Whoever runs the office in a cleaning company, whether it is the owner, a manager or a dedicated admin person, has one of the busiest jobs in the business. They are the link between customers, cleaners and the accounts, and most of their day is spent answering questions, fixing problems and keeping paperwork moving.
The right tools make that job far easier. This guide looks at the admin toolkit that helps a cleaning office run smoothly, and how each tool saves time.
A shared inbox for every conversation
Customer messages arrive by phone, email, text and WhatsApp. When they land on individual phones, conversations get lost, replies are slow and nobody else can help when that person is off. ProCleanerUK’s shared inbox brings WhatsApp and two-way SMS into one place, so anyone in the office can see the full conversation and reply. Team chat and groups keep staff messages organised in the same system.
An AI assistant for quick answers
Office staff field questions all day: how much did we invoice last month, who is free on Thursday, which invoices are overdue? Buddy, ProCleanerUK’s AI assistant, can answer questions about revenue, forecasts, the schedule and invoices, set reminders and send emails, texts or push notifications for you. It turns a ten-minute search into a ten-second question.
Forms and e-signatures
Paper forms create filing, scanning and chasing. The Form Builder lets you create checklists, surveys, onboarding forms and agreements, with e-signatures built in. Make forms mandatory on certain jobs so they are always completed. Customer contracts can be signed in the customer app, and staff contracts in the staff app. Our guide to free cleaning company contract templates is a good starting point for the wording.
Bulk price increases
Updating prices one customer at a time is one of the most tedious admin jobs going. The price increase tool applies a percentage or fixed amount across your recurring jobs, with filters by job type and frequency, rounding, a start date and a preview. You can leave out specific customers, and each customer is emailed their new price automatically.
Reassigning work in one go
When a cleaner leaves, goes on long-term leave or moves area, reallocating their round can take hours. The Reassign Staff tool moves all of a cleaner’s jobs to another person from a chosen date, or splits the round across several staff job by job. History and pay records stay untouched, and the new cleaner is notified.
Customer away dates
Instead of cancelling and rebooking visits when a customer goes on holiday, add away dates. Visits are skipped, reminders stop and everything restarts automatically. Customers can request away dates in the portal, so the office only has to approve them.
Absence management
Holiday and sickness requests come through the staff app. The office approves them, and any clashing jobs can be unassigned for reallocation. Partial days, carry-over and Bradford Factor reporting are built in, so absence records are always up to date.
Payroll without spreadsheets
Clock-in times feed directly into payroll, whether staff are paid hourly, per job, by percentage or by daily rate. Payslips can be edited where needed and staff can view their history in the app. Tips from customers are included automatically. Our guide to cleaning business payroll software explains more.
Assets, renewals and stock
Keep track of PAT tests, EICRs, fire extinguishers, vehicle MOTs and service dates, equipment issued to staff and contract renewals, with reminders before anything expires. Stock tracking covers billable and internal-use products, reorder levels and van and site stock.
Reports that answer real questions
The financial dashboard shows how the business is performing. The time clock report compares scheduled and actual hours. Commission and tips reports cover staff earnings. Having these at your fingertips means fewer late nights with spreadsheets at month end.
Your own email address
Emails from the system can go out through your own email account using SMTP or Microsoft, so customers see your business address and replies come back to you.
Bringing the toolkit together
Each of these tools saves time on its own. Together, in one system, they stop the office from copying information between apps and chasing paperwork. If you are training a new office starter, our guide to staff training software may help, and our article on how to manage cleaning staff covers the wider role.
ProCleanerUK includes every tool above on every plan. Start your 28-day free trial and give your office an easier week, or book a free demo and we will show the toolkit in action.
FAQs
Can several office staff use the same inbox?
Yes. The shared WhatsApp and SMS inbox lets anyone in the office see and reply to customer conversations.
What can Buddy, the AI assistant, do?
It can report on revenue and forecasts, check the schedule and invoices, set reminders and send emails, texts and push notifications.
How do I move a leaving cleaner’s jobs to someone else?
Use Reassign Staff to move all of their jobs from a chosen date, either to one person or split across several.
Can customers sign contracts online?
Yes. Contracts and forms with e-signatures can be signed in the customer app or portal.
Will customers be told about a price increase?
Yes. When you apply a bulk price increase, each affected customer can be emailed their new prices automatically.