Here at A-1 Janitorial Services, we are constantly searching for ways to create value for our clients.  Budgets are tight these days and unfortunately many companies are cutting back on essential janitorial and office cleaning services.  As a business operating in tough economic times, we understand the dilemma.  However, dirty buildings are not good for business

That’s why we’re very excited  to share with you a new program we’ve developed here at A-1 Janitorial to help Lawton businesses  successfully meet these challenges.  We call it the S.A.V.E. Program.

Simple:  It’s very SIMPLE.  We schedule these additional services at regular intervals. It has less of an impact on your budget as you can spread the cost out over a 12 month period.

Automated:  It’s AUTOMATED. You don’t have to think about it.  All services are pre-scheduled and automatically performed at pre-scheduled intervals.

Value:  It offers greater VALUE for your money.  As a value-added service, you receive incredible savings to your company while maintaining a higher and more consistent level of cleanliness. For example, instead of one carpet cleaning a year, you get two for the same price as the one. The S.A.V.E program keeps you looking great year round!

Efficient:  It’s EFFICIENT because it incorporates all regularly scheduled cleanings while removing the headaches of unexpected cleaning budget busters, approval processes, etc.

In a nutshell, S.A.V.E Program Services are discounted, prepaid janitorial services on an automated schedule.

This program was developed at the request of several of our customers. As a result, our clients actually receive important additional janitorial services, (carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning and window cleaning, floor stripping or scrubbing and waxing, etc.), more frequently and at a discounted rate.

The A-1 Janitorial S.A.V.E. Program using window cleaning as an example:

Let’s say your commercial office building has 75 windows that need to be cleaned.  You’ve decided that the exterior windows should be cleaned quarterly while the interior windows can be cleaned semi-annually.  Our competition charges $2.00 per side.  Total cost is $150.00 each exterior cleaning ($2.00 per side x 75 windows = $150.00) and  $150.00 each interior cleaning. Twice per year the interior and exterior cleanings will coincide for a total cost of $300.00 ($2.00 per side x 75 windows = $300.00).

Total annual cost for window cleaning: $900.00

Due to the non-frequent nature of window cleaning, carpet cleaning, floor waxing, and other infrequent janitorial services. many companies neglect to service these areas until they are in such poor condition so as to be embarrassing.  Furthermore,  the estimate for this “per request cleaning” may have to be approved by upper management and therefore is often delayed, or worse yet viewed as unnecessary solely due to the unexpected, un-budgeted nature of the service.  The result: Dirty windows which continue to detract from your company’s image.

S.A.V.E. program to the rescue!

1)  The same $900.00 per year window cleaning costs are automatically discounted 12% to $1.75 per side or $787.50 per year for a total savings of $112.50!

2)  The cleaning costs are spread out over 12 monthly pre-payments of $65.63 per month.  The pre-payments are consistent and invoiced monthly making it easy to include in the company’s cleaning budget.

3)  Since the services are *prepaid and scheduled in advance according to the terms of the cleaning services contract, you don’t even have to give them a second thought.  No budgeting crisis.  The windows are cleaned on a regular basis thus maintaining a higher standard of cleanliness while enhancing your company’s priceless image.

In short, the program S.A.V.E.s our clients money, time and hassles.

Contact A-1 Janitorial Services today and start saving with our S.A.V.E (Simple, Automated, Value, Efficient) discounted, prepaid, janitorial services program.

* Additional Clarifications:

1)  When the S.A.V.E. program is initiated, the prorated pre-payments begin and those funds accumulate–according to the type and frequency of the selected services–until those funds reach the point where they cover the cost of the janitorial services selected.  For example:  If you opt in as of January 1st (thus beginning monthly service fee accumulation) and your interior windows are to be cleaned twice per year under the program, your first cleaning will occur in June and the second in December.

Hiring a Professional Cleaning Service?  How do I Choose Wisely? Q&A

What questions should I carefully consider before selecting a professional cleaning company to clean my facility?

