If youve never had to select a window cleaning contractor, what are the steps that you should take? In many organisations there are formal procedures already in place for this type of contract. If there are no procedures in place already, then heres a checklist you can use:
At this stage it is worth creating a list of around 10 companies. Where should you go to find a list of possible companies? Speak to any contacts you have who are in similar roles in other similar buildings and ask them for recommendations. Do a search on Google for Commercial Window Cleaners. Visit the Federation for Window Cleaners website Find a Window Cleaner section at www.nfmwgc.com/find_wndowcleaner.htm. Check your files for details of any companies that have contacted you (they have shown their interest and have made the effort to provide you with some information)
You will need to reduce this list to 5 or 6 companies, so start by checking them out on the internet. Use the checklist from section one " What should you expect? and rate each company. Think carefully about what your most important criteria are in your ultimate choice.
Once you have a shortlist of 5 or 6, you need to further reduce that to a shortlist of 3. Since their website is only an indicator, you may want to telephone each company as well. At this stage, just say youre interested in selecting a window cleaning company and ask them to explain their way of working. You will get a sense of how professional they are and will be able to answer any specific questions you have. Dont forget your checklist referred to above.
Once reduced down to 3 companies you can set up site visits. Take note ofhow they are handling your enquiry. All points of contact with you are an indication of the way they do business and how good their customer care is. Take notes about how they handle the site visit. What questions do they ask? How thorough is there inspection of the site? These are important indicators of their professionalism.
Give them a deadline for submitting their proposals. 7-10 working days should be sufficient. Make sure you ask for detailed costings. They should break down the quote by different parts of the site and types of access equipment being used. Get them to include a window plan, so that you can be sure that all windows are included in the proposals.
Look at each proposal and check each one off against your checklist. Look carefully at the differences between the proposals. If it is not clear where the differences are, then contact the company and ask them to explain in more detail.
Once you have decided which company you prefer, it is useful to invite them to meet with you to finalise the contract before you make the final decision. This way you can retain control and ensure that there are no nasty surprises. - 30244
At this stage it is worth creating a list of around 10 companies. Where should you go to find a list of possible companies? Speak to any contacts you have who are in similar roles in other similar buildings and ask them for recommendations. Do a search on Google for Commercial Window Cleaners. Visit the Federation for Window Cleaners website Find a Window Cleaner section at www.nfmwgc.com/find_wndowcleaner.htm. Check your files for details of any companies that have contacted you (they have shown their interest and have made the effort to provide you with some information)
You will need to reduce this list to 5 or 6 companies, so start by checking them out on the internet. Use the checklist from section one " What should you expect? and rate each company. Think carefully about what your most important criteria are in your ultimate choice.
Once you have a shortlist of 5 or 6, you need to further reduce that to a shortlist of 3. Since their website is only an indicator, you may want to telephone each company as well. At this stage, just say youre interested in selecting a window cleaning company and ask them to explain their way of working. You will get a sense of how professional they are and will be able to answer any specific questions you have. Dont forget your checklist referred to above.
Once reduced down to 3 companies you can set up site visits. Take note ofhow they are handling your enquiry. All points of contact with you are an indication of the way they do business and how good their customer care is. Take notes about how they handle the site visit. What questions do they ask? How thorough is there inspection of the site? These are important indicators of their professionalism.
Give them a deadline for submitting their proposals. 7-10 working days should be sufficient. Make sure you ask for detailed costings. They should break down the quote by different parts of the site and types of access equipment being used. Get them to include a window plan, so that you can be sure that all windows are included in the proposals.
Look at each proposal and check each one off against your checklist. Look carefully at the differences between the proposals. If it is not clear where the differences are, then contact the company and ask them to explain in more detail.
Once you have decided which company you prefer, it is useful to invite them to meet with you to finalise the contract before you make the final decision. This way you can retain control and ensure that there are no nasty surprises. - 30244
About the Author:
If you are responsible for purchasing all window cleaning do not miss Marcus P Weeks' excellent free leaflet called 'Everything you need to know about buying all window cleaner services' or visit the MPW website
