Ep # 175 - How Bergen Cleaning Solutions Built Loyalty Through Systems, Service, And Care

A clean home can change your whole day, but what if the real value isn’t the shine—it’s the sigh of relief when you walk in the door? We sit down with Brian Aragonez of Bergen Cleaning Solutions to unpack how a neighborhood cleaner became a trusted partner by treating service like hospitality. From Hackensack roots to serving Bergen County and Rockland County, Brian shares why his team doesn’t sell “just cleaning.” They deliver a consistent experience built on structure, communication, and care.

We dig into the playbook: flexible scheduling that fits school runs and work hours, add-ons like laundry folding and pantry organization, and trained teams sized to finish quickly without disrupting family routines. Brian’s corporate background shows up in the best ways—processes, leadership, and accountability that turn quality into a repeatable promise. We also explore eco-friendly, pet- and kid-safe products that keep homes fresh without harsh odors, and how clear communication overcomes the language gaps that often frustrate clients in this industry.

Resilience threads through Brian’s story. He explains how the company supported long-time clients during the 2008 downturn with flexible plans, then navigated a two-month pandemic halt before demand spiked for sanitization and safety. Gloves, procedures, and empathy rebuilt trust and accelerated growth. For founders on the fence, Brian offers Stoic-fueled guidance: start, expect setbacks, learn, and keep moving. What stands in the way becomes the way—and when you put customers first, the market remembers.

If this conversation helps you rethink service, share it with a neighbor who could use a reset at home. Subscribe for more local business stories, leave a quick review to help others find us, and tell us: what turns a good service into a great experience for you?

Bergen Cleaning Solutions
2 University Plaza Dr #100, Hackensack, NJ 07601
(201) 538-0123
bergencleaningsolutions.com

Transcript

Meet Bergen Cleaning Solutions

Intro/Close 0:00

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Doug Drohan.

Doug Drohan 0:10

Hey everyone, welcome to another episode of the Good Neighbor Podcast, brought to you by the Bergen Neighbors Media Group. I am your host, Doug Drohan, and today we are joined by Brian Aragonez from the it's a cleaning company based in Hackensack, uh based in Bergen County, and their name is Bergen Cleaning Solutions. So welcome to the show. Thank you for having me, Doug. So, you know, we um we talked to a lot of business owners from from different walks of life. I had a dentist on earlier today. I had a dentist on yesterday. Um I've had uh you know all different types of entrepreneurs, I guess you could call anyone that owns their own company. So when did you uh you know when did you found the uh Bergen Cleaning Solutions business?

Speaker 1 0:53

Yeah, um a little history about Bergen Cleaning Solutions. Uh uh we started a long time ago in 2004. Okay. But we didn't uh actually incorporate it till uh about I think about five years ago. Um and from there we've been um we've been growing and we've been successful, thank goodness. Yeah, yeah.

Doug Drohan 1:16

I mean 20 something years in a business that's very, very competitive. There's a lot of cleaning companies, you know, home service cleaning companies. How have you guys managed to you know stay in business and not only stay in business, but grow and and thrive?

From Cleaning To Customer Experience

Speaker 1 1:33

That's a great question. Um we uh we see ourselves differently from all other cleaning companies. Okay. Um there are a bunch of cleaning companies uh around our area, not only our area, but all over the all over the country. Yeah. But what separates us really is um, you know, we're we're we we offer uh cleaning, and cleaning is a commodity, but what we really offer to our clients is an experience, an experience that lasts, that lasts uh and that uh that experience that the customers uh that the customers have with us uh keeps them keeps them coming back for more. Uh you know, it's a uh it's an experience, it's not a a cleaning. Uh from the cleaning aspect, we we have so many standards, so many uh rules, regulations that you know our customers uh really uh uh really tend to be with us for a long time.

Doug Drohan 2:38

So uh, you know, I I get my house cleaned every week. Um I don't know if I could call it an experience. So how do you make it an experience for the homeowner?

Tailored Services And Add‑Ons

Speaker 1 2:48

Yeah, so uh for the homeowner, we offer well first and foremost, Bergen Cleaning Solutions is a uh professional, residential, and commercial uh cleaning company. Um and what separates us from you know all other companies is the uh like I said, like the experience. So um we uh offer services, uh we we offer tailored services to our clients. Um but the fact that we offer these uh these services and the way we execute them, when our clients get home, when our client gets home after a long day's work, they come home, they don't have to worry about dishes, they don't worry about cleaning, you know, cleaning stoves, uh countertops, you know, going into a bathroom clean, you know, everything organized, um and uh having even laundry uh done and folded. Our customers uh tend to have a sigh of relief. And when they get home, you know, what do you do once you get home? Um, you know, you tend to relax, you tend to enjoy the environment, and you know, it's a weight off of your shoulders.

