Cleaning documentation is one way to highlight the value you bring to your clients. Unless that documentation is a mess.
Cleaning documentation may not be the most fun part of your team’s work. Even so, it’s a vital part of the job for several reasons. Good documentation can boost customer satisfaction, help you work more efficiently, improve your bidding and workloading process, and validate your efforts should there be any questions or concerns about your work.
But that documentation won’t help you if it’s a jumbled mess. You can’t very well present your clients with a disorganized list of tasks. Nor can you rely on your records to inform future bids if you don’t have an accurate accounting of current work.
And yet, one of the biggest concerns we come across is that many commercial cleaners simply don’t feel like they have time to add one more task to their list. It’s enough some days just to complete one job and get to the next mostly on time. Adding something like detailed cleaning documentation seems like a lot of effort for little payoff.
Here’s the good news, though. Even though additional documentation will take some effort to implement, the ongoing effort is minimal once you get into the habit. And the payoff is actually quite good.
From maintenance schedules to task lists to work orders, Janitorial manager can help you organize your entire operation. Schedule a free call with Janitorial Manager and make your work easier and more profitable.
What’s so great about commercial cleaning documentation?
How can cleaning documentation help? Is it really worth the effort? Let’s take a closer look at some of the reasons mentioned earlier.
Customer satisfaction. Happy customers are key to your success in commercial cleaning. But even your happiest customers want to understand what they get for the money they pay you. Some of that, of course, is easy to see. The carpets are clean, and the windows are streak-free. There’s also a good chance you do a lot that’s not so obvious. You replace trash bags, sanitize phones, refill paper products, and multiple other tasks that don’t get noticed unless they don’t get done. So, how do you “prove” your value to your customers? Present them with documentation of your work each month with your invoice.
Work more efficiently. Accurate cleaning documentation can help you internally, as well. How long does it actually take to clean any given facility, or areas of that facility? You probably have a good estimate, but wouldn’t it be helpful to have something more exact? With accurate time stamps, you find out if you need to add another team member for a location or if you can move someone to a more labor-intensive job. Or you can adjust your schedule to get the most from your larger cleaning equipment.
Improved bidding and workloading. In much the same way that good documentation can help you work more efficiently, it can also help you offer more accurate bids and improve your workloading.
Validate efforts. There are times when we need to provide proof of our work. There are numerous reasons this may happen, whether it’s to resolve a dispute, documentation for corporate offices or budgets, or simply because a customer asks. When you regularly document your work, this is an easy and quick request to fulfill.
3 Ways to get organized and make documentation easy
Even with all the reasons to keep on top of cleaning documentation, there’s still the matter of getting organized, making it all work, and not getting overwhelmed with more work. Luckily, it’s not as challenging as it sounds.
1. Invest in commercial cleaning software. Yes, we are a commercial cleaning software company. And yes, we would love to help you get more organized and streamline your work. But even if you decide another software is right for you business, we truly believe that you need dedicated cleaning business software to keep your cleaning documentation filed and accessible. It’s so much easier than trying to track your work with paper or even a basic spreadsheet. With janitorial software, you can keep task checklists, notes, and pictures all together, filed by location. You can even track who did the work and when.
2. Get your team on board. You can’t do this alone. For your efforts to be successful, you need to get your team involved. At the very least, you’ll need your site supervisors to be part of the effort. We have some tips for implementing new software that you can read here. The trick here is that it has to become a habit. And while it may take some effort to get things going, once your team is engaged, there’s not much more to it than checking items on a list and uploading a few photos.
3. Use QR codes. With QR codes like Janitorial Managers Scan4Clean, your team simply scans a code when they enter an area. They can see an updated checklist, with all the tasks and duties assigned for that space. When they complete the tasks, they can upload images, leave notes, and sign out of the space. What’s nice about this system is that your customer can also scan the code and see what work was completed and when. They can also leave notes and comments. And because your team scans into and out of a space, you can also get accurate data on cleaning times, room conditions, and more.
With the right solutions in place, cleaning documentation will help you streamline your communications with customers. Instead of adding to your workload, you can actually improve your customer service and save yourself time and effort in the long run.
Keep up with your customers, staff, schedules, and checklists. Learn more today with a discovery call and find out how to make your cleaning operation more efficient, cost effective, and better for everyone!