What to Ask Before Hiring a Commercial Cleaning Company

Most commercial cleaning problems don't show up in the sales call, they show up three months in, when a cleaner doesn't turn up and nobody tells you, or a standard quietly slips and there's no written spec to point back to. The questions below are the ones that actually predict whether that happens.

1. Are your cleaners DBS-checked?

This matters more than it sounds for any site with restricted access, an office with client data on desks, a building with vulnerable occupants, an HMO. A company that hesitates on this question, or says it's "available on request" without a clear process, is worth pressing further. Ask when checks happen, before a cleaner's first visit or after, and whether it applies to every cleaner or just some.

2. Can I see proof of insurance?

Public liability insurance should be something a legitimate commercial cleaning company can produce without friction. If a company is cagey about sharing a certificate, or doesn't have one, that's a real exposure for you if something goes wrong on-site, not just them.

3. What happens if a scheduled visit can't go ahead?

This is the question that actually reveals how a company operates day to day. A good answer is specific: you're told in advance, given a revised date, and it's not left for you to chase up. A vague or defensive answer here is usually a preview of how they'd handle any other problem.

4. Is the scope of work written down?

"We'll clean the office" isn't a spec. What's actually included, washroom consumables, kitchen deep-cleans, glass, how often, and to what standard, should be in writing before you sign anything. Verbal agreements are where disputes about "that's not what we agreed" come from later.

5. Who do I actually call if something's wrong?

Big national contractors can route a complaint through a call centre and a ticket number before anyone with authority sees it. Ask directly: is there a named contact for my account, and what's the actual process if I need to flag an issue or change the schedule?

6. How is pricing structured, and what's excluded?

Get clarity on what's not included as much as what is. A suspiciously low quote is often low because it excludes things a competitor's quote includes as standard, consumables being the most common gap.

A quick gut check

If a company answers all six of these clearly and in writing without you having to push, that's a genuinely good sign regardless of the exact price they quote. If they're vague on more than one, treat that as more informative than the number on the quote.

We'd rather you ask us all six of these directly on the walkthrough than take our word for it, and the same goes for whoever else you're comparing us against for commercial cleaning or a contract arrangement in Hampshire.