Before 2020, the commercial cleaning industry was never really a focus for most businesses, nor were the processes used by these companies. If you needed a cleaning company, you would Google cleaning companies in your area, choose one and hope for the best until they disappointed you, and start the whole process over again.
This way of thinking no longer suits the current state we live now inside a pandemic. iCleaners Commercial Cleaning Services recognized the gap and continues to seek ways to implement technology and automate our performance to bring a more consistent service to our clients.
Cleaning companies that attempt to improve their workflow do so by repurposing readily available software. Although that may seem logical, property managers now desire more than ever from their cleaning service contractors.
Utilizing a simple scheduling software to manage when cleaners arrive and at what time only scratches the surfaces involved in the complexities of managing the cleaning for commercial properties. Property managers want more. Property managers are looking to pass on the managing of cleaning to a company that will ensure
- The cleaning services are being executed as expected
- They do not need to be involved in the mundane tasks involved in cleaning services.
To service property managers, you must understand what pains property managers. Remember, property managers who oversee the cleaning and maintenance of 10’s of thousands to millions of square feet are extremely busy dealing with more than just cleaning contractors. They are in the field attending to tenant’s concerns, meeting with other contractors, i.e. HVAC, Roofers, Plumbers and more. They could be on calls or in meetings with owners of buildings or, in general, improving the bottom line with their boss.
Let’s put it this way; property managers have a full plate daily and don’t want to be bothered with concerns regarding missed toilet paper. This is the responsibility of the cleaning service contractor.
By understanding what property managers need in a service contractor, you can help your chances of reducing stress for your manager and increase business.
In this article, I will share what I believe are the top five issues faced by property managers. So when choosing your next cleaning service contractors, ensure they can handle these areas. It will give you the peace and mind you deserve, knowing that your buildings and tenants are being taken care of so that you can focus on more critical tasks.
5 Property Manager Concerns and Their Solutions
1. Communication
Communication can lead to frustration by property managers and the maintenance teams if expectations are misunderstood or unmet.
Communicating and keeping your manager in the loop is highly important. Property managers don’t want to hire someone and never speak to them, but they also don’t want to be bothered 24/7.
Going over expectations and following up regular, i.e. weekly or monthly, goes a long way in building trust. Vice versa, if your property manager can’t get a hold of you when issues arise, that can also be a problem. Implementing systems that ensure communication can be tracked and acted upon will build better relationships.
Using software like Hubspot to keep all communication under one account instead of random emails inside Gmail makes it easier to follow up on past conversations and tickets.
Also, implementing recurring monthly followup calls to ensure everything is still in order is a great way to keep the lines of communication open. Property managers move on to other companies, and there is nothing worse than when a new property manager comes on board and doesn’t know what is to be completed during your visit.
Having monthly followup calls ensures that you remain on the current status of your contact.
2. Reporting
The proof of service delivery is often forgotten or not even provided by cleaning contractors, adding to the frustration seen by property managers.
Skip paper and clipboards and switch to software that will enable cleaners to automatically submit their checklists to both head office and the property manager upon completion of their visit. This way, property managers will always have a copy when needed and avoid unnecessary visits to their site to check what was completed.
Software like Swept allows for this exchange between cleaners and property managers. Swept lets cleaners report on problems they see in the field, which can be very helpful to property managers who manage multiple buildings. Knowing if lights are burnt out of if a security door is not locking correctly before tenants do, gives managers a more proactive approach to maintenance.
Also, Swept allows owners of cleaning companies to set their cleaners up for success with checklists for nightly tasks. This way, any cleaner that goes to that location will know what needs to be done, eliminating guesswork and improving the service quality.
3. Scheduling
Most scheduling conflicts can be traced back to the scheduling inefficiencies performed by service contractors.
Utilizing software that allows for easy scheduling for contractors and cleaning personnel can help avoid unwanted conflicts. Cleaning contractors should also show proof of contingency plans if Plan A doesn’t work.
For example, implementing an on-call schedule allows cleaning companies to jump into action when a scheduled cleaner fails to report to work — ensuring that you still provide services. In addition, this removes the property managers from the daily operations faced by most cleaning companies leaving a positive impact on your company and the building you service, which is what property managers want.
They want to know that their service contractors can meet expected service requirements without excuses as to why it was not performed.
4. Compliance
Compliance is a significant source of frustration for property managers. Hiring a company only to find that they are not compliant can be a considerable headache if not addressed.
They, at the bare minimum, should be able to provide proof of the following:
- Insurance Coverage
- WSIB Coverage – preferably clean
- Safety Measure – are they providing proper PPE to their employees
- Training Programs
- Employee Security
As part of our agreement, we always provide a copy of insurance coverage and WSIB Coverage whether property managers ask for it. It is essential to show that they are working with a responsible cleaning company that understands their concerns.
Our team members also go through our online training program that teaches them the basics of cleaning tasks, problem reporting, completing checklists, supplies requests and how they should behave in the field. Online training is completed at the same time as in-field training, where they will have the opportunity to practice what they are learning. Training on-site is always done with an experienced cleaner for a minimum of 2 weeks, and new Team Members are not allowed to be on their own without an approved CRC background check.
5. Quality Control
When cleaning companies do not perform thorough training for their staff, inefficiencies like missed hallways, washrooms, and supplies may happen, which results in tenants reaching out to property managers to issue concerns.
Keep property managers out of cleaning and inspecting, and show proof through reporting on what’s being done. This will play a huge role in relationship development as property managers will appreciate the level of service provided.
Quality Inspection is the main ingredient in keeping property managers happy. Knowing that the services are being performed and followed up on is the perfect recipe for success.
Again, software like Swept has created an easy-to-use tool that enables managers to rate the quality of inidivudal cleaning tasks, record comments and include photos to provide clear communication to our clients. We believe that the best inspection is the one client knows about.
Conclusion
Property managers have their work cut out for them. The five areas of concern we’ve outlined are essential to focus on in order to provide quality service to tenants and landlords alike. Do you agree with our list? What would you add or remove? Let us know in the comments below!