JANI-KING Franchise Complaints: Add your own – or defend the company – below.
(UnhappyFranchisee.Com) Entrepreneur magazine lavishes high praise on the Jani-King franchise opportunity via its 2010 franchise rankings. Entrepreneur ranked the 10,000+ unit Jani-King #8 overall in the 2010 Franchise 500, the #2 low-cost franchise, the #1 home-based franchise and #7 in the “America’s Best Global Franchise” category.
In a time when many individuals are struggling to make ends meet, the Jani-King franchise opportunity – with its low start-up cost and guaranteed cleaning contracts – seems especially enticing. But do a bit of digging and you’ll find some troubling – and remarkably consistent – complaints from Jani-King franchise owners.
Lawsuits allege a cleaning-contract shell game.
In an August, 2009 Franchise Times article on lawsuits leveled against commercial cleaning franchise companies, Julie Bennett writes:
…the lawsuits, filed recently in Massachusetts against all three companies and in Pennsylvania, Minnesota and California against Jani-King, contend that the cleaning companies misrepresent their offerings, because they do not have sufficient customers to guarantee each franchisee the amount of monthly cleaning business they purchase. Instead, the lawsuits allege, they breach their contracts by underbidding the amount of time and staffing required for each job, refusing to allow franchisees to inspect cleaning jobs or bid sheets before accepting or rejecting a job, offering geographically inconvenient jobs and unjustly taking jobs from one franchisee to re-sell them to others.
Consumer complaint sites are abundant with specific complaints about the Jani-King franchise, the franchisor and the regional master franchisees who recruit unit-level owners.
On the Complaints Board, 2009-08-22 letshelp wrote
franchise is a scam
I purchased a Jani-King Commercial Cleaning Franchise after reading they were a great franchise opportunity in several franchise magazines. During my initial meeting with the regional director I expressed concern over the 40% they take off the top of what clients are billed. He told me not to worry as they take all their fees into consideration when giving a cleaning quote to a client.
When they started offerring me contracts I would do the math and tell them there was very little profit in some contracts and absolutely none in others. I was told this was a low profit margin industry and I had to learn to work some “break even” contracts for I would get additional business from those same clients ( floor waxing ).
I accepted some of these contracts since they are only required to offer you the amount of cleaning business you purchased (with the franchise cost ). If you don’t accept the accounts they are not required to offer you anymore.
Once I started working accounts, the operations director would go by the account every month to evaluate the franchisee’s performance. He would always find something negative to write about to justify taking the account away from the franchisee and reselling it to a new franchisee. So the franchisee ends up losing the original franchise fee and whatever fee he paid for the accounts he was working at hardly no profit.
I later learned this type of scam preys on people who have never been in business for themselves – so trust the Franchisor. If anyone is looking into purchasing this type of franchise, do yourself a favor and run a Google or Yahoo search on Jani-King. They have had numerous lawsuits and government complaints. I lost all my savings, but hopefully others can learn from my mistake.
85 days ago, Rickety Rabbit responded:
Almost the same thing happend to me in Boston. I bought a Jani King franchise in 2006. I paid $15, 000 for $4000 per month in business. Minus the 22% Jani- King takes off the top. With what is left I pay for labor, chemicals, and equipment.
Jani King has it so they do not have to provide you with the $4000 per month in business, they only need OFFER it to you. If you refuse it, that’s it. They don’t owe it to you any longer. You had your chance. But here is what they do. They underbid the account by hundreds of dollars. They make false promises to the business owner, and do not tell the franchise owner about it. When the business owner cancels because the promises are not met, the franchise owner is left to make a decision. Take care of the promises never mentioned to you ( such as delivering the newspaper ever morning, or a free strip and wax every month) both are actual cases, and both would have put me in the negative for profit.
So I was forced to give it up. No fault of mine. Also the account is not supposed to cancel before one year. If they do Jani King promises to file suit with a killer legal team. Which they must have because they are still in business. However they only use it to defend itself from angry franchise owners.
They purposely offer you accounts that are way underbid, or too far away. When you deny them, they no longer owe you the account. If I could do it all over again I would invest in real estate on Venus before having to deal with this again.
One last thing. I placed over 40 calls per month to the district manager for four months straight. Not one call answered not one call returned. I had to buy an existing franchise that was already working with history in order to pay the bills while waiting for my $4000 in business. Now I am about to lose those accounts to under bidders. Can you believe that? In this economy there are those worse then Jani King that UNDERBID them. Sorry. Very sorry.
ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE JANI-KING FRANCHISE? WHAT DO YOU THINK? SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.
Recent developments have left franchisees worried and uncertain about their futures. To advocate for greater…
The Building Kidz Worldwide franchise is an opportunity to own a preschool & childcare center…
PAINT NAIL BAR has undergone some significant changes since franchisees contacted us with their complaints,…
U.S. Veterans magazine has removed JDog Brands as its #1 "Best Franchises for Veterans" list.…
More than 400 Veterans & military families who invested in JDog Brands franchises have failed,…
Genevieve McDaniel is a former franchisee turned franchise researcher, franchisee advocate, advisor and fiercely honest…
View Comments
Jerry writes "No argument from me, IF this happened..."
No, I'm sure they made it up, Jerry. This story is 5 years old and the same story has been retold over and over by dozens of hardworking immigrants preyed on by the unscrupulous scammers you make excuses for on a daily basis.
"IF this happened"? Give me a break.
Janiking seems to be ripping of alot of people here in USA and also in the UK. There is a UK blog http://www.able2know.com in that blog you can read some of the Horror stories of how janiking rips-off people. However I liked what someone posted and decided to share it with all of you. Basicaly its about people coming together and taking ACTION!
http://able2know.org/topic/40641-6
There was a group called the Cleanup group in 1999. Started by a franchisee, who got in touch with as many other franchisees as possible, from the list provided in due diligence, who then, in turn, contacted all the franchisees they knew and held meetings in Tamworth. Franchisees came from all over the country, also Scotland. They all decided to go collectively to the press. There was a massive campaign by the Daily Mirror's SORTED page by Andrew Penman, even the Times carried the story, he was hated by J.K. J.K. met with the representatives of the Cleanup group, gave the leaders top jobs, changed their ways for a couple of years then went back to normal after riding out the storm.
Maybe it is time for another Cleanup Group
There was also a good solicitor called Douglas Jones Mercer at
I do not know if they still practice but it would be worth a try.
Good Luck!
URL: http://able2know.org/topic/40641-6
Guest/SEIU: Yes, it's been told over and over. You know why, because people like you and the attorneys attempting to make a profit continually "churn" the same GARBAGE day in and day out. It goes back to the "Charge". It doesn't matter what the TRUTH is, it's the seriousness of the CHARGE. This is right out of the union play book and is in the 1st chapter, 1st verse of the Karl Marx handbook of how to "topple" a FREE SOCIETY.
SEIU (formally known as guest) has a very vested interest in the outcome of the lawsuits. That's why they are financing and paying for all of the attorneys currently engaged in the Class Action suits. You say you can't believe that, REALLY! How about the recent "election" in Arkansas. Though I am certainly not a Blanche Lincoln supporter, look at what the SEIU did or tried to do in that state.
Yes, believe it, they are the one's footing the bill. WHY? Because they believe that regardless of the outcome they can continue to Grow their ranks either by forcing the "national companies" to negotiate with them or by making a "peace offering" to the "big 3" to the tune of allowing unionized workers in at least the larger facilities/contracts that they have. You see, here in Indianapolis and in other cities where "Janitors for Justice" supposidly worked, the building owners/managers have started replacing those "signature companies" with owner/operator companies at an alarming rate!!!
Now, Unions have their place in our society, they even have some GOOD THOUGHTS from time to time, but most Unions aren't run by the actual members, the one's actually paying the dues, they are run by people such as SEIU here, they are communist supporting, marxist believing, socialist dreaming, Progressive Thinking, Idealogues whose only objective is to make their pockets bigger and YOURS and MINE smaller.
1st amendment: Didn't mean to leave you out of the conversation, but I would actually agree and welcome something similar to happen in regards to an "oversite group" for franchise owners. WAIT A SECOND, I actually proposed that very Same Thing!!!!!!!!
Here's a FOOD for THOUGHT, maybe that's the way it should be done, reasonable people, talking in a reasonable manner, working things out in a reasonable way.
But I know, it won't happen. I'm not blaming anyone, not even 1st amendment (I will always continue to blame SEIU though and the attorneys taking SEIU's money, which by the way is union dues money, someone should launch an investigation on why Union Leaders get to take Union Dues and use it for political and non-sensical ways) unfortunately we live in a Day and Society that can't see past, over, through the attorneys!!!!! Everyone does everything they can not to get sued, and yet, that's usually what happens.
