Developing a Commercial Janitorial Budget & Understanding the Importance of Janitorial Production Rates

Let’s get this out there: commercial janitorial work is not complex. As such, it would stand to reason that purchasing commercial janitorial services would be very simple: call a few vendors, ask for “quotes”, and pick the least expensive. Simple, right? Well, maybe not. In this article, we discuss janitorial production rates and their impact on setting your janitorial budget. The 800-Pound Gorilla: Labor Costs As mentioned in previous posts, the cost of direct labor, or wages, accounts for 75-80% of most janitorial budgets. Furthermore, by adding in the cost of labor related items like payroll taxes, benefits, uniforms, and…

COVID Cleaning Services: 6 Most Commonly Asked COVID-19 Commercial Cleaning Questions

By now you have probably heard just about everything there is to hear about COVID-19. It is a subject that is difficult to avoid. Since the outbreak, the gathering of information surrounding what you should do to keep your facility safe has been a bit like drinking from the proverbial fire hose! The commercial cleaning industry has tried very hard to stay in front of this issue, but the facts seem to be a bit of a moving target. To make matters worse, there has been an influx of market participants making unrealistic claims or simply profiting at the expense…

What To Expect From Your Janitorial Service Post-COVID-19

The Janitorial Service industry was largely considered an afterthought prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, these commercial janitorial services serve a vital role in keeping facilities safe for employees, students, patients, customers, and other types of visitors. As such, you should expect the relationship between your organization and your custodial services team to change. In this article, we will discuss expectations surrounding cleaning and disinfecting your facility, and expectations from and for your cleaning team. 1. Cleanliness Now Equates to Safety Employees, patients, students, and other visitors to your facility will have high expectations surrounding the cleanliness of your facility. A…

Changing Janitorial Service Providers: 3 Tips to Ease the Transition

There are a variety of reasons why you may find it necessary to make a change in custodial vendors. Unfortunately, the most common reason for change tends to be poor performance. One of the questions that I am asked most often during the sales process is: “How long will it take your company to get started cleaning our facility?” The short answer is: 30 days. During this 30-day period your new cleaning vendor will be performing two very important start-up processes. Process #1 – Building the Team There is a common misconception that companies in our industry have a…

Commercial Cleaning & Janitorial Considerations Regarding COVID-19

As I write this, information is changing minute-by-minute. For very good reasons, there is a sea of data surrounding proper cleaning and disinfecting protocols during this crisis. The purpose of this document is to provide some very practical information for the present and future. Differences Between Cleaning & Disinfecting In a few words – cleaning removes germs, disinfecting kills germs Cleaning works by using a detergent and water to physically remove germs from surfaces. This process does not necessarily kill germs, but by removing them, it lowers their numbers and the risk of spreading infection. Disinfecting works by using chemicals…

A Message Regarding COVID-19

We know many of you are concerned about the new human coronavirus COVID-19 and how it may impact your employees and your facilities. For the past 35 years, our company has worked hard to provide clean and healthy environments for our customers and their work homes. Like you, we are staying very close to the emerging details of this specific coronavirus and the best methods to combat it. Currently, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has not officially recommended additional disinfection beyond routine cleaning. The good news is that, if additional disinfection is part of the approach in a facility,…

“When Can You Get Started?”: Custodial Startup Truths and How to Avoid Running Out of Toilet Paper

When a prospective client reaches out to us, they are generally not pleased with their current cleaning company. After patiently listening to our “why we think we would be a great partner for your custodial needs” spiel, most prospective customers promptly ask 2 questions: Click here if you would like information on the first question. The purpose of this article is to focus on the second question. “Leaving on That Midnight Train to Georgia” Here’s a common scenario: Facility Manager: “Look Bob, you know that we’ve discussed these issues several times a week for the last 6 months, but we…

Starbucks Coffee & Janitorial Services: Asking the Right Questions to Get What Matters Most

The means-end theory maintains that the way buyers relate to products can be represented by a hierarchy of connected levels of value – (1) product or service attributes, (2) functional and physiological consequences of use, and (3) desired end states. In other words, product or service attributes are simply a means to accomplishing an end, with the “end” being product or service use consequences, and ultimately, higher emotional value derived from the product or service. Consider the following Starbucks example: The above “value chain” answers the question – “Why would anyone pay twice as much for a cup of coffee at Starbucks?”…

Four Steps in Finding Janitorial Services That Are Right For You

Not being able to find the right janitorial services can evoke frustration. Much like when buying a new car, you must understand what you need to look for and to know the right steps to take. Several weeks ago, my daughter–a recent college graduate–was in the market for a new car. When she asked for my help in this process, my first two questions were: “how much money do you have to spend?” and “what type of car are you looking for?” The answers to these questions set us on a path toward finding what would best fit her needs.…

Is Your Current Commercial Cleaning Service Getting the Job Done?

For people trying to find the right commercial cleaning service for their building, the most common refrain we hear is “It’s pretty simple, we just want our building to be clean.” These prospective customers we talked to have tried multiple cleaning vendors and/or have tried using an in-house team that continue to give them frustrating results. While cleaning a building is not overly complex, keeping a facility looking and feeling clean on a consistent basis for a prolonged period requires sound processes, diligence, oversight, and collaboration. What is “clean”? But there is a bigger issue here – “what is clean?”. …