Customer satisfaction as a constant challenge
The wage squeeze is a dangerous development. A high-quality cleaning service requires an adequate time budget, good quality management and resources.
SMEs and owner-managed companies are aware of this from their own experience and are therefore less price-sensitive than many large companies and public institutions. On the other hand, they have - and rightly so - high quality standards and attach importance to contact with the company and its managers, fair employment conditions, and continuity in the cleaning staff they employ.
Who knows what he wants, finds the right thing
It is like with everything, the better you know your way around and know what you are looking for, the faster you will find what you are looking for - also when searching for the "best" cleaning company. Ideally, a clear requirements profile is drawn up. It includes not only a detailed service catalog for maintenance and special cleaning tasks, but also the quality requirements, special wishes and general conditions. These can include, for example, prescribed cleaning times. A law firm has completely different requirements than a commercial enterprise, back office areas, front desk and reception areas, a doctor's office or a catering business.
The Internet offers a first good overview of the providers and provide a representative overview. The more targeted the search terms are chosen, for example "cleaning company Zurich", "lift cleaning" or "stone floor cleaning", the better. Filtering out the "right" companies for the offer is a challenge.
Tip: Click into the depths of the websites and search for more in-depth information about the company, services, customer testimonials and media articles.
Proper quoting and evaluation
Three, or at most four, companies should be invited for the bid briefing and the submission of the bid. Once the offers are available, it is of course tempting to compare the price and decide on the most favorable provider. Instead, ask yourself which provider you would choose, regardless of the price. Give at least equal weight to criteria such as overall impression, transparency, comprehensibility and design of the offer, organization, quality and complaints management, commitment to sustainability, requirements profile for the cleaning staff, employment conditions and training. If the price of the favored provider is higher than that of the other offers, seek a discussion and ask how the difference came about. Larger price differences can often be explained by differently calculated time budgets for cleaning and quality management or differently calculated total hours or price dumping.
"Certification conveys security", Remo Hägni
The customer "in the duty
How successful the cooperation is and how satisfied the customer is with the facility service provider in the end is, of course, primarily dependent on performance. Are all expectations met and are promises kept? Especially in the initial phase, but beyond that, quality management is decisive. The Hägni AG Cleaning Company for example, has developed a multi-level quality concept based on its experience over the past 30 years:
- a quality feedback system with personal feedback reports and
- a web-based complaints system. It is used for long-term compliance and constant further development of the company's own quality standards.
At this point, the customer is also "in charge": He can help influence quality by providing honest and unsparing feedback. Open communication based on trust is an important prerequisite for sustained high cleaning quality and customer satisfaction. If the cleaners receive recognition on site in the form of a friendly smile or an expressed thank you, nothing stands in the way of a high level of satisfaction in the long term.
