Most of the conversation around choosing a cleaning company ends up being about price, because it's the easiest thing to compare on a spreadsheet. It's also usually the least useful question to lead with — here's what's actually worth asking before you sign anything.
Who's actually doing the cleaning?
Some companies use the same small team on your building every visit; others rotate agency staff who've never seen your office before. Ask directly — consistency matters more than most people expect, because a team that knows your building catches things a stranger walks past.
What happens when something's missed?
Every cleaning company misses something occasionally — the real question is what happens next. Is there a proper process to flag it and get it fixed, or does it just wait until the next scheduled visit? A guarantee that's actually backed by a real process is worth more than one that's just a line on a website.
Is the contract flexible?
Offices change — headcount grows, a floor gets added, hours shift. Ask what happens if you need to change frequency or scope partway through, and whether that means renegotiating a whole contract or just a quick conversation.
Are they actually insured, and for what?
"Fully insured" gets used loosely. Worth asking specifically what's covered and to what value — it's a fair, specific question, and a company that answers it clearly and confidently is a good sign about how the rest of the operation is run.
Price is the easiest thing to compare. Who's actually turning up, and what happens when something's missed, matters more.
The walkthrough is where you'll actually find out
A proper walkthrough — not just an emailed quote — is where most of these questions get answered without even having to ask them directly. How a company handles that first conversation tells you a lot about how they'll handle the contract.