Have you ever gone to bid on a commercial cleaning contract, won it, and later figured out that the location’s poor profit margin made it not worth your time? Mastering the commercial cleaning quote process is just as much an art, as it is a science. Each location comes with a unique set of considerations or variables, all of which can vary the cleaning, time, and staff requirements.
In this blog, we will explore topics that help you improve your commercial cleaning quote process, drive profitability, and turn you into a bidding Jedi Master. In part #2 we’ll explore advice from some of the most intuitive experts in the commercial cleaning biz. With the kind of bidding skills that would make you swear they were Jedis. And if you want to dig even deeper into this topic, read our Complete Guide to Bidding.
For today, let’s tackle the idea of cleaning variables, and explore why unpredictable elements can make it so challenging to bid. And how to get better at understanding these “x-factors” while expecting the unexpected.
Each new space you do a walkthrough, and quote, has unique cleaning demands that can take more or less resources to clean. These cleaning variables dramatically impact your cleaning production rate (more on this later).
Spaces that are an open layout, and have few employees are much faster to clean than offices and buildings that accommodate a lot of employees and fixtures. A quick guideline to figuring out your bidding range is calculating the building’s workstation density. High-density locations might result in more waste bins there are to empty, restroom cleanings needed, and potentially more fixtures that will need to be wiped. The simplest way to calculate workplace density is to divide the number of employees by the square footage: 35,000 square feet / 175 employees = 200. The average workplace density is 250, so anything below that is going to require more resources. The opposite is true for locations that are above 250. Remember this is a guideline.
Something to consider is cleaning frequency. How often you will be required to clean the space. Interestingly enough, cleaning a space nightly can save you up to 20% in time compared to places that are cleaned every second night. When you are considering frequency, it’s important to also consider a cleaning standard. A doctor’s office has a different standard than an insurance office. Plus, we as humans have different standards and depending on who you’re client is can swing the bid.
Another component of the bid is understanding the skills required for the locations. Is a supervisor required? Is special equipment required?
Every location you quote is a different size and has a different layout and usage. And, it will be on a different cleaning frequency. The art form of creating an accurate bid is about remembering to look for all the variables that can impact the cost. And when a new variable is discovered, it’s about remembering it next time.