Enhanced office cleaning services focused on occupant health and safety can increase business profitability.
A Clean Office Generates More Revenue
A clean office is devoid of visible soil and clutter, free of germs and bacteria on surfaces, and dangerous particles in the air.
Maintaining high levels of workplace cleanliness has several advantages, including:
- Creating a positive first impression.
- Eliminating clutter.
- Decreasing sick days, and;
- Improving workforce morale.
First Impressions Count
Research has found that customers make a decision about a business based on visual feedback in as little as 50 milliseconds--leaving little margin for error.
With an average speed of 50 ms, first impressions are simply too fast for thought.
So, what are they based on then?
Dr. Shlomo Wagner, neuroscientist at the University of Haifa shows first impressions are visual and based almost entirely on emotion.
Here’s what’s fascinating about his research.
First impressions are driven by emotion but dependent on context.
If a first impression is negative, the brain activates the communication protocol used for memory formation – your brain stores your negative first impression.
If your first impression is positive, your brain uses a different communication protocol – one that’s optimized for learning.
This creates excitement initially and is used to cement the connection, encouraging the growth of the relationship.
In short--if a person initially develops a negative opinion of a business, it tends to stay negative, and the data shows that little can be done to sway them once they've made up their minds.
Conversely--if a person develops a positive opinion of a business, they inherently seek an ongoing and potentially growing relationship.
Clutter Costs
Workplace clutter:
- Distracts employees.
- Contributes to the spread of illness and insect infestations.
- Increases cleaning time and costs.
- Reduces efficiency.
- Contributes to slip, trip, and fall accidents, and;
- Increases workplace stress.
According to The HR Director;
The National Association of Professional Organisers (NAPO) found in their study that disorganisation can lead to financial losses equivalent to 10 percent of a manager’s salary.
NAPO also state that 80 percent of the clutter in the office is a result from being disorganised and not due to a lack of space.
Some studies reveal the average person wastes up to 4.3 hours a week looking for papers, which adds stress and frustration to the workplace while reducing concentration and creative thinking.
Cleaning professionals say that getting rid of excess clutter would eliminate 40 percent of the cleaning work needed.
Initial Hygiene UK discovered that 57 percent of employees feel more motivated and have greater morale when their workplace is clean and provisions are made for proper hygiene solutions.
Sick Days are Preventable
The average U.S. adult spends most of their waking hours indoors--either at home or in an office.
It has been estimated that approximately 80% of common disease transmission is through touch--either direct contact with an infected person or indirect contact with a contaminated surface.
Reducing the instance of germs on occupants' hands and facility surfaces has been shown to positively impact workplace health and attendance.
According to a recent paper published on Science Direct;
Implementation of a targeted risk reduction program, with surface disinfection of commonly touched shared objects and hand hygiene, including hand sanitizer at the desk and simple employee education (i.e., intervention instructions, promotional signage, and emails), resulted in a significant reduction of virus transmission in an office setting.
By reducing exposure, this advanced hygiene program is also expected to minimize the risk of infections from common enteric and respiratory pathogens.
Impact of a hygiene intervention on virus spread in an office building
Happy Workers are More Productive
Workers who feel good about their job are happier, more productive, and less stressed--a health crisis in the U.S. costing the economy hundreds of billions of dollars annually.
When it comes to businesses, having a clean office is not only important for employee morale but also affects profitability.
Experts state that the stress experienced by workers leads to various health conditions that are costing American companies up to $190 billion annually.
Keeping a clean office space plays a major role in how employees and the company as a whole perform.
References & Resources
- The role of visual complexity and prototypicality regarding first impression of websites: Working towards understanding aesthetic judgments
- Different types of theta rhythmicity are induced by social and fearful stimuli in a network associated with social memory
Takeaway
Daily office cleaning and targeted disinfection strategies have been shown to increase business profitability by:
- Reducing the number of days employees are absent from work due to an illness they picked up at the office.
- Reducing workforce stress associated with clutter and the fear of getting sick, resulting in high job satisfaction and reduced turnover rates, and;
- Creating a physical environment that easily leaves a positive first impression on customers, resulting in an instinctive desire for repeat business on the customer's part, and increased sales for the business.
Service provider training is critical to the success of any enhanced cleaning and infection prevention program.
Onboarding and managing the requisite labor and material resources in the current market may prove cost-prohibitive and undesirable for many organizations.
Outsourcing is a proven method for onboarding skilled service providers equipped with the latest training, processes, and technologies for a fraction of the price of maintaining a comparable 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
