Quality of cleaning standards
Does your current cleaning contractor deliver high quality cleaning standards? Does your workplace always feel clean?
Making something clean can be easy work with the right application. However, maintaining cleaning standards can be tricky if you’ve not got a cleaning schedule that works and a management process that ensures the cleaning is maintained to meet yours and your clients’ expectations. Berry Cleaning maintains a 100% quality retention on all commercial cleaning contracts since 2014. We know how to deliver consistent high quality cleaning standards. It’s in our DNA.
Communication
Is your current cleaning service responsive to feedback? Do they respond efficiently to your questions or any last-minute requests? Are your cleaners’ effective communicators?
Communication is key to any business and more than ever in the world today. With technology being a huge part of our every day lives, Berry has embraced the use of Technology within our Business. Not only do we have a designated contract manager and a client and staff engagement officer, we are big on tech. We communicate with many of our clients through slack, where all cleaners will have direct access to this at all times. Communicating through slack with our clients has enabled us to react faster and get the job done on time, every time. Dependant on your requirements, we can provide daily pictures of the cleaning and snags, and manage the ongoing cleaning schedule with any ad-hoc easily communicated using this platform.
The day-to-day management of our business is paperless. We provide Tablets on all contracts for our staff to have direct access to all Berry platforms and the platforms we share with our clients.
It’s not just about Tech though. We are great communicators, and we pride ourselves on delivering a first-class customer service. So, any time you want to speak to us, whether that be one of the cleaners or management, we are always happy to be available and ready to assist. You can pick up the phone to give us a call or whatever your choice of communication is, we are on it.
Berry is a customer service business as much as a cleaning business. We have got your back and you can trust we will deliver.
Staff attitude
Are your current cleaners polite? Efficient? Respectful? Happy? Willing to engage when you talk to them? Do they show that they care?
Attitude isn’t just verbal. We know this more than ever working in the cleaning industry. Respectful cleaners are excellent cleaners. As a business, Berry has always sought to find people with great morals. It’s not always easy to find but we are pretty good at it. We have learnt over the years that the people with a conscience and people who care have an excellent ability to deliver to the standards that Berry expects. We don’t hire cleaners and expect them to be good, we hire cleaners with the ability to be able to learn the correct ways to clean and deliver service standards that exceed our clients’ expectations.
With all that Berry does in the background to ensure our staff are happy and feel valued, we are confident that this is why we maintain a 100% quality retention rate for the 10th year running.
Staff turnover
Have your current cleaners been with you from the start? Has there been a high turnover of staff? Are you frequently seeing new faces or making new passes for new cleaning staff? While turnover is normal in any industry, excessive or excessively fast turnover is a warning sign.
Finding cleaning staff that are willing to commit and invest in quality standards is not always easy….But, if you make it rewarding, fun and fulfilling, people will feel part of a team and will want to be their best versions. All Berry staff are valued and respected. We provide excellent incentives to staff, including gym membership options, private health insurance, vouchers and much more. We know that our staff are our business and maintaining the best staff requires much more than just a pay cheque!
Consistency of service delivery
Has your cleaning service been consistent since day one?
It’s more often than not the main reason for why many of our clients have parted ways with their previous contractor. We’ve heard it time and time again…The new cleaning company comes on board, everything seems great, the cleaners are positive, the cleaning is of good standard, everyone is happy! This may go on for 6-12 months. However, a common occurrence is, standards will over time drop, cleaning staff become disillusioned and the relationship between the cleaning contractor and the client is fractured. Slowly over time, the cleaners are doing what they can get away with and this client becomes a number.
This certainly is not how Berry operates and our reputation and history is proof of this. Every 12 months, Berry will conduct a cleaning audit where we will look at the consumable usage, staff performance, sickness, equipment performance, client feedback and much, much more. Of course, we are always managing and looking to improve throughout the year, however a yearly audit is necessary to make improvements where possible, with new technology and cleaning equipment always being introduced to the market, it's important that we are always current, and our clients are getting the very best value for money.
We treat every client with the upmost respect, and we value their business. It’s in our DNA to be the best and we get no greater satisfaction than consistently making faces smile and seeing and feeling the appreciation from our clients.
Quality of equipment
Are you satisfied that your current cleaning contractor is using high quality equipment? Could the job be done better and more efficiently with better equipment?
The Commercial cleaning industry is always evolving, and the use of specialist equipment is becoming more and more the norm. Of course, the human touch, microfibre and eco solution will never be bettered for the majority of cleaning tasks, however, the use of specialist equipment for certain jobs is very much necessary in today’s world.
The quality of equipment will always reflect positively or negatively on the cleaning company, but more so the cleaners will have their own opinion. Happy staff, happy Client. As we’ve already said, we invest in positivity at Berry and investing in the best equipment doesn’t just get the job done more efficiently, it ensures our staff remain positive and happy in their job.
New equipment doesn’t necessarily mean good. Berry has tried, tested and trusted pieces of equipment we have used for years that get the job done better than many modern pieces of equipment. Quality and well-maintained equipment will last for years.
