How to win janitorial contracts, and keep them

Winning a janitorial contract is half the job. Keeping it at renewal is the other half, and it mostly comes down to whether the client believes the work is being done. Here's a practical playbook from the operator side.

Find the work

• Property management companies and strata managers
• Public bids: in Canada, provincial and municipal bid sites and CanadaBuys list cleaning tenders
• Referrals from trades already serving the building
• Facility managers at multi-site tenants

Do the walk-through properly

Measure square footage, count washrooms and fixtures, ask about access, alarm codes, frequency and hours. Ask what went wrong with the last cleaner. That answer is your proposal.

Price to the spec, not the competitor

Estimate production time per area, add travel, supplies, supervision and a margin. Underbidding wins the contract and loses the account.

Write a proposal that answers their fear

Most managers switch because a cleaner didn't show or cut corners. Show how you'll prove every visit: check-in times, GPS, photos and a report link they can open. That's a differentiator most small cleaners can't offer.

Keep the contract

Send proof without being asked. A monthly summary of visits and any issues fixed turns renewal into a formality.

Where TeamProof helps

TeamProof was built and is used daily at Sweepy Maids, a cleaning company in Metro Vancouver. Read the case study.

What TeamProof records on every visit

• Check-in and check-out times, recorded when the worker taps Check in and Check out
• GPS at check-in and check-out, checked against the pin you set for the site
• Before and after photos, saved to the visit
• The checklist for that site
• A late reason if the worker is more than an hour off the start time
• A Missed tag and an email if nobody checks in within one hour of the scheduled start

Clients can open a private client visit report link, no login needed, showing times, GPS and photos without worker names, phones or pay. Links stay open for 90 days.

Honest limits

• GPS is checked at check-in and check-out only. TeamProof does not track workers during the shift.
• Phone GPS has normal accuracy limits, especially inside large buildings. Pin the entrance you want crews to use.
• Photos prove what was photographed, so the checklist should say what to shoot.
• No quotes, invoices or payments yet. Payments and invoicing are listed as coming soon.

Price

One simple plan with everything included, unlimited workers, plus a 30-day free trial with no card to start. See current pricing.

Start your free trial · Book a demo

Related: Best janitorial software canada · Janitorial software vancouver bc · Commercial cleaning proof of service app · What property managers want in a cleaning report