5 Signs Your Current Cleaning Service Isn't Meeting Professional Standards

Your professional cleaning service is an essential part of your business. No matter if you're client-facing, in logistics, or run a data centre - cleaning is one of the bedrock needs of any company.

And cleaning has a set of standards. Beyond dusting, hoovering and mopping, polishing and keeping your work areas safe, a professional cleaning service needs to meet a whole range of professional standards.

When those standards aren't met, the signs are unmistakable. We're not just talking about one streaky window and the odd case of 'you missed a bit'. We're talking about consistent failures in execution, communication, and leadership in all things cleaning.

Here are five signs that your current commercial cleaning provider might be missing the mark…

1. Inconsistent results? The devil's in the details

The most immediate sign of an unreliable service is a noticeable lack of consistency. One week, your workspaces look great -perfectly hoovered, dusted, mopped and fresh. The next, it's like whole areas have been left off the rota.

This inconsistency always pops up in the details first; the dust building up on skirting boards and picture frames, the smudges left on glass doors, or the crumbs lingering in the corners of the kitchen. If you're paying for this service you shouldn't be the one noticing these details.

A professional cleaning company operates with thorough checklists, timely rotas, and rigorous training. At Bowdraper, every clean we take on meets the same high standards we set ourselves.

The mark of a truly good clean is in the details. If you find yourself repeatedly noticing errors or the same areas neglected for weeks on end, your cleaning service is being rushed or managed without a proper process.

2. Unreliable scheduling (and poor communication)

If you're late for work, your boss notices. And if you decided to leave early or skip work altogether? You'd probably not have a job for much longer! So, if your cleaners are frequently arriving late, leaving early, or missing scheduled visits without enough notice, they're absolutely not acting professionally. Unreliability disrupts your business, and creates a sense of uncertainty.

If you have difficulty reaching a manager, are met with slow responses to your questions, or don't get enough warning about scheduling changes -then you're not getting the service you deserve.

We believe that good communication and keeping promises are the most essential professional standards for any cleaning service. It's a core part of our duty to you, because without communication and reliability, there's no trust.

Everything we do is based on trust; and when our customers trust us to take care of their commercial cleaning, we respect that in kind by delivering exceptional communication, and a reliable service.

3. Tools of the trade and how the treat them

You can tell a lot about your cleaning service just by the tools your cleaners use, and how they are stored.

Are they using a domestic mop and bucket for a whole warehouse floor? Or household dusting wands for a data centre clean? Or, are they using modern and fit-for-purpose equipment like microfibre flat mops and antistatic cloths?

Different colour equipment are used for different types of cleaning. Is your bathroom cloth being stored with your kitchen cleaning equipment? Are your mops heads in with your washing up equipment? Cross contamination and poor storage can denote a bigger problem.

Now, we're not saying every cleaning job needs space-age tech to be a good one -but a failure to invest in professional cleaning equipment is a telling sign that they're not taking your cleaning seriously.

A really professional cleaning service will use advanced, efficient equipment. But they will also have access to better (and often eco-friendlier) products that clean effectively without leaving behind disruptive fumes and odours.

4. No clear point of contact

So, we've already covered communication but this point is really about accountability.

In a properly structured cleaning company, you should have a dedicated and accessible point of contact; someone you can always reach with problems, praise, or questions.

At Bowdraper, our Area Managers act as account managers they are your first port of call for any feedback or issues. They conduct periodic reviews and make sure everything is running smoothly, adjusting your account as necessary.

If your only interaction is with the cleaners on your premises, and you have no clear path to escalate any concerns you have, then this is probably as good as it gets with your service provider.

This shows a total lack of accountability, and means that problems won't be solved at the root cause. No accountability leads to the same problems happening again and again, with no checks in place to monitor and feedback.

Always look for a clear point of contact, and make sure you have one before your cleaning service is engaged!

5. Unresponsive to feedback

Remember - a quality cleaning service provider will actively seek your feedback.

If you've already given constructive feedback, but they respond defensively, then it might be a sign that they're not willing to meet your specific expectations. This is a big red flag and should prompt you to reconsider your service provider.

But some things shouldn't need raising in the first place, because a team of professional cleaners are expected to show a degree of initiative - alerting you to maintenance issues they've spotted, like a leaky tap or a trip hazard.

Your cleaners should be an extension of your own team. And if you're struggling with any or all of these issues, then maybe it's time you discovered the Bowdraper difference.