What should I ask about a cleaning company’s night-shift crews before buying?

Start with access. Ask how keys, fobs and alarm codes are issued, tracked and returned, and what happens when a cleaner leaves. A company that cannot say who has entry to which building carries a risk you would inherit on closing day, and your insurer will want to hear about it.

Then look at supervision. Ask who checks the finished work, how often, and whether there are written inspection notes or client complaint records. Request a sample of the last few months of complaints and see how each was handled. Quiet records can mean good work or poor tracking, so ask the crew leads directly.

Turnover matters more than usual here. Ask which cleaners have been on the same sites the longest, whether crews are employees or contractors, and whether any lead has a close relationship with a client. If a lead leaves with a key and a friendly client, the account may go with them. Finally, ask a few clients, with the seller’s permission, how the crew has performed and whether they would notice a change of owner. Ask too about safety on night shifts: how lone workers check in, what happens if someone is hurt or an alarm goes off, and how incidents are written up. Clients notice how a company handles the one bad night, so a clear routine here is worth seeing before you commit.

Key takeaways

• Get a clear account of who holds keys and codes for every site.
• Ask how finished work is checked when no manager is on site.
• Find out which crew leads clients know by name, and whether they plan to stay.