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Pro Tips

9 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Janitorial Company for Your Office

by The Pros
July 18, 2023

A sparkling clean office makes a positive impression on your customers or clients. Your employees appreciate a clean work environment too.

Janitorial services for your office take the stress off of you. You don’t have to worry about day-to-day cleaning when you have professional commercial cleaners handling the job.

Before hiring a janitorial company, it’s important to know you’ll receive a high standard of service. Do your research and don’t hesitate to interview potential office cleaning candidates.

Here are nine questions to ask before hiring commercial janitorial services.

1. What is Your Experience Providing Office Cleaning Services?

It’s a good idea to choose a cleaning company that has years of experience in the industry. An experienced janitorial service is likely to have its processes down, so you’re more likely to get good results.

Ask if they have experience working with businesses like yours. Janitorial services aren’t all the same. A company that specializes in large industrial facilities may not be the best choice for small offices or other business sites.

Although a new cleaning service may do a good job, you can’t go wrong with an experienced janitorial service with trusted employees and excellent customer reviews.

2. Can you Provide References?

Before you hire a commercial cleaning company, you want to know how other clients feel about their services. Ask if they can provide references, testimonials, or client reviews.

Check out their business website. Search online for reviews of the company.

The more you know about them, the better you’ll feel about trusting them with your office space. Clients who have had very good or very bad experiences with a company often leave reviews.

One or two poor reviews may not be a problem if the majority of reviews are favorable. If you notice a pattern of negative reviews, steer clear and find another cleaning service.

3. Do You Screen Your Employees?

Commercial cleaners are often in your building when no one else is around. You have to trust the company before you allow strangers into your office.

Ask if they do background checks and how they screen employees. Ask whether the same cleaners will come to your business each time.

Knowing that they take pride in their hiring process will help you feel more confident having their employees on-site.

4. Are You Insured?

Insurance is a must for any business. It’s essential that a cleaning company has the proper insurance in case there’s a mishap on your property.

Your company’s insurance protects you to a certain extent. But you need to be sure a commercial cleaner has their own insurance, including worker’s compensation and liability coverage.

Ask to see proof of certification and insurance. You can often find this information on their business website.

5. Do You Offer a Contract?

Some businesses don’t want to sign a contract for cleaning services, while others do. Consider your office cleaning needs and whether a contract will offer the flexibility and protection you need.

Before you sign a contract, ask questions and read the fine print. Ask whether the cleaning service offers a satisfaction guarantee.

Make sure you know if they’re available for emergencies and how long it would take for someone to arrive. Have a clear understanding of their fees and the types of services they do and don’t provide.

Make sure they have high standards of cleanliness to keep your employees and customers safe and healthy.

6. What is Your Employee Turnover Rate?

Some cleaning companies have high employee turnover rates. Ideally, you want to choose an established company with a loyal group of established employees.

It’s better for your business if there’s consistency in who is coming in and out of your office building. They’re more likely to know your specific cleaning needs and respect your property.

Request to be notified when there are staffing changes. Hiring a company that has pride in its employees will give you peace of mind.

7. Do You Have Quality Control Checks?

Quality assurance in the cleaning industry is essential. When hiring a janitor, you want to be sure they provide cleaning services engineered for a healthy and sanitary work environment.

They should provide regular inspections to ensure that safety standards are met. A professional commercial cleaning company has cleaning processes in place that meet high standards.

They should be able to make cleaning adjustments as needed and communicate this information to you.

8. Do You Use Environmentally Friendly Cleaning Products?

When you hire a janitor, it’s a good idea to ask about the types of products they will use in your building. You want to make sure they aren’t using extremely harsh or toxic chemicals.

Some cleaning companies offer eco-friendly products as an option. These types of cleaning products are better for the environment and can save you money.

Harsher chemicals do not always equal a cleaner building. Today’s environmentally friendly cleaning products are highly effective and safer for people and pets.

9. How Do You Handle Floor Care and Germ Hotspots?

Different types of floors require different cleaning processes. The needs for bathrooms, office spaces, entryways, and kitchen areas may be completely different.

High-traffic areas need special attention. A professional cleaning company understands that cleaning isn’t a one-size-fits-all process.

They should have a plan to make sure common areas and germ hotspots are properly cleaned and disinfected. Before you hire office cleaning services, make sure they plan to address your specific cleaning needs.

Hire the Best Janitorial Company for Your Business

Running a business is more than a full-time job. You have so many responsibilities and people that depend on you.

You probably don’t have time to worry about cleaning your office. The good news is a professional janitorial company can handle all your cleaning needs.

