How is Clearwater Cleaning Company different than the other cleaning companies?
First, we are not a franchise. Running a business takes special skills, knowledge and expertise. Cleaners are hard working people but very few are successful business operators, as well. Cleaning is hard work. Operating a cleaning company is even more difficult.
A franchise cleaning company is in the business of obtaining cleaning contracts and at the end of the day, the franchisor doesn't perform the cleaning service. They are in the business of booking work and "selling jobs" to those wishing to be in the cleaning business.
Second, what sets us apart? We are the difference. In particular, our President is the primary difference. Our company is actively managed - every day and night. You can contact the President of Clearwater Cleaning Company anytime - he will take care of you if for some reason we've failed to make you feel great about our service or if there is something else we can do for you. We don't have "corporate support" or "company consultants" or "supervisors supervising supervisors supervising..." We bring onboard our company the best employees we can. What's our secret? We recruit the best possible cleaners and pay higher wages than industry counterparts. Our cleaners must have successful track records in our industry. Most received their initial training at the strip casinos and nearly all new hires are referred by someone on our cleaning staff. Our crews must be drug-free, have valid driver's licenses, and be able to work legally in the United States. Most importantly, our crews must be good people - remember, every customer (and I do mean every customer) remembers how you make them feel.
Third, we tell it to you straight. We don't emphasize "strategic alliances," "key partners," "independent contract owners," and other mysterious, black-box mumbo jumbo. We don't brag about all the organizations in which we belong, the publications that we subscribe, or how we have oodles of forms and checklists.
OK. So Clearwater Cleaning Company is not a franchise and it doesn't subcontract out its work, so why does the company insist on a cleaning contract for a period of one year or longer?
You may have confused us with the other guys. Clearwater Cleaning Company has very basic contracts that essentially serve to memorialize the work scope we agree to provide. We don't believe in long-term contracts. We should earn your business every day. In turn, when we do the best job possible for our customers, they are loyal to us. Any high-quality service provider should be willing to assume the risk each and every day that one of its customers may terminate their relationship. The customer rules: he or she should be able to change service providers whenever they so desire.
How much do you charge per square foot for cleaning services?
We don't intend to be evasive, but this is difficult to answer. Many monthly office cleaning jobs run between 10 cents per square foot and 30 cents per square foot. This is quite a range. Fees are generally based on how much time it takes to do the job - there are many variables. It depends on the frequency of the cleanings, the floor coverings, the layout of the facility, etc. For instance, a simple 1,000 square foot office cleaned each week may call for a fee of, say, $300 per month, or 30 cents per foot for an average of 4.4 cleans per month. A 10,000 square foot office cleaned five days per week may result in a monthly fee of, say, $2,400 per month, or 24 cents per foot for an average of 26 cleans per month. We won't confuse you on the numbers - and you shouldn't let any other service provider confuse you or hook you with a low bid. We will tell you what it'll take to accomplish your objectives. Pricing is what it is. It shouldn't be some heavily guarded secret. We'll share our knowledge, expertise, and opinion with you. You decide.
How often do you bill for services and what forms of payment do you accept?
Clearwater Cleaning Company mails invoices monthly (semi-monthly for our largest accounts) during the fourth week of the month of service. Payment is due within 10 days of invoice receipt. Our company does not carry accounts receivable as one of the mechanisms we employ to keep our costs, and thus our fees, as low as possible. While nearly all our customers make payment by corporate check, we do accept payment on all major credit cards for invoices under $2000.
Do you clean private residences?
Clearwater Cleaning Company is a commercial cleaning and janitorial company. We occasionally clean private residences for executives of our commercial customers. We also provide window cleaning services for homeowners when we are requested to do so - usually arising from a business customer referral. And, a significant portion of our business over the past twenty years has involved regular, on-going cleaning of the model homes in new home communities throughout Las Vegas. This cleaning activity is performed for high-end custom builders and national home builders such as Toll Brothers, Lennar Homes, William Lyons, and other commercial enterprises.
If you would like a referral to a residential cleaning service providing high quality, dependable, trustworthy, home cleaning service - please let us know and we will recommend a tremendous cleaner.
Do you have facility size minimums and cleaning frequency requirements?
Clearwater Cleaning Company worksites have ranged from about 1,000 square feet to several hundred thousand square feet over the past few years. Our typical size has likely been facilities in excess of 5,000 square feet. For satisfactory results, we strongly encourage cleaning from three to five days per week for most workplaces. We clean customer spaces from one to seven days per week.
Our company specializes in relatively larger commercial facilities but we also think that every business that desires a clean, sparkling, and sanitary facility serviced by a first-rate cleaner should have the most professionally appealing office possible. So, when it comes to regular janitorial work we'll generally accept customers having 3,000 square feet or more cleaned each week (for example, a 1,000 square foot office cleaned three times per week or a 3,000 square foot office cleaned one time per week.)
Your company provides many other services besides janitorial work - such as total floor maintenance, construction final cleans, minor building maintenance, party event clean-up, seasonal and periodic clean-up, security services, window washing, filter changes and replacements, etc. Do you have hard and fast rules for what makes an acceptable customer or preferred work scope?
No. We are in the customer relationship business and our specialty is commercial cleaning and janitorial services. If we can help you, we will. If we can't help you we will assist you in finding the right service provider. We all live in a small town. Simply getting acquainted with you and making you part of our business network is important to us. In fact, aside from making our customers rhapsodic about us and our service, it's darn near everything to us.
"You'll be 100% satisfied or our service is free!" Almost all companies say this; is this just a marketing slogan?
No. We will do the job right or we'll come back and address any issue you have. If you don't feel great after we've done our best to make things right - Clearwater Cleaning Company won't charge you a nickel for the work that wasn't right. You have my word on it.
President, Clearwater Cleaning Company
