Going BEYOND providing solutions

The next step after providing solutions in the cleaning industry is increasing the focus on practicable approaches. These ‘practicable approaches’ include:
• value adding,
• improving the environmental credentials of buildings and facilities,
• ongoing asset protection,
• strategic partnerships between washroom solution providers and cleaning companies, and
• increasing the knowledge base and professionalism of sales people, operations managers, technicians, and cleaning staff.
In an interesting article in the March/April 2018 edition of Inclean Magazine, Anthony LeBransky from HB’s Consulting Group argues that the misguided focus on costs and bottom line rather than providing solutions meant that cleaning companies have earned a reputation for order taking and slipping into maintenance mode.
He goes on to identify some of the alarming trends he has observed over time as a tender consultant that has seen the focus shift from best to cheapest service provider.
The article expands on providing solutions in the cleaning industry. However, to provide a “long term transparent service outcome, that is in the client’s best interest, while delivered in a profitable and compliant manner” as LeBransky puts it, a service provider must go beyond the present and provide proven methods that will produce both long-term benefits and increase revenue.
As an example, during the last drought, a great many waterless urinals were installed in new buildings as well as retro-fitted in existing washrooms without an integrated process that included a long-term, sustainable cleaning approach. The result was smelly washrooms, and a mounting maintenance bill due to blocked plumbing. As a result, there were many instances of waterless urinals being removed once the drought broke. All that facilities managers had to do was to change the cleaning regime and deliver ‘practicable approaches’. Even today, facilities managers are considering removing waterless urinals.
Only when every person involved in the cleaning industry, from management down to the service staff, shifts their focus from maintenance to putting themselves in the position of their client, and are suitably resourced to provide every one of the ‘practicable approaches’ above, will they be able to retain existing customers, gain new ones, while improving the bottom line.