You want the healthiest and safest office possible for your customers and your employees. At Blue Chip Pros, we are committed to offering our customers outstanding, personalized cleaning services.

We focus on our clients’ core cleaning needs, providing the highest level of service and integrity.

Contact us today to learn more.

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Pro Tips, Security

BlueChip Pros Traffic Services Keep Pedestrians and Vehicles Safe During Utility Work

by xy
May 30, 2023

Much of today’s transportation safety system is automated and controlled via light cycles, schedules, and driving patterns. However, there are situations where there is no substitute for human intervention. When utility companies need to shut down a street, it often catches drivers and pedestrians by surprise. Having traffic management and flaggers in place alleviates confusion and stress on commuters and keeps the utility company employees safe.

Jeff Martin, VP of Traffic and Security Services at BlueChip Pros, expands on that thought,

“Traffic is not always predictable, especially in a construction zone. Accidents can happen, so it’s important to have a team on-site to minimize the danger from traffic. Clarity from traffic flaggers goes a long way.”

So the question remains how do traffic flaggers help?

Maintain Flow of Traffic

Flagging services help reduce traffic accidents by maintaining traffic flow. The team creates a plan to allow traffic to flow, whether it is one lane out or multiple lanes. Once everything is set up, the team provides explicit directions to ensure the proper amount of vehicles travel safely and efficiently past the work site.

Flaggers are trained to understand safety protocols and keep safety first. Having flaggers on-site helps direct drivers’ attention, curtail dangerous driving, and get traffic moving as it should.

Increased Safety Measures 

In dangerous areas or situations traffic flow is even more critical. Downed power lines, damaged roadways, utility equipment, and workers carry their own hazards. Traffic flaggers are specially trained and equipped to handle these types of situations. The flaggers handle the ancillary safety issues around traffic so that the utility or municipality workers can safely fix the problem. This promotes a safe, smooth, and successful project.

Achieve Compliance 

Hiring certified traffic control flaggers helps ensure you meet local and federal compliance. These traffic control flaggers are trained for many different emergency situations and must receive ongoing training to maintain certification. With trained professionals, you can expect them to perform their duties safely and diligently at all times.

Jeff Martin explains the training his flaggers receive,

“BlueChip Pros ensures you have the most qualified professionals working on your projects by following strict training guidelines. All of our professionals are required to have the highest level of training to meet the BlueChip standards for safety, compliance, and conscientiousness. Our training regimine includes classes on traffic flow, pedestrian and bicycle management, driver interaction, specialty equipment use, emergency response, and much more. The team is re-trained and re-certified every year.”

Excellent Service and Communication

Professional flaggers understand what an important role they play in traffic safety. They know politeness and punctuality are part of the job, too. You trust them to provide important services and protect the public, so they should be well-prepared to handle those situations. This is a big responsibility and one they take seriously.

When you work with a company that provides quality flagging services, you should expect excellent customer service and open communication. They should discuss your project with you, explain what services they can offer, and answer any questions you may have.

Hire the Best Traffic Control Flaggers

Traffic control flaggers have an essential job and perform many functions. Their training and experience help make difficult traffic spots safer for everyone involved. From local roads to highways, you can create the safest work zones on long-term or short-term projects by hiring traffic control and flagging services professionals.

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Pro Tips, Security

4 Business Security Tips You Need to Know

by xy
March 28, 2023

Crime rates have surged in the past few years—and businesses are paying the price. A break-in can be devastating for any business. You might lose assets you have to replace and can spend days repairing the damage, adding to the loss of revenue.

Business security might seem to you like an unnecessary cost. However, it pays for itself when you factor in all the disadvantages of a crime happening to your business.

But security isn’t easy to optimize. If you want to keep yourself safe, you’ll need to think about how you go about your security. This article will walk you through some of the top business security tips out there.

1. Hire a Guard

Hiring a guard is the most obvious way to upgrade your business’s security. Doing so increases the visibility of your company’s security. Criminals don’t pick a business at random—they case out multiple businesses and choose which ones they want to break into based on which they’re most likely to succeed at.

A guard doesn’t just provide the safety of protecting your property—it shows criminals that you take security seriously. Even if you don’t take other security measures, the criminals will assume you do because of the guard.

The guard, obviously, can stop crimes while they’re happening. They can confront would-be criminals and subdue people if need be.

If a crime does happen on their watch, they are also trained for dealing with the fall-out. They can call the police, and redirect customers, while your other employees focus on keeping the business running. After the excitement has died down they will help you make a plan to stop it from happening again.

