– Cleaning for Health, Safety and Appearance
Written by: Cameron Blakely
We’ve all been there – fueling up at a convenience store or stopping for food along a road trip with family or friends when we decide to walk inside and use the restroom. Upon entering the restroom, we are greeted with either a pleasant and inviting experience, or maybe we glace around and make note-to-self that it’s probably best not to touch any of the surfaces. Or maybe even, you also have just turned around and walked out. After all, you’re almost to your destination and you can hold it, right?…
But the truth is, in a matter of seconds that restroom experience made a lasting impression on us – either positively or negatively. We actually started forming that impression as we were walking across the parking lot to the front door even, throughout all spaces and for the duration of our entire time in the building, and the impact is lasting. In fact, according to a Consumer Cleaning Insights Survey by P&G Professional™, 9 in 10 consumers agree that they are more likely to have an overall negative opinion of an independent business if the public spaces (lobbies, restrooms, shopping areas, etc.) are not clean. The same survey concluded that 73% of people agree that a smelly, undesirable restroom is actually worse than receiving the wrong food order or enduring slow service times at a restaurant.
For business owners and retailers, it is extremely important to be aware and to adequately invest proper resources into ensuring that a positive impression is created for the patrons. Establishing and maintaining a clean, safe and healthy facility environment is one of the most direct inputs for boosting sales and retention, as well as customer and employee satisfaction. In a similar insights survey, 90% of workers felt more productive and rewarded working in a clean facility.
So what is a “clean” facility exactly? Although the standard of clean does vary some depending on the business (hospitals are obviously more thoroughly cleaned and disinfected throughout the day than the average service provider), the most important reason for cleaning is for the health of all occupants and visitors. Eliminating the cause of illness is key to reducing the number of sick days and avoiding epidemics and closures. Happy, healthy people assisting and being assisted in an environment free from dust, dirt, germs and bacteria.
In addition to that, buildings should be cleaned properly for the safety of the public. Slips, trips and falls are a common accident in the workplace, but there are steps that can be taken to eliminate those accidents. And finally, buildings should be cleaned thoroughly for appearance – for that positive impression that has a long-lasting impact.
At Interstate Solutions, we specialize in helping to create and maintain clean, safe, healthy facilities. If your business could use a make-over, give us a call today and together let’s work on a plan that promotes the most positive experience and impression for all who enter.
Cameron Blakely has been involved in the cleaning industry for 4 years. He is currently a Regional Manager, specializing in the oversight of Educational, Government, Industrial, Recreational, Religious and Tourism accounts. He has completed Hillyard Peak Performance Training and Tomcat VIP Certification.