By the time you're down to two or three finalists, every proposal will sound competent. These questions are about what happens after the contract is signed — which is where most janitorial relationships succeed or fail. They're in roughly the order they matter.
About the contract itself
- How long is the initial term, and does it renew automatically?
- How much notice does either side need to give to end it, and is there a way out if service problems go unresolved?
- When and how can the price change — annually, with wage changes, on request?
- How is extra work requested, approved and billed?
About the people in your building
- Who will actually be cleaning, and how are they screened before they're assigned to your site?
- Will the same crew be here night to night?
- Who supervises them, and how often does a supervisor visit?
- Who is our account contact, and how quickly do they usually respond?
About access and security
- How are keys, access cards and alarm codes logged and stored?
- What happens to them when a crew member leaves your company?
- What does the crew do if they find something wrong — an open door, a leak, an alarm fault?
About quality
- How do you inspect your own work, and can we see an example inspection report?
- How do we report a problem, and how quickly is it usually fixed?
- What happens if the same problem keeps coming back?
About coverage
- Can your agent send certificates of insurance and proof of workers' compensation directly to us?
- What does your janitorial bond cover, and what's its limit?
- Do you subcontract any part of the work?
Get the answers in writing
Anything you were told in the sales meeting that matters to you — crew size, supervision visits, response times — belongs in the contract or the attached scope of work. A contractor set up to serve commercial accounts well won't object; it protects them as much as you. None of these questions are meant to catch anyone out, but vague answers, or reluctance to put commitments on paper, tell you something too.