Over the last year, I am having a harder time getting contracts signed. And the ones that I do have signed, want to continue with the same service, but no contract. My largest commercial account (over 30000 ft) refused to sign a continueing contract over 2 years ago but have continued using us as though we had a contract. I don't have a problem with that as long as they coninue as a client. Anyone else noticed the change in the last couple of years?

I may be wrong, but since we are a small company we have'nt bothered to use contracts. I just tell our potential commercial clients that we figure if they are pleased with us they will keep us and if for some reason they were not pleased then I would'nt want them bound to a contract. This has proved to be a good selling point for us. Maybe if I were trying to build a large company I might pursue things a little differently.

The most we do is service agreements that seems to work better
I figure it this way even if we have a contract if they do not want us to clean the building at any particular time they will tell us to hold off.

If they are unhappy with the service they will can us not matter what any how.

Contracts are really for the banks any how and a signed agreement will work just as well far as the bank is concerned

I agree with Joe. I have found in large Corporations if you want them to sign a legal binding doc then they have ti have their legal department review it.
When you get it back it is full of changes etc and they want you to aree to their rewriting of the contract.
I just draw up a service agreement showing the number of cleanings, work to be performed and the price for each and get them to sign that. I know it doesn't
help when selling your company but I don't want to go through the hassle of dealing with their legal people.