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Introducing The Happy Cleaner Blog!

We recently conducted a survey of all our newsletter subscribers to find out more information about how they're handling Human Resources issues. Some of you might have taken the survey and we'd like to thank you!

We received a lot of feedback asking for more specific information on these issues so we've created a blog specifically for cleaning company owners who would like more support and information on this topic.

Please head over and visit the new blog to see the survey results. And be sure to sign up for email updates!

The Happy Cleaner Blog

Are Your Cleaning Supervisors Too "Nit-Picky"?

A cleaning business owner is having a supervisor problem.

"We have a supervisor that the employees say is toooo nit picky. He takes the job personally and gets upset about little issues. He inspects all day long and the employees feel he is being petty."

The following advice was offered:

Have you done any follow up on the employees who are doing the complaining? I would inspect their work myself and then check your supervisor's reports. If there is consistency with what you're observing and what your supervisor is observing then you've likely got a problem with the employee.

One thing you also need to keep in mind with supervisors is that they sometimes get so wrapped up in looking for things that got missed that they forget to look at the big picture and look for the positive things that are going on. People get tired of always being told they're doing things wrong. Eventually their morale goes down and they just don't care any more. Make it a point to remind your supervisors to give as many compliments as criticisms. In fact, I would make it a rule that for every negative, give two positives.

I would also watch your supervisors to see how they talk to the employees. Are they approaching them, telling them everything they do wrong and then leave? It's better to approach the employee and say something like, "Hi Sue, you do such a good job on the restroom cleaning, but there's just one thing I've noticed that you often forget to do. Please watch the spots that appear on the lower part of the mirror. When people wash their hands, water always splashes up. Sometimes you need to bend down and look at that area to actually see the spots. Mrs. Smith, the building manager mentioned this to me so I'd appreciate it if you'd keep a closer eye on that."

Here is some additional comments from another cleaning business owner:

Hummmmm, my first thought was - "isn't it his job to be picky?!?" I mean after all.... I expect that my supervisors be as picky if not more than my most picky customer. If they are anything less, then they are not doing their job properly.

Btw - my second thought was "So are the persons who are crying loudest about the supervisor being picky the same persons who he is asking to correct problems?" If so there in lies the problem As long as you are clear about your required/ desired results then allow him to do his job and back him up. 

Care to offer your opinion? Click on the Comments link below to add your thoughts.

Cleaning Business Owners - Are You Happy?

This week I had the privilege of seeing Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos talk about his company's culture and how Zappos became famous world-wide for providing a memorable customer experience through customer service.

But it was the end of his presentation that really caught my attention. Here he talked about what makes us happy, and it occurred to me that most of us are chasing carrots. You know what I mean -- dangling the carrot in front of the horse's nose so he's always focused on chasing immediate gratification. 

Tony calls this type of happiness Rock Star (always chasing the next high). If you're a cleaning business owner it might be something like, "if only I could make a half a million in sales I'd be happy, (or a million, or whatever that  number is for you). Or "when I achieve _____, I will be happy". But are you really happy when you've reached that goal? Or are you now on to the next carrot?

The next stage of happiness is called Flow (engagement - time flies). During this stage of happiness you are more engaged in what you are doing and time just seems to fly by. Isn't it fun when business is booming and cash is flowing into the company? Yes, you're happier, but not quite there yet. Suddenly you need to hire more people to handle the extra business and the quality of work starts to slip... Is happiness only fleeting?

The third stage of happiness is called Meaning/Higher Purpose (being part of something bigger than yourself). Ahh, now it's starting to make sense! When have you truly felt happy in your life? Was it when you did something that had meaning or a higher purpose than your own self-gratification? Is it any wonder that people who do charitable work seem so happy? It's no coincidence.

Tony Tsieh discovered that when he defined his company values and culture, it translated into happy employees and customer satisfaction. Suddenly he was a part of something bigger than himself. If you could create your own company culture and transform it into something bigger than yourself, would it make you happy?

Share your thoughts by clicking on the Comments link below.

Should You Hire Experienced Cleaners?

"I've got 10 years of cleaning experience" said the applicant.

"Wow, 10 years - just what I'd hoped for. Now I don't have to spend so much time training!" thought the supervisor.

