Perhaps your contract with your current cleaning partner is coming to an end. Or you’re no longer satisfied with the price-quality ratio, or with the administrative follow-up. Whatever the reason, such a switch requires some preparation from your facilities team. Don’t simply go for the cheapest option: quality, proper follow-up and clear communication ultimately determine how smoothly everything runs. A good start is half the battle.
We’re happy to share five tips to make that switch to a new cleaning partner as smooth as possible.
Tip 1: Give yourself (and your partner) enough time
Preferably allow for a transition period of around three months. This gives your new partner the space to brief and train the cleaning team, draw up schedules and arrange the necessary equipment. Do you have a tighter timeline? Choose a partner who can be flexible. Cleaning Masters once got an entire team of 60 masters up and running in just eight days.
Tip 2: Trust your partner’s expertise
You bring in an external facilities partner to take work off your hands, so give that partner the space to do their job. A handover like this can create uncertainty within the cleaning team. A good cleaning partner takes care of that: informing staff properly and personally guiding each employee. Any additional training is scheduled, and explanations of new methods or procedures are provided.
Tip 3: Transparency from the start
Share all operational details from the very start of the partnership, and walk through your site(s) together with your new partner. Think of information such as:
- Fixed appointments: when do meetings take place, and which rooms need to be cleaned first as a result?
- Practical routines: when does waste collection happen, and how often do supplies (fridge, sanitary facilities, consumables) need to be replenished?
- Special points of attention: are there rooms with specific requirements, such as labs, kitchens or technical rooms?
This information not only ensures an accurate price estimate but is also immediately factored into the handover to the operational team, so you can count on a smooth, error-free partnership from day one.
Tip 4: Know the legislation that protects your team
Once you decide to switch, your new service provider must inform your current or previous partner. You don’t need to arrange this yourself. Your cleaning team is protected under CAO 32bis (Belgian collective labour agreement):
- Retention of rights: employees keep their pay, working conditions and accrued seniority.
- Automatic transfer: employment contracts transfer to the new contractor or employer, including the agreed number of working hours.
Tip 5: Put people in the right place
Facilities services remain, first and foremost, people’s work. A good cleaning partner sees the switch as an opportunity to get to know the team and, where needed, reposition people. An employee who prefers working alone may thrive on an evening shift. An outgoing colleague, on the other hand, might excel at reception or in the canteen, where there’s more contact with other people. That way, everyone ends up where they fit best, and a happy team simply delivers the best work.
