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Strong vendor relationships are often at the center of successful commercial cleaning operations for facility managers. Investing in these relationships can lead to long-term partnerships that drive business success for both parties. For facility managers overseeing cleanliness, safety, and maintenance operations, reliable commercial cleaning vendors are critical assets. Proactive vendor management that prioritizes relationship success over mere task completions can enhance the chances for operational excellence and reduce process or production interruptions and headaches. Poor vendor performance, however, can lead to operational inefficiencies, employee dissatisfaction, and unexpected costs.
This guide outlines three key strategies to help facility managers invest in vendor relationships and identify opportunities to improve vendor performance outcomes:
- How to recognize early signs of vendor performance slippage
- How to intervene early and re-establish performance expectations to set the tone for long-term success
- How to cure an off-course vendor relationship and stave off need to replace
Whether you are managing a school campus, distribution center, office building, or light industrial facility, these strategies will help shift your approach from reactive vendor management to proactive, long-term vendor partnerships.
How to Read Commercial Cleaning Vendor Relationship Signals
Commercial cleaning vendors constantly communicate their alignment and reliability through behavior, responsiveness, and consistency in service delivery. Recognizing subtle shifts in vendor performance early allows facility managers to intervene before problems affect daily operations.
1. Monitor Performance Patterns
Strong commercial cleaning partnerships begin with clear communication and performance feedback. Often vendor performance will get an A+ from the facility manager early in the relationship as everyone is excited about the new opportunity and prospects for ongoing success. Provide the vendor team with positive reinforcement and let them know of your satisfaction. Invite your vendor representative on-site to show appreciation for their performance but also discuss opportunities for improvement. Show them you are invested in the relationship and their success with regular communication and feedback. Managing this initial phase of the vendor relationship in this way will demonstrate your commitment and also further cement your expectations for their ongoing performance long-term.
Still, be on the lookout for performance decline somewhere after this initial period, especially with services like facility cleaning where the vendor team needs to be detailed and consistently perform numerous duties every night. Even well intended and high integrity teams can begin to slip after the newness of it all wears off. It’s almost human nature. Continue to provide both positive and improvement feedback. Notice if a performance pattern of decline seems to be developing or if only human imperfections occasionally arise. Again, if performance is clearly slipping, invite your representative on-site and discuss in-person any issues. Ask for a plan that will lead to getting back on track. If your vendor appreciates the opportunity to serve you and service your facility, you should notice a course correction because they will not want to let YOU down after all the investment you’ve made in the relationship.
Tip: Look for vendors who send service summaries, clarify adjustments in advance, and maintain a consistent point of contact.
2. Evaluate Onsite Team Consistency
Frontline service quality often reflects deeper organizational health. Has there been a change in vendor ownership or management? Is there a disconnect between the front-line team and management where complacency has been allowed to take hold? If your vendor’s team changes frequently, often misses basic tasks, or appears disengaged, this may indicate issues with staffing, training, or company culture.
A cleaning vendor partner will experience employee turnover. This may or may not be a red flag. The question is whether your commercial cleaning company, or any vendor, has the systems in place to make transitions feel seamless. Is the staff treated with respect and appreciation while being held to the agreed upon performance standards? At Let It Shine, we invest in goal-oriented, well-trained employees who take pride in their work.
Tip: Look for vendors who send service summaries, clarify adjustments in advance, and maintain a consistent point of contact.
3. Pay Attention to Administrative Shifts
Commercial cleaning performance isn’t just about what happens on the job site. Sometimes, the first signs of trouble show up behind the scenes. Inconsistent invoicing, scheduling errors, or unresponsiveness from the office team can signal broader organizational misalignment.
Vendors who prioritize service quality also prioritize backend processes. Timely invoices, accurate scheduling, and quick communication from office staff are hallmarks of a well-managed provider. If these processes begin to slip, it is time to evaluate whether the vendor can continue meeting your expectations.
How to Cure Potential Bad Vendor Performance Signals
Even with the best commercial cleaning partnerships, bumps in the road can happen. Facility needs change, expectations drift, and sometimes performance just slips. That doesn’t mean the relationship is over. In fact, how you respond when things get off track can often determine whether the vendor becomes a long-term partner or someone you eventually need to replace.
This stage of vendor management is less about discipline and more about leadership. It’s about identifying the issue, resetting expectations, and giving the vendor a fair shot to realign.
1. Revisit Scope and Expectations
In commercial cleaning, or any vendor relationship for that matter, what’s “normal” can shift without anyone realizing it. Maybe the original agreement hasn’t been reviewed in a while. Maybe the cleaning team started helping with extra tasks informally, and now those tasks are just expected. Or maybe the facility itself has changed, and the current service plan hasn’t caught up.
Start by revisiting what’s in writing. Walk the space with your vendor representative. Talk honestly about what’s working and what’s not. Use it as a reset moment, not a reprimand. At Let It Shine, we encourage clients to treat this as a discovery session—a way to realign expectations and show mutual commitment to the partnership.
When both parties leave that conversation with clear priorities, refreshed deliverables, and regular checkpoints in place, there’s a good chance performance will improve quickly.