Doug Drohan 4:04

I mean, typically uh a house cleaning is they clean your kitchen, bathrooms, you know, living areas, bedrooms. Um, you know, I guess you could ask to do windows or you could ask to clean the fridge out or something like that. But I guess um, you know, most don't do your laundry or organize your pantry. So you're saying that's something that is you could add on uh to your house cleaning?

Speaker 1 4:29

Yeah, those are add-ons, upsells, uh, you know, quest there are clients that uh offer that ask for a variety of things that uh normally we don't offer, but uh when our clients uh request those services, we uh we tend to uh we tend to uh satisfy their uh their needs. So it's like, you know, um uh if there's a uh there's a move out cleaning, if there's a party that's going on, uh if there's a client that refers uh one of their family members or a friend, and they they uh you know they offer uh you know they offer to uh to sponsor a cleaning for their friend or family member. You know, we're always on top of everything and we treat every client as if they were family.

Scheduling, Systems, And Reliability

Doug Drohan 5:17

Okay, yeah, I I think like, you know, having been a customer for a number of different home, you know, residential cleaning companies, I think the uh the biggest thing is convenience for when they come to clean your house and also how many people are on a team. And I'm sure it differs depending on how big the house is. But I used to have someone who came in at like 7:30 in the morning, just when you're getting ready to go to work or go to school, one person should be there for like four or five hours. I mean, that was just like that wasn't really convenient for us. You know, the owner only wanted to bring one person in. I guess he didn't want to pay more people. Uh, but that ended up being, you know, while you're getting in the shower and this person's cleaning the bathroom, you know, that just convenience is one of the things, you know. It has to be, you know, if they're cleaning your house at five o'clock in the afternoon and you're trying to, you know, kids coming home from school or whatever and you're cooking dinner, that's not a good time to be have a team in your kitchen when you're trying to, you know, do things at the end of the day. So, you know, is that part of of what you guys offer in terms of um, you know, scheduling and flexible scheduling?

Corporate Lessons And Building Structure

Speaker 1 6:23

Sure. We uh we offer flexible scheduling. Uh in fact, uh most of our clients um uh they they require us to have flexible uh times and we are able to uh uh service each client with uh with their time schedules. Uh you know, we have clients that are weekly, bi-weekly, and we'll call as well as monthly. So uh we tend to uh put everybody on a schedule. Pretty much it's all about systems, systems and reliability, punctuality, communication, and that's how we uh uh that's how we make that experience for that client um memorable. Right. So that's how that that that's how mainly we operate and makes us different from uh all the other cleaning companies. Got it.

Doug Drohan 7:13

So how did you get into this business? Uh what was your like previous experience?

Speaker 1 7:18

Yeah, um it it's uh um it's pretty interesting. Uh my wife and I, we uh we started this uh this venture uh back in 2004, and like I said, we uh we didn't actually incorporate it until a few years later. Yeah. Um but uh why is that? You just well uh testing it. Uh no, I had a nine to five, and uh she my my wife focused on uh the cleaning. I did uh uh commercial cleaning, uh you know, offices and car dealerships. Uh so um what I did was I worked in corporate private uh before going into business. Yeah, you know, 100%. So one of the things that I noticed uh working in in corporate is uh they had structure, they had systems, they had good leadership, um, and they had a good reputation for it. And in fact, um working in a corporate uh company during a even a down uh market, uh they were able to uh come out of the uh down market, you know, fairly untouched. And um I tended to uh study those uh those habits of uh that company that I worked for. And not only that, but I studied uh what uh the competitors lacked, you know, most uh lacked structure, leadership, accountability, many things that can bring a company down. So what I uh learned in corporate, I applied it to Bergen Cleaning Solutions. Um and from there it just uh it it's grown ever since. So I'm I'm very fortunate to have worked in corporate as well as doing um blue collar work.

Doug Drohan 9:09

Yeah, there's something um, you know, I think it's like the three P's of uh business, it's product, people, and processes. And um, you know, if you don't have uh one of those, you know, working well, then the other two are gonna suffer. Um so I think you know that's something that I think a lot of business, new business owners forget when it comes to process. And certainly uh product, it's not only the product you put out there, but it's it's how you market it. You know, how do how do you find customers to to you know pay for everything that you've uh you know, your inventory and all that? So I find a lot of businesses have a great idea and they launch, but maybe they don't have the processes in place or certainly don't have the marketing in place. Right. So so what did you find like your how how big's your team now? Like how many, like how many, uh I know you guys have like 5,000 clients that you've served over the 20 plus years. Um, like do you have a big team to handle?

