Businesses of all sizes and industries across the UK may well have noticed that their cleaning contractors have recently increased their prices. While rising costs are affecting almost every sector, organisations should be questioning whether they are still getting value for money from their service provider.
There are several factors / pressures that have led cleaning contractors to impose increases in their service fees. Costs of labour have recently gone up with a further rise in the National Living Wage in April. Coupled with this there are associated costs in recruiting and retaining cleaning operatives.
The cost of materials and cleaning chemicals has also played a part, as have transportation costs including the price of fuel. These are real factors that affect the cost bases of all office and commercial cleaning companies and ultimately the service fees that they charge.
While these pressures are genuine and understandable, it is recommended that organisations that have received a cleaning service price increase should not simply accept it but rather assess whether they are continuing to receive value for money.
Value for money is not just price related – it’s about overall service delivery. This includes how tailored it is to the customer’s needs, service reliability, quality / consistency of standards, responsiveness, communication and flexibility.
Hopefully, prior to appointment, the existing contractor will have taken the time to meet the potential customer and carried out a survey of the premises. Only then will they have been able to fully understand their requirements and have tailored a service accordingly. If this did not happen, it may be that the customer’s needs aren’t now being precisely met and that improvements could be made.
Key to delivering great service is reliability. A missed clean can be a real source of frustration for customers and a professional cleaning company should be taking all steps necessary to ensure the chances of this occurring are minimised. These steps would preferably include the provision of managed absence cover as part of the service.
Quality standards of cleaning are just as important. To achieve this, cleaning operatives need to be well trained and follow clear processes to make sure a workplace is cleaned with care and attention to detail. Furthermore, robust monitoring processes should be in place to make sure cleaning standards are maintained. Organisations need to question whether their premises are being cleaned to the standards they would expect.
Responsiveness and communication are also important elements of service delivery. A professional cleaning provider should be readily available to manage any queries a customer may have or to resolve any issues that arise. Regular, proactive communication with a customer, including feedback requests, is also really important in ensuring a customer remains happy with the service over time.
Flexibility is also a significant factor when assessing your current cleaning arrangements. Is the current cleaning contractor willing or able to meet any short notice requirements for example? Are they prepared to flex their service to accommodate any changing needs over time?
By carefully evaluating the overall service they are currently receiving following a price increase —not just the cost—organisations can ensure they continue to receive a solution that maintains the cleanliness of their premises and delivers genuine value for money.
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