Red Flags to Watch Out for When Hiring Cleaning Contractors
One of the essential requirements for offices, schools, nurseries, venues and other private and public premises is regular cleaning services. To free up their time and focus on more important matters, premises managers outsource cleaning services to commercial cleaning contractors. But how can they ensure they’ve chosen the correct cleaning contractor? What are the red flags to look for when hiring cleaning contractors?
In this article, we’ll explore the most important red flags to watch out for when finding and hiring commercial cleaning contractors.
#1 Service is Unrealistically Cheap
Before beginning your research to find a cleaning contractor, get to know the going rate of cleaning services in your city. For example, office cleaning costs in London have a specific low-end and high-end range. If the service rate is within the range, you can trust the cleaning contractor.
If the cleaning service is unusually cheap, far below the low-end service rates, there may be several issues with the service you’re not noticing during your research:
- The contractor cuts several corners to increase profit, resulting in a poor quality cleaning service.
- Cleaners are subcontracted, which means no proper training, background checks, cover, etc.
- Cleaners may be paid below the minimum wage, which is illegal and unethical.
- Poor quality cleaning materials and equipment.
- and several other issues…
In general, you should always avoid cheap cleaning services. In fact, a cheap cleaning service increases your cleaning expenses in the long term.
#2 Lack of Insurance Certificate
If the contractor doesn’t have a proper insurance certificate or refuses to provide the document, it’s a red flag that may affect your premises in case something goes wrong. Never hire cleaning contractors without insurance certificates.
#3 Lack of Relevant Qualifications
Every professional commercial cleaning company and cleaning contractor should have proper qualifications and accreditations. For example, SafeContractor for cleaning contractors is an essential qualification.
It’s a red flag when the contractor doesn’t have similar accreditations or refuses to provide them. Therefore, it’s best to avoid hiring them to prevent future issues with the quality, consistency and reliability of the cleaning service.
#4 No Proper References
Outsourcing commercial cleaning services is an investment. You want to ensure the contractor you are investing in is experienced. The best way to confirm their experience is to ask them to provide a few references from their previous clients.
If the contractor doesn’t have relevant references or the references are unreliable and sound like made up, you should avoid hiring them at all costs. Even if the contractor has been in the cleaning industry for many years, without references, you can’t trust whether they have proper experience cleaning premises similar to yours.
#5 Their Cleaning Plan isn’t Tailored
One of the important tools in every cleaning contractor’s arsenal is their cleaning plans. They should run a site survey to prepare a bespoke cleaning plan.
If the contractor you’re going to hire didn’t run a site survey to give you a quote and a cleaning plan, or their cleaning plans look like a copy-and-paste template, you should avoid them. Generic cleaning plans come with poor cleaning standards and service inconsistencies.
#6 Lack of Background Checks & Training
Many contractors often skip running background checks and providing training when they hire cleaners. This is, of course, to cut their administration costs.
If they refuse to provide documents about staff recruitment process, background checks (such as Enhanced DBS Checks in the UK) and training programmes, it’s a red flag that may affect your premises in the future.
Unreliable and untrained cleaners not only provide sub-standard cleaning service but also may cause damage to your premises and your office equipment.
#7 Contract is Complex & Ambiguous
One of the main reasons that many of our clients decide to sign a cleaning contract with MN Support Services is the simple terms of the contract without any ambiguity. If the contract terms are written in a complex, ambiguous manner, it is considered the reddest red flag possible.
When the terms of a cleaning contract are vague, clients may interpret them to their advantage. However, vague terms are often ambiguous, meaning that interpretations may be different and can benefit the contractor in the event of legal actions and claims.
Therefore, if you sign such contracts, you will encounter several legal issues if you try to exercise your rights based on the terms of the contract.
One of the parts of the contract that is often written vaguely is the termination. Unprofessional cleaning contractors bend several rules to ensure you are locked in a long-term contract and can’t get out because of bad, unreliable cleaning service.
#8 Contractor is Pushing You to Sign
If you have just received your tailored cleaning plan and service quote from a contractor, you should spend weeks, maybe even months, evaluating it against other cleaning contractors before signing a cleaning contract. However, if the contractor is pushing you to sign the contract quickly, you should be on alert, as it could be a red flag.
Cleaning contractors who are pushing you to sign a contract often want to lock you in a long-term contract without giving you an appropriate amount of time to evaluate and make an informed decision.
#9 No Robust System for Quality Assurance Audits
One of the tools contractors use to ensure their cleaning service is up to the standards and meets clients’ expectations is quality assurance audits. They regularly conduct audits and make adjustments to resolve current and potential issues.
Ask the contractor how they conduct their quality audits and see if they have a robust system in place to ensure audits are done regularly and adjustments are applied based on the results.
Without proper quality assurance audits, your cleaning service may start strong, but the quality will soon fall short as there’s no data to adjust the service based on the ever-changing demands of the premises.
#10 Poor Communication
One of the red flags to look out for during the process of vetting cleaning contracts is how effective their communications are. If they respond late, unclear or full of errors and mistakes, it’s best to avoid them altogether.
Communication is very important in cleaning services. Poor communication means your concerns and complaints won’t go anywhere, or the contractor takes too long to respond and adjust the service; most of the time, it’s too late! In fact, poor communication is one of the main reasons many businesses in London switch their cleaning contractors.
#11 Negative Online Presence & Reputation
Maybe one of the easiest ways to see if the contractor or the commercial cleaning company is reputable and professional is to check their online presence and reviews. At the early stages of finding a cleaning company, you can check their website, social media profiles, Google Business profile and other review websites to understand a lot about them.
Simply by reading a contractor’s reviews online, you can get a good gist about whether their service is professional and satisfactory. If they have several bad reviews, you definitely want to avoid them.
Cleaning Contractors or In-House Cleaners: Which One is Better for Your Premises?
There is a lot of debate about whether to hire cleaning contractors or have in-house cleaners. We have a complete guide about the pros and cons of both in-house and contract cleaners, as well as why contract cleaning service is more beneficial for several premises in the commercial and corporate sectors.
Regardless, whether you are hiring a cleaning contractor or in-house cleaners, paying attention to the red flags explored in this article can help you make an informed decision and hire the right cleaning service for your premises.
Hire a Professional Cleaning Contractor in London
If you’re looking for a robust, professional cleaning service in London, you can take the first step today with a free, tailored cleaning quote for your premises.
Our quote comes with a bespoke cleaning plan, and the service rate is valid for up to 12 months without any obligation or hidden fees. Therefore, you have plenty of time to evaluate all options and make the right decision when you’re ready.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right commercial cleaning contractor is vital for maintaining safe, hygienic and professional premises. From offices and schools to nurseries, venues and public buildings, the quality of cleaning directly impacts health, safety and reputation. As we’ve explored, there are several red flags to avoid when outsourcing cleaning services, including unrealistically cheap prices, lack of insurance, poor communication and absence of proper qualifications or references. A reliable cleaning contractor should provide transparent contracts, tailored cleaning plans, background-checked staff and a robust system for quality assurance audits.
By taking the time to carefully research and compare commercial cleaning companies, you can avoid costly mistakes and secure a professional cleaning service that delivers consistency, reliability and peace of mind. Whether you are considering in-house cleaners or contract cleaning services, being aware of these warning signs will help you make a more informed decision. Ultimately, investing in a trustworthy cleaning contractor ensures your premises are maintained to the highest standards while freeing your time to focus on running your organisation.
