Dangers of Cheap Cleaning Services Told by Office Managers
Professional office cleaning and commercial cleaning services are becoming a popular choice for large businesses in London. White there are thousands of cleaning contractors scattered throughout the city, maybe for choosing the right cleaning contractor, you should invest some time and do good research. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a lot more problems than just a dirty office.
We recently had several new clients at MN Support Services Limited who were extremely unhappy and dissatisfied with their previous office cleaning service. After sending them a questionnaire about why they decided to terminate their previous contract and partner with MN, it was clear that they prioritised office cleaning costs over reliable and professional service.
We asked 5 of our new clients to share their experience with their previous office cleaning service. Here are their stories!
#1 Red & Itchy Eyes for Everyone!
Amelia is the office admin working in a large company in central London. On top of her office management duties, she is also responsible for managing the cleaning service in the workspace and ensuring the office is always clean.
“A few months ago, we moved to a new office” Amelia explained “So I decided to find a new cleaning service as the previous one didn’t cover the area of our new office. I found a few and asked them for quotes and signed a contract with the cheapest to save the business some money. It was a big mistake!”
“A few weeks into the service, we noticed many employees in the office, including me, had red and itchy eyes, for some reason. I thought it was a common thing and would go away in a few days. So did many of my colleagues.” She continued, “But Malik, one of our lead financial officers, said he only gets red eyes when she’s in the office. So there’s something wrong with the office. Maybe we fell victim to sick building syndrome.”
At this point, Amelia asked an H&S auditor to visit the office. The guy checked around the office and took some notes. Then he opened the cleaning cupboard and asked Amelia about the cleaning service. “The auditor asked me to talk to the lady and see how she prepares the cleaning solution.” Amelia said, “I did, and apparently, the lady mixed bleach with ammonia to clean the office and washroom floors, and it’s a safety hazard and causes lots of health issues. In fact, we were lucky to just experience eye redness and not respiratory problems or allergic reactions.”
#2 Never Saw The Phone Again!
Zara is a successful entrepreneur who recently started a tech startup in an office near Hyde Park in London. She is leading a team of 17 people, most of whom work remotely and only visit the office once or twice per month.
“Our office isn’t the biggest. We’re a small team.” Zara explains, “For startups, cleaning service is kind of a luxury. I decided to find a cheap cleaning service for one or two days per week. No research or anything. I just called the first company I found and asked them for the price. It was good and within the budge,t so I signed a contract.”
“A few weeks ago, we had a big meeting in the office on Wednesday.” Zara continue,d “Guglielmo, our lead developer, called the office the next day and asked me whether he left his phone. We checked his desk but there wasn’t anything. I called the cleaner to see if he saw it last night when he was cleaning. He didn’t answer. I tried a few times throughout the day but no luck.”
“At this point, I was suspicious about the guy. I checked the CCTV camera in the office and to my surprise, found out the guy put the phone in his pocket” Zara continued “I immediately called the police and filed a report. Then I called the company and told them what had happened. They tried to call the guy, but they couldn’t either.”
Zara sued the cleaning contractor,r and it turned out their cleaning operative didn’t have any specific work permit to be able to work in the UK, and the company itself didn’t have insurance that covers such incidents. Therefore, as Zara and her colleague Guglielmo
#3 Toilet to Kitchen to Office Area in One Go!
Jayden is the facility manager of a financial firm in Canary Wharf. Their previous cleaning service, which they weren’t satisfied with anyway, asked for a raise. Jayden was looking for an opportunity to terminate the contract, and this was it. Therefore, he started looking for a new cleaning service around the price of the previous one.
“I found a new company that seemed to be legit.” Jayden explained, “The cleaner was on time and skilled. Since the company has good references, I didn’t ask our H&S officer to audit the cleaner or the company.”
“After a few weeks, Mia, our H&S officer asked me in her office and showed me a video clip of the new cleaner mopping.” Jayden continued, “He picked up a mop, dipped it in the bucket and started mopping toilet floors, moving into the kitchen and finishing off with the office zone, in one go, and with the same mop!”
Each area in the workspace should have dedicated cleaning equipment coded with certain colours. This is to eliminate the risk of cross-contamination and many serious health and hygiene issues. Jayden’s cleaning service was seriously violating this health code. Jayden told us that after communicating this issue with the company, they ignored our complaints. It turned out their staff were untrained, so Jayden terminated the contract.
#4 Employees Had to Do It!
Isaac is the manager of a real estate agency. He hired a cleaner he found on some app. “She was good. Turned up every day and did a great job,” Isaac explained “She asked for a two-week holiday, which we approved, but we couldn’t bother to find a substitute. It’s just for two weeks. Nothing’s going to happen.”
“About 10 days in, the office was a mess. I was actually ashamed to invite clients in” Isaac continued, “But suddenly, an investor looking to buy a big mention called us and wanted to visit the office for a lucrative deal. It was late, the office was in awful condition and we didn’t have a cleaner. So, we all started doing the cleaning ourselves.”
Isaac added, “To prevent such a thing from happening again, I decided to sign a contract with a cleaning company. We can’t miss a day without cleaning. It’s bad for business and bad for our brand”
#5 The Wrong Case!
Olivia is a successful lawyer and the founder of a big law firm in London. She is managing over 150 employees and working with many big names and brands all over the UK.
“I don’t directly deal with the cleaner. It’s Liam’s job, and after the incident, I’m going to tell, Liam immediately fired the cleaning company.” Olivia explained, “We had a complex case which we worked on for many weeks. One of the employees left some of the documents related to this case alongside other cases on his table, and the cleaner picked them up and put them in the drawer to clean and wipe the desk.”
“The cleaner was untrained, obviously. He was supposed to clean around them and not touch them. I’m sure Liam told him about the procedure”. Olivia continued, “Some documents were mixed in this process, and we didn’t notice it right before the court, which was late. We lost the case and a good client for a silly reason.”
Read More: Best Cleaning Strategy for Offices with Sensitive Information
Moral of The Story
Professional and tailored cleaning services aren’t just about the price. There are many reasons why you should avoid cheap office cleaning services. Before checking the price, we highly recommend checking whether the cleaning contractor or the cleaning company is reliable.
The company should have relevant qualifications and accreditations. Their cleaning operatives should be trained and DBS-Checked and have on-site supervision. Also, it is crucial for the company to have liability insurance as well to cover the costs of damage and other incidents.
Check our full guide on reasons why you should avoid cheap office cleaning services for more information.
