Due to COVID, facility occupants and consumers are more concerned with cleanliness, hygiene, and safety than in years past, placing pressure on many financially strapped organizations to deliver high-quality results with little overhead on tight budgets.
The New Normal - Cleaning for Concerned and Conscientious Consumers
The new normal.
A term cliched in its overuse over the last two years, but descriptive of emerging consumer and office worker demands, nonetheless.
Topping everyone's new normal list--clean and safe buildings for everyone with bonafides to substantiate claims and dire consequences for failure.
According to a recent Deloitte Safety & Cleanliness Survey;
A key tenet of regaining and building trust is transparency of information.
What does transparency mean for safety and cleanliness?
It is using the right activities, tangible vs. intangible, seen vs. unseen, at the right time.
- 82% of customers surveyed feel that companies willing to take extra steps to ensure the safety and well-being of their employees “must be in place” or “would make more likely” to visit a business.
- 60% of customers and employees find the consistent presence of visible cleaning efforts to be the most essential aspect while engaging in the experience.
- 85% or more of customers surveyed find visible mechanisms to be most or somewhat important to them, and;
- 83% or more of employees surveyed find visible mechanisms to be most or somewhat important to them.
Source:
Unfortunately for many organizations, with increased demand comes increased cost at a time when employment compensation has experienced a steady incline over the last few years across nearly every industry and profession.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics:
Compensation costs for private industry workers increased 2.4 percent from September 2019 to September 2020.
This compares with an increase of 2.7 percent for the year ended September 2019.
Compensation costs in leisure and hospitality increased 4.1 percent for the year ended September 2020.
Compensation costs in private industry up 2.4 percent from September 2019 to September 2020
Further, the Consumer Price Index continues to rise, increasing the cost of goods and energy services--both of which directly impact the total costs associated with provisioning in-house custodial services.
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers rose 5.3 percent for the 12 months ending August 2021, a smaller increase than the 5.4-percent rise for the year ending July.
Prices for all items less food and energy rose 4.0 percent over the last 12 months, also a smaller increase than the year ending July.
Energy prices rose 25.0 percent over the last 12 months, and food prices increased 3.7 percent; both were larger than the increases for the year ending July.
Consumer Price Index rose 5.3 percent over the year ending August 2021
Reducing Labor Costs and Increasing Cleaning Outcomes Through Outsourcing
Outsourcing your building's custodial and facilities maintenance has several advantages over maintaining a similarly outfitted service in-house, especially for smaller organizations or businesses on tight budgets who wish to maintain or increase their market competitiveness, including:
- Quality of Service - Outsourced franchise custodial providers are small business owners whose income exists in direct proportion to the quality of service they provide and the level of customer satisfaction they maintain.
- Decreased Risk - An outsourced provider is a contracted and independent third-party entity that exists separate from yours and must assume many risks, such as worker turnover and healthcare leave.
- Resource Management and Maintenance - Modern custodial services require a wide range of advanced tools and technologies that must be maintained and serviced. Outsourcing frees your organization from the direct costs of housing the equipment, maintaining equipment operational status, planned maintenance, and associated operator safety and training requirements.
- Flexibility - Outsourcing to an established franchise ensure flexibility in cleaning times, services, and specialties that would significantly increase operational costs if managed internally.
- Contracts and Prices - Outsourced custodial services are typically contracted for a pre-arranged term which simplifies budgeting, establishes occupant expectations, and lays the groundwork for conflict resolution.
- Focus - The main benefit of outsourcing, regardless of service, is that it frees your organization's resources up to focus on core business operations.
Takeaway
The cost of doing business is increasing month-over-month while consumer and workforce demand for significantly improved cleaning outcomes and transparency increases.
Outsourcing to an experienced provider is a proven method for onboarding critical infection prevention and control services as part of a greater facility cleaning subscription service at a fraction of the cost of maintaining a similar service in-house.
Contact us today and discover why Vanguard Cleaning Systems® is the Standard of Clean® for businesses throughout Northwest Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.
In Oklahoma, dial 918-960-4450
In Arkansas, dial 479-717-2410
In Missouri, dial 417-812-9777
