Minster Cleaning was established in 1982 and has been a full member of the British Franchise Association (BFA) since 1992. With so much experience of franchising and the commercial cleaning market, Minster Cleaning gives prospective franchise partners a rock-solid business model with considerable opportunities for growth.
The network comprises over 40 branches throughout the UK, operating large, exclusive territories. Group turnover is now well over £55million. The top Minster Cleaning branches have sales of up to £3.5 million+ per year whilst over half of branches have a turnover of £1 million+ per year.
With more than 40 years’ experience in commercial cleaning, Minster Cleaning know what you should be looking for in a commercial cleaning company. Paul Stairmand, Head of Marketing at Minster Cleaning, shares the 7 essential considerations that they know customers look for.
The first consideration is experience. Paul says, ‘Finding a long-established supplier is important as they are likely to be delivering a quality service. After all, a company delivering a poor quality service is unlikely to survive for long’. Many cleaning companies specialise in different sectors, so asking if a supplier has experience in your sector is a must. Minster Cleaning is experienced in healthcare cleaning, helping medical practices in England meet relevant compliance requirements of the Care Quality Commission that regulates them. As we are general office cleaning, Minster Cleaning also has experience in a wide range of other sectors, including education, professional services, manufacturing, wholesale, retail, transport and logistics and many more.
Recruitment is an important factor in deciding on a cleaning company. A reputable company should be able to share with you their rigorous recruitment procedures, including DBS checks where necessary.
Any company should have valid insurance, and cleaning companies are no different. You have the right to ask a potential supplier for proof of their Employer’s Liability Insurance and Public Liability Insurance. Suppliers should also be providing you with risk assessments and method statements for all tasks that they carry out on your site. This ensures that tasks are carried out safely, with any identifiable risks being mitigated.
Another essential consideration is a tailored service. Paul says, ‘We provide each customer with a cleaning specification that is bespoke to them. This is put together following a visit to their premises to undertake a detailed site survey which will take into account any budgetary restrictions they might have’.
Quality of service delivery and customer satisfaction go hand in hand. Paul comments, ‘We pride ourselves on staying true to our values, which are reliable, consistent, trustworthy, flexible, friendly and great value. When our customers are happy with our service, they leave us great reviews on our website. This then means that prospective customers are seeing what other people think of us, which leads to more customers’. When you are looking for a potential new supplier, whether that is cleaning or something else, looking at customer reviews on their website and social media is a great place to start.
The final consideration is considering the financial health of the company. You may wish to check information available at Companies House to check this. Poor financial history could be an indication of a poorly managed business and problems in the future.
These 7 essential considerations are a great place to start when looking for a commercial cleaning company.
