2021 might have been the most anticipated New Year of all the New Years past. Virtually everyone is looking forward to the fresh start that a new year provides, at least in the mind if not much else changes right away. The commercial cleaning industry is also taking note of the expected business trends in 2021 and how they impact the needs and services around cleaning and disinfecting.
While commercial cleaning took a 1.6% hit in 2020 due to business closures, Market Research reports the industry can expect a 7.4% gain in 2021 and 5.4% thereafter to 2025. The following are important cleaning and disinfecting trends that facility managers and business owners can expect to see in the year ahead.
1. Know what you’re doing.
Public establishments have put their necks on the line as the re-opening process is playing out in 2021. A huge concern being carried over from last year is precision when it comes to keeping their environments safe for customers and personnel. No company benefits from a “corona hotbed” label that can originate when just a few well-known virus contractions get traced back to that establishment. Consequently, more companies are raising the expectation for cleaning and disinfection. Many industries are still operating under New Mexico’s state-mandated health guidelines and restrictions. And even when these relax, the threat of future virus impact means businesses still have to be diligent in efforts to control the transmission of germs.
Skilled Personnel Only. The responsibility of disinfecting public buildings will need to rest with skilled personnel, not the revolving part-time staffers, or whoever has the time. Only individuals trained and educated on best cleaning practices in the new normal can provide thorough and technically sound results that businesses need going forward. Businesses will need to equip cleaning teams with reliable systems that prevent errors including cross-contamination, too much or too little chemical application, or missed areas.
Budget for Success. Businesses that designate in-house staff to provide cleaning and disinfection services will likely increase the environmental cleaning budget to include thorough training and education on cleaning techniques and processes. Additional money may be allocated to purchase advanced equipment and supplies that can not only do the job, but do so quickly to maximize the hours of operation. Staff training should include the use of these items.
Consider outsourcing. For a lot of businesses, the better choice would be to outsource their facility cleaning and disinfection to a specialized provider. Jani-King cleaning technicians undergo extensive training and use off-the-shelf systems that meet the cleaning and disinfecting requirements for commercial businesses, stadiums, and hospital operating rooms. Their design is built on over 50 years of worldwide application. For a lot of companies, it makes more sense to rely on this level of expertise rather than pull internal staff offline to reinvent the wheel on cleaning. In addition, rather than housing and maintaining advanced equipment and the latest disinfection supplies, companies that outsource to Jani-King get the same efficient results without the overhead costs.
2. Have a back-up plan.
Plan out who will assume responsibilities if the originally planned regiment for daily cleaning and disinfecting can’t happen, because it can’t wait. Businesses handling their needs internally need to make sure their plan B is just as well thought out and agreed upon as plan A. In pre-COVID days, there used to be some leniency if cleaning staff called in sick, or if an exceptionally hectic day meant no one on the team could do the deep cleaning before the close of business. Some customers and staff wouldn’t notice one off day. Others might notice, but wouldn’t turn around and leave. There was a time when we all might have braved a dirty convenience store offering a last resort potty break. Could you see yourself making that concession now? In 2021 no one gets a pass on clean. Customers simply won’t go to places that look dirty. And many staff members won’t come to work.
This is another area where outsourcing can be helpful. Jani-King has a robust stable of cleaning technicians that businesses can rely on to provide turn-key service no matter the circumstance. Often the last thing a business wants to do is adjust for their plan B even if they have one. Jani-King’s size and state of preparedness mean that businesses can keep focusing on the deliverables they’re known for while Jani-King oversees the staffing and quality control around cleaning and disinfecting.
3. Keep service at the center.
Pandemic fatigue is a thing. We saw how eager everyone was to kiss 2020 goodbye as if one day into the new year, things would be completely different. When it’s safe to do so, people are clamoring to get out and socialize in public again. And they want to gain a sense of the world as it was before COVID-19. The best companies will be ones that keep clean standards, but keep their process under the radar. They’ll get the job done fast and effectively, and the whole process won’t draw attention, or worse, impede business. People want a clean environment but they don’t want to feel like they’re eating in the middle of a hazardous waste clean-up site.
Businesses will benefit by making sure the cleaning staff, whether in-house or outsourced, adopts the brand values that are so important to preserving the brand identity and customer connection. Breaks in this connection can send a customer back to the reality they’re trying to briefly forget. Whoever is doing the cleaning and disinfecting not only has to do the job well, they need to do it as seamlessly as possible so the customer experience remains intact.
Jani-King providers understand the importance of brand continuity in any business. After all, Jani-King is a world recognized brand itself. It means treating establishment guests and employees warmly and respectfully. But it also means understanding how companies operate. Jani-King service providers draw from deep education and experience working in many industries to anticipate things like peak service times and consumer behavior. They have a clear understanding of how cleaning and disinfecting supports company-wide goals of being able to operate productively and profitably.
We can help.
2021 is here! And with it a renewed energy to push toward a better future for ourselves and others. Rising to new expectations is part of what moves us toward opportunity. If Jani-King of New Mexico can help your business spearhead a turn-key building sanitation plan, give us a call.
