The Janitors' Closet

An enticing promotion

Our quality control rep noticed and photographed a promotional banner while out visiting clients. (We do at least a monthly daytime inspection of all our clients, in addition to nighttime inspections, during or after the cleaning.  So he'd on the road a lot.)

It advertised free coffee for veterans, and being a Navy vet, he was temped.

But then he reconsidered; he plans to not give the establishment any business for a very long time.  It's a funeral home.

Restroom graffiti

Keeping restroom stalls graffiti free is covered in a perceptive article at CMM.  Of prime importance is the author's call to view the stall from the point of view of the user. 

We train our folks to inspect their own work (as far as is humanely possible).  When you've finished a cleaning job and put away your equipment, pause, put on your other hat and walk through the facility as would my daytime customer service representative, trying to find issues that the client might notice.

Sit down at the reception desk; you'll better see prints on the front door, or the spider web up in the corner.  Same with the boss's office.  In the restrooms, use an ultraviolet light to check for "=bodily fluids still on the wall next to the urinal, or behind the toilet tank.  (Have never been able to figure out how the stuff gets there, but it does.)  Finally, close the partition door and sit down on the toilet.  You'll see the cigarette ash in the little corner ahead of you, next to the partition's side wall.  And you'll see the graffiti, and hand prints, on the inside of the stall door.

A handy piece of advice from the article:

"One of my favorite graffiti prevention hacks is to apply a thin coat of mineral oil on the stalls where people are prone to write with permanent marker or ink. The oil is odorless, clear, and not easily detected by graffiti artists. If someone writes on the oiled surface, a general-purpose cleaner and a microdenier cloth should easily remove it."

One might even draw a bit of philosophy from the thrust of the article.  Don't just strive to view life (as well as restroom partitions) from the perspective of the other; try to walk a mile in his shoes.

 

 

Measuring and progress

Just picked up a copy of Hubbard's How to Measure Anything - Finding the Value of "Intangibles" in Business.  On a quick perusal (the number of unread books on my coffee table precludes anything more at present), the author makes a good case.  Now, to apply it to quality control in janitorial service.

Over the years, I've seen a number of quality and management systems either designed for, or adapted to, what we do - Phoenix commercial cleaning service.  They generally involve some sort of system of rating the job quality at a given time, to establish a baseline, and then some sort of commitment and methodology to improve, and to measure that improvement.  Then, paste a gold star on your forehead (or not).

Problem is, the systems all seem to involve eyeballing portions of the job, and rating them.  If there is no visible dust on baseboards, but perhaps a bit of grit felt by the inquiring finger, you define that as, say, a 90%.  Add in window sills, and phone handsets, and restroom fixtures, and average the results.

Good, as far as it goes.  But eyeballing surfaces for dust, and phone hand sets for grime or mascara, is a bit subjective.  How do you differentiate a 90% from a 95%?  How do you differentiate a good day on the part of the inspector from a bad?  Or glasses that might need cleaning?  Those measurements are the foundation of the system, and the foundation is built on shifting sand.

That's why, in our janitorial Phoenix operation, we measure indoor air quality.  We use a simple, laser based airborne particle counter.  Cost me as much as a used car, but it's a really neat toy.  Central to our commercial cleaning Phoenix service is improving our clients' indoor air quality, removing spores, pollen, airborne bacteria and allergens - everything down to three tenths of a micron, using HEPA filtered vacuums, microfiber dust wipes and damp mops, and careful chemical selection. 

National level studies of the above, and resultant indoor air quality readings, show a better than 50% reduction in daytime airborne particle count, in the size range of most allergens (half micron up to ten microns).  If we are doing what we claim to be doing for our clients (assuming a fairly tightly sealed, multi-night per week schedule), those are the results we should show.

And, in general, we do.

So, using indoor air quality results of our service, compared to what the client had before us, as a good measure of our quality, I'm generating hard numbers as a foundation of our quality control system. 

Today's irritant

It is said that, when political columnist George Will was just getting started in the field, he asked celebrated author and columnist William F. Buckley, Jr., how he managed to grind out three newspaper columns a week.  Buckley explained that the world supplied him with at least three irritants, every single week.

My irritant, this week, was during a visit to a small prospective client I'd quoted several months ago.  She'd selected someone else - no reason given or available - and had been complaining since their third cleaning about lack of dusting, grubby interior glass, and heavy dirt and hard water deposits building up around sink faucets and drains.  Never an on site inspection from the 'service", or a customer service visit.  So the prospect called me back.

She let me see the communication log.  No surprise, then, in the quality of work; the janitorial service was a franchising operation.  Here's the surprise: In the back of of the log it was a tab labeled "MSDS Sheets".  I believe I've never seen an MSDS book from a franchisor, because none of them, to my knowledge, require their franchisees to use any particular chemical kit.  Hard to provide safety sheets on chemicals if you don't know which chemicals will be used.

Another surprise: only two chemicals were listed: a floor cleaner and an all-purpose spotter (might have doubled as a sanitizer).  Personally, I'd find it quite difficult to clean even a small facility with only two chemicals.  No disinfectant, nothing to remove hard water build-up, nothing to scrub sinks or to polish bright metal, no glass cleaner.

