For contract cleaning companies office cleaning is the most
competitive market to break into. Some organisations change
their cleaners on a regular basis, every year or some even
every six months because they cannot find a company that will
consistently meet their requirements. What we find is that
these companies do not have a clear indication of what is
expected from the clean. After some time they complain that
standards have fallen.
This phrase ‘standards have fallen’ is oft repeated
by a company representative who is complaining about the cleaning.
So you ask what aspect of the cleaning has or is not being
done. The reply is often along the lines of, well its all
being done but the standard is not what we have come to expect.
So you then ask if they can give specific examples so that
these can be rectified. Answer; ‘not really its just
that standards have fallen’. This is the most frustrating
part if you are the cleaning services company. So you go in
to visit the premises, talk to the company and to the cleaners.
Quite often you can find nothing is actually wrong with the
cleaning and that everything according to the contract is
being fulfilled. This may very well be the beginning of the
process of the company trying to replace you.
Why does this happen? It can happen for a number of reasons,
but the principle reason is that the customers expectations
of the cleaning process is not reflected in the cleaning schedule,
as it changes with time or it may simply be unrealistic and
does not take account of natural deterioration in the building.
For example it may be that some employee has found cup rings
on their desk and complained that these are not being cleaned.
The cleaners when approached about this maintain that they
can never clean that particular desk because it is always
full of documents. Or somebody has moved their workstation
and complained about the amount of fluff and dirt accumulated
around the wiring of their computer. As a result the cleaners
are obviously not doing a good job.
How are these problems overcome? The best way of avoiding
these problems is to carry out a cleaning survey of the premises
in which such details can be highlighted and a possible remedy
suggested. For example desks can be polished on a rota system
and when it is time for a particular block of desks to be polished the individuals whose desks are being done are informed
of the impending clean and instructed to clear their surfaces.
If they do not then they cannot complain if they are not polished.
Having produced a detailed cleaning survey it should then
be possible to sit down with the client and discuss which
parts they would like to take up and which can be ignored.
On this basis a quote can then be provided. Both parties are
then very clear as to the extent and standard of the clean.
So what was subjective before becomes objective and measurable.
The cleaners should know exactly what is expected of them
and the customer should have a more realistic and objective
appraisal of the cleaning. Cleaning surveys carried out correctly
can save you complaints and the potential loss of contracts.
David Andrew Smith is the owner of a cleaning
services company which operates throughout the UK and can
be found at http://www.wesparkle.co.uk
