Most commercial cleaning vendors present well in a sales conversation. The gaps show up later -- in inconsistent service, mystery invoice charges, or a different crew every other week with no institutional knowledge of your building.
Red Flags Before You Sign
- No written scope of work: if a vendor quotes verbally but won't put the task list in writing, there's no accountability. Walk away.
- Unusually low pricing: quotes significantly below market usually mean something is missing -- underpaid staff, substandard products, or tasks that appear in the contract but rarely happen.
- No proof of insurance: a legitimate vendor can produce a current certificate of insurance within a day or two. Hesitation is a sign they don't have one.
- Vague answers about who will clean your building: if they can't tell you whether staff are employees or subcontractors, proceed with caution.
- High-pressure sales tactics: artificial urgency around a quote's validity is a manipulation tactic, not a sign of a reputable vendor.
- No references available: a vendor with legitimate commercial accounts should be able to provide a couple of references from similar buildings.
Red Flags During the Relationship
- Constant crew turnover: a different crew every few weeks means no institutional knowledge of your building and inconsistent results.
- Ignored complaints: a vendor that's slow to respond to a service complaint, or disputes rather than resolves valid ones, will not improve over time.
- Skipped tasks you're paying for: if items on your scope of work are regularly missed, document them and raise the issue formally.
- Surprise charges on invoices: additions not agreed to in writing are a sign of billing practices that will escalate.
- Reluctance to walk the building with you: a transparent vendor should welcome periodic walkthroughs to review quality together.
Start with a vendor that puts everything in writing.
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