You can also have them cover more mundane security tasks, like locking up and making sure your locks are doing well.

2. Install Cameras

Cameras are another great way to increase your company’s security profile. Even if you can’t afford to always keep a guard around, criminals will become very uncomfortable with the idea of being watched, and will likely not choose your business.

Cameras are a great way to get information of criminals, making it more likely for you to be able to catch them, apprehend them, and gain some compensation for their crimes.

A big advantage of cameras is that they can catch your employees committing crimes. They might be able to steal from the register behind the security guard’s back, but the eye in the sky sees all.

This will also keep your employees working as hard as possible, knowing that you could be checking in on their commitment.

3. Consider Mundane Security

Things like security guards and alarm systems are probably the first things that come to mind when you think of security—and hopefully, we’ve convinced you to consider them.

But often, some of the most important security tips you can take to keep your business safe are simple and mundane.

You definitely have locks on your doors—but are they up to date? Make sure your locks haven’t worn down—making them easy to break. Make sure you lock up every single night as well.

On the topic of locks—make sure you limit the number of keys to your business you have. Make sure that only essential and trustworthy employees have access to your keys.

If you’re just opening a new business, make sure you change the locks. The old occupant of your building might still have access to your building.

Take the money out of your cash register, and either take it with you or keep it in a safe with highly selective access when it comes to your employees. Leave the cash register open at night with no money in it to signal to criminals that they won’t find anything.

Something as simple as waste can also cost you seriously regarding security. Make sure you regularly shred important documents so that no one has access to sensitive information. Be careful what you throw out in trash cans that the public can access.

A security business can help you with these things as well.

4. Consider Cybersecurity

Did you know that cybercrime cost over a trillion dollars in 2022? Cybercriminals are getting smarter than ever, and cybersecurity can no longer be something added that you should care about—it has to be one of your main concerns.

A large part of cybersecurity is making sure you and your employees understand the threat. Low internet literacy is one of the biggest causes of cybersecurity break-ins. Common attacks—like phishing attacks—only work if you let the cybercriminal in.

A good cybersecurity company won’t just use technology like firewalls; they’ll hold seminars to teach your business about the newest threats in the cybersecurity world.

They’ll also be able to respond quickly to any breaches and break-ins that might happen to you, saving your IT team time and effort that they can devote to other parts of your business.

Understand Business Security

As you can see, there are many things you can do to improve business security. Security services extend beyond stopping crimes from happening and apprehending criminals.

Make sure that you consider the above options if you want to keep your business as safe as possible.

For more information on business security, contact us today.

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Pro Tips, Security

Get Your Security Prepared for the Retail Holiday Rush

by xy
September 16, 2022

About 54% of business owners report more theft than usual around the holidays. If you’re looking to safeguard your business this season, investing in enhanced business security measures is a good choice.

Here, we’re going to talk about theft prevention strategies for small and large retail businesses alike. Read on to learn how you can protect your inventory and your reputation.

Safeguard Your Inventory

Many stores sell expensive items like electronic devices, jewelry, and household appliances. A single instance of retail theft could cost you thousands if this describes your business.

That’s why it’s important that you lock up your most expensive inventory. A padlock and some thick plastic will make it more difficult for shoplifters to access expensive items and can pre-emptively combat theft.

Set Up Cameras Around Your Shop

Cameras can act as a deterrent for those who would consider shoplifting from your store this holiday season. When criminals see cameras around inventory that they’re looking to snatch, they’ll think twice before trying to steal it. After all, no one wants their face associated with shoplifting.

If someone does manage to steal something, cameras can show you exactly who did it. You can show these videos to the police as evidence of the theft. It will be much easier to get justice.

Test All Security Equipment

Both cameras and electronically-locked gates that safeguard inventory require testing. You need to make sure that they actually work or they’ll be ineffective. Ask professionals how you can test your technology to ensure that it’s all set up and ready to go.

At this point, you also should have someone check all the cameras for obstructions. Many shop owners accidentally place holiday decorations and shelving in front of cameras, rendering them useless. Test the footage so this doesn’t happen to you.

Perform Background Checks on Seasonal Employees

Holiday retail comes with seasonal employee hire, which means that you’ll be giving new people access to inventory.

Make sure that you perform thorough background checks on new hires. Someone with a criminal history may apply for a job so that they can steal merchandise via authorized access. You can use online professional background check tools to ensure that you’re only hiring trustworthy employees.

Invest in Security Patrols

Studies show that only 44% of thieves are deterred by security cameras. However, the vast majority will think twice about stealing if an employee or security guard is physically present.