Team Size, Training, And Pride In Work

Speaker 1 10:10

Yeah, I mean, we have a with our administrative staff, with our employees that we work for, we have a we p employ about 20 people. Okay. Um and uh we have approximately three teams uh that service uh clients in the Bergen County area as well as Rockland County, New York and the surrounding areas. So uh yeah, we uh uh we not only um have this vision for our clients, but we instill this in our employees as well. It's about people, business is about people, customer service is about people, and we we have trained our employees uh this aspect of the business that customer service is key. Uh and um our we find that our employees have embraced uh this uh uh this vision that we have for our Bergen Cleaning Solutions, and our employees have a uh they they work and they uh have this sort of pride in in their art of work. It's uh it it it it's cleaning, but it it it we tend to make it as an art. And we are fantastically happy with our employees and how they operate and execute uh the cleaning.

Communication And Eco‑Friendly Options

Doug Drohan 11:35

Yeah, and I guess employee like staffing is an issue in your industry because there are a lot of cleaning companies and a lot of people that uh you know start their own businesses and maybe they do the cleaning themselves. But they, you know, one thing I've found too is language barriers. Um whether I had you know someone who spoke Polish or it's Spanish or it's Portuguese, you know, my Spanish isn't very good. Uh I could say a few things, but not I'm not great. So sometimes you have that issue as a um non-Spanish speaking client that the entire team doesn't speak English and you're trying to say something and you you know you know can't get the uh you know, it's lost in translation literally. Right. So um, you know, I think one of the things that I've I've valued with a good cleaning company is the communication part and being able to um, you know, have somebody on the team there that that you can communicate with. Sure. Yeah. So you guys, you guys talk uh also about sustainable, like eco-friendly products. So is everything you use like uh you know, seventh generation and things like that? Like what what makes it eco-friendly and why do you go that route?

Speaker 1 12:47

Sure. Uh we have many customers that uh that request uh eco-friendly services. Uh so everything from not using um uh different products, uh we we use uh products that are you know that are kid friendly, that are uh uh pet friendly as well. Um and uh this is a this is a service that we offer to clients that you know won't want to have you know have them smelling uh you know Clorox, right, right high, uh you know, high many of our clients that request this, they they don't uh they don't want to have the house smelling like that, but have a rather eco-friendly smell and have an have a uh uh eco-friendly environment within their home. And do you guys find those products just as good at cleaning? Sure. Sure, we do. We do. And we haven't had a uh thank goodness we haven't had any complaints, and we strive for excellence uh in servicing our clients, especially especially with the uh eco-friendly uh service that we offer.

Weathering 2008 And COVID

Doug Drohan 14:01

Yeah. So you've been around through the financial crisis in 2008, 2009, you've been through COVID. Um what was you know some of these most challenging parts? Like I think the financial crisis is one thing, but COVID was a whole different ballgame when you couldn't go into the forms. Like what how did you guys like react to that? How did you manage to um stay in business?

Speaker 1 14:28

Yeah, it's a great question. So uh the uh financial crisis uh in 2008 uh you know wasn't pretty for a lot of people. Uh, but you know, we worked with our clients. A lot of our clients have been with us a long time, you know, uh from a few years to 15, 20 years. Um and and we're still servicing today, and we tend to see each client as family. And when things go um go south regarding the market, um, we tend to work with our clients, different payment plans, you know, different uh scheduling in order to keep them uh to keep their business and to uh service them and to bring the peace of mind of having a clean home or business. Right. Um during COVID, it was hard because we everything was at a standstill. We couldn't uh we were stopped for two months.

Doug Drohan 15:23

Oh wow.

Speaker 1 15:24

Um and uh after those two months we uh slowly but surely started going coming out and servicing our clients. You know, we we implemented uh safety protocol, safety procedures, you know. Um well we actually work with uh with you know with uh safety procedures, you know, wearing everything from wearing comf comfortable professional clothing, you know, sneakers, gloves. Um, but COVID really uh you know it it really uh it it hurt it hurt us for the first two months, but then we saw that it quickly picked up because people wanted things clean. They wanted their homes, they wanted their businesses cleaned. So it turned out as something, you know, kind of like um uh, you know, kind of daunting for us. It actually turned around fairly quickly. And we noticed that people started uh calling us back and uh requesting our services again. And you know, we said we followed safety protocols and our customers were happy.

Customer First Mindset And Values

Doug Drohan 16:31

Yeah, I guess that's a good point. I mean, it actually became an opportunity because people wanted their houses disinfected, or maybe somebody just got over COVID and they wanted the place clean. So I I could see that for sure. Yeah, it's interesting, you know, and that's what I found with companies that were uh either born during COVID or you know, before that and and made it out on the other side. There's usually a common thread that runs through all those companies that survived and now thrive. And it was customer service, uh, I think was you know being more customer driven than revenue driven, you know. Right. And uh that is a common theme of a lot of my guests that are successful. It's you know, putting the customer first. And you know, some people play a lot of lip service to that, you know, it's it's a it's a slogan, but it doesn't really mean much in in actuality, especially when times get tough and you gotta, you know, watch the bottom line, so to speak. But I think the people that have done the best for themselves are the ones that do the best for their clients. Would you agree with that? Oh, yeah, 100%. I agree. Yeah. So I always like to ask people also like being a business owner, you know, you you had a nine to five job. Uh, would you ever go back? Would you ever go back to a nine to five job? You know what?