The irritant is that the franchisor charged his franchisee good money to buy the job, which the franchisee is now losing, and neglected to train, properly equip or support him (doubtless did not screen or background him either), and charged the client more good money to provide an unqualified person incapable of doing the contracted job.  Irritating, also, that the client had not bothered to check the firm out before contracting with them.

I figure I'm providing a service to most everyone involved to separate them from one another.

 

"Nudge"

Several years ago, I read and much enjoyed "Nudge", by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein, respectively an economist at the University of Chicago and a Law Professor at Harvard.  Essence of their argument (from my perspective) is that, by presenting information and options, and organizing decision making processes optimally, one can gently guide ("nudge") folks into decisions that will work better for them, without applying coercion.

I provide janitorial service in Phoenix AZ.  I quote a lot of janitorial jobs where the current provider is doing as perfectly adequate job, according to his somewhat limited specs.  The facility might look less than optimal because the carpet needs to be cleaned, or the exterior windows washed, or the VCT burnished.  None of these "periodic" services, or cleaning supplies, are in the specs, but might well be available (for extra billing) should the customer call.  The customer doesn't call - perhaps he's too busy, or forgotten what's not in the specs - so the periodic work does not happen, the appearance of the building deteriorates, and the janitorial service forgoes a bit of extra revenue.  Because the facility looks less than ideal (because of the dirty carpet, etc.) I'm there bidding on the current fellow's job.

In quoting a job, we generally give the prospective client two prices - one for basic janitorial (but with our health, security and indoor air quality programs built in) and a second price for a bundle of "periodic" services - perhaps a bi-weekly burnishing, an as-needed scrub and refinish, a quarterly carpet cleaning, monthly windows, and a quarterly ceramic or stone floor scrub.  One monthly price for the bundle, rolled into the monthly bill.  We optimize the frequencies, so the carpet and tile are never trashed, and we can do more of a maintenance than a restorative job (cheaper for us, cheaper for the client).  We schedule the jobs well in advance, and can thus even out work loads.  The client gets the same bill every month, so doesn't have to budget, or get approved, extra charges.  The client never has to remember to call to order a job.  And the facility looks good ongoing.

We "nudge" (never require) the prospective client to take the "full service" package.  It's better for him - less hassle, better looking facility; it's better for us - for the same reasons.

Floor safety tips

Random thoughts on improving your facility safety via reducing slips and falls:

1) Use a not-skid floor finish.  Higher end products by reputable manufacturers will meet slip resistant standards; the inexpensive off-brand product that your "ma & pa" or franchised janitorial service picks up might not.  Your service should have provided you an MSDS book, covering all the chemicals they bring into your facility (OSHA requires you to have all that safety info); a quick look ought tell you what product they say they're using.  Might be a good idea to double check as the ob is being cone, just to be safe.

2) It's best to stop loose dirt and dust, and particularly oil and the gunk from your parking lot, at the entry.  Therefor, rent treated entry mats; they work much better than the one you purchased at the office supply store.  First, you can never get your purchased mat clean (the mat rental company has a really big washing machine), and second, the mat folks treat the mat with a goop that grabs the fine particles, and the grease and oil.

3) Keep your floors clean, ongoing.  Vacuum them often (even on tile, a vacuum picks up much more stuff than does a dust-mop).  Damp mop your tile and vinyl just as often, with a product that will cut any oil or dirt, but not leave a residue.  A detergent, or oil, residue, will both attract dirt and (usually) increase slipperiness.  Use a microfiber mop, not a cotton string mop - it scrubs better, and leaves less water and dirt behind.  Also, clean up spills immediately.

4) Don't leave stuff in or near traffic paths.  No boxes, computer cords, or anything else.  People do not watch where they're going.

A whole lot of workplace injuries are the result of slips and falls.  And they are expensive.  A competent commercial janitorial service, like mine, can help you with much of the above, but the final responsibility, both legally and morally, is yours.

The cost of deferred maintenance

If the health impacts of reduced vacuuming that I wrote about the other day have not convinced you to avoid cutting back on vacuuming frequency, perhaps the long-term cost to your facility will.

From another informative CleanLink article:

"When vacuuming is skipped, dirt, grit and soil become embedded in the carpet. It will be harder to remove them later. Embedded soil particles are abrasive like sandpaper. Dirt and grit damage the carpet fiber by rubbing, or abrading, the carpet fiber. Imagine repeatedly rubbing sandpaper over glass. Quickly the glass becomes scratched, dull and faded. With repeated abrasion, the scratched glass is weakened. Abrasive soil does the same thing to carpet fiber. The fiber becomes pitted and scratched creating a dull, faded appearance; the carpet looks worn. Regular vacuuming prevents the deep abrasion that ruins carpets."

Further, if soil and grit is left deep in the carpet, the pile will slowly break down; you've also created a great breeding area for bacteria and dust mites, a prime culprit in allergy attacks.

Synthetic carpet fibers (most commercial carpet is nylon) don't generally wear out, except on stairways; they "ugly out".  You won't see obvious gaps or bald spots; instead, the carpet shows graying, especially in heavy traffic areas and "pivot points", where folks turn.  The carpet fibers are crushed, matted down, or abraded.  More soil is held, causing more damage.

