FAQs

Q. Is Edwards Commercial Cleaning Services Ltd a true family owned and operated business?

A. Yes. We actually went in to business in 1998 with a co-Director but split that business in two in 2003 and re-named it Edwards Commercial Cleaning Services Ltd. It is now wholly owned by Hazel and Paul Edwards who have 100% of the shares. Since 2003 the business has grown substantially in size and now has over 150+ customers and a turnover of over £1.1m.

Q. Where does Edwards Commercial Cleaning Services Ltd operate?

A. We are based from home in Jesmond and work throughout Tyne and Wear, Northumberland and Durham although we do now have some clients in Teesside. We prefer to keep the business local so that we can respond easily and immediately to any issue. Being able to cover holidays and sickness is vital.

Q. Does Edwards Commercial Cleaning Services Ltd have many staff?

A. Currently we have over 160 full time and part time staff. This number is changing constantly and we are always recruiting as we grow the business.

Q. How will Edwards Commercial Cleaning Services Ltd make sure the job I pay for is what I am getting?

A. For a medium size business in our industry we invest heavily in Operations Managers and Mobile Supervisors. We have full time Operations Managers who regularly visit and check the quality of the work and presentation and ensure the staff have the essential supplies that they need to carry out their duties. A lot of advertising and interviewing is done to get you the right cleaners, although many of our current staff do take on extra work too.

The Managers report directly to Paul Edwards who monitors performance and arranges for any problem to be addressed immediately, usually before the customers notice anything themselves.

We have introduced new technology into the business and are now in a position to send our clients the quality reports from each visit we do, customers will be able to see the check report and therefore be kept aware with anything relating to the cleaning of their building. Adding value is so important these days when business is very competitive.

Q. Can the customers see how the monitoring is going, day to day?

A. Of course, most sites have the schedules in the form of a tick box, signed off by the cleaners and visiting Operations Managers. You can see what is due and when it will be completed. The site visits by Operations inspect what has been ticked as done and this ensures that each job is completed. A visit by the Operations Managers means that now when a quality report is done, we email it to the customer immediately so they can see exactly what is going on within their own business. The reports show, warts and all, exactly what has been found, rectified, improved or that the site is as it should be. We use the system to report and health and safety issue or even to advise clients that they have simple things like bulbs not working. So far the customers have been happy with the information.

Q. How competitive is Edwards Commercial Cleaning Services Ltd?

A. We are very competitive and can alter the schedule to suit most budgets. Because we work from an office at home, our costs are low and therefore we can afford to invest the savings into Managers who can check out the quality of the work we do and to buy the best equipment available today. For every one pound spent with us, more money is invested in the cleaners and the checking of the cleaning. We try to pay more than the average in an area to attract professional cleaners.

Q. In the event of a problem, how contactable are you?

A. There is no hiding place at all for us, ever. Apart from office telephones, faxes, e-mail and mobile phones we have joined forces with a professional answering service who take our calls if the lines are engaged or we are away from the office. Paul Edwards or the senior Operations Manager then receive a SMS to their mobile and can deal with any situation straight away. The answering service also confirms the message by e-mail so nothing slips through the net. Our Operations Managers all have mobile phones too, so if you wish to speak to them directly, you can.

Q. How important is Health and Safety to the business?

A. The welfare of staff and clients is vital to us. We do have a Health and Safety Policy, Employee Handbook and all staff are trained, uniformed and signed off for every job they do, including manual handling and COSHH. We have method statements and risk assessments for work we do and also get advice from the Federation of Small Business on any H&S matter we need clarification on. In December 2006 we applied for and became a member of SafeContractor and SM&MS. These schemes audit what we do and how we do it, our policies, assessments and how we even vet our suppliers for H&S. We are very pleased to have gained membership to such schemes.

Q. How can we get a quote for your services?

A. Steve Don our Business Development Manager who has 20 years cleaning industry experience will visit you with a view to finding out about what you like and expect from your cleaning contractor. Steve will, after listening very carefully, provide you with a complete bespoke, written, quotation. The quotation is without any obligation and is, of course free. There is a list of what we can do under 'Our Services' on this site.

Q. What sort of contract do I have to sign?

A. Well, our Agreement is very simple. If you are not satisfied with our service just give us 30 days written notice and that's it! We treat all of our customers as partners and really work hard to ensure that our business relationship goes on and on but in the event that a customer wants to leave us, why make it hard for them to go? Thankfully we seem to keep the vast majority very happy.

Q. How do I contact Edwards Commercial Cleaning Services Ltd?

A. Easy, we would love to hear from you. Please call our office on 0191 2135777. Fax us on 0191 2135888 or E-mail us at eccsltd@btconnect.com. Ask for Hazel or Paul Edwards.