Do You Have the Best Tools to Grow Your Janitorial Business?

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” George Bernard Shaw was onto something when he made this statement. The only way communication can be effective is if it’s truly happening. This is most readily applied to our lives as a whole, but more specifically to your janitorial business. Are you really communicating with your customers? What about your staff? Do they feel like you, as a manager or owner, are available to them or are using the best tools to help them succeed? If there’s poor communication, your business won’t grow beyond you.

It can be easy to think that the work should speak for itself in the janitorial world, but with the ever-changing standards and the continual increase in what your customers expect from your business, communication is more important than ever before. Communication affects all areas of your business, whether it’s marketing, client retention, employee satisfaction. Therefore, improving your communication skills and using the best tools to do so will enhance your whole business.

What Do You Have to Offer?

Janitorial services are vital to every other industry such as business, medicine, education, real estate, and so on. Most of the time, the people you serve may not even realize what you do for them. That’s because janitorial services are definitely a behind-the-scenes type of work. But if your company isn’t doing a good job, or you aren’t communicating well with your niche/field, your work will be noticed, and not in a good way. Business owners can easily get caught up in the details rather than focusing on the customer.

Sometimes improving communication skills requires baby steps. You can’t overhaul your business or refill your box of tools overnight. But if you take those baby steps, it will make a huge difference. Today, there are so many ways to communicate with people. Let’s take a look at some effective ways to communicate in today’s world:

1. Use the Best Tools.

When it comes to communication, you have a lot of options at your fingertips. Your computer, your cell phone, your email, your marketing materials, even your staff members all can be used to effectively communicate the important parts of your business to everyone. Another tool available to you as a janitorial company is a commercial cleaning software program. These programs are designed to keep the details of your business handled and organized seamlessly. Then, you can spend more time focusing on what’s important.

2. Be the First.

You’ve heard it before: change starts at the top. If you already know that your communication skills are lacking, take the time and make the effort to improve. You can take a class, go to a seminar, read a leadership book, or study communication skills. A small change can go a long way.

3. Understand Your Staff.

The only way your cleaning contracts are satisfied is by your staff. They are the first impression your customers will have of your business so you need to ensure that they’re truly putting their best foot forward. To do this, you can employ a messaging app so your employees can communicate with you in real time (or you with them). If your staff members speak another language, you can take the time to learn more of their language (with a translation app or getting a dictionary in their language) so that you can communicate with them through the app more effectively. You can further open up lines of communication with your customers to provide feedback about the services they’ve received. This will help your employees improve the ways they serve their customers. If your staff responds better to emails, send them emails. If it’s easier to send text messages, send text messages. If your company can learn to use a new software app to develop good communication, then purchase the right one. Good communication leads happier employees, and the temperament of your staff will determine how the services they provide are received.

4. Surprise Your Clients.

There are so many ways you can pleasantly surprise your customers. First, you can go above and beyond the current contract occasionally. Second, you can give them discounts based on which services are contracted. If you’re using a cleaning software program (or you’re looking for one), make sure you find one that provides a customer portal, where your customers can contact you as needed. Most of these customers have probably reported problems in the past. If your staff members were committed to excellence in customer service and reported problems before the client did, how would that improve your customer’s outlook? If you’re willing to try new things, it will set your company apart from any competitor. Your client retention will stay steady, and you’ll also prove that your company is worth a referral from your current customers.

Is Your Toolbox Full?

The only effective toolbox is the one full of the right tools. Many janitorial companies are trying everything under the sun to gain more clients, but they end up burning their staff out and alienating potential customers. In order for you to stay a step ahead of the competition, to maintain a happy staff, and to wow your clients, you need to employ the best tools for your toolbox. The best tool for any janitorial company is Janitorial Manager. Our software program was designed with your business in mind! Contact us to schedule a free demo today!