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A happy team leads to happy customers, and these staff appreciation ideas are sure to keep your cleaning crew satisfied.

You’ve undoubtedly heard that a good way to keep your customers satisfied is to make sure your team feels valued. Certainly, if you’ve read many of our blog posts, you’ve come across this idea. Maybe you’ve even thought about some staff appreciation ideas and decided you weren’t convinced they would work. 

It’s true that many staff appreciation ideas come across as half-hearted attempts at retaining employees who are already on their way out the door. But frankly, that doesn’t work very well. To gain the benefits of excellent customer service from your team, employee retention needs to be a core mission of your commercial cleaning business. 

That’s not just an opinion, though. Several studies have pointed out the relationship between customer loyalty and satisfaction and employee loyalty and satisfaction. For example, a research study at Cornell University found that, in the service industry, “the more new workers in a workplace, the more problematic the worker turnover, […] and the more unhappy customers were.”

In another study published by the University of Massachusetts, Amherst plainly states that “There is a corresponding reduction in the quality of customer service as a result of high employee turnover.” The good news? The reverse is also true. 


If you are ready to take your cleaning organization to the next level, schedule a free call with Janitorial Manager to see how our software can make your janitorial operation more successful.


Staff Appreciation Ideas

9 Staff appreciation ideas that actually work

Since employee happiness and retention go hand in hand with customer retention, it makes good business sense to do what you can to keep your team happy. But, at the same time, many staff appreciation ideas are little more than fillers that don’t work in the long term. So what ideas can you put in place that actually work?

1. Offer Bonuses. That same Cornell study referenced earlier also found that monthly bonuses based on a group’s service score improved employee retention. While money alone is rarely a deciding factor in an employee’s decision to stay with a company, it is undoubtedly a significant factor. To be clear, these bonuses are on top of a fair wage. A bonus that attempts to make up for sub-standard wages won’t have the same impact. 

2. Create a Comfortable Work Environment. Though not specifically in the realm of staff appreciation ideas, a good work environment will make it much easier to retain good employees. Your team wants to feel safe and appreciated at work. That means they have customers who respect them, coworkers they can trust, and managers who can encourage and guide them. 

3. Send a Handwritten Card. A little effort goes a long way here. A handwritten note thanking someone for their hard work on a specific job shows that you care enough to take the time and effort to notice someone’s work and to put the energy into thanking them. An email is nice, but it’s simply not the same as getting a card in the mail. 

4. Share Positive Feedback. Of all the staff appreciation ideas out there, this might be one of the easiest. Whenever you get a positive review or message from a customer, share it with your entire team. People like to know that what they do is meaningful. It’s especially nice when customers recognize this and make a point of expressing gratitude. 

5. Buy Lunch. There are some pros and cons to this. If you buy lunch for your team now and then, in addition to putting other staff appreciation ideas into place, it can be a powerful combination. But if you think that the free pizza once a month is enough by itself, you may be disappointed. We all love a free lunch, but that’s not enough to keep your team happy without other measures in place. 

6. Don’t Limit Your Appreciation to Specific Days. While certainly worthy of celebrating, employee appreciation days should not be the only time you use your staff appreciation ideas. A once or twice each year occurrence isn’t