In today’s modern world, there are many excellent pieces of equipment that Berry benefits from. Including, battery powered backpack vacuums, a reach and wash system that reaches 7 stories from the ground floor, ionised water machines and electric vehicles. The cleaning industry has evolved, and Berry is evolving with it. We are always looking to make improvements; it’s a constant love affair and we love it.
Quality of training
Every contract requires a different cleaning schedule. Even similar businesses in the same industry can have significantly different cleaning schedules. Do you feel that your current cleaners are trained adequately? Is there a visible schedule in place that cleaners are consistently following?
Staff training is key to a successfully run contract. With every contract being different, we train staff on the basics in a classroom environment and then we will train staff on each client’s site, ensuring the Berry method of cleaning is implemented correctly within your schedule.
As standard, Berry staff are trained on managing consumables, COSHH, risk assessment, service delivery, time keeping, presentation, cleaning methods and communication. Berry has built a cleaning training program from our years of industry knowledge and from our multiple accreditations achieved within our management team, which includes bics, IPAF, CSCS, Health & Safety, health & welfare and First Aid Level 2 qualifications.
With the qualifications and industry experience our leadership team has gained over the years, we have built a training program that has shown to be effective and successful.
Training never stops with Berry. We are always learning and implementing new methods to consistently improve. As a business we will frequently support staff in gaining qualifications. If you’re not improving, you’re not growing is very much the thinking within our leadership team. We are passionate about growth and development.
Price
We are unfortunately in a cost-of-living crisis. There’s no end it seems to the ongoing strain individuals, families and businesses are having to endure. So, when it comes to the price you are paying, there is no doubt this must be a weighty factor in choosing your next cleaning contractor. Do you feel you are getting value for money from your current cleaning company? Are they clear in their pricing? Are you overpaying whilst the cleaning company is under delivering?
For many years before the covid pandemic hit, the standard commercial cleaning hourly charge was somewhere in the region of £14/£15 per hour. Now we’re not politicians at Berry but we are passionate above living in a greener world and of course, we are conscious and stay up to date with the UK’s economic affairs.
In the past 2 years, the cost of living has affected most of us, in business and at home. Prices have increased in all walks of life, living wage has increased. The cost of consumables, rent, energy, insurances and so on have increased considerably.
Whilst the economy is showing little sign in levelling out, we are finding a common ground in the cleaning industry with commercial cleaning hourly rates. For any quality commercial cleaning business to operate whilst paying staff just a living wage, the benchmark for commercial cleaning services is currently around £18 per hour and up to £25 per hour for shorter term and limited hours commercial cleaning.
At Berry we have worked extremely hard with all of our current clients to deliver the best possible service at the best possible price, whilst ensuring our cleaning staff are paid above the living wage.
If your business is looking to save money and get the best service, Berry Cleaning might well be your answer. Our experienced team can re-work or build a brand-new cleaning schedule to save your business time and money, whilst also delivering cleaning standards beyond your current expectations. The price is not just about the hourly rate, if your cleaners are not efficient with their time, you could well be paying more than you need to for your cleaning service - even though your hourly rate may be cheaper than the standard industry rate.
With all these factors to consider, Berry’s client loyalty scheme (BLS) can save your business hundreds, if not thousands every year on your cleaning costs. With options including, having money off your invoice and free additional services, we are truly confident that the cleaning package Berry offers is unrivalled in the commercial cleaning industry. To find out more about Berry’s BLS scheme, give us a call or request a call back on our website and we’ll call you.
Best practices
Does your current cleaning contractor offer specialist cleaning services? Do they use products proven effective against bacteria and viruses? Do they offer incentives?
At Berry we are always growing our skill set and improving our service delivery. You can be assured that there is not many areas of cleaning that we will not have experience in. From daily office cleaning to high rise window cleaning to factory plant deep cleaning and bio mist fogging of commercial and industrial facilities. We are always striving to learn new cleaning areas of expertise. Our leadership team covers all areas within a commercial and industrial setting. Including, facilities management, biohazard cleaning, janitorial supply, commercial cleaning and industrial cleaning.
Green Policy
What is your company’s green policy? Is your current cleaning contractor supporting you with your own sustainability target?
We are passionate about People and Sustainability at Berry. Our mission is to be Wales’ most sustainable cleaning company.
Sustainability, and caring for the environment and our local communities is at the forefront of everything Berry does. From our head office to our supply chain partners and everything in between, our decisions have always taken into consideration our impact and ability to influence the market around us. By working with Berry, your business will reduce its carbon footprint while supporting its own sustainability target. You can read more about our journey to Net-Zero here.
Renegotiating your cleaning contract
Being comfortable with your current set up can be fantastic. However, in today’s world, with technology advancing and expectations higher, it’s important to always benchmark.
There is much to consider when you are looking to renew your cleaning tender. At Berry we are meticulous in everything we do, whilst we are always striving to improve. We would love to the opportunity to provide your business with a free no obligation, comprehensive quotation for your consideration. Even if it’s just to benchmark for future reference, we are more than happy to provide this.
You’ll be amazed by the difference we could make!