Top Ten Questions

Consistency, responsiveness, competitiveness in custodial cleaning services

The top ten questions you should ask when selecting a janitorial services provider.

1. How long have you been established in our area?

If experience and longevity counts for anything you have contacted the right company. We were founded in 1972 by W.H. Gibbs who owned and operated the company since its beginning.  In 2020, W.H. Gibbs sold his interest in the company to three long term employees upon his retirement.  The dedicated new owners are Gloria Clements, Elvia Hernandez and Robert Chavez.  Many times the strength of a company can be determined by how long it has been in business. We believe we are a company that is strong through our many years of experience. Our base is in Turlock and always has been.

2. What is the business structure of your company?

Our company is locally owned and operated.  Our entity type is a corporation.  The dollars we earn stay here. This question is important because of the way some “companies” operate. We are not a franchise which can be a concern in the janitorial industry. There are many reputable janitorial franchises and unfortunately there are many that are not reputable. The phenomena of the “janitorial broker”, who may call themselves a franchise, actually acts as a clearing house for acquired accounts. This type of structure is a major factor as to why the integrity of our industry is sometimes in question. Many who are of this structure will “sell” your account to unqualified small companies or individuals looking to make a few extra dollars. Lack of supervision, insurance, transportation, response time, are just a few of the potential problems when doing business with this type of company.

3. Will I be required to sign a contract with your company?

For your protection and ours a contract will be required. The benefit to our contract is that it is basically a thirty-day agreement. If we are not doing the job or if for any reason you, our customer, find a need to stop our services, a thirty day notice is all that is required. We caution you that some janitorial services require a long term contract. The contract can state that in the event of a service quality issue that they can have up to six months to fix the problem. You could be forced to buy your way out of the contract by paying six months of fees to enable you to change to a company that will give you the service you deserve.

4. Are the people that will clean my buidling or home your employees or sub-contracted workers?

We are a team. Many of our employees have been with us over ten years, which for the janitorial industry is exceptional. Seeing the same face in your building or home, let’s face it, is of great comfort. We know that “supervision makes the difference” and that is what we do. We hold daily pre-work meetings with our employees. They are not simply given a key to your building or home and then not seen until pay day. They physically check in to our office each day and check out at the end of their scheduled work. Our employees work hard and are given a monthly bonus for good consistent work habits. Background checks, DMV check, reference checks are all part of our procedures to get the best employees possible.

5 Can you tell me what happens when I have a concern about the cleaning of my home or business?

The first thing that happens is that our response is immediate. We cannot begin to tell you how many times we have heard our customers say that their previous company would take days to get back to them. That is not acceptable. We like to think that we are our customer’s janitorial department and that our offices are right next to yours. We also like to be proactive by having regular quality checks made of the buildings we service. In other words, we want to find any potential cleaning deficiencies BEFORE you have to call or e-mail us.

6. May I have a certificate of insurance?

We carry all applicable insurance including umbrella coverage, liability insurance, worker’s compensation insurance, auto, equipment insurance, and a fidelity bond. If any company hesitates to offer you a certificate of insurance a red flag should be raised. Do not enter any contract without first receiving a certificate of insurance.

7. May I have a list of references?

We can tell you that we are the best thing that ever happened to the janitorial industry, but we’ll let our customers do that for us. References are gladly given. Our reference sheet will be complete with a contact person, the length of time we have serviced the account and exactly what services we provide the client. References are of particular importance in regards to the length of time a janitorial service provider has had the account. Customers don’t stay with the companies that do not perform consistently.

8. What training do your employees receive?

Our employees are presented with our employee training packet. This guideline is a written description of safety procedures, security procedures, and cleaning techniques. New employees work with our lead employees for several weeks to acquire the needed skills to be effective custodians. Updated training on new state of the art equipment is continuous for all members of our crew.

9. Safety is of great concern to us. How do you make your company safe?

Safety is to everyone’s benefit. Regular safety meetings, vehicle tracking devices, regular equipment checks, personal protective gear, safety bingo, all contribute to ensure our safe work environment. We have been presented with many safety awards from our worker’s compensation insurance carrier. We have a safety record that has enabled us to be awarded a lower than industry standard rate for our worker’s compensation insurance coverage.

10. If you could sum up your company in three words, what would those be?

Consistency, responsiveness, and competitiveness.