One reason companies do not allocate much of their annual budget to cleaning or hiring third-party Janitorial Service Providers (JSP) is the negative experiences with previous JSP. The general thinking across industries is that most JSP will charm their way into getting a contract and then not live up to the agreed-upon expectations. This behavior puts clients on edge every time a JSP reaches out to them, often undermining the value a cleaning company brings. This may explain why most JSP develop strained relationships with their commercial clients in as little as three months after taking on a new account. It is not what the new JSP has done but rather what the previous JSP did or did not do. This article highlights five (5) reasons why commercial clients keep firing their JSP.
Lack of Communication:
Most commercial clients become disenfranchised with their JSP because of a lack of communication or a communication system. Breakdowns in communication lead to unsatisfactory work and eventually a disgruntled client. To an extent, this breakdown may affect the work of the onsite cleaning teams because they may exert energy doing something that may not even be necessary. Some of the reasons for the communication breakdown include 1. Language barriers between a JSP and their onsite cleaning team, primarily when janitorial work is subcontracted; 2. Lack of proper communication channels between all concerned parties, and 3. The JSP is overwhelmed with new clients and has poor management, resulting in forgetfulness or ignoring issues of importance.
Inconsistent Cleaners
Not having a consistent and dedicated onsite cleaning team can be a big turn-off for commercial clients. The relationship between a JSP and its clients must first be based on trust, and when there is an increase in turnover for the onsite cleaning team, it translates as poor management and lack of commitment on the part of the JSP. Another benefit to sustaining committed and dedicated onsite cleaners is boosting team morale. Having consistent janitorial staff may also help maintain the quality of the cleaning as opposed to having new staff who may take longer to be familiar with the space. Having inconsistent cleaners may cause a drop in cleaning quality and further strain the client-JSP relationship.
Not Being Proactive
Commercial clients do not want the added weight of managing their staff and the JSP. The ideal JSP is proactive about its service and consistently engages its clients and staff to provide an optimal cleaning experience. By being proactive, you are allowing the commercial client to maximize their time and increase their productivity. The opposite will happen if the JSP only reacts to complaints and client dissatisfaction. Being proactive also communicates a personal commitment to providing excellent janitorial service, which eventually builds trust for the client.
Lack of Quality Assurance System
Quality assurance (QA) helps measure the quality of service being rendered, in this case, janitorial service. A quality assurance program ensures that all aspects of the janitorial program work as expected. Not having intelligent QA leads to a drop in quality cleaning, untrained staff, and unhappy customers. Quality Assurance programs ensure that team continues to receive classroom and on-the-job training, assess for client satisfaction, and identify effective ways to resolve outstanding problems whiles mitigating new ones. Furthermore, onsite cleaning teams can provide feed through proper communication channels to their superiors regarding areas or aspects of cleaning which needs to be addressed.
Not Cleaning to Customer Satisfaction
Janitorial service providers must always ensure they clean to the customer's satisfaction. Janitorial service providers are fond of trying to tell the customer what needs to be cleaned or what needs to be done. It is always important to remember that the customer is the one who pays, and as such, the output of the cleaning must consistently meet their standard.
Resources:
Here are additional resources for you to increase your janitorial knowledge further and stay updated on new trends in facility maintenance.
Distinct Cleaning News and Media Post: Easy to read blog articles on various topics and trends in the commercial janitorial space.
Janitorial Work and Tutorial Videos: Quick cleaning tutorial and before and after videos intended to give the audience a glimpse into various janitorial works.
Janitorial Business Hub: This is an excellent place for anyone who has a regular job yet wants to start their own janitorial business. You can find coaching and other strategic opportunities available.