Make sure that you hire security guards to patrol your store during the holiday rush. Parking lot patrols are also a good idea so that someone can catch thieves that run outside with merchandise.

Enhance Your Holiday Business Security

While the holidays can be a time of great profit, they also invite more theft than other times of the year.

Now that you know how to promote your business security and safeguard your inventory, it’s time to take professional loss prevention measures. Contact BlueChip to learn more about the ways that we can help you protect your retail property today.

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Pro Tips

Warehouse Cleanliness Plays Vital Role In Keeping Businesses Running

by The Pros
July 26, 2022

A messy warehouse can result in downtime of warehouse operations, which not only affects the company’s bottom line but also makes the area a hazardous place for workers or anyone who enters the facility. This is why regular warehouse cleaning is an important part of a company’s safety program.

Here are reasons a clean warehouse can help boost employee productivity and workplace safety.

ENCOURAGES EMPLOYEES TO WORK METICULOUSLY

When a company’s leadership invests time and resources on keeping warehouses clean, it delivers a positive message to the people working on the floor. Employees will feel that management looks after their health and safety, hence, employees are motivated to keep their areas tidy and clutter-free. This way it will be easier for employees to find the supplies and equipment they need. A clean warehouse reduces stress, allowing workers to focus on completing their tasks faster and more efficiently.

INCREASES ACCURACY IN INVENTORY MANAGEMENT

A messy or dirty facility can bog down operations and sometimes lead to costly mistakes. Clean warehouses can help lower costs related to inventory management. The cost that a company spends on commercial cleaning services translates to increased profitability and lower inventory management costs. Having an organized warehouse enables a company to have better control of its warehouses processes, such as checking the shelf-life of products, managing stocks for write-off, and monitoring inventory levels to prevent overstocking or stock outs.

PREVENTS ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES

Companies are required to comply with federal and state occupational health and safety regulations, which include keeping a clean and organized working environment. Slips, trips, and falls as well as falling objects from shelves and racks are some of the most common causes of accidents and injuries in the workplace. They can result in sick days and hospitalization which affects the employee’s productivity. When a warehouse is kept clean, organized, and free from obstruction, it leads to better ergonomics and increased visibility, hence, reducing risks and hazards.

Conveyors, pallets, lifts, and other productivity tools are a common sight in warehouses. These machines and equipment must be kept free from dust and debris that may damage or affect its operational efficiency. Regular warehouse cleaning helps in prevent dirt build-up, shielding parts like bearing and motors from dirt that if left uncleaned or unmaintained, may lead to costly repair or replacement.

REFLECTS PROFESSIONALISM

A clean working environment reflects the company’s values. Nowadays, warehouses are not just used as storage facilities but also as distribution centers where warehouse employees interact with suppliers and customers. If a company keeps its warehouse clean, it creates a professional image and leaves a positive impression. When customers and business partners see that a company puts great effort in keeping their facility clean and organized, they will continue to trust the company and not take their business elsewhere.

As described above, having a clean warehouse is an integral part of a company’s strategic operations. Clean and organized warehouses ensure safety compliance, boosts productivity, and efficiency.

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Pro Tips

How Hiring a Facility Manager Can Save You Time, Energy, and Money

by The Pros
June 10, 2022

Businesses are increasing their space as people return to in-person work, with leasing for Q1 this year up 19% over 2021. Whether to offices or other facilities, the “Great Return” is well underway.

For staff, it’s a shock to the system. The financial and time cost of commuting are taking their toll.

For managers, getting a barely-used facility operational is a daunting task, on top of maintaining morale.

Contracting a facility manager is now more crucial than ever. They lighten the load on business owners and improve morale by maintaining facilities to a standard worth commuting for.

"Professional
COVID-19, Pro Tips

Disinfecting the Work Place From the COVID-19 Delta Variant

by The Pros
October 13, 2021

By now, we all know pretty much everything there is to know about COVID. We know how it spreads, what the symptoms of the virus are, and how the vaccine works to keep us safer. We’re a world of COVID experts!

But, what people still aren’t sure about is how they can clean workspaces to stay safe from the virus, especially with the Delta variant. As something that’s highly transmissible, how do you keep it out of your work place?

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Pro Tips

Five Reasons to Outsource Facility Management

by The Pros
September 22, 2021

Business operating expenses can be as much as 80 percent of a business’s gross revenue If your company is looking for a way to save money and increase productivity, then outsourcing facility management may be the answer.

Outsourcing has a lot of benefits, and if you choose the right facility manager you and your staff will save a lot of valuable time. This time can be channeled into other areas of your business.

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