Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 18th April 2024 Issue no. 1110

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Survey explores how cleaning contractors bid on accounts

It probably comes as no surprise that more than 73%of the cleaning contractors in a recent survey said they base their bids on a combination of three factors:

1. The square footage of the building

2. How much time it will take to clean the facility

3. How many people will be necessary to service the location

However, what is surprising is that "about half of the BSCs questioned do not follow up with prospects if their bid was not accepted," says Jolynn Kennedy, Marketing Director for professional cleaning equipment manufacturer Tornado Industries. "That feedback could help them win the next bid."

Among the other findings of the survey were the following:

* Some 64% of respondents said they base their bids on what they are charging current customers and not necessarily on current rates charged by other cleaning contractors in their communities.
* Some 47% of respondent said they do not ask customers how much they are currently paying for cleaning services; 40% said they sometimes ask; 13% said they always ask.
* As to presenting their bids, 60% of respondents said they make appointments with customers and hand deliver their bids; a third send bids via e-mail; the rest deliver bids using a priority or overnight delivery service.
* More than half of respondents said their contracts are either annual or on a month-to-month basis; a third have only annual contracts; the rest have only month-to-month agreements with their clients.
* Finally, more than a third of respondents said they submit three or four bids per month; 27% submit one to two bids each month; the rest indicated they submit fewer than 10 bids per year.

"It is important for jansan manufacturers to know as much as possible about how building service contractors operate their business, including the bidding process," says Jolynn Kennedy.

"This information helps us design the equipment BSCs need to stay competitive in the marketplace."

T: 800-Vacuums (800-822-8867)
F: 630-818-1301
E: [email protected]

26th July 2012