General Cleaning Issues - Floorcare, car valeting, buying and selling businesses, pricing, staffing, market research, etc.
Cleaning StandardsPosted by Scots_cleaner (Scots_cleaner), 28 January 2004
How come when you come to interview people for cleaning jobs, they offer so much but when it comes down to it they either can clean cant be bothered or cant be motivated.
What is wrong with people in this country?
Why do people not take pride in thier work?
Why when you take on people under 21 they have no motivation when you bothered to give them an oppertunity.
WHY WHY WHY.
Sorry i have just found oud that we have lost a contract that was one of our more profitable contracts 
Its the first contract ive lost in 1 1/2 years ok it was 20 miles from our base.
STAFF cant live with them cant build client base without them... 
I remember the good old days when i just cleaned carpets on my own.
In saying that the domestic maid service is doing well.And we have other contracts to worry about but its still a sore one when its all been staffing faults but its the area cant get good cleaners for love nor money and customer would not pay top dollar. 
Any body want to buy a cleaning firm
Only kidding
As the sun sets a new day will dawn and new more properous oppertunitys will come forth.
Thanks to anybody that read this i had to get it off my chest
Regards Barry.Posted by petra (petra), 28 January 2004
You poor soul, you can moan all you like and we will all read it, but I know what you mean, you can never get loads of excellent staff, there always have to be a few bad apple's, but i find that site inspection soon pick them out.
Hope you feel better soon
PetraPosted by Happyeater (Happyeater), 28 January 2004
Unlucky really, sometimes you win...etc etc.
Recruiting good reliable staff is the hard bit I've found. Especially disappointed with the under 25's as they never stick it and invariably let you down. It has got to the stage where a young'un rings up and I simply take details and don't call them back. Sad really.
Posted by keybrite (keybrite), 28 January 2004
I would like help on recruiting staff, just cannot find anyone to work even just a few hours legally, all want to be paid cash in hand, I live on an island where there are are lot of people working this way and making a very nice living thank you very much, but I have a waiting list of clients who want good reliable honest and regaular cleaners, I have offered above the local rates of pay as an inducement, even offered transport, they would not work on their own as we alway work in two's or threes, we are only 4 people strong at the moment being worked to death, I cannot ask my existing staff which includes a man to do any more.. any ideasPosted by DP (DP), 28 January 2004
You live on an island?? (dont we all, maybe not) which one??Posted by Scots_cleaner (Scots_cleaner), 29 January 2004
Thats "maid" my day
Thanks petra ana Fox 
Posted by Scots_cleaner (Scots_cleaner), 29 January 2004
Told you so
Just booked in a scub and seal for a shop we clean £180.00 for 4 hours work Materials cost about £35 better than office cleaning margins.. 
Posted by petra (petra), 29 January 2004
And I thought I had a good one yesterday scrub+seal £160 weekly maintance £24, plus daily cleaning £290 per month.
Today was s***, as saw the accountant and had a big bill from him and one for the tax man, never mind i'll get over it.
PetraPosted by martin_606 (martin_606), 29 January 2004
Having a similar problem myse
have only taken on my first staff and having problemo already.
On inspecting her work found things that were on the work order not done.
have you done that i ask, yep but it won't come off...
5 mins later it is off and clean cause i did it, they had not even attempted it!
Go to kitchen, thought...
''that looks dusty?''
wipe with cloth and all the dust, grit and even paint spills come off.
How can they possibly think that we don't know what we are doing, and won't spot their mistakes.
Regards
Martin Posted by petra (petra), 29 January 2004
Give them one good training session, on how you want it done and the only way you will tolerate it done, and also let them know that there are plenty of people approching you looking for work, that does tend to keep them on their toes a bit. Mine just hate it when I turn up on site to do an inspection, they think that I am moany. Did threaten to sack four of them week before christmas if they did not pull their socks up ( would have been in deep poo if I had, but they did not know that) and it worked.
PetraPosted by Scots_cleaner (Scots_cleaner), 30 January 2004
Petra what are you pricing shop floor cleaning at in your area we only do one shop at the moment and its sub contracted through a national.
