It makes sense to have your premises cleaned when you’re closed or overnight so there is less disruption for staff but how do you feel about allowing your cleaning company access to your premises when no one is there? How can you trust them not to damage your property or steal from you?
This is a concern for any business that has contractors who need out of hours access to their building. And, as such, it’s down to you to ensure they have measures in place that will protect you, the client, as well as themselves from employees who have just one thing on their mind!
So, what can you do to give you peace of mind when allowing a commercial cleaning company access to your building at night?
Trust based on evidence
Commercial cleaners are critical to the security of your building since they will either have keys in order to access the building or be able to gain access via an alarm system. It goes without saying that trust plays a huge role if you’re going to let employees from your cleaning company access your building at night. This trust can only be built on evidence.
So, the next question is “how can your commercial cleaning company show you that they are trustworthy to stop you worrying about who is in your office at night?” Trust comes from demonstrating the use of best practices and below you’ll find a few simple steps to help you get a good night’s sleep free from worry as your premises are being cleaned.
Background checks on employees
Make sure that your cleaning company are carrying out background checks on their employees, after all, you don’t want a convicted criminal roaming your premises while no one else is there.
It’s also worth checking that your cleaning company is hiring employees directly and not using sub-contractors. This way the cleaning company has full responsibility in the event anything goes wrong.
You should also find out whether the cleaning company carries out spot checks on a regular basis in order to keep standards high. Without these standards could deteriorate.
Insurances and references
Should anything go wrong, you need to know that the cleaning company you are using is fully insured. Any reputable trustworthy commercial cleaning company should be able to provide the following documents:
- Professional indemnity insurance
- Public liability insurance
- Employer’s liability insurance
Another way of establishing their trustworthiness is to ask if you can contact two or three of their existing customers in a similar industry to your own and ask them for an honest appraisal. It’s of little use to check out their website testimonials as who’s to say they haven’t written these themselves.
Keyholders and tracking software
You also need to know right from the outset what the cleaning company’s policy is on keyholders. The keys to your premises or alarm access should only be in the hands of one designated person and not passed around the team. Ask for the person’s name and for verification that only they have direct access to your building.
Most professional cleaning companies will have tracking software that shows them when a cleaner arrives and leaves the building. Besides showing the cleaning company that the cleaner/s are arriving on time and finishing the job in the allocated time, it also gives their client an indication that the cleaning is being carried out as detailed in the contract.
Most reputable commercial cleaning companies will already have taken steps to ensure all the above criterion are in place and probably more besides. However, for added peace of mind, why not consider using a company that combines their expertise of cleaning and security?
Cleaning and Security Combined
Our cleaning division – MA Cleaning – was established in 2017 to enable clients to boost their security and safety assurance within their environments both for employees and customers. We recognised that cleaning and security complement one another. As a result, we’re committed to providing high-quality cleaning services all the while ensuring your brand is not impacted.
Why not call MA Services Group today on 1300 020 406 to discuss your office cleaning requirements? Safety and security are at the forefront of everything we do.
