When it comes to office clearances, there’s no perfect formula.

It takes a bit of teamwork, some planning, and knowing exactly what you want to happen. To make the whole process smoother, hiring a reliable office clearance company is the best thing you can do. But, what entails a good company, and what separates them from the bad?

It’s time we explained.

Reputation

Thanks to sites like Trust Pilot, Facebook, and Google Reviews, it’s easier than ever to crowdsource your opinion on a company. If they have a long list of glowing reviews, with plenty of recent testimonials, it’s a good start. If every review says ‘Don’t work with them!’ it’s probably wise to keep on looking. Reputation matters.

Transparency

Some office clearances companies will try and dazzle you with shiny vehicles, low prices, and fancy marketing words. What’s more important is that they are transparent about their recycling rates, the licensing that they have, the training they put their staff through, the accreditations they’ve pursued, the certifications they’ve earned, and how responsible they are when it comes to things like the gender pay gap and worker’s rights.

Commitment to the environment

Will they reuse your cleared items, or will they just send it all to a landfill? The strength of an office clearance company’s network is vital. The more charities, schools, small businesses, and reuse centres that they are partnered with, the better, it means they are committed to keeping the value in the assets, and not putting them in the ground. Do they have an environmental policy? You should always ask.

Resources

If you are doing a small clearance, a man and a van might be enough for your needs, but for a large office clearance, you need to know that they have enough operatives and vehicles to support your project on the day.

That brings us on to our next point…

Experience

Simply having a lot of staff is not a solution. If they are not trained professionals, the risks increase. If they are temps, it’s likely they don’t really care about the project or profession and are just looking to get things done quickly, but not so carefully. You want to make sure the company sends the pros to get the job done efficiently.

Flexibility

Can they clear in the evening after the office is vacant? What about weekends? Can they arrive tomorrow at 9:00 am? When dealing with the account manager of your chosen office clearance company, you should ask as many questions as you can, especially regarding flexibility. If you have poor access to your property, are they going to be able to lift and shift assets without a problem?

Compliance

There is something called the Waste Duty of Care, and if you’re a business, you have to follow it. It means that your waste is your responsibility, and if the contractor you hire takes your office waste and fly tips or illegally exports it, it’s you that gets in trouble. A reliable office clearance company will discuss the legal side and make sure you’re compliant. They must also provide you with a Waste Transfer Note for every collection.

Speciality

No two office clearances are the same. You might have hazardous materials, green waste, construction waste, and more. You might be in the middle of nowhere, or on the 50th floor. Be sure when talking to office clearance companies that they are prepared for something a bit different. There’s nothing worse than hiring a contractor who refuses to be adaptable.

Reliability

There’s no real way to know, except by reading the reviews, how reliable a company is, but you may be able to figure out if you ask the right questions. You want to know about punctuality, cancellations, and experience. Be curious when talking to the account manager.

Pricing structure

Are all office clearances charged at the same price? Are there options based on volume, on the number of vans, the number of operatives, or other factors? If you are presented with various options, it puts you in greater control of your clearance and will help you get a tailored experience. One size does not fit all when it comes to office clearances! Can they give you a total project price, a van price, and a volume price? If they can, it’s a good thing. A low priced quote might seem good, but it can lead to awkward situations, like extra payment requests, the project overrunning, and a lot of extra communications to figure out what is happening.

Rapport

Do you enjoy talking to the account manager? Do the company give you good vibes? For a big project, do you have a chance to meet the project manager before and prepare them for the clearances? Do they seem like they might crack under pressure or suffer from poor communication? Is the account manager asking you the risk questions?

Post-clearance reporting

Beyond your Waste Transfer Note, a very good and reliable office clearance company will send you a reporting with some indication of how much was recycled, how many items found new homes, how much was donated to charity, and how much avoided landfill. If you can find out whether the company does post-clearance reporting or not, you have a great basis for their quality.

Conclusion

Do you feel more confident in your search for a reliable office clearance company? If you look for the traits above that are more important to you, you will no doubt find the right company. If you want to work with a team that takes all of this into account and prioritises you and the environment, call us today.