Clients very rarely understand the cleaning industry and what it actually takes to keep their premises clean, it is a sad fact that most cleaning companies are in exactly the same boat!
Contracts are at least 80% of the time decided on price, and not on what is really required, most clients have no idea of schedules, and once again most cleaning companies don’t either!
So the cost of the cleaning contract is constantly driven down by both the clients and the cleaning companies lack of real knowledge until eventually the contract breaks because the client is unhappy with the standard of the cleaning and the cleaning company cannot make a fair profit within the contract price, the contract is then put out to tender once again, and the cycle starts all over again.
The only way forward is to educate the client and for those responsible for taking on these contracts to have some proper training in business and the cleaning industry, anyone can win a contract by low balling, but not many can actually service said contract to meet their client's expectations, the present contract at your local Aldi's being yet another example of this.
Aldi's themselves are partly responsible for this, as you state that they:
1. Asked for more work than was actually costed for in the contract, in effect trying to get more work for nothing (Driving down the cost).
2. Tried to poach the cleaning company’s staff.
The cleaning company is responsible because:
1. They didn’t listen and or have enough knowledge to actually service this contract.
2. Their staff relations were no where near what is required.
This contract was just like most, awarded on price, not on what was actually required; do not make the same mistake!
You will find that most staff are prepared to work hard, but you have to make it worth their while, you also have to treat them with respect, as does your client, if the previous cleaner told you that it was bloody hard work, perhaps there is too few hours allotted to this contract, there are of course ways to actually find this out.
Honesty and integrity and real knowledge are the way forward be straight with your contact at Aldi, if he decides to once again to deal with the companies that have little or no knowledge, he will eventually have to deal with someone who does know what they are doing at a fair and realistic price, that person could be you, you already know that that does indeed happen from your own experiences, just keep your chin up, and join the ranks of the pros, let the amateurs fight it out at the "cheap" end of the market.
Regards,
Rob