How can I avoid problems and lessen potential liability and legal issues?

Are there any risks to contracting with a professional cleaning franchise?

Consider the following three important questions and how the answers can assist you to choose the right professional cleaning company:

Q.  What advice do you have for a company looking to hire a professional cleaning service?

A.  Price should never be the deciding factor. It is especially true in the professional cleaning services industry that you usually get what you pay for.  We know budgets are tight, but outsourcing your janitorial services makes good business sense.  The cheapest bid will not usually be money well spent.  A fair price–often the middle of the road proposal–will often give you the greatest value for your cleaning dollar.

Hire conscientious, proven & professional cleaning service providers. Interview them carefully as you would a prospective employee. You should get a strong feeling that the company will work as a partner and not just a vendor.  Look at their proposal carefully.  What does it tell you about the level of professionalism behind the company?  Check their references.  Do they currently clean other businesses in your industry?  That experience is valuable and worthy of your consideration.

Q.  If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about the professional cleaning industry?  Any inside secrets you could share?

A.  Beware of the cut-throat franchise janitorial companies who start by bidding lower than the competition after which they take their 15-20% cut off the top, then find another gullible franchisee to work for less than $10.00/hr before having to pay his own business overhead costs.

This is an arrangement that usually results in everyone’s dissatisfaction.  Franchise janitorial companies are a high-volume, high-turnover business plan.  We know because one tried to recruit with our company some years ago.  We got a very clear inside picture and wanted nothing to do with it!  The professional cleaning franchisee cuts corners to make his time more profitable.  The facilities manager is exasperated with sub-par service and the flood of complaints she must constantly mediate.  It creates a higher turnover rate and hurts the professional cleaning industry.  Buyer Beware!

Q.  What questions should a facilities manager ask in order to hire the right professional cleaning service?

A.  Ask about liability insurance, worker’s compensation coverage, employee background checks, training programs, etc. to determine the degree of professionalism and level of expertise the prospective professional cleaning services bidder has.

Check their website and get a feel for the company before you call them in.  Don’t mistake a maid service for a commercial cleaning company.  There is a difference in the level of expertise they offer.  Look for a full-service contract cleaning company that can handle all facets of your janitorial needs from office cleaning to floor stripping & waxing to carpet and window cleaning.  Often, when these services are required you’ll get the discount extended to an existing customer and avoid wasting your time arranging multiple walk-throughs, bids and the paperwork required to vet a new vendor.

There are many people purporting to be professional cleaning services who hire illegally and carry no liability or worker’s compensation insurance coverage thus exposing your company to tremendous liability risks.

Professional Cleaning for Lawton, OK

A-1 Janitorial Services had been offering professional cleaning services for Lawton, OK since 2000.  We are happy to consult with you regarding your choice of a commercial office cleaning company.  We are determined to be the last janitorial service you’ll ever need.  Contact us today.

 If you’d like more information on how to hire a professional cleaning service, read the article entitled: “Professional Cleaning Services – Why you shouldn’t Cut Corners?”

Beware of the “professional cleaning service“ lacking expertise!

Failing to require liability insurance is like playing financial Russian Roulette.

What’s the worst that could possibly happen if my “professional cleaning service” isn’t really professional?

Very good questions!  Let me start by saying that it’s one thing to hire a cleaning service; It’s quite another thing to contract with a professional cleaning service.  Sadly, in Lawton, OK as in most any other city across America, all it takes to start a so-called “professional cleaning service” is a business card. Nowadays you can get those free on the internet, or easily print them at home on a computer printer).  The risks associated with contracting with the wrong “professional cleaning service” are tremendous.  Let’s describe a few of them:

Lack of Professional Cleaning Service Expertise

Improper cleaning chemical usage can destroy expensive fixtures.  To cite a few examples:  We’ve come across chrome faucets damaged irreparably due to leaving the wrong chemical to dwell too long on the fixture.  Along a similar vein, we’ve seen stainless steel water fountains burned by strong acids.  Stainless steel fixtures should last a lifetime, that is until they are “cleaned” by the wrong person using the wrong chemical.

