Running a multi-site franchise is a true challenge due to managing dozens of facilities, thousands of members and millions of premium equipment.
While you are likely to have a cleaning partner in place, keeping consistent standards across all your locations is getting tricky as your portfolio grows.
You might find that one site is hitting all the marks, while another needs a bit more attention.
Achieving consistency across the board is crucial, as cleanliness directly impacts member retention and your gym’s reputation.
Switching to a new professional cleaning partner is a big move and requires a strategic, data-powered approach.
To help with that transition, we’ve broken down the key operational, compliance and financial steps you should consider finding a credible cleaning partner that can support your entire gym network.
Before we discuss the step-by-step process of selecting a credible gym cleaning service provider in Birmingham, let’s first go through the essential factors to focus on to make your next cleaning partner outsourcing efficient.
The first step you should take is to objectively analyse why your current cleaning contract is failing. Document key takeaways and identify all possible systemic flaws you have observed. Thoroughly documenting these gaps will prevent you from making the same mistakes with your next provider.
There can be several key indicators that might be causing a failing gym cleanliness operational model. Here are some of these red flags:
Phantom Supervision:
Your current contract mandates a dedicated site supervisor, but this individual merely acts as a working cleaner, lacking the time to conduct actual quality audits.
Reactive Communication:
Your facility managers might be experiencing missed shifts or depleting consumable stock constantly and you need to chase the vendor for updates.
Opaque Reporting:
You are observing monthly review meetings are more focused on subjective anecdotes rather than hard performance data or audit scores.
High Staff Turnover:
While these may be some of the causes of your poor gym cleaning operations, there could be additional red flags to observe and address when evaluating your current provider based on your gym’s multi-location needs.
While these may be some of the causes of your poor gym cleaning operations, there could be additional red flags to observe and address when evaluating your current provider based on your gym’s multi-location needs.
Regulatory compliance in the UK fitness sector is absolute. A credible cleaning partner does not view compliance as a box-ticking exercise. They integrate it into their daily operational DNA.
Therefore, when evaluating potential vendors, another factor you must bear in mind is scrutinising their adherence to UK statutory frameworks.
A failure in their compliance directly exposes your franchise to severe legal and reputational risk.
The most essential UK compliances are:
Your next cleaning vendor must provide comprehensive Risk Assessments and Method Statements (RAMS) for every specific task. Ask for bespoke RAMS for each zone they perform of their past or current clients.
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations also fall under this legal umbrella. So, you can also ask for up-to-date COSHH data sheets for all cleaning products they use. Furthermore, their staff must demonstrate practical knowledge regarding the safe dilution and usage of these chemicals.
The British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc) sets the premier standard for the UK cleaning industry.
When shortlisting vendors, also verify all the staff hold a BICSc certification. The BICSc colour-coding system is critical in a gym environment. It prevents operatives using cloth in the locker room toilets and subsequently wiping down cardiovascular equipment with the exact same material.
Ask potential vendors to present their documented cross-contamination protocols during the selection of the next professional cleaning vendor.
While not a mandatory requirement, adhering to global ISO standards can provide an additional layer of cleaning operational security. Therefore, when evaluating potential cleaning providers, it’s advisable to request details about how they comply with these standards will help you assess their commitment to quality and sustainability:
The Service Level Agreement (SLA) forms the cornerstone of your relationship with a cleaning company. So, the next step you need to perform is to clearly set out your performance expectations to ensure both sides are fully aligned with the final, agreed-upon standards through outcome-based metrics.
An outcome-based contract focuses entirely on the final result. This approach places direct responsibility for maintaining cleanliness upon the vendor, ensuring strict adherence to agreed standards.
As an example, for any of your cleaning tasks, such as cleaning the free-weight mirrors, you’ll want them to remain free of fingerprints and the shower blocks must maintain the specific hygiene standards you set. You can include these requirements in the SLA. This way, the vendor can determine how much staff and time are required to achieve those outcomes.
| Operational Zone | Required Standard (Output) | Measurement Method | Rectification Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardio Deck | Zero sweat residue on displays; floors free of dust. | Daily Visual Audit | 1 Hour |
| Locker Rooms | Zero standing water; toilets sanitised; dispensers full. | Hourly Check / ATP Swab | 30 Minutes |
| Free Weights | Equipment racked; chalk dust removed; benches sanitised. | Twice Daily Visual Audit | 2 Hours |
| Studios | Floor swept and mopped; mirrors streak-free. | Post-Class Inspection | 1 Hour |
An SLA without penalties is just a promise, not a guarantee. If the vendor misses performance targets, they must automatically pay service credits. These financial penalties should be matched with the severity of failure.
For instance, an empty soap dispenser warrants a minor deduction. Conversely, a failure to deep-clean the wet facilities, posing a severe bacterial risk, must trigger a substantial financial penalty mentioned in your SLA.
