Office cleaning – does it really matter to clients and staff?

The more a client values your company the more likely they are to want to do business with you.

Same goes for staff. If you want to attract and keep the best employees, they have to value your company over others.

Value Is In The Mind Of The Beholder

We’re all taught to not judge a book by its cover, but that’s exactly what we all do as humans. We do have a rational side of the brain, but in reality, emotional triggers easily overpower our logic.

According to Emma Snider in her article “How to Use Psychological Biases to Sell Better and Faster,” the first bits of information we pick up about a company becomes the “anchor” that all other information is attached to and compared with.

Once a person picks up a positive or negative cue, consciously or subconsciously, the company gets “branded” with that quality.

It becomes very difficult to overcome the influence of a first impression.

People are always in the process of formulating perceptions based on visible and invisible clues like smell. These affect how we feel.

In another study, respondents who felt their city was “clean,” were more likely to report being happy.

If we apply that principle to an office or retail facility, we can say that a clean office makes your staff and visitors happier.

If having a visibly cleaner facility makes for happier tenants, students, patients, customers, and workers… think about the impact it would make on clients and customers.

Consider the amount of “business value” office cleaning could generate.

How To “Package” Your Office Or Facility So It Projects Value

One-third of any purchase decision is based on the perception of packaging. Cleanliness should be considered a major attribute in the visible “packaging” of a facility.

It makes sense that we need to keep our customers and staff happy. Just as you take the time to manage the branding of your business through advertising, social media and other means, it makes sense to manage office cleaning the same way.

Three main things to manage how people judge your office cleaning

Make A Good First Impression

It is very difficult to recover from a poor first impression. Here are a few things to keep in mind when managing first impressions in the entrance area / Lobby / Common area:

– Finger prints on the front door glass

– Reception area – desk smudges and not dusted properly

– scuff marks on walls

– debris on floor, carpets

– mud stain on entrance mats

– floors not swept and washed

– entrance counter not wiped down

– entrance glass fingerprints

– dust on baseboards

– dust on counters and cabinets

– dust on plants

– dirty chairs

– clean corners, behind doors, behind desks, garbage bins

Smell Matters

Odours are one of the key ways that people judge the cleanliness of office and retail spaces.

If your facility has any kind of stale or bad smell, it can be a powerful turnoff. One of the main places that are vulnerable to bad smells is the washroom. Here are some things to manage to make sure your washroom is adding “value” to your company:

– spots all over the mirrors

– porcelain not cleaned properly

– dirt buildup around the edges of faucets

– grimy, countertops, not cleaned properly

– outside and inside urinals not cleaned properly

– corners of floors not cleaned – dirt and debris in corners

– toilet seats not cleaned

– key spots under the toilet

– porcelain on top of bowl not clean

– inside of bowl not clean

– toilet paper not filled consistently – same with paper towels and ladies napkins,

– floors are not cleaned properly – have a dull finish

– smells bad, doesn’t smell fresh and clean

Good Odours

Studies have shown people associate particular scents, like pine for example, with sanitation.

Keep the rooms of your building well ventilated where possible, and choose office cleaning products with an appealing odour.

Clutter Can Be Costly

Cluttered desks, boardrooms, office cubicles and messy areas like storage cupboards and kitchens give off an impression of a dirty environment.

Make sure your building is kept tidy.

Use stylish storage units to keep areas that are prone to clutter-free of unnecessary mess.

Empty garbage bins on a regular basis.

Keeping in mind that office cleaning affects your bottom line in subtle but significant ways, take time to select a reliable commercial office cleaning company.

Evergreen Building Maintenance specializes in providing quality daily or weekly office cleaning services.