2. Address Gaps Without Blame
Nobody likes to be blindsided, and most vendors want to succeed. That’s why commercial cleaning relationships thrive on constructive, honest communication. So when performance starts slipping, approach the conversation with respect and clarity. Rather than leading with blame, lead with curiosity.
For example, instead of saying, “Your team keeps missing the breakroom,” try something like, “We’ve noticed a few things aren’t getting the same attention as before. Can we walk through it together and see what might be going on?”
This keeps the relationship intact and encourages your vendor to open up about what’s happening on their end. Is there a staffing shortage? A training gap? A misunderstanding of what’s expected? Whatever it is, you’ll have a better shot at solving it if the vendor feels like you’re working with them, not against them.
Many issues can be addressed with a few small adjustments: updated checklists, a mid-shift walkthrough, or a new supervisor who reinforces accountability. Often, vendors who value your business and take pride in their commercial cleaning work will usually step up when given the chance.
3. Ask for a Written Action Plan
Once you’ve had the conversation and agreed that improvements are needed, ask your vendor for a written plan. This doesn’t need to be fancy, but it should outline what they’re going to do, who’s responsible for what, and when you’ll revisit progress.
A good commercial cleaning action plan might include:
- Specific corrections tied to problem areas
- A timeline for implementing changes
- Points of contact for updates and support
- A check-in schedule to review how things are going
Having a written plan sets the tone. It shows the vendor you’re serious about accountability but also committed to helping them stay in the game. And if performance still doesn’t improve, you’ll have documentation that shows you gave them every opportunity to get it right.
In most cases, vendors will appreciate this kind of structure. It removes ambiguity and gives them a clear path back to success.
Vendor Management Changes for Long-Term Success
Even the best commercial cleaning vendors can have off days. What matters more than perfection is how they respond to challenges and whether they’re genuinely committed to improving. Facility managers who focus on long-term outcomes know that sticking with a vendor who’s willing to grow and adapt often delivers better results than starting from scratch with someone new.
Here are three ways to assess whether your current commercial cleaning vendor is still a good fit—and how to support that decision with structure, clarity, and fairness.
1. Track Progress Over Time
Once you’ve had the reset conversation and your vendor has a plan in place, it’s important to watch how things play out. Improvement doesn’t happen overnight, but you should see movement in the right direction within a few weeks.
Use a simple check-in rhythm: 30 days, 60 days, 90 days. What’s better? What still needs work? Are you noticing fewer complaints from your team or catching fewer issues during walkthroughs? Has the day-to-day commercial cleaning service returned to the standard you expect? These are signs your vendor is taking your feedback seriously.
Even more valuable is when a vendor checks in with you first. If they’re following up proactively and making adjustments before you bring something up, you’re working with someone who’s invested in the relationship.
If you’re still wondering what consistent service can mean for your business, read more about the benefits of recurring commercial cleaning.
2. Consider the Real Cost of Switching
When a commercial cleaning partnership becomes strained, it’s easy to assume that switching providers will solve the problem. But the reality is, transitions come with their own headaches. You’ll have to onboard a new team, re-explain your facility’s needs, and deal with some level of disruption—no matter how smooth the handoff is.
If your current vendor is improving, showing effort, and open to feedback, it may be worth continuing to invest in them. Trust is hard to build, and if you’ve already put time into this relationship, you might not want to give that up just yet.
That’s why Let It Shine often steps in as a “Plan B” when a decision has finally been made that the current vendor relationship just cannot be cured. We understand how important continuity is, and how much effort goes into developing a successful commercial cleaning relationship.
3. Look for Signs of True Partnership
A vendor who just checks boxes isn’t enough. You want someone who acts like they’re part of your team. Are they making suggestions that would improve results? Do they notice things and bring them to your attention before they become problems? They should anticipate needs, communicate openly, and actively look for ways to improve your facility’s commercial cleaning outcomes.
True cleaning partners take ownership. They’re responsive, detail-oriented, and present when it matters. They don’t need constant reminders because they care about getting it right.
At Let It Shine, we believe that relationships are built over time—through reliability, responsiveness, and mutual respect. That’s how we’ve earned the trust of so many long-term clients across Northern Colorado.
Conclusion: Vendor Relationships Are the Foundation of Commercial Cleaning Success
Commercial cleaning is more than a service, it’s a partnership. For facility managers, a great vendor can become one of your most valuable allies.
But strong vendor relationships don’t happen by accident. They’re built through regular communication, clear expectations, and a mutual investment in success. When performance starts to slip, what matters most is how both sides respond. A good vendor will be willing to listen, adapt, and show you they’re committed to doing better, not just to keep the contract, but because they don’t want to let you down.
At Let It Shine, we understand that commercial cleaning vendors are an extension of your team. We take pride in showing up consistently, communicating openly, and building long-term trust with the facility managers we serve. We don’t just want to check a box, we want to make your life easier and your building shine.
If your current commercial cleaning vendor isn’t meeting that standard, we’d be honored to start a conversation.
Reach out today to schedule a consultation and see how we can support your goals.