Pricing clarifications and hidden charges should be addressed in a structured manner to ensure transparency, with the most critical inquiries taking place during the evaluation and selection stage.
When bids have been submitted and the team is reviewing them, be sure to ask for clear, upfront pricing and confirm that all potential fees are included in the contract to avoid any surprises.
Some vendors may include additional charges hidden in the fine print of long agreements, such as fees for using specialised cleaning tools or equipment, which may vary depending on the facility’s specific needs.
Therefore, request a detailed breakdown of all pricing elements to ensure you are fully aware of the cost for each service
Additionally, if any aspects of the bid are ambiguous, contain minor errors (e.g., arithmetic mistakes) or seem unusual, be sure to request clarification.
As an operations manager handling multiple gym sites, it can be challenging to physically inspect fifty different sites every week. You must rely on the vendor’s Quality Management System (QMS) to provide accurate, unbiased performance data for higher visibility.
A vendor relying on paper-based checklists is entirely unsuitable for a modern multi-site gym franchise. Paper records are easily falsified, easily lost and provide zero analytical value.
Credible cleaning providers invest heavily in proprietary or enterprise-level auditing software. These digital platforms provide you with transparent, real-time visibility into all the gyms’ cleanliness performance status.
Therefore, when evaluating a vendor’s QMS, you need to demand a live demonstration of their auditing technology. You need to see exactly what your facility managers will see on their daily dashboards.
Visual inspections alone cannot confirm true hygiene. The surface might look pristine while harbouring dangerous levels of bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus.
This is why Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) swab testing exists – a handheld device that instantly measures the concentration of microorganisms on the surface.
Although optional, it is highly recommended (best practice) to incorporate mandatory monthly ATP testing into your SLA to validate the actual sanitation levels of your high-touch equipment.
Corporate Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) mandates are no longer optional. Gym members actively scrutinise your gym service quality based on how much you care about the environment.
The products you receive from vendors contribute heavily to your Scope 3 emissions. Therefore, selecting a sustainable cleaning partner directly is also a smart approach to support your broader corporate sustainability targets.
Many cleaning companies trick customers by pretending to be eco-friendly when they are not. Vendors frequently place “eco-friendly” labels on their proposals without offering substantial proof. You must interrogate where they are getting the products and tools from.
Examine the specific chemical catalogues they intend to deploy across your sites. Request products carrying the EU Ecolabel or equivalent independent certifications. These accreditations validate that the chemicals break down safely without contaminating local water systems.
The Social part of ESG focuses on how businesses treat their workers. In the cleaning industry, workers often face low pay and bad working conditions.
To support fair treatment of workers, choose a cleaning company that is recognised by the Living Wage Foundation. This means the company pays workers a fair, Real Living Wage, which is higher than the minimum wage.
When workers are paid well, they are happier, stay longer in their jobs and take more pride in their work, leading to better cleaning results in your gym.
As we have discussed the key factors, let’s now consider how to transition to a multi-site contract using a disciplined approach. Rushing the procurement phase inevitably leads to selecting the wrong partner. Therefore, it is advisable to follow this structured roadmap to secure a highly competent vendor.
Do not invite every local cleaning company to tender. Begin with a strict PQQ phase to filter out unsuitable candidates immediately.
The PQQ should demand proof of adequate public liability insurance (minimum £10 million for large gyms). It must also request their latest three years of audited accounts to verify financial stability.
Once you shortlist three to five robust candidates, issue the formal ITT. This document must contain comprehensive, outcome-based SLA and site-specific asset registers.
Provide exact visitor numbers for each location. A credible vendor cannot price a contract accurately without understanding the peak traffic hours and demographic usage of your facilities.
Never let a vendor give you a final price without visiting your main locations. Pricing based on assumptions alone rarely works in practice.
During the site visit, observe the vendor’s representatives. Are they asking intelligent, operational questions such as how easily to access all areas, where to store cleaning supplies and equipment and whether the water pressure in areas like restrooms and showers is sufficient for cleaning tasks.
Also, note if they are asking about room sizes, the frequency of sanitisation and crucially, observe whether they are actively noting down every answer you provide to them, demonstrating thoroughness and attention to detail.
In the UK, the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations also known as TUPE need to be applied when changing cleaning contractors. The incoming vendor must legally absorb the existing old cleaning company staff under their current employment terms.
Managing TUPE is complex. The incoming vendor must demonstrate a vast history of handling TUPE transfers smoothly. Ask for a detailed, week-by-week mobilisation plan detailing exactly how they will consult with the transferring staff.
Getting the contract is only step one. How well you prepare during the weeks leading up to the start date decides if the contract will be a success.
During this phase, the new vendor must conduct deep cleans, install new dosing equipment and retrain the transferring TUPE staff to their superior BICSc standards.
You need to schedule weekly reviews with the vendor board to closely watch the progress. (Clear)