Have you ever thought this way when hiring cleaning staff? In theory it sounds great -- lots of experience means they know the ropes, right? All you need to do is show them around, show them how to run the vacuum cleaner and let them run off and do their thing.

If you've been in the cleaning industry for any length of time however, you've probably had a slightly different experience with "experienced" cleaners. Here are some drawbacks:

1. We assume that since they've got experience, they actually know what they're doing. But what most employers find is that they either exaggerate their experience or their training has been so poor that they're not doing things correctly or safely. I can't tell you how many people have told us they have experience stripping and waxing floors, but ended up taking so many short cuts that the job had to be re-done, costing us precious profit.

2. If they've worked for the same cleaning company for most of those years, they're probably pretty set in their ways. Some people feel that since they've been cleaning for so long they don't need anyone telling them how to clean - even if their new employer has different procedures that will save time and money.

3. If they've worked at several different cleaning companies for many years, it's a red flag for you that they'll eventually leave your company as well. When people work for many cleaning companies they've either been fired for poor performance or quit because they're not happy wherever they go.

I'm not saying you should NEVER hire experienced workers because you can often times find a gem among the rocks. Just interview them very closely, ask lots of probing questions and check references.

The advantage of hiring inexperienced cleaners is that they are much more open and willing to learn new skills and are generally very trainable. You want to be able to train your employees to do things YOUR way and using YOUR systems.

Do you hire experienced cleaners? Why or why not? Post your comments by clicking on the Comments link below.

Do Your Cleaners See Things Through Your Customers' Eyes?

To some employees, janitorial work is just a job. They know they have to empty the trash, do some dusting, clean the kitchen and bathrooms and vacuum the floor. But are they really seeing the "big picture" when they're finished cleaning?

When your customers come to work in the morning, the first thing they see is the front door. As they approach the door, they're also observing the surroundings. What are they seeing? Dirt and debris along the corners and edges of the entry, and on the window sills? Cobwebs around the door frame? What about the door itself - is it sparkling clean and free of fingerprints?

Now they enter the office, where there is usually a reception area. Perhaps there are some chairs and a coffee table with brochures and magazines. Are the magazines neatly arranged and the brochures tucked in their holder? Is the entry mat vacuumed, free of sand and leaves?

Your customers are paying attention to the details, and if the details aren't taken care of, they assume the rest of the cleaning must be sub-par too. When training your employees, make sure they pay attention to the details that are important to your customer and that they see the office through your customers' eyes.

Do You Train Your Cleaning Employees On How To Provide Good Customer Service?

Do you pride yourself on excellent customer service in your cleaning business? How does it make you feel when you have an unhappy customer who is telling others how displeased they are with your service?

We all know that one unhappy customer can tell just a few people how displeased they are with a vendor and suddenly the word is spreading like wildfire. And when you add social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook into the mix, their dissatisfaction can be multiplied tenfold as they rant about their experience. And unfortunately, only their side of the story is being heard.

Most loyal customers will forgive a mistake if you work quickly to make it right. But if you repeat the mistake or don't respond with urgency, they'll just as quickly take their business elsewhere. Since the cost of gaining a new customer is about ten times the cost of retaining an existing customer, it's more important than ever to keep your customers loyal to you. One way to do that is to make sure all your employees are: 1) trained on cleaning procedures, and 2) trained on your expectations for providing good customer service.

You and your employees need to keep in mind that the customer sees each of you as "ABC Cleaning Company". For them, there is no distinction between owner and employee, and they don't care who solves the problem as long as it's taken care of right away and to their satisfaction. So sending the customer from person to person because "it's not my responsibility" is not acceptable. 

Emphasize the type of behavior that keeps your customers loyal, always stressing a smiling, positive attitude. In general, most customers want a staff that is knowledgeable and helpful. This means your employees must not only know cleaning procedures, but they must also know services offered, and your company policies too.Customers also want a cleaning service that is convenient, flexible, and gives help when they need it. 

When you train your employees on your customer service expectations, you may soon find loyal customers who tell all their friends about the GREAT customer service you provide. Once you've achieved this milestone, you'll be well on your way to a growing, successful cleaning business!

Be a Magnetic Employer: How to Attract and Keep Employees

The following article by Jean Hanson, Co-Founder of TheJanitorialStore.com and MyHouseCleaningBiz.com, appeared in the June issue of Services Magazine, the official magazine for the building service contracting industry and the BSCAI.

