Procurement with purpose – ensuring ethical and sustainable cleaning services
In today’s business environment, procurement teams face growing pressure to deliver cost savings while also meeting expectations around social responsibility, risk management and environmental sustainability. Cleaning contracts often sit at the intersection of all three.
Economic pressures, combined with a limited understanding of the true cost of professional cleaning have contributed to prices being driven down across the industry. Choosing a provider based on price alone only reinforces this ‘race to the bottom’, undermining service quality, worker wellbeing and long-term value.
CrestClean’s pricing reflects the real cost of delivering well-trained teams, sustainable practices, and high-quality cleaning outcomes.
The hidden risks of “cheap wins”
Selecting the cheapest cleaning provider can appear to deliver short-term savings, but it often introduces hidden risks that impact service quality, reliability and workplace safety.
Low pricing can signal that the real costs of professional cleaning are being compromised. Cleaners may be underpaid, undertrained or overstretched, increasing the likelihood of high staff turnover, inconsistent service delivery and health and safety incidents.
CrestClean’s owner-operator model helps mitigate these risks. Each franchise owner has a personal and financial stake in their business, promoting a strong commitment to service quality. They build long-term relationships with customers and take pride in the work they deliver.
The result is stable, well-supported cleaning teams who consistently deliver high-quality outcomes.
Fair work procurement practices you can trust
Doing the right thing by our people and our customers is simply part of how we work. While the Government has paused work on supply-chain modern slavery legislation, expectations around disclosure and due diligence continue to rise.
We follow New Zealand employment law closely, including the additional protections in place for vulnerable workers in the cleaning industry. This means that when contracts change hands, cleaners can transfer on the same terms, helping ensure smooth transitions and continuity of service.
Our pricing reflects the true cost of fair pay, proper training, and safe working conditions, giving procurement teams confidence they are choosing a responsible provider that aligns with their values and safeguards their brand reputation.
Training as a core investment
Training is the most important factor in creating skilled cleaners, yet many cleaners in New Zealand receive no formal training. Our investment in training ensures customers experience the difference.
We host more than 400 training and upskilling sessions nationwide each year, ensuring our teams have the skills and best-practice standards to consistently deliver high-quality cleaning. All personnel also receive annual skills development to stay up to date with industry innovations.
CrestClean’s built-in risk management
Risk management is embedded into every CrestClean contract. All personnel undergo comprehensive security vetting, including Ministry of Justice criminal background checks and verification of good character through personal referees. Cleaning teams are easily identifiable through uniforms, photo ID and signwritten vehicles.
CrestClean also operates SafeClean®, a dedicated health, safety and environmental management system that supports consistent procedures, hazard management, incident reporting and continuous improvement. These measures reduce exposure to workplace incidents.
Sustainability in practice, not just policy
Sustainability is integrated into CrestClean’s daily operations rather than treated as an optional extra. We hold Toitū EnviroMark Diamond certification – the highest level of environmental accreditation – enabling our customers to verify that our cleaning services meet recognised sustainability standards.
Toitū Envirocare independently audits our compliance to ensure a robust Environmental Management System is in place, alongside regular upskilling in environmentally responsible cleaning procedures.
Our cleaning products are licensed by Eco Choice Aotearoa, and we promote recycling and waste minimisation through our RecycleKiwi® programme.
The value of professional cleaning goes far beyond the price tag. Choosing the cheapest provider carries risks. True value comes from investing in quality, safety, sustainability, and long-term results. CrestClean delivers on all these fronts, with highly trained teams, rigorous risk management, and environmentally responsible practices.