Send me pm if you like Posted by petra (petra), 30 January 2004
We have 2 showrooms nowand the latest one for strip and repolish £160 plus £24 per week maintance, but we also got the office cleaning too. The other one is about £140 per month maintenace and repolish as nes.
PetraPosted by Scots_cleaner (Scots_cleaner), 30 January 2004
This is the spec we have for our shop
Sweep floor, Mop clean removing all sticky marks etc.
Sray buff.
Only the floor gets cleaned takes 2 hours to complete this task.Posted by petra (petra), 30 January 2004
ours is , once polished, spray buff with high speed machine (it has a vaccum on it) remove scuff marks with rubber, only mop if required.Posted by Happyeater (Happyeater), 30 January 2004
Retailers;
I find them a strange breed. Its story time.
I started two retail sites last summer, one has 5 daily cleaners and a janitor (Mon - Sun) and the second has 6 cleaners and a janitor (Mon - Sat), the first site had had the same company in for 12 years, the second had had 4 different companies in 4 years, we were their 5th. I hope I haven't lost you here?
Site one had all their floors stripped and sealed, the first at cost price (all in writing) then 6 months later required a second strip and seal as it was discolouring. The polish supplier said the tiles plasticizer was reacting with the polish, breaking down and causing the discolouration from the bottom up. The client wanted it all done for the Christmas run up. We did it and sent the bill in. They refused to pay saying it was our fault as we hadn't looked after the floor properly. Had to give a credit for the work or the contract was under threat (they pay well and its profitable).
Site two had a massive refurb after we came in. I again (in writing) gave the costs for the strip and seal and said that if the floors were polished, a burnisher and the manpower to operate it would need to be introduced. I again gave the costs, in writing. We worked for 2 weeks to a re-opening deadline, all out of hours and through the night.The good news is they paid the entire invoice within 14 days, marvellous. Unfortunately the next monthly invoice was rejected with the increased burnishing cost attached. Again I had to raise credits or 'the invoice would be on hold till sorted out'. Maybe I should have withdrew the burnisher? I didn't, just told the client to find the money for the next financial year.
Now site two also asked for Bank holidays to be included in the quote, I did. On the run up to Christmas they asked for 4 Sunday to be cleaned, we did that too. Now the invoice is on hold as the Sundays were asked for in the origional quote....they weren't. Their contract states Bank Hols only. They wouldn't pay. I spoke to the manager today and eventually had to agree to go half and half, he'd pay for 2 Sundays. Next time they ask for extra work, the cost will be loaded. Their location makes it hard to get people there, they have trouble recruiting for themselves.
They represent about 20% of my business, we bend over backwards for them but, in true retailers style, not much is appreciated really. During the evaluation for Oct, Nov and Dec we were marked as good, very good and very good with a comment about being the best by far that they've ever had. They are a funny breed.
Rant over Posted by Scots_cleaner (Scots_cleaner), 31 January 2004
As an industry that is not really valued by customers or the public we can only raise the standards, and inform customers of the value of the cleaning industry.
And if were not for like minded people how would there facilities be up to the standards that we come to expect when we all go into shops, offices, shopping centres etc etc etc Posted by suedsct (suedsct), 1 February 2004
Why not do your own accountancy? we are. Posted by suedsct (suedsct), 1 February 2004
Hi Martin
poor you....Must be frustrating. I am a one woman band right now as I just started out.. but I Know this will snowball, i live in a very busy city where property market is thriving, as i am just booking job no 2 for next week. I have 2 family members as staff for the future one is daughter the other is sons GFriend but the latter i know will invariably let me down! Im not looking forward to the unreliability! best of luck and I shall think of ideas to help with problem and share them with you, right now i dont know the answer to this i can see this can really mess you up as time spent going round the sites you could DIY!!!
Posted by suedsct (suedsct), 1 February 2004
Site one had all their floors stripped and sealed,
what does this mean sorry 
Posted by petra (petra), 1 February 2004
By stripping, you remove all old floor polish, and then you neutulise it, and then re polish it....
petra
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