Should I choose a Local Janitorial Service or a Well Known Franchise

A lot goes into a name — take the janitorial services you're looking to hire, for example.

When checking out franchises, you probably see a lot of familiar names, and when something is familiar, we assume the best and trust it.

But, what if that assumption prevented you from choosing a local janitorial service that may be a better fit for your building's needs?

We understand that franchised janitorial services have their place and are a better fit for some companies.

We are a local business that cares about the community we serve. We want to make sure our customers are informed about the pros and cons of each. This way, you'll have a better idea about which type of janitorial services are the right fit for you.

Some janitorial service Gulfport companies (and elsewhere) are franchises. Franchises are commercial cleaning services that work in Gulfport but are headquartered somewhere else.

Local businesses pay the national janitorial service franchise for the rights to use their brand name and trademark. If you choose janitorial services based on that ‘big brand name’ recognition, be advised that the national franchise is rarely (if ever) involved in overseeing the quality of its janitorial franchise holders. As in every service business, the results are only as good the people (and management) behind the ‘name.’

It’s also common for a national janitorial service franchise to sign you up as a customer for office cleaning services in Gulfport and then subcontracts the actual day-to-day cleaning to one or several small janitorial services actually located in Gulfport or Biloxi.

 

Here are five tips to keep in mind when you selecting franchised janitorial service in Gulfport:

1. Most cleaning franchises do not have a physical presence in your town or city. They typically will hire a smaller local company. That isn’t bad in itself. Just find out who they are using to clean your building at night.
2. Check their references! This should be mandatory business procedure. If the ‘big company’ hires a smaller janitorial services company – you want THEIR references, too. If the franchise won’t do this… then consider it a deal-breaker.
3. Determine the procedure for handling cleaning issues or no-shows. Typically the franchise doesn’t want you contacting the local janitorial services company. Insist on a contact number. In fact, insist on a list of the cleaning people that have access to your building.
4. Most additional services – carpet cleaning, window cleaning, etc. – are NOT handled by the local company. Many times the franchise company has a crew that goes around doing this work. Find out who these people will be and how will they get into your building. Security issues must be addressed at the very beginning of this process
5. Finally, ask how the supervision and quality control will be managed. Many large franchise cleaning companies SAY this issue is tightly controlled. But often times they are simply saying what they know you want to hear.

Franchised Janitorial Services

Franchise owners buy into a larger, nationally, or regionally owned business.

Starting a franchise is generally easier to do. The company relies on the name recognition from a larger entity and agrees to follow certain guidelines set by that company.

Franchised janitorial services promise cost-efficient services. There is always a risk, though, of unsatisfying results. Not every provider sharing the franchise name lives up to the reputation the parent company built.

They usually have a set of service packages you can choose from. You pick your package and request that particular service anywhere the parent company has a location.

But, if the services you receive are inadequate? Once you’ve contracted into this service agreement, you have no choice but to tolerate substandard service for the term of the agreement.

The cleaning supplies a company uses is another important piece you may want to consider. Do you want the cleaning company you hire to use a specialty product? Franchises dictate what cleaning supplies their branches utilize, so you won’t be able to specify for them to use the product you want.

A corporation that's large and growing into multiple locations might be better suited to a franchised company. Local companies may find it hard to keep up with all your offices as you grow.

If the corporate office for your business makes decisions for several office locations, you will want to use a franchise if you need to contract with the same company for all locations.