By Bill Law, Owner, Dallas Janitorial Services
You hold a cleaning company accountable with three things: a written scope that spells out what’s expected, a schedule that separates how often service happens from how often each task is done, and a provider that checks its own work before tenants or residents report a problem. When cleaning complaints keep coming back, one of those three is usually missing.
If you manage commercial space or apartment common areas, here’s how to put each one in place.
Why Do Cleaning Complaints Keep Coming Back?
Repeat complaints usually trace back to an unclear agreement. If the scope says “clean restrooms” without saying how often fixtures, partitions, and floors are cleaned, the provider and the property manager can both believe they’re right. The other common cause is oversight that only happens after a complaint. By then a tenant has already noticed, and you’re the one hearing about it.
What Belongs in a Written Scope?
Area | What the scope should define |
|---|---|
Entrances and lobbies | Glass, floors, mats, and trash at every visit, plus a schedule for detailed floor care |
Restrooms | Fixtures, partitions, floors, and restocking, and who supplies the consumables |
Corridors and common areas | Vacuuming and hard-floor care, and how often carpets are deep cleaned |
Amenity spaces | Fitness rooms, break rooms, and community rooms, scheduled by how much they’re used |
Exterior and specialty work | Pressure washing, windows, and floor refinishing, scheduled separately |
Service Frequency vs. Task Frequency
Service frequency is how many days a week the provider is on site, anywhere from one to seven. Task frequency is how often each task is done: every visit, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or as needed. A property cleaned five nights a week doesn’t need every task done five nights a week. Writing both into the scope keeps the price honest and makes it easy to see when something’s been skipped.
What Oversight Should You Expect?
Ask any provider how it checks its own work. In our case, we conduct routine quality inspections, generally about every four weeks and sometimes around every six depending on the facility, and weekly during startup or if concerns come up. The point is to catch problems before they become recurring, not to wait for your call.
We typically respond to customer concerns within minutes and begin working toward a resolution immediately. Many issues are corrected that same evening, and we follow up afterward to confirm the concern is resolved.
Questions to Ask Before You Sign
Will you tour the property and write a custom scope?
How are supplies purchased and billed?
How do I reach you, and how quickly will you respond?
Will the same service providers be at my property over time?
How long is the agreement?
The independent cleaning contractors who service our customers commonly stay at the same location for 12 months or longer, and over time they become familiar with the building and the customer’s preferences. On the last question, we don’t use long-term contracts. Customers stay because the work is consistent.
We serve property managers in Allen and across Collin County, and if you’re comparing janitorial services in Allen, TX or anywhere in North Texas, these are the questions we’d want you to ask us first.
Common Questions
How often should a cleaning company inspect its own work?
It varies by property, but routine inspections on a regular cycle, with more frequent checks during startup, catch problems before tenants report them.
Should cleaning supplies be part of the cleaning contract?
They can be handled several ways. Cleaning and consumables are two different costs, and keeping them separate makes both easier to track.
What should a property manager do if cleaning quality slips?
Raise it with the provider right away, note the area and date, and ask how they’ll confirm the fix. With a clear written scope, it’s easy to see whether the work was delivered.
Bill Law is the owner of Dallas Janitorial Services, a locally owned commercial cleaning company serving Dallas-Fort Worth since 2006. Property managers can schedule a walkthrough at (214) 778-3689.
