A cleaning business is very customer-centric. But this does not mean that you concentrate on the happiness of the clients so much that you leave your rear (so to speak) uncovered!
As you take good care of the needs of your residential and commercial clients, you also need to take care of your needs.
The only way to do this is to make sure the cleaning contract you sign with the client covers as much ground as possible. Whether you are going for a one-off or regularly scheduled cleaning job, do not start without a legally enforceable agreement.
Here, we discuss the 8 things a cleaning contract should include. They are:
1. The services your cleaning company will perform
The cleaning agreement needs to lay out clearly the duties that you are supposed to provide. As a janitorial company, you need to outline the scope of the work, of course, depending on your client’s needs.
Include all the services that you offer by name and in a clear language. In future, the client cannot demand a service that is not in the agreement.
Some of the most common works a janitorial service offers include:
- Mopping the floor
- Vacuuming
- Dusting the furniture
- Emptying and relining the trash bins
- Washing linens/laundry
- Cleaning the washrooms
- Window cleaning
In the list, include when and how often a certain duty should be performed. State everything in clear terms so that there is no room for misinterpretation. For instance, cleaning the windows can be done monthly; mopping the lobby can be weekly while removing the waste bins can be daily.
2. Date and time of each service
The first date to mention in the agreement is the date that it is signed. The second one should be the first day you offer your cleaning services.
The client should provide clear timelines in which you can perform your duties. Timelines are important so that your cleaners and the client’s employees are not in each other’s way all the time.
For the window cleaning, state between what times you will perform it. State the time you will mop the lobby.
Remember to include the duration of your services. If this is a yearly contract, state so and leave room for renegotiation and renewal.
Some clients prefer to keep an open contract, but with a clause about ending the relationship. The duration of the notice they should give.
If it is a one-off cleaning job, include the date, the time (for instance, between 9.00AM and Noon) and if the owner of the house or business will provide the cleaning products, include that too.
If anything regarding the timing changes, you can update the contract easily. Most residential clients have their preferred cleaning times, which you should note in the contract.
Commercial clients are more flexible about timing, but it is also best to take down all these details in the contract.
3. Cleaning locations
Make a list of all the locations, in all buildings and the kind of cleaning service you are going to perform there.
Commercial clients who have branches all over the state or over several states sometimes prefer to centralize their cleaning solutions.
They might prefer one cleaning service provider for all of their cleaning needs rather than using a different one for each of their branches. If this is the deal, note down the details of each location.
Where applicable, include all the details of the areas that the client would not like your cleaning team to access.
It is important to break down the tasks clearly, so that you can inform your cleaner regarding the specifics of each location.
Most residential clients have rooms that they would not like cleaners to access. Get that information in the contract so that you can inform your cleaner.
4. Cleaning equipment and materials
The agreement needs to specify whose cleaning equipment and materials/products you are going to use.
If you will use your cleaning gear and products, specify that and indicate that you will not use any of the client’s material.
If the client would like certain cleaning products to be used on their properties, specify that in the contract. Specify whether the client will provide the material and how they will distribute them.
If there are areas that need cleaning with specialized equipment, the contract should state clearly who provides such.
5. Payment details
Payment details should be clearly laid out leaving no gray areas. Here are the most vital details:
Total cost charged – Indicate how much money you charge for your services. If you charge hourly, weekly, monthly or a fixed rate payable at a certain time, say, twice a month, indicate the same clearly in the contract.
Deposits/down payments – If you charge a deposit, indicate the amount or percentage and state that you can only start working after the deposit is paid.
Payment method – The contract should also have the payment method and the regularity of payment. This can be something like wire transfer every Monday, PayPal payment every week and so on.
Some clients prefer to pay via wire transfer and some might even want to pay you in cash on-site. If that works for you, you can include it. Otherwise, the contract should have your preferred method of payment.
6. Date and terms of termination
The agreement shall state when it starts and when it ends. It shall also show how much notice either party should give if they wish to terminate the contract.
It shall also state whether the contract can be prolonged. If the need to terminate the agreement before the expiry of its running time arises, specify the method of communicating the same – letter, email, phone call and so on.
7. Whom to contact if need be
This part of the agreement includes the contact details of the person that the client can contact if a dispute arises.
They can contact this person if they need to terminate or prolong the agreement. Sometimes, if the client has been providing the cleaning materials and they need to change this arrangement, they can contact the designated person.
Make sure the contact person you give in the agreement knows everything about the cleaning business, and the current contract. If you are a national cleaning company, you ought to have a customer support representative.
8. Any exemptions and signatures
Depending on the client you are serving, there could be some exemptions. If your client is a medical facility, you may not have the right equipment for handling medical waste. You would exempt such from the agreement.
To seal the agreement, both of you must append your signatures to the agreement. You can then start working soon after, on the stipulated date.
The agreement is binding and no one ought to violate it without going through the provided avenues.
Conclusion
Signing an agreement is the first step to a (hopefully) long working relationship with your client. It is also an important step when you are launching your cleaning business.
This contract does not necessarily have to be on paper. It can be electronic, if your state laws recognize such.
Electronic agreements are easy to store in various locations, and they are easy to edit. Once you make any changes, you can send the document to your client. They will read, sign it electronically, and send it back.
If you are flustered about how to write a cleaning agreement, you can download templates online. You can customize it to meet your needs precisely, adding more details and removing some that are not applicable to your business.
Finally, you must consult a lawyer to go through the contract. You want to be sure it is legally binding, and enforceable.
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