Commercial Cleaning: Supporting Your Clients Through a COVID-19 Surge
It's not just the challenges of running a commercial cleaning business during a global pandemic that has been a roller coaster over the last months and years of COVID-19, sometimes it's also the charts and graphs of infection rates that look like an actual roller coaster.
The COVID-19 Omicron variant has changed the pandemic game for families, businesses, and professional cleaning companies alike. Today, we aren't implementing the same strict stay-at-home mandates to deal with the virus, but COVID-19 continues to present plenty of disruptions, including quarantines, contact tracing, and more.
As the owner of a commercial cleaning company, you can support your clients through this strange time and give them the peace of mind they are searching for, as well as the services they need to keep their businesses in operation.
Share Your Processes
With so much uncertainty at every turn, your clients will appreciate knowing exactly what you are doing to care for their facility. You may already have implemented important steps like:
- Using the appropriate disinfectants and cleaning measures. We know more about how COVID-19 is spread than when the virus first emerged, but after an employee falls sick, how do you sanitize their space?
- Donning personal protective equipment. Are you masking up, wearing gloves, and doing everything you can to prevent cross-contamination?
- Training your team. Have you spent the time to go over the proper use of cleaning chemicals and how to use them appropriately without damaging hard or porous surfaces?
Even if you have put these measures in place, be sure to share them with your clients. During a pandemic, our priorities shift and change. Your clients value sanitation and a healthy workspace—which you are readily equipped to provide! They'll breathe a little easier knowing you have their best interest (and their continued operation) at heart.
Nighttime Cleanings
Another feature of your business your clients may appreciate? After-hours cleaning to promote social distancing and limit contact tracing and business interruption in the event of a positive COVID-19 case. Don't forget that the things that make you feel safe—masking, disinfecting, regular testing, social distancing—are the same things that make your clients feel safe.
Offer Additional Disinfection Services
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, over 80 percent of small businesses have expanded their offerings to include additional services to help their clients and customers.
If you haven't already, now is the time to add to your menu of cleaning offerings. According to Forbes, half of all small businesses are planning to increase their cleaning and disinfection efforts in 2022. Forbes also reported an increase in customers asking for specific cleaning and sanitation services.
Could your list of customers benefit from disinfecting foggers or ultraviolet light? Conduct a survey and ask your clients what kind of services they want to see when infection rates are spiking or when someone in their workplace is ill. Can you bundle your services to save time and resources, while offering a discount to your clients?
Additional COVID-19-related disinfection services can keep your clients' businesses up and running. For example? The retail giant Walmart had to temporarily shut down nearly 60 stores across the U.S. due to spiking cases of the Omicron variant so they could properly disinfect each location. Perhaps round-the-clock services can support your clients during surging infection rates in your area to limit disruptions to the small businesses that keep your community going.
Expand Non-COVID-Related Offerings
COVID-19 has shed a light on the importance of a clean, healthy workplace—and illuminated just how quickly any kind of illness can spread through an office or commercial facility. Keep in mind that when COVID-19 cases are on the rise, your clients may have several associates out at one time in quarantine or at home with their kids.
But wintertime is also prime time for the spread of the common cold or the influenza virus. While COVID-19 is mostly an airborne virus, other germs are still lurking on surfaces like desks, countertops, and doorknobs. They need to be properly disinfected to mitigate the spread of other illnesses too. With nationwide worker shortages, rising COVID-19 cases means it's more important than ever to keep as many associates healthy and well as possible.
Also? As more businesses return to the workplace after working from home for months, they want to make the right impression for their clients and customers. Carpets need to be cleaned, windows washed, floors waxed and polished.
Your commercial cleaning company can support a successful re-opening or return to work with an impeccably clean space and proper cleaning protocols to mitigate the spread of other infections. What kinds of services are commercial facilities managers looking for these days?
- Air duct cleaning for better indoor air quality
- Carpet cleaning to remove dander, allergens, and dust that can impact the respiratory system
- Floor mat cleaning to make the right impression when clients and customers return
- Upholstery cleaning to save money by extending the life of office furniture and removing germs
- Deep cleaning and sanitation for a cleaner, healthier, more welcoming workplace
Don't Forget to Support Yourself!
Janitorial companies and commercial cleaning businesses have been working overtime since the onset of this pandemic to provide safe, clean facilities. When infection rates start to climb and things get busy, you need to be sure you are supporting your associates and your business too. This of course includes things like:
- General liability insurance
- Workers' compensation
- Janitorial bonding and insurance
Also? You can support your business by getting the tools you need to expand your reach, find new clients, increase your profits, and manage your operations.
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The Infection Control Training: Cleaning and Disinfecting Training Program Has Third Party Assessor Verification To ensure the information provided in this program is to industry standards, MyHouseCleaningBiz.com has had this program reviewed by a Cleaning Industry Third Party Assessor. He is a long-time veteran of the cleaning industry and currently an assessor for ISSA - CIMS & CIMS-GB Certification, and a third-party custodial effectiveness auditor of buildings applying for or being re-certified in the LEED standard through USGBC.
The Infection Control: Cleaning and Disinfecting Training Program meets Certification Requirements.
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