We’ve seen glass entry doors and windows scratched because a razor blade was used incorrectly in an attempt to scrape off debris.  Even using the wrong color of nylon scrubbing pad can scratch glass and mirrors.  Do you really want an inexperienced cleaning service to learn from their mistakes on your building?  A professional cleaning service is trained to match the right cleaning product along with the right cleaning procedure to the right task.

Lack of Safety Training

Untrained and unskilled cleaning services are often unaware of even basic safety procedures.  For example: If the so-called professional cleaning service mixes bleach with ammonia in an attempt to clean a toilet, a floor or a window, they’ve just mixed a deadly concoction resulting in potentially deadly chlorine gas.  Many a housewife has died in an attempt to created the perfect cleaning solution.  Here’s a link describing the dangers when a Buffalo Wild Wings employee died making this all too common mistake of mixing bleach and acid.  We cringe when we see bleach in any commercial building’s janitorial closet!

Not to be overlooked are several other potential safety hazards when hiring the wrong “professional” cleaning service:  Many so-called professional cleaning services fail to take the precaution of using “wet floor” signs when cleaning in the presence of office personnel.  Untrained cleaning staff are often oblivious to many potential hazards they create while performing their cleaning duties.

Inexperienced professional cleaning services may also neglect important security measures designed to protect them and your building from unwelcome intruders.  These criminals use smooth techniques to dupe an unsuspecting janitor in order to gain unlawful entry to a building after hours.  A professional cleaning service will have properly documented safety procedures designed to protect its cleaning staff and keep your premises secure.

Are they properly insured?  Don’t play financial Russian Roulette!

The examples mentioned above are also perfect examples illustrating the importance of carrying commercial liability and property damage insurance.  Maybe you’re the risk-taking, gambler who calculate the odds of injury to your staff or customers as minimal.  However, if someone is injured due to negligence on the part of your cleaning personnel, is your business covered?  If the professional cleaning service damages your property as a result of their lack of professional cleaning experience, are you protected?

Many start-ups or house cleaners turned commercial cleaning companies don’t have the financial resources to repair or replace expensive, damaged items, and they most certainly don’t have the funds to cover the medical cost of those who may be injured as a result of careless cleaning procedures and lack of industry approved safety training.  A professional cleaning service will carry a healthy amount of commercial liability insurance for their protection and yours.

In conclusion, just because someone hands you a business card claiming to be a professional cleaning service doesn’t mean they have the level of training, expertise or experience you should be looking for.  The price may be right, but not if it potentially leads to paying a much higher price in potential tort lawsuits, replacing damaged property or the healing the migraines you suffer while supervising a so-called professional cleaning service to do the job correctly.  Contracting with professional cleaning services is serious business!  Avoid the risks and hassles and stick with proven professional cleaning service like A-1 Janitorial Services in Lawton, OK.

For more information on how to choose a professional cleaning service, see this article:  “How to Choose a Professional Cleaning Service.”

You’ve decided it’s time to outsource your company’s janitorial services or maybe you’ve just gotten fed up with your existing service.   The time has come to get a new proposal from a top-quality janitorial company who understands your goals.  Why consider A-1 Janitorial Services?  Here are 5 reasons we think you’ll appreciate:

1) Quality Service = The bottom line!

You’re looking for consistent quality.  You just want clean, stocked restrooms, floors mopped, trash emptied, carpets vacuumed…Is that so hard?!?  Well, it shouldn’t be.  After all, isn’t that what a professional cleaning service is supposed to provide.  Yes!  Once you’ve described your expectations and accepted a proposal to provide those services, you just want them done without cutting corners.  We get it!

“We’re not satisfied until we’ve exceeded your expectations.”

