5 Red Flags to Avoid When Choosing a Cleaning Company

When you don’t have in-house manpower to clean and de-clutter your office, a cleaning company can be very helpful. But commercial cleaning services in Singapore are not all the same.

How do you know which cleaning companies to avoid? Here are five red flags:

1. Confusing or unclear pricing – Does the cleaning company charge a flat rate or by the hour?This should be clear from the beginning. Reputable companies will give you a clear quotation for each service you inquire about – whether it may be marble floor polishing or carpet cleaning or upholstery maintenance. If the company seems to dodge the question about pricing, it may be due to a lack of experience (and therefore, a vague idea about what each service costs) or unscrupulousness. Either way, it’s best to look for another service provider. The cost for cleaning services should be transparent with no hidden charges.
2. Unbelievably cheap fees – Everyone appreciates a good bargain. But when it comes to hiring a cleaning company, low rates seem rather suspicious. It makes you wonder what kind of service you’ll get. Some jobs cost more than others, especially for specialized cleaning services, but extremely low rates could be a red flag for haphazard work. While a good cleaning services company doesn’t have to be expensive, it shouldn’t be incredibly low-cost either. Clients need to be extra careful about who they hire. Oftentimes, pricing can be a good indicator of the kind of results that one should expect. After all, you get what you pay for.
3. No contract provided – A contract offers protection to both provider and client. It should stipulate what’s included in the service and how much it would cost. Additionally, it should specify how long a job would take and how it will be performed. Disagreements often ensure from the lack of written agreement. To protect yourself from unscrupulous commercial cleaning services, ask the provider for a contract. This will save you from tons of headaches in the future.
4. Poor communication and/or unresponsiveness – Successful working relations rely much on good communication. Beware of cleaning companies that are unresponsive to inquiries, request for updates, and other important communication matters. This shows that the company is unprofessional and does not care to establish a good working relationship with the client. Also, this could potentially lead to misunderstanding about terms of service and prices.
5. Lack of modern tools for effective cleaning – The business of cleaning usually involves plenty of elbow grease. But there are modern tools and equipment available that can make the job faster and more effective. If a company skimps on these, it could be a sign that they’re not willing to invest in proper tools to get the job done more quickly and efficiently.
6. Absence of Medical/Accidental protection for their staff – Working in a cleaning industry poses hazard to the health and wellbeing of employees. With that in consideration, a cleaning company should have employment-based health benefits for its staff. The absence of this basic benefit shows that the company does not care for its employees. It’s good to remember that a happy employee is a productive employee.

Working with a reputable cleaning services company requires diligent research. If the company you’re looking into shows any of the red flags mentioned above, it would be best to go into a different direction.