HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT COMPANY

There are many different kinds of window cleaning companies.  The first step, and the most important step, is to properly match the right window cleaning company with your particular building.  If you own a local convenience store, you probably don't want to hire a team of professional suspended access and rigging technicians.  Similarly, if you manage a downtown skyscraper, you don't want to call the guy walking by with his trolley and bucket.  Very different skills are employed in each example.

Have a good look at your building.  Consider some aspects of your building.

• High Rise or Low Rise
• Residential, Commercial, Condominium, Institutional, etc
• Type of glass, (ex: Stained glass requires specific skills and products)
• Is any metal included in the window cleaning.  (Not all window cleaning companies can clean metal)
• Downtown vs. Rural.  (Public or pedestrian protection is very different)
• Equipment experience.  (Some companies might have a lot of experience with boatswains chair equipment but not swing stage equipment).  Have a look at your engineered drawings to see what equipment is required.
• 3 Season companies vs. all year round companies.  (Specific challenges are evident in winter weather conditions)
• Overhangs.  (Requires very specific tools, equipment and skills.  (Only about 1 out of 100 professionals have this skill)
• Angle of glass.  (Sloped glass requires specific  tools, equipment and skills)
• Interior vs. Exterior.  (Glass is treated and manufactured differently on the outside compared to the inside of the glass)

These are just a few things to consider.  This is why it's important to match the right window cleaning company with your specific building.

Asking the right questions, gets you the right answers.  There are the standard questions that most managers and owners will ask.  These questions are important but it should only be considered a preliminary set of questions.  All too often, the questions stop after these preliminary questions and important decisions are made without all the information.  

Our goal is to assist you to take this procedure to the next level.  Hiring the wrong company could have lasting and devastating affects.  But first, let's go through some of these first initial questions:

"How long have you been in business"

There are two things that you are looking for when asking this question:

1. Have they been in business at least 10 years with a proven track record.
2. Did the company respond to you by saying, "We"  have been in business 10 years or "I" have been in business 10 years.

If they said "We", it shows that this is a company focused on a structured team environment.  If they said "I", it shows singularity and perhaps not really a company.

Either response is neither bad nor good.  It depends on what you are looking for when hiring a window cleaning company.

If cost is the deciding factor then the "I" company will typically be less expensive than the "We" company.  If safety is the deciding factor, than the "We" company is likely to be safer than the "I" company.

Don't pick the lowest bid.  This almost always results in:

• Client dissatisfaction
• Accidents;
• Injuries;
• Fatalities;
• Liability issues;
• Poor quality;
• And much more.

For more information on the "lowest bid" practice, click below:

It's important to compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges.  Providing a Scope of Work to potential contractors helps to weed out the companies which do not have the right skills for your particular building.  It also helps to put everyone on the same playing field.

Indeed, hiring a window cleaning company is more complex than you might think.  We hope this information is helpful and gives you the tools, knowledge and resources to make your decision easier.

If you would like help to design a Scope of Work, just give us a call.  We'll be glad to help.