Only way to STOP this nonsense on both SIDES of the Issue, is to get the ATTORNEYS out of the middle. Both are liars, both spew garbage, both have agendas that are unproductive. By Both, I mean the franchise supported attorneys and the SEIU, 1st amendment, "aiwah" attorneys.
HOLLER!!!!! If you wish they could plug the hole in the Gulf with Attorneys!!!!!!!
"Maybe it is time for another Cleanup Group"
Great point, 1st Amendment. We need a "Cleanup Group" run by people who are so crazy passionate that they won't be diverted by bribes, cushy jobs, threats, intimidation or be worn down by those who will attack their integrity, intelligence, business judgement, or ethnic background the way Flip-Flopper Jerry does.
There is big money at stake and these companies spend millions advertising and scamvertising their indentured servant programs dressed up like business ownership. The scam continues because they know their victims are poor and do not have the resources to fight back. But corrupt regimes can be toppled by passionate rebels by using guerilla tactics, outsmarting rather than outspending.
SEIU: Wow, Ididn't know that these companies had millions and millions of dollars to spend on advertising, lawyers, meals, lawyers, planes, lawyers, equipment, lawyers. Did I forget to mention that they spend millions of dollars on lawyers?
How about you and your organization SEIU? What do you spend millions of hard earned union dues on? Elections, ACORN, Lawsuits against Jan-Pro, Jani-King, Coverall. At least the "big 3" are using profits to pay for their issues, YOUR stealing from Union Members, Union Dues that are supposed to be spent for specific purposes. Is there really in difference between YOU and the MOB?
SEIU: Did you at least "pucker" first before you kissed 1st amendment as he bent over? So why the change of tactics? Could it be the "legal run" is about to end, could it be that the SEIU as a body has decided not to pay attorneys fees any more? Could it be the typical "cut and run" tactics of Unions as a whole? Why don't you praise "Janitors for Justice" any more?
Come on SEIU (formally known as guest) why don't you answer some questions for a change? Awful Funny, such a smart, brillant thinker, arrogant bastard such as yourself should have some answers for a "simpleton" such as me.
Now its funny as to why you can't deny anything that I stated earlier in my posts about your ties to the SEIU, what PROGRESSIVES think, What racism really is, Why you think the way that you do, Why you "diss" people who you deem "inferior", you know What Stalin, Lenin and others have done with inferior people, those are your hero's they were as arrogant as you are!!!
To jerry who said that he is an insider with jan-pro
Jerry you liar. This is the second time you say that you are leaving for ever and not posting ever again. You threw a tantrum last week and said that you would not be coming back. Now you know why I call you a snot nose Hipotric little monkey.
You said that you would never be coming back. You said that you would never post again. You said that we would not see you here again. Liar, Liar, Liar. How many more lies have you told us and how many more will you tell us.
You are not a man of your word you are only a screaming little monkey.
Twice you said that you would not be coming back and here you are again.
The word out in the street is that the check that the franchisor gave you BOUNCED! Just like the ladies who came out on Telemundo who got a Bounced check from jan-pro. So you had to threaten them by coming in here and saying that you would not be posting anymore and that you would be gone forever. I guess the franchisor finally relented and paid you cash to come in here and post your monkey dung once again.
1st amendment: You don't read much do you? I pointed out perfectly that after I recieved my latest check from the "big 3" I had just enough money in my pocket to go out and get a twelve pack of my favorite adult beverage! Now after downing the entire twelve pack, I was able to come in here and make mince meat out of you and SEIU once again.
Now my TELEMINDO reference for the day revolved around their "cracker jack" investigative reporter finding out that Your attorney's were being paid for/by SEIU (no not the one formally known as "guest") the actual Union itself.
By the way, does anyone else think it's weird that the "founder" of the SEIU has stepped down amid several scandals recently? One of those scandals envolved the recent spending of millions of dollars of union collected dues on an election in Arkansas. Also, they continue to spend millions of dollars on these "lawsuits" against the "big 3". Could it be that the "rank and file" members are wanting their Union Back? Also, another Question? How did a white woman become President of the SEIU. I thought this was a Union represented by its "body of members". I'm sorry, I know I don't go to SEIU meetings, but I got to believe that White Women are not the majority of members in the SEIU. Got nothing against White Women mind you, just looking at the numbers.
1st amendment, could you go and do some racial profiling as you have done with your "callers". Find out for us what % of White Women are actual members of the SEIU.
Jerry:
What is your level of formal education? You obviously weren't "college material," but did you finish high school? GED? 8th grade?
There's nothing wrong with the school of hard knocks. Some of the wealthiest men in America are dropouts, so be honest.