from the editor Facility care during a frantic holiday period With the imminent Black Friday sale and the festive season shopping extravaganza upon us, we take a closer look at what it takes to keep shopping centre environments clean during this high traffic period to present a clean, hygienic and welcoming facility. A solution like autonomous cleaning that allows for consistent and efficient work can now become common in retail facilities. The hospitality sector in Africa is growing in market revenue, and the 2023 Hotel and Hospitality Industry Confidence Index indicates that leaders in the industry are optimistic about the future. The pandemic ushered in a new era for housekeeping in hotels with certain multinational hotel chains having resorted to accreditation programmes to make their guests feel safe. This issue looks at various ways to make life easier for hospitality cleaning staff. Be sure to catch up on industry developments and enlightening articles in the Facility Management, Textile Care and People and Events, Pest Control and New Products sections of the magazine. With that, this is the final issue of the year; therefore, we at African Cleaning Review want to thank you for your continued support and wish you a safe and pleasant December holiday period. We look forward to sharing more industry developments and the latest news with you in 2024. Remember to visit next year’s Cleantex Africa exhibition in Johannesburg. Enjoy the read.
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opinion
Can cleaning staff make or break your company’s reputation? As the adage goes, you only get one chance to make a first impression, and as a brand, this impression can very easily make or break your business. When it comes to cleaning in the retail sector, often overlooked is just how much can go right or wrong on the customer experience end.
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ince larger established retailers outsource their cleaning services to facilities management companies, how their brand is received by their customers can undoubtedly be positively or negatively impacted by the cleaning staff who interact with the shoppers. One must remember that the customers are not always aware that the cleaning staff are outsourced and not directly affiliated with the retailer. This means that a lot of the time, the retailer is absorbing the conduct of the outsourced staff, which then plays a role in the holistic experience of their customer. The question then becomes, how do cleaning service providers align their offering with their client’s brand and what they as a retailer want to achieve? The answer, I believe, comes down to instilling a customer-centric culture within your organisation.
Responsibility beyond just cleaning Customer-centricity is essential in providing a good shopping experience. Since cleaning staff in retail environments are not back of house, but rather front facing, cleaning service providers need to select staff who can go beyond just their cleaning tasks. Chances are, when a customer enters a retailer, one of the first people they encounter is a member of the cleaning staff. They may stop and ask them for directions, and how the staff member responds and handles these interactions can go a long way in the client’s satisfaction with your company’s services at large.
Here are some steps cleaning service providers can take to embed a customer-centric culture within their company:
Recruitment Hire staff who possess good people skills. Preferably workers who are not overly shy, but rather enjoy interacting and have a positive disposition.
Set clear expectations Communicate your expectations around customer centricity. Make it clear to your staff that they are expected to interact positively with the client as well as the clients’ customers.
Training Provide new staff with in-depth training. If necessary, call on outside customer experience experts to train staff on how to approach their front-facing positions. Training should not be a once-off. Continuous improvement is key.
Staff engagement Build positive relationships with your staff. Treat them fairly and keep the lines of communication open. Motivated staff are customer-centric staff. And rest assured, your client is noticing how your staff are treated.
Customer feedback Get regular feedback and insights from your clients on their interactions with the cleaning staff. Use this insight to identify areas for improvement.
