Hiring a commercial cleaning company for your office can be more challenging than you realize; you need to find a company that will be reliable and handle the job with quality each and every time they show up. You also need to understand how they handle their paperwork and invoicing, as it may be different than other service providers you hire. Note a few things to consider if you need to hire a commercial cleaning company for the first time.

1. Always ask about the length of contract they expect.

If your commercial cleaning company starts slacking off with the quality of their work after a few weeks or months, you don't want to be stuck in a long-term contract with them. On the other hand, you may not want them to raise their rates after a few months either. If you want to sign a long-term contract to lock in rates, be sure there is some type of "escape clause" so that you can terminate the contract if work becomes less than stellar.

2. Note that they usually cannot quote over the phone.

Most commercial cleaning companies will not provide quotes over the phone, as they need to see the actual space, the office equipment to be cleaned, its current condition, and so on. If they do quote you a price over the phone, you may wind up with a service that is not particular to your needs. Be prepared to have the commercial cleaning company walk through your office and discuss your cleaning needs before they quote you a price.

3. Ask how they handle missed visits or visits that must be rescheduled.

If a cleaning company misses a visit for whatever reason or if you need to reschedule due to any circumstances, be sure you understand the process involved. You may need to give them a certain amount of notice to reschedule or risk having the visit billed anyway, and if they've missed a visit, you need to determine if you get your bill credited or if they will reschedule the cleaning.

4. Be sure you're in agreement for how visits are billed.

A residential cleaning company may leave a bill and expect a check after every visit, but for commercial companies, you may expect to handle invoices only once per month. Be sure you're in agreement with the cleaning company as to how they will bill you and when they expect payment so you don't wind up with too many invoices, late fees you weren't expecting, and so on.

With these tips in mind, consider contacting local commercial cleaning services to discuss your concerns and what you may expect.