How to choose a janitorial company (12 questions that matter)

Coverage and accountability

Ask these before you talk about price. A company that answers all four clearly is already in the top quartile.

• Who supervises this account, and how often are they physically on site?
• What happens when someone calls out — who covers, and how fast?
• How do I report an issue, and what response time do you commit to?
• Can you provide a certificate of insurance naming my entity as additional insured?

Crews and vetting

Almost every facilities company in the country uses a mix of employees and vetted subcontract crews — that's how coverage works across large service territories. What matters is not the label; it's the vetting, the training and the consistency of who walks into your building.

• How are crews screened and background-checked?
• Will I have the same crew week to week?
• Who trains the crew on my building's specific scope?
• What's your annual turnover rate on comparable accounts?

Scope, QA and terms

The contract is where good intentions become enforceable. Look for a documented inspection process and an exit that doesn't lock you in.

• Is the scope written as a task list by frequency?
• How do you inspect quality, how often, and do I see the report?
• What periodic services are included versus billed separately?
• What are the termination terms — and is there a 30-day out?

Red flags

A bid materially below every other bid means labor hours were cut somewhere. A refusal to put the scope in writing means there's nothing to hold anyone to. And an auto-renewing multi-year contract with a long notice period usually exists to protect the vendor, not you.