Most businesses hire a cleaner the same way they'd hire anyone else in a hurry: check a few reviews, ask for a price, sign. A handful of questions up front save you from a bad six months later.
Ask about accountability first
What happens if something's missed, who do I actually contact, and how fast does it get fixed
Is there any record of what was cleaned and when, or is it just their word
Do I get the same person or crew consistently, or does it rotate
Ask about the basics that protect you
Are you WSIB compliant, so you're covered if something happens on the job
Do you carry general liability insurance, and how much
What's your process if my business needs a schedule change or a one-off request
Ask about the trial period
Any commercial cleaner confident in their own work should be comfortable with a trial period before you commit long-term. If a company pushes for a signed annual contract before you've seen a single visit, that's worth questioning.
Where Westmount stands on all of this: WSIB compliant, $5M general liability insured, every visit documented through our CleanLog system, and every new client starts with a 30-day trial. Ask us any of the above, we'll answer directly.
The question most people forget to ask
"What kind of spaces do you normally work in?" A cleaner who mostly does retail or residential work is not the same as one built specifically around offices, clinics, and professional spaces. The systems, checklists, and expectations are different, and it shows.