It shouldn’t be surprising that customers both on the B2C and B2B side want to do business with reputable organizations. And first impressions are critical. In the online business world, your customers are looking at your website and are judging you on its appearance. As this article by Prolific Marketing states, if someone needs to find information, they are most likely turning to the internet to find it. When they search for something you offer or specifically for your business, you want to show up- and not just show up- but show up and look good.
And that isn’t at all different than the expectations that your customers have when coming into your business or showroom. That need for cleanliness and a professional appearance starts before your customer even walks in the door. No one wants to walk into a business that has trash laying on the ground outside, has dirty windows, or a building that is in need of significant repair. An overflowing garbage can, a dirty welcome mat, gum stuck to the sidewalk, or flowers wilting or starving for water or weeding in outdoor pots will leave a poor impression too.
The Mickey Mouse Club
Consider Disney for a moment (we all love Mickey, right)? Disneyland and Walt Disney World are known to be the cleanest amusement parks in the world. This is no easy feat. Disney has invested significantly in developing guidelines and expectations for how they want their parks to look and operate. In a bold move just over a decade ago, Disney made the decision to outsource their cleaning operations to professional janitorial staff. At the time, Disney’s spokesperson Jacquee Polak went on record to say, “We’re continuing to look for new ways to streamline the operation and looking for more ways to be effective and efficient in running our business, and at the same time maintaining the high standards we have set for guest services and general operations.” Quite simply, Disney knew that outsourcing their cleaning needs to professional janitorial staff would ultimately boost their ROI (return on investment).
Once customers are inside your place of business, their expectations will continue, and maintenance of your facility is critical. High-quality industrial cleaning services are imperative to help your company and will definitely boost ROI.
Key Areas for Cleaning to Boost ROI
Flooring
Dirty, sticky, or wet floors will definitely turn off your customers as well as pose a safety concern. Slip-and-fall fraudsters are well-known for trying to milk companies for insurance payments and these crimes are on the rise. So, make sure your floors are clean and free of obstruction, and ensure your janitorial staff well marks the floors when cleaning during the day, or conducts cleaning services during off-hours for better protection of you and your customers.
Windows
As we shared in this blog post on the BeeHive Cleaning site a couple of years back, your business’s windows are among its most visible features. Routine window washing can help to ensure the longevity and performance of your windows and can save expenses tied to window replacement down the road. In the event that you neglect to clean your windows for too long, you may find that dirt and dust begins to accumulate on the sills and the surface of the glass. When windows are left to be dirty for long periods of time, the performance of their glass and insulation could become compromised.
Bathrooms
Have you ever had to use the restroom when shopping? Of course, you have. But have you ever walked out of a business because the bathrooms were absolutely disgusting? Maybe you haven’t, but other customers have. As we shared in our recent article from March 2019, restrooms generate 80% of all complaints in a commercial facility!
Kitchen
If you are a restaurant operator, we probably don’t even need to tell you how important cleanliness is. George’s BBQ in Indian Head, Maryland was just shut-down in March 2019 due to filthy conditions. This article from January 2019 lists 25 restaurants that were closed after violations. Don’t get on this list; make sure you have solid janitorial services to keep your establishment clean, tidy, and health code-violation free! And if you do get put on this list, we probably won’t be eating there; ever.
Look who’s talking, too
In an era of social media and devices galore, you can guarantee that your customers will talk negatively about you on social channels if they had a bad experience or if your site was dirty. To reinforce the need for clean flooring, a poor review can have a negative impact on your business.
And back to those bathrooms, 94% of U.S. adults said they would avoid a business in the future if they encountered a dirty restroom. Facilities in commercial and retail businesses that look old and poorly cared for can also discourage repeat customer visits.
Think you can do the cleaning yourself? Think again.
If you are thinking of managing your establishment’s cleaning services yourself, there are some critical points that you should consider.
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Do you have the proper equipment on hand for cleaning of the various surfaces and spaces in your business? Are your employees properly trained to use the equipment? As an example, rotary-type floor machines often have a lot of torque that may be unexpected for a novice or someone not properly trained in use.
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Cleaning can be hazardous to the health of employees, especially if they are not familiar with how to use various chemicals and solvents.
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Do you have the proper MSDS (material safety data sheet) documents on file so that you can reference potential hazards tied to that chemical’s use? This is a key requirement for any safety program in your facility.
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What is the opportunity cost of you or your employees doing the cleaning? If you hired your employees for a particular skill, for example, selling on the sales floor, but then expect them to clean too, are you really leveraging their talents? Or what happens if they are busy cleaning and are so focused that they miss a customer that has walked into your department?
Let the professionals do what they do best
It is for these very reasons above that many organizations decide to work with a reputable janitorial service. We all have our specialties and know what we are good at (that’s why Bee Line Support went into business after all). By letting professionals manage your cleaning, your organization will benefit, and your customers will thank you for it by returning over and over to do business with you.
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