The easiest new revenue in a cleaning business is usually sitting in buildings you already clean. If you want to upsell commercial cleaning services without sounding like a salesperson, the trick is timing: offer the right add-on when the client already has the problem it solves.
Why current accounts are the best place to grow
Your current clients already trust you. You know their building, their contact and what bugs them. Offering them an extra service takes a fraction of the effort of winning a new account.
Most cleaning companies don't do it for one reason: nobody's job is to ask.
Common cleaning add-on services
Look at what you already see on your nightly routes:
- Floor care: stripping and waxing, burnishing, tile and grout cleaning
- Carpet cleaning: extraction for traffic lanes and stains
- Window cleaning: interior, exterior or both
- Day porter services: someone on site during business hours for restrooms, lobbies and spills
- High dusting: vents, fixtures and ledges
- Special projects: move-in, move-out, post-construction or event cleanup
Step 1: Keep a list of what you notice
Your crews see the building every night. Give them an easy way to report things like "carpet in the lobby is stained" or "the tile floor is dull." Add a column in your contract tracker for add-on opportunities and keep it updated.
Step 2: Offer it when it solves a problem they have
The worst time to upsell is out of nowhere. The best times are:
- Right after they mention the problem ("the lobby carpet looks rough")
- Before a known event, like an inspection, a new tenant or a holiday
- At the start of a season when floors take a beating
- During your 90-day renewal check-in
Step 3: Make the offer specific and easy to say yes to
Subject: Lobby carpet at [Building] Hi [Name], The crew noticed the traffic lanes in the lobby carpet are getting worn looking. We can do a deep extraction on [a weekend night] so it's fresh before [the tenant event / inspection]. It would be [price] as a one-time service. Want me to schedule it? [Your name]
Specific problem, specific fix, a price and a yes-or-no question.
Step 4: Grow janitorial accounts with recurring add-ons
One-time projects are good. Recurring add-ons are better. After a one-time floor job, offer a maintenance schedule:
Hi [Name], glad the floors turned out well. To keep them looking like this, we can burnish them [monthly] for [price]. Want me to add that to your schedule?
Step 5: Tie it to renewals
When you run your renewal routine, bring your add-on list. A renewal that includes a new service is stronger than a renewal at the same price, because it shows you're paying attention to the building.
Track what you offer and what you win
Add two columns to your contracts tab: add-ons offered and add-ons won. After a few months, you'll know which services clients say yes to, and which buildings are worth a closer look.
Want a clear picture of how much add-on and renewal revenue you're leaving on the table? The Revenue Systems Assessment ranks it alongside your bid leaks. For winning new buildings, see how to get commercial cleaning contracts from property managers.
Want the leaks found for you?
The Revenue Systems Assessment is a fixed-price $2,000 review of how your cleaning company turns quote requests into signed contracts and renewals. Leaks ranked by cost, plus a build plan you keep.
See the assessment →