It’s that time of year again. As you review contract proposals for services for your facilities and grounds, it’s smart to be on the lookout for the hidden catch behind several of those low-ball proposals. These surprisingly cheap proposals look great on paper but usually something important is missing. More often than not, it’s labor hours, supervision, training, or product quality. And the savings you thought you were getting show up later as missed work, inconsistent results, unhappy tenants, and awkward mid-contract price increases or add-ons you were led to believe would be included.
Fact is, a professional cleaning isn’t flashy. It’s consistent. And consistency is what prevents surprises.
Why The Low-Ball Contract Seems Like a Good Idea Right Now
This comes up a lot during Q1 vendor reviews. Budgets reset. Leadership is back in the building. Traffic increases. And suddenly, cleaning problems that were easy to ignore become very visible. That’s when low bids start looking tempting. The issue is that cleaning programs don’t fail all at once. They slowly slip. A restroom misses a day. Trash overflows. High-touch points get skipped. Then suddenly, you’re managing complaints instead of managing your office, property, or facility.
And when the program was underpriced to begin with, there’s very little room to fix it.
The Real Reason “Cheap” Proposals Fall Short
Most underpriced proposals aren’t created to fool you. They’re under-scoped, often because the labor and steps to ensure a job done right aren’t considered. And then later in the year, the vendor has that “oh no” moment and asks for a price increase because they can’t deliver what was promised without adding labor.
Here’s what usually gets overlooked in that initial proposal. Use this to question your next proposals to make sure everything’s been considered.
- Manpower hours: The scope looks fine, but the labor hours don’t match it. That’s when restrooms, breakrooms, and high-touch areas start getting skipped.
- Supervision and accountability: Without real oversight, quality depends entirely on who shows up that night.
- Call-off coverage: When one person is out, the whole building drops a level.
- Products and processes: Cheapest products are often less effective, over-diluted, or quietly substituted.
- Training and standards: When training isn’t real, consistency isn’t either.
The Hidden Costs Different Buyers End Up Holding
No matter what type of facility you manage, in almost every case, the “cheap” contract ends up costing more time, more stress, and often more money.
Healthcare facilities
Inconsistency becomes a safety and compliance issue. Gaps show up fast during inspections, and the risk isn’t just complaints—it’s citations.
Office environments
Inconsistency turns into an employee experience problem. Leadership starts hearing about cleanliness instead of focusing on bigger priorities, especially when reporting and supervision are missing.
Property management
Inconsistency becomes tenant complaints, retention risk, and extra time spent chasing vendors instead of managing assets.
Your “Too Good to Be True” Proposal Gut Check
Before switching vendors, ask these questions. A solid provider will answer clearly. If answers are vague, that’s your warning sign.
- Exactly how many labor hours per visit are included, and how were they calculated?
- Who supervises the work, how often, and what gets documented?
- What is the call-off coverage plan and escalation process?
- What is included, excluded, and optional in the scope?
- What products will be used, and are substitutions allowed?
- What training and certifications do technicians and supervisors have?
- How are high-touch points verified and documented?
- What reports will I receive, and how often will we review them?
- What changes during holidays, peak traffic, or special events?
- If this proposal is lower than others, what are you doing differently?
Total Cleaning’s Non-Negotiables That Prevent Surprises
Ok, now to the part where we hope we’re all on the same page.
Consistency is the standard: The goal isn’t a great first month. It’s reliable results every month.
Training and higher standards: Investing in training and certifications means work gets done the same way, regardless of shift or site.
Oversight and accountability: Onsite supervision, spot checks, reporting, and custom SOPs ensure expectations are clear and measurable.
Healthcare readiness: Healthcare programs are built around training, supervision, high-touch focus, mock audits, and clear accountability.
A hygiene risk management approach: Instead of reacting to problems, this approach focuses on risk analysis, planning, training, execution, and continuous monitoring and adjustment.
The Total Cleaning Difference
If you’re already a Total Cleaning client, thank you for trusting us. We don’t chase cheap bids because we refuse to create surprises later. We price to deliver exactly what we commit to.
If you’re reviewing vendors this quarter and want clarity without pressure, we can help. A performance audit and walkthrough can quickly reveal what your current program is actually delivering versus what’s on paper.
Because labor hours, supervision, or coverage were under-scoped, and quality slips once the initial “new vendor energy” fades.
No clear staffing hours, no supervision plan, and no reporting cadence.
Compare scope, labor hours, supervision, products, training standards, and documentation—not just monthly price.
Yes. Effectiveness, dilution, and substitutions directly impact results, especially in healthcare and high-traffic restrooms.
A walkthrough, high-touch mapping, scope and frequency validation, and a clear gap list with fixes.
Standardized scopes, defined SOPs, supervision, quality checks, and regular reporting and review.
It’s a proactive system to prevent or reduce infection-related risk through planning, training, implementation, and ongoing monitoring.