Reduced vacuuming frequency (particularly if done strategically - very heavy at entries, heavy in traffic areas, less elsewhere) saves a few dollars short term; over the long haul, the janitor will have to make additional passes to remove ever-more imbedded soil, the carpet may need to be cleaned, and will have to be replaced much sooner then if properly maintained.  Just like your car - you can spend a bit of money ongoing on maintenance (change the oil), or a lot later on restoration (change the engine).

Your choice.

What if the client doesn't complain, but just goes away?

I encourage my clients to call any time they've a concern, no matter how minor; I tell them that "it's the only thing that keeps me honest".  We also aggressively check our jobs, both with nighttime inspections (right after the job is done) and regular daytime "customer service" visits (monthly, even for our smallest, once per week clients).  That's all backed by what we believe to be a well crafted methodology, careful personnel selection, full training, and aggressive follow-up.

But - no matter how often we inspect, the client sees his facility more often than we do, and has specific concerns that might not always match ours.  So feedback is vital.

My thoughts on the subject were aroused by a Roger Lowenstein Wall Street Journal review of a new biography of German-American economist Albert O. Hirschman.  Hirschman's signature book was "Exit, Voice and Loyalty", written back in 1970, during major protests, of various institutions, in the US.  He wonders, for instance, "...what produced the greater effect: protesting the draft or fleeing to Canada?  To whom did GM listen: the silent customers defecting to Toyota, or Ralph Nader, the vocal activist?"   The exiting citizen, or customer, makes the country easier to govern (many repressive regimes let some of their dissidents out) and the firm easier to manage (there is lots of literature on "80/20" rules, arguing that 20% of ones clients cause 80% of the problems, and hence ought be "fired").

I noticed in the same WSJ edition (Saturday, March 23) an article about corporations considering the equivalent of "frequent flyer" miles for long time holders of their stock; volatility of the market, and of a given firm's stock price and market valuation, is increased by the tendency of "disloyal" stock holders to sell at a hint of bad news, or on a whim, rather than communicating with management.

A combination of customer loyalty, and of a customer base willing to complain - so as to give the (hopefully) receptive firm a chance to improve service, and hence the chance to give customers a reason for their loyalty - this would promote stability, and service (refer here to the implications of "The Black Swan" and "Antifragility", both by Nassim Nicholas Taleb).

Back to Hirschman.  His text, I gather, attempts to negotiate a balance between the benefits, to the firm or system, of folks exiting versus folks complaining.  Gotta read the book.

Go look at the job

We're serious about quality, and about customer service.  So when a client calls about a deficiency or a concern, we take it seriously, and generally head out to look at the job.  My customer service rep does most of our daytime visits (in addition to visiting every client at least monthly), my operations manager does a lot of both routine and issue specific inspections in the evenings, and I visit clients as well.  We keep a pretty good handle on our client facilities, and are aggressive about recording everything, and doing follow-up.

So when the small once-per-week schedule client called, and claimed that a dead cricket had been on the carpet in the middle of her closet for weeks and weeks, I dropped by.  Seemed like something obvious enough that my crew would not have missed it, especially repeatedly, but "the client is always right".

Sure enough, the dead cricket was right where my (somewhat irate) client was pointing.  Obvious as heck.  Being a curious type, I stepped forward and gave the cricket a nudge with the toe of my shoe.  The cricket hopped away.  Client had little more to say.

Once in a while, you win one.

Should we be vacuuming hard surface floors?

Both health and maintenance benefits of hard surface (tile, terrazzo, concrete, wood) floor vacuuming are addressed in an excellent article by Richard Sanchez, in Cleaning and Maintenance Management, July 2, 2012.

On health, "removing {particle mass} instead of spreading it, as can happen with dust mopping, is why vacuum cleaners help protect IAQ", according to Daniel Frimml of Tornado Industries. "However, this is usually true only when using machines with more advanced filtering systems...vacuum cleaners with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters can prevent as much as 99.9 percent of all particulates from escaping the machine and becoming airborne, providing the filtration necessary to protect IAQ," notes Frimml.  Further, "In addition to these, there are also standard filtration systems as well as allergen filters, usually HEPA filters designed to trap common substances that can cause allergic reactions", according to Sanchez.

Regarding maintenance, and protecting floors and finishes, "sand and grit are the enemies of most hard surface floors," says Frimml. "They can have more than 30 cutting edges, allowing them to grind and damage floor surfaces and also remove the floor's finish. This can happen with wood floors as well as stone, ceramic and common tile floors. Vacuuming is typically far more effective at removing sand and grit than dust mopping, helping to minimize or prevent this damage."

At CBN, we've vacuumed rather than dust-mopped hard surface floors for over 15 years, and used HEPA filters for as long as they have been commercially available.  Doing sales, and inspecting janitorial closets in my competitors' facilities, I still see lots of dust mops, and very rarely see a HEPA filter on any vacuum.

The reason?  According to Sanchez, "Some of it is just tradition: They have used dust mops for decades."

You'd think folks would catch on.