Be a Magnetic Employer: How to Attract and Keep Employees

As cleaning business owners and managers, we want to attract dependable, productive and motivated employees. But too often we waste time, money and energy hiring a “warm body” instead of figuring
out how to use our own company’s magnetism to attract the right people.

To do that, we need to ask ourselves what makes us magnetic as employers and as individuals. With that information, we can market those attributes when recruiting new employees.

Are You Magnetic?
The easiest way to find out if your organization is “magnetic” is to answer the following questions...

Read the rest of the article here (scroll down to page 30):
http://www.servicesmag.org/pdfs/issues/Svcs_June09_LR.pdf

What makes YOU a magnetic employer? Post your thoughts by clicking on the Comments link below.

Do Your Cleaning Employees Really Leave For More Money?

Most people are under the assumption that cleaning employees generally quit for more money. The reality is, most employees leave because of poor training, poor management and lack of opportunities.

It all starts with the orientation and initial training. New employees form opinions of your company quickly, so first impressions do count. When you do an orientation are you having them fill out the required paperwork, telling them when pay day is and when to report to work? What about welcoming them into the "family" and training?

• A good orientation should contain the following:
• Required paperwork.
• Comprehensive job description that outlines job duties, responsibilities and expectations.
• Employee handbook or company policy manual that contains company information, company policies, and employee benefits.
• Introduction to supervisor and other employees.
• Training manual and safety training

Now that the employee has been welcomed and given the information and tools they need to become successful, don't just leave them on their own to fend for themselves. Proper training also includes on the job training and follow up on a regular basis.

Taking the extra time to train your employees properly is a very important step in the success of their performance and happiness while working for your cleaning company. And when your employees are happy and successful, chances are your business will succeed as well.

Do You Make a Good Leader For Your Cleaning Company?

When you own a cleaning company, its success will partially depend on your ability to lead your employees. In order to be a good leader you must possess certain qualities. Some of these qualities may come naturally to you and some you may have to work on. So what makes a good leader?

1. Communication skills. If you don't communicate well with your employees you'll struggle with everything from training to giving feedback to complimenting a job well done.   
2. Integrity. Good leaders are honest, they hold themselves and others to a higher standard, and they're trustworthy. People like to follow leaders with integrity.  
3. Enthusiasm. You as the leader of your team needs to be enthusiastic about your business and the services you provide. After all, if YOU are not enthusiastic about the business, why should your employees be? When you lead with enthusiasm you inspire your employees to become better at what they do. 
4. Responsibility. A good leader takes responsibility for his/her own actions and those of the team. Being responsible means you don't point fingers. Instead you take time to solve the problem with your employee(s) and then work on additional training. 
5. Confidence. A good leader is confident in his or her ability to lead, which is important because you must believe in yourself in order to get through the difficult times. Being confident does not mean being boastful or egotistical though. Rather, it means confidently leading with humility.
6. Accepts change. Change is inevitable and the best leaders accept this and embrace change. Then they find the best ways to introduce change to their employees in order to make a smooth transition.

There are other qualities that make a good leader. Please add your thoughts to the list. Click on the Comments link below to post your ideas.

Ideas for Employee Incentives

A cleaning business owner is looking for ideas on employee incentives for things like no complaints and referring new clients.

A couple business owners shared the following ideas:

1. Cash incentives
2. Gift cards to local stores like Walmart, Target, or food chains.
3. Paid time off.
4. If you can show them how, by bringing in new business and by being complaint free the business can grow and everyone benefits, you will develop a team spirit in the company. They have to see how it affects them in their paychecks when there is lots of new business and happy customers. They can then get raises, new equipment, etc and everyone benefits. Maybe even a "company party" or lunch you supply when they reach a certain number of new accounts or go for a period of time complaint free.
5. We give a "Star-performance card" when positive feedback comes in, and when a phone call comes in that's positive we often attach a "Happy Card" (a gift card of a small amount, maybe $10 at Wal-Mart). It's an unexpected surprise.
6. We bonus generously when an employee refers a new client to us. So, if the client uses us three times, the employee gets $100! We give them business cards to pass out when neighbors come a knockin'.

What incentives do YOU offer your employees? Click on the Comments link below to share your ideas.