Why Are You Losing Commercial Cleaning Clients?

Imagine a scenario where your commercial client has scheduled an important meeting, and when they arrive in the morning, the conference room table hasn't been cleaned and polished, the garbage hasn't been removed, and the floors look like they haven't been vacuumed in months.

Their guests won't think, “Wow, their cleaning service isn't very good.” Instead, they're likely to think, “These people seem unprofessional— can we trust them with our business?”

Understandably, your client will be angry with you for jeopardizing their reputation and billing them for sub-par services.

And at that point, you've probably lost the customer. It's almost guaranteed.

Avoid Making These Mistakes to Keep Clients Longer!

Poor employee performance would appear to be the singular problem, but that's not true. In most cases, poor employee performance isn't just a problem, it's symptomatic of a poorly run business.

Let's take a look at 3 big reasons professional cleaning companies lose clients.

1)   Poor Performance

This is the obvious one. If your employees are providing sub-par services, you'll lose clients. But if your clients are unhappy with your service, it's not entirely the employees' fault.

It's your company's job to make sure your employees are qualified to do the work and that they have been properly trained. And it's incumbent on you to make sure you're hiring the right people for the job in the first place, and that you're paying a competitive wage.

Do you perform background checks on your potential hires? What about references? Are you taking the time to call those references and are you asking them the right questions?

Your employees are the face of your business and they can make or break your reputation, which is arguably the most valuable asset your company has.

2)   Lack of Training

The main driver of poor performance is a lack of employee training.

You can call your services “professional,” but that doesn't mean you're providing excellent results. Your employees should be properly trained in how to deliver actual professional-quality cleaning and janitorial services.

Not only do you want your team to understand expectations for the level of service your company delivers, but you also want them to know things like which cleaning tool is best for a particular job, standard procedures they should follow for every job they do, and how to be as efficient as possible while doing their job.

Don't Skimp on Leadership Training!

Beyond job skill training opportunities, providing your employees with leadership training resources is the best way to create a leadership foundation that reduces chaos, boosts productivity, and protects against long-term scale issues.

And training your employees will pay dividends going forward. Proper training not only arms your employees with the skills they need to provide excellent service but also reduces employee turnover which is costly and can affect the level and consistency of services you are providing to clients.

According to LinkedIn, 94 percent of employees would stay with a company longer if the company invested in training programs. Other statistics estimate that investing in your employees' training actually boosts profit margins significantly.

There's really no good reason not to invest in employee training.

3)   Poor Communication

Are you keeping lines of communication open for both employees and clients? When was the last time you checked in with a client to get their feedback on the service they're receiving? Do you ask your employees for feedback in terms of their interactions with clients?

A good way to systematize good communication is to keep clear and accurate documentation. Make sure notes from phone calls and emails from clients are documented and available to your staff so they're educated on the customer even before they go to do the job.

How are service issues being handled? Is there a documented procedure for how to deal with client concerns and one that provides you with important insights and a ‘map' as to how and when there was a disconnect?

Look For Expert Resources

Whether you're looking to improve or implement training and procedures, or you need information on best practices for operating and scaling your business, there are seasoned experts out there who are willing to help if you take the time to find them.

As 30-year veterans of the cleaning industry, the professionals at The Janitorial Store know that the business of cleaning can be incredibly challenging with fierce competition and low margins.

For entrepreneurs serious about starting, improving, and growing their cleaning businesses, and who are looking for resources, The Janitorial Store creates a private, member-based space for cleaning professionals to find in-depth information they won't find anywhere else on the Internet.

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