done and when.  You also likely laid out expectations about the quality of the work too.  Ultimately, you want to get what you pay for, so if your janitorial service is not meeting your needs, it’s probably time to fire them.

Apathy

You can learn a lot from a janitorial contractor just from the way they treat you and their employees.  They’re constantly treating their staff poorly, they are unresponsive to your communications, and their cleaning is inconsistent – maybe they just don’t care about you or your business.  If it seems like your janitor just doesn’t care about properly cleaning your facility or ensuring you’re satisfied with you’re work, a timely “you’re fired!” is in order.

Finding the Right Janitorial Service

Of course, many of the problems above can be avoided by taking special care to hire a quality janitorial service.  Ask friends and colleagues for referrals, and always ask potential cleaners for references.  Read our post What to Look for in a Janitorial Company. Meet with all short-listed candidates to discuss your cleaning needs and the services you offer.  Also, avoid long-term commitments and contracts that you can’t get out of if the janitor isn’t up to snuff.

Carpets are warm and comfortable but they are also prone to stains. It’s just a fact of life that from time to time we’re going to have a spill or accident, but you shouldn’t stress. Regardless of the type of food or drink, there are a wide range of tested cleaning traditions that will almost always do the trick. However, stain removal tips will vary depending on the type of carpet. So let’s talk about how to remove stains from synthetic-fibre carpets based on the type of stain.

Stain type: wine, ketchup, chocolate, coffee, tea, beer, milk, tomato, berries, juice, and soda

Tips:

First, moisten a white cloth with a solution of water and detergent and gently dab the stain repeatedly. Next, firmly press the cloth to the stain for a few seconds allowing the solution to penetrate the stain. After the solution has time to break down the stain (about 15 minutes), soak up the extra liquid with a dry white cloth. Then, repeat this process with a vinegar solution in order to remove residual detergent. Finally, rinse the area by blotting with a clean cloth soaked in warm water. If you notice that the stain is lighter but not completely removed, repeat this entire process until the stain is gone.

Stain type: Oil and grease

Tips:

For stains from butter, cheese, cooking oil, nail polish or other types of oil and grease apply a small amount of cleaning solution to the stain with a white cloth. Dap the stain and then press to the spot for a few seconds. Next, rinse the spot with a white cloth soaked in warm water. When the area is completely dry, check for signs of a stain, if it remains, repeat this entire process.

Stain type: Dirt and Mud

Tips:

First, vacuum the area to remove as much of the dirt as possible, but take care not to rub the dirt into the carpet. Next, with a white cloth dipped in cleaning solution, dab the spot repeatedly. Press the spot to the stain for a few seconds and allow 15 minutes for the detergent to work on the stain. Finally, soak up excess liquid with a dry cloth and then dab the spot repeatedly with a cloth soaked in warm water.

Stain type: gum, wax

Tips:

Fill a re-sealable bag with ice cubs and gently rub the stain until the wax or gum hardens. Next, break the stain with a blunt object and vacuum away the loose pieces. Blot the stain with a white cloth lightly dipped in cleaning solution and then rinse the area with a cloth soaked in warm water.
As you can see, there are many different kinds of stains with slightly different techniques required for cleaning. Nevertheless, with a little elbow grease you can remove just about any stain and leave your carpets looking like new.

In almost any community, there will be a plethora of janitorial companies looking for an opportunity to compete for your business.  Still, before you are ready to choose a company, you should know what to expect when hiring a janitorial company.  From a tour of your offices to the janitorial proposal, there are many factors that will influence your decision of which company fits best for you.  Here is a brief outline that will help you understand what you should expect when hiring a janitor.

Tour

The best janitorial companies take their role very seriously, and before developing a proposal or quoting you a price, they will want to have a tour of your facility.  During this tour you will have an opportunity to discuss your cleaning needs from how often you want recycling or trash removed to which offices should be cleaned and everything in between.  The tour also allows you to get an understanding of any limitations potential janitorial companies may have.  While most professional cleaning organizations will offer a wide range of services, there will likely be some variability in these services from one company to the next.  A quick tour of your office also gives potential janitors a chance to ask you questions and learn about your specific requirements.  You can also talk about your experiences with previous cleaners and highlight some of the pros and cons of the work they provided.

Proposal

Once you have had an opportunity to tour your facilities with potential janitorial companies, and you have discussed your requirements and concerns, potential cleaners should put together a proposal for you.  This proposal should be customized to address your particular needs, while also providing solutions to any current janitorial problems you have experienced.  Moreover, the proposal should be a straightforward document that outlines not only what work will be done but how it will be done as well as a breakdown of the quote for this work.  Ultimately, you can dictate how these proposals will be submitted (in person or by fax or email), and then you can take some time to review all your proposals and choose the one that best meets your needs and budget.

Decision

It is important to remember that there will be at least some variability in the services and cost of services provided by different janitorial companies.  As such, your decision on which company to hire requires some time and consideration.  You should consider the experience level of potential companies, as well as which services they are offering.  At the end of the day, you want to choose a company that meets your needs within your budget, but also one that has a track record of success.  You may even want to collect references before you make a decision.