How to Differentiate Your Cleaning Business from the Competition
There is no way of getting around it, competition is everywhere. Even if you are the only cleaning company in town now, eventually someone will come along and compete against you. So what are you to do?
Time to differentiate your cleaning company from the competition and stand out!
But what sets your cleaning company apart from all the others? How do you make your customers decide to stay with you when the competition comes knocking? How do you make a prospect choose your cleaning company over all the others?
The answer is to differentiate yourself from everyone else. Of course, this is easier said than done. In order to stand out, you need to understand your customers (and prospects) and know what they want from a cleaning company. This is first and foremost.
But where does this information come from? Just ask your customers! Prepare a short survey or questionnaire and ask what's most important to them. This is also a way to stay connected with your customers; it strengthens the company/customer relationship. And remember, you are looking at your business from your customer's viewpoint, not yours.
Questions to ask your customers:
- Why did you hire us in the first place?
- What makes you stay with our cleaning service?
- What do we do that other cleaning services don't?
- Is there anything about our service that we can improve upon?
- Would you refer us to friends or colleagues?
Don't just ask for your customers' input. Listen to them, and if it makes sense, incorporate their suggestions into your business. There might be something you haven't thought of from your customers' point of view that can make your business more attractive to prospects.
Something else you can do is take a look at other cleaning companies in your area. Do they offer services that your cleaning company doesn't? Do they boast of providing excellent customer service? Do they make claims of having the best high tech cleaning equipment around? Look at your competitors' websites and their advertisements. Are they offering something your cleaning company should be offering?
How do you make your customers decide to stay with you when the competition comes knocking? Take a look at your own company. Are you doing things your competitors can't duplicate? Perhaps you use a tool or software to manage quality control that your customers find valuable to consistent cleaning. When you can provide something your customers find useful, they're less likely to shop elsewhere.
How do you make a prospect choose your cleaning company over all the others? Leverage whatever it is you do better than everyone else. If that software tool really does improve consistency with the cleaning, be sure to feature that as a benefit to doing business with your company. Then back it up with real life customer testimonials, videos, and case studies.
People can relate to other people's problems. Adding actual customer statements about how you successfully solved their issues or problems through the use of your services will push you to the forefront. Adding the “realism” factor to what you are saying not only speaks to your past accomplishments, but it also acts as a predictor of your future capabilities. It becomes your personal branding statement. Think of it like a resume you are filling out to impress a company to hire you over the next person. Include attributes and accomplishments that best describe you and your cleaning company.
Also talk about specialized training, any certifications you may have attained, as well as any cleaning industry associations you may belong to. Be sure to explain how each of these benefits your customers.
Examples of how some cleaning companies have differentiated themselves from the competition:
- We can make a difference in the world together. For each year we provide your cleaning services, ABC Cleaning will make a donation equal to 5% of your yearly cleaning fee to the charity of your choice.
- We provide outstanding customer service by addressing customer concerns, questions or issues immediately. When you have questions or concerns you want a quick resolution. Our 15-Minute Call-Back Guarantee ensures that no matter what time of day, we'll either answer the phone at the time of your call, or we'll call back within 15 minutes
- You pay only for the time we clean. At ABC Cleaning, we utilize [TIME-ENFORCER] employee time and attendance software. This eliminates the risk of “time theft” and “buddy punching.” This system allows us to monitor and track each of our cleaning technician's time on the job at your location, which guarantees the time we spend cleaning your facility is the time we promised.
- We use scientific methods to determine the effectiveness of our cleaning methods. In addition to visual inspections, we use ATP meters every month during our quality assurance rounds at your facility. ATP testing guarantees the effectiveness of our cleaning processes and chemicals throughout your building. The ATP (adenosine triphosphate) meter is a device that measures the hygiene levels on a surface. Invisible to the eye, this light is easily measured by a luminometer in relative light units (RLUs). The measurement from the luminometer gives a reading in RLUs, which is then correlated to an estimated level of cleanliness for the test object or area.
- Does your cleaning company use the same cleaning cloth and brushes to clean the breakroom table as well as the restroom toilets? This is not only a good way to spread germs around and create an unsafe environment, but it's just plain gross! We have the solution at ABC Cleaning. We utilize a color coding system that is specific to the cleaning applications we use. This means that our cleaning cloths, mops, and brushes are color coded, each color represents a specific use, so our cleaning technicians only use certain cleaning tools for certain areas of your facility. This helps to eliminate cross contamination and the spread of bacteria, viruses, and microbes.
- Your facility safety is our number one concern. ABC Cleaning is proud of our safety record, and we have the data to prove it! We provide safe, secure, and successful operations through the use of: background checks, uniforms and/or identification badges and access and tracking control of facility keys/cards. Our entire staff is OSHA safety, first aid, & CPR certified.
- ABC Cleaning is committed to providing environmentally sound cleaning practices (green cleaning for health and wellness), products, and equipment. Our investment in CIMS-GB Certification has been validated by a Certified CIMS Assessor. By exercising strong “Green Cleaning” strategies, using battery operated and chemical free cleaning equipment, along with non-toxic and biodegradable cleaners, we not only save you money through the reduction of your facilities energy consumption via reduced electricity and water consumption, but create a healthier work environment through improved the air quality. And we've got Case Studies to prove it!
- ABC Cleaning is so confident in the services we provide, we offer a 60 day, money back, satisfaction guarantee. PERIOD! If you are not 100% satisfied with any aspect of the services you receive and cancel your account with us within 60 days of the agreement, we will issue a full refund. You get honest service from an honest cleaning company; we guarantee it.
Remember, stand behind what you are claiming. Don't make claims of providing better quality service or better customer service unless you have data, case studies or strong testimonials that prove what you're saying.
ABM, one of the largest commercial building services companies sets the standard for Case Studies. They have one for every industry they serve. Here is a sample case study available on their website for a financial services company.
Example of a strong cleaning testimonial:
“By providing our facility with a suitable floor maintenance schedule and chemically free cleaning options, they were able to remove harmful germs, bacteria, and spores captured within our facility using environmentally friendly methods. We not only had a healthier working environment for our employees but we significantly increased the life expectancy of our hard floors and carpet. We also experienced a decrease in the amount of time off our employees were taking from work due to illness.” River Valley Professional Center, Crater Lake, NV
Businesses outsource their cleaning services to save time and money. Distinguish your cleaning business from the competition and make sure that your customers know all the benefits they will receive when they hire your company to fulfill their cleaning needs.
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Do you need help with marketing and running your cleaning business? The Janitorial Store is a private, members-only resource for those serious about starting, improving and growing a profitable cleaning business. Within the private, members-only area, you'll find a huge selection of in-depth information that you won't find anywhere else on the Internet. As 25 year veterans of the cleaning industry, we know that the business of cleaning can be incredibly challenging. The competition is fierce and and the margins are low. It's a demanding business and it's tough to grow it and make it successful.
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