Entrepreneur Advice And Stoic Mindset

Speaker 1 17:47

Um, I actually tried going back just to see how how things would work out. Um, you know, I I I didn't get any callbacks. I didn't uh I wasn't hired, and I knew that um I needed to go along with uh business. This was my uh this was my path, so to speak. This is what I this is what was laid out for me. Uh so um, you know, I don't regret the time that I worked in corporate or or blue-collar jobs because it all helped uh the foundation of burden cleaning solutions.

Doug Drohan 18:22

Yeah. I say that too. You know, I I had two big jobs at uh media companies in the music business and then TV. And uh it, you know, I don't ever want to go back, but it, you know, I'm thankful for having that experience because it made me who I am today. Sure. I feel likewise. You know, I didn't know I'd be the host of a podcast show or publish community magazines. But if you look at when I was in the music industry or when I was in, you know, working with Spongebob or Dora or South Park, it was about stories and brands and fans and connecting people emotionally through stories. And that's what I do now. It's amazing. Um, yeah, it's just a different way of looking at it. And uh that's great. And I I do you have like I hate to put you on the spot, but any advice for a new business, not I'm in the cleaning business, any business that's thinking, you know what, I've always wanted to do this, I don't know, it's never the right time. The economy is this, whatever. What what advice to give to somebody who's like kind of on the fence and thinking about starting their own business?

How To Reach Bergen Cleaning Solutions

Speaker 1 19:30

Sure. Yeah. Um uh I'm I'm reminded of a quote from Marcus Aurelius uh that says, you know, the impediment of action, um the impediment of action uh brings about action. Um I'm sort of uh paraphrasing it, but pretty much what it means is what stands in the way becomes the way. Um and sometimes we're at a crossroad with business where should I do it, should I not do it? Um and I just say, you know what, go ahead and do it. What do you have to lose? You have everything to gain, nothing to lose. Um it's uh you know, you'll be afraid, you'll be you you you'll probably fail. I've failed a lot um to get to where I am, but that's just the cost of success, many failures. Um, you know, so um, you know, when you come across that path, when you come across that crossroads, just keep going forward, keep moving forward, keep pushing forward. Um, and don't look behind. Look what's ahead because what's ahead is a lot greater than what's behind you.

Doug Drohan 20:33

So I pulled up some Marcus Rillies quotes. Um dwell on the beauty of life, watch the stars and see yourself running with them. You have power over your mind, not outside events, realize this and you will find strength. Um waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be, be one. Um yeah, and I mean there's a whole bunch here, but um, yeah, uh, you know, I think a lot of succeeding in business is a mindset um of how you approach failure, how you approach setbacks. And if you ever look at any quotes from anybody, any great athlete, whether it's Michael Jordan or Derek Jeter or whatever, they always talk about failing and you know, just getting yourself up. I think Thomas Edison said the difference between success and failure is trying one more time. One more time. Correct, yeah. I think you see that quote when you go to Newark Airport or uh or the Missouri Terminal. You know, they have that Hall of Fame in New Jersey Hall of Fame, and it's always quotes. But uh yeah, it's it's uh great words to kind of live by, uh, certainly as a business owner and and even in life is in general. Sure. So, Brian, how do people reach you guys? Like if I'm thinking about getting my house cleaned, and you know, how what's the best way to find you? Sure.

Speaker 1 21:48

The best way is to Google us Bergen Cleaning Solutions. Uh if you can Google us, you'll see our Google page. Um, our Google page has a phone number uh as well. Um and while you're looking At our uh Google page, uh you can also uh see the numerous of uh five-star reviews from our clients uh that speak for that that speak for the uh the uh the service that we have provided for them, the five-star service that we provided for them.

Doug Drohan 22:18

That's great. That's great. So why don't you why don't we just get your phone number just to get it out here?

Speaker 1 22:24

Sure. For Bergen Cleaning Solutions, you can reach us at 201-538-0123.

Doug Drohan 22:31

0123, that's great. All right, Brian, thanks very much for being a guest on our show. This this was great. I really appreciate your insight. Thank you, Doug. Thank you for your time. It was wonderful. Yeah, yeah, and bear with us. We're just you and I will be right back.

Intro/Close 22:44

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gmpbergen.com. That's gmpbergen.com or call 201 298 8325.