Our success depends on giving you consistent, quality janitorial services.  Our motto is:  “We’re not satisfied until we’ve exceeded your expectations.”  That may be our bottom line, but at A-1 Janitorial Services it’s also our top priority.  We don’t expect you to settle for anything less than top-quality cleaning services.

2) Flexible Proposals

Every business, building and staff are unique.  These three differences need to be factored into a well thought-out proposal.  Very few companies want a canned, one-size-fits-all approach to their facility maintenance.  Flexibility is exactly why we need to do a walk-through of your building.

Often, we can suggest service frequencies and cleaning routines that address the higher traffic areas while saving money by reducing services in less traveled areas of the building.  Do your inside windows need to be cleaned as often as your outside windows?  Will properly sized entrance mats and rugs help reduce wear & tear in the rest of the building?  Would a properly designed floor maintenance schedule reduce the need for frequent, costly stripping and waxing while keeping the luster at a maximum?  We could go on…  The point is that A-1 Janitorial Services will carefully factor in your goals with money-saving suggestions to maximize your cleaning dollar.

3) Conscientious, Well-Trained Cleaners

These are the people who are in your building usually after hours.  You don’t know them personally.  They weren’t even interviewed and vetted by your company’s HR department.  No worries.  We handle all those tasks for you.  We have very high standards regarding the people we employ to service the Banks, Credit Unions, Medical Facilities, Industrial firms and Municipal buildings in Lawton.

We hire team members who already display trustworthiness.  We’ve have numerous experiences of our people finding cash accidentally thrown away by bank tellers.  Vault doors accidentally left unlocked, lost jewelry located and returned.  We survive because our people are honest and trustworthy.

Dependability is an absolute must for a janitorial company to survive.  You shouldn’t have to worry whether the company will show up to clean your building when scheduled.  We are layered so that if an employee becomes ill or experiences any other unforeseen problem, your facility will still be serviced as expected.  Even during the most inclement weather we will be there to clean, unless, of course, employee safety dictates that everyone stay home.

Our people are well-trained.  Regardless of past experience, all cleaners are trained by A-1 management in the safe, effective use of cleaning agents, cleaning techniques and safety procures.  Quality control inspections assure that we maintain the highest standards of quality and excellence.

4) Outstanding Customer Service

We would love nothing more than to tell you that our janitorial service team members are flawless, but we’re just too honest for that.  We occasionally make a mistake, miss something that should have been cleaned, etc.  As a business manager you know that’s inevitable in any company despite the hard work and energy invested in training and supervising your staff.  However, what we can offer is near flawless, outstanding customer service.

You’re not looking for a list of flimsy excuses.  You just want the issues resolved.  We get that.  We’re happy to quickly and effectively address any concerns or issues that may arise.  We pride ourselves on nothing less than outstanding customer service.  It is the hallmark of our company.  We will never lose sight of these 5 core ingredients to providing outstanding customer service because we actually care about our customers.

5) A full-service Janitorial Company

Why would anyone want to hire one company to perform regular light duty cleaning and then have to search for another company to strip & wax the floors and another to clean the carpets, etc?  We’re sure you’d agree that amounts to a lot of wasted time and effort, right?  Security issues, paperwork, time spent in contacting and getting bids, checking references, more people to deal with and the list goes on.

A-1 Janitorial Services is a full-service, one-stop cleaning company.  Our list of cleaning services includes all of the following:

• Office Cleaning (Daily, Bi-Weekly, Monthly or as Needed)
• Carpet Cleaning
• Window Washing
• Floor Stripping & Waxing
• Ceramic Tile & Grout Cleaning and Restoration
• Restroom Disinfecting
• Virus Disinfection
• Odor Control & Ozone Services
• New Construction Clean-up

We know our business and we do it well.  So, if flexible, quality service, trained, conscientious cleaners, outstanding customer service and a full-service janitorial company is what your looking for, you’d be hard pressed to choose a better service than A-1 Janitorial in Lawton, OK.