We should think commercial cleaning

Audrey Hinchcliffe, Contributor

The commercial cleaning industry gets no recognition because it is taken as given that facilities should be kept clean. The recently concluded JMA/JEA Expo where cleanliness of the National Arena was lauded by the media is a case in point. It was taken for granted that the venue would be transformed from the holding facility for over 900 persons detained during the Tivoli Gardens conflagration, to readiness for the Expo.

Yet this job was neither for the faint-hearted nor a commercial cleaning company that lacked the experience and capacity to prepare and manage the pre-cleaning project to make it habitable and maintain the aesthetics and sanitation prior to, during and after the Expo.

The industry is also taken for granted with the cleaning and maintenance of venues for major events such as the National Stadium during the 100-year celebration of Girls and Boys' Championships; Cricket 2007 - Sabina Park and Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium; the annual Jazz and Blues Festival locations, as well as other facilities, including the airports, health institutions and entertainment venues.

There is a view that all janitorial services are the same but this is far from the truth. This perception is caused by the contractors themselves who do not project the industry as an important service entity that creates numerous jobs, pays taxes and is a valuable contributor to the economy.

The industry is not affected by economic volatility because buildings must be cleaned and maintained and grounds always aesthetically appealing; pests must be controlled if not eradicated, harmful bacteria minimised, mal-odours suppressed; disaster must be mitigated, hazards managed and customer service unquestioned.

What separate janitorial services are experience, skills and corporate capability to satisfy the varied requirements of clients.

Management tools

Among these are powerful management tools, efficacy and the use of eco-friendly chemical cleaning agents, experience with gaining and maintaining contracts with efficiency and cost control, human resource management, including stringent hiring and selection processes and extensive training, investment in new technology - and equipment to match the level of service; with islandwide coverage and the capacity to manage the service delivery to commercial, institutional, manufacturing, high-tech and retail industries.

The operations must be available to clients 24/7 with managers and supervisors enforcing quality-control measures.

What separates janitorial services is a reputation for hard work with unquestionable integrity to be entrusted with the innermost part of clients' property such as executive offices, security of finance, confidentiality of data, educating clients on the best solutions for their building maintenance. It is important to understand that each facility has different needs so that specifications must match the cleaning requirements to ensure that the service can be done right every time.

Lowest price bidder

There is the tendency to seek the lowest price bidder, thus clients run the risk of not having the maintenance project executed properly and hence tenders have to be redone frequently. This is a cost that could have been avoided. What is being offered for a low cost should be matched against the level of service being offered at a higher cost. The lesson here is that the care of commercial buildings and residential facilities requires expertise and does not necessarily benefit from the lowest bidder. Instead, clients should seek value for money at all times.

The next time that you walk into the pristine halls of commercial buildings, airport concourses and hospital corridors; pass well manicured lawns and neatly trimmed hedges; use properly maintained public washrooms and see the sun shining brightly through sparkling windows - think commercial cleaning.

Further, think who is walking around your office after dark. The sad truth is many clients do not do proper due diligence on their cleaning company but rather focus on price. This is a dangerous practice for, as the saying goes, "you get what you pay for".

Hope for improvement and recognition for the industry has already commenced with the formation of the Association of Commercial Cleaning Contractors of Jamaica. The aim is to have the industry formalised and regulated, and ultimately to set standards for operation and the training of janitors.

Audrey Hinchcliffe is the CEO of Manpower and Maintenance Services Ltd.