Often, there’s a certain level of opaqueness to business-vendor relationships. A vendor is hired to do a job, and they either do it well or they don’t. The curtain to what’s going on behind the scenes is never lifted.
That makes sense. Performance in-role is what matters, for cleaning companies as well as for any other vendor. That’s the lens through which a cleaning company should be judged. Yet, what goes on behind the scenes can impact a vendor’s ability to perform a job.
If your cleaning company isn’t doing well internally, there’s a good chance that you’ll soon see internal problems take the form of poor service. In contrast, a healthy, growing cleaning company is best positioned to help your business thrive.
At The Wilburn Company, we’ve found that company growth is a key signal in a cleaning company’s ability to serve well. It’s a piece of data that may never appear in proposals, it does impact the level of service a cleaning company can provide.
Here’s how.
A growing cleaning company stays on the cutting-edge.
Growth and learning tend to go hand in hand. And, while you may misconceive the cleaning industry as static, it’s actually a dynamic, constantly progressing field – so it’s essential that cleaning companies stay up-to-date on industry knowledge to provide good service.
For example, employee training programs are constantly being optimized, with a focus on equipping participants with the most current knowledge of techniques and products.
Cost control measures are being refined, so that cleaning companies can provide more effective services more efficiently.
And, most notably, green cleaning is moving from the status of “buzzword” into the realm of “necessary business practice” as healthy procedures and products are implemented.
A cleaning company that isn’t growing won’t be on the cutting-edge of these movements. Consequently, a cleaning company that isn’t growing won’t be able to provide you with a premier level of service.
A growing company can grow with you.
In addition to staying current from an industry perspective, growth also allows cleaning providers to stay current on an individual service level: they can grow to meet the needs of your growing organization.
For example, let’s say your business is poised to open a new location within the next year. If your current cleaning provider isn’t growing, they may not be able to handle the new space, and you’ll be forced to work through the process of acquiring cleaning quotes and analyzing companies. Then, you’ll be forced to manage different building ecosystems packed with different providers.
Alternatively, if your cleaning company is growing as well, it’ll be simple for them to partner with you in the new space and to provide standardized services across your buildings.
Growth capabilities make current services future-proof. And a cleaning company that grows with you makes your life easier.
A growing company can accentuate your brand.
Finally, a growing cleaning company can partner with your organization to accentuate your brand.
The idea of cleaning services complementing branding might not be obvious, but it’s also fairly straightforward. Your brand is made up of the touchpoints your employees and customers have with your organization – and your buildings are an important, tangible representation of that.
First, it’s important that your buildings are clean and healthy; as we’ve discussed, a growing cleaning company is most able to provide the service level to make that happen.
But second, a growing company can work with you to accentuate different organizational initiatives. Are you pursuing sustainability? A growing company can contribute with green cleaning. Is there an initiative around unionized services? A growing cleaning company can provide union cleaning. Is there a movement toward increased security? A growing cleaning company can offer secure cleaning.
Don’t take for granted the impact of your building on your brand, and don’t take for granted the impact of your cleaning company on your building. If you own space to lease, those considerations are even more important.
A growing cleaning company can benefit both your building and your brand.
How to Pursue Intelligent Growth
Finally, a note on growth: yes, it’s a crucial element of cleaning company success. But be careful in selecting on growth rate alone. You don’t want to choose a cleaning company that pursues new sales above all else – that kind of mentality is indicative of a focus on showiness above service.
For a cleaning company, a huge rush of new accounts tends to mean a high churn rate (probably due to poor service in existing accounts) or a commitment to more work than can actually be provided (outselling the service).
So, while you do want growth, you don’t want haphazard, reckless growth. Instead, you want a cleaning company that pursues smart growth through partnerships in existing accounts. If a company is consistently enlarging the accounts they already service, it’s a good sign that a) they’re providing service their clients appreciate, and b) they’re prepared to grow with their clients.
Let’s Grow Together
A cleaning company should certainly be judged on the level of service they provide. But the bottom line is that, although it’s typically kept behind the curtain of the vendor relationship, growth is a key indicator of service level.
Choose a company that will grow with you.
At The Wilburn company, we’re proud of the way we’ve pursued growth. We’ve taken our time, investing into our accounts and developing proven partnerships so that we can provide outstanding services capable of growing with you.
If you’re searching for a cleaning provider to serve your growing company, get in touch with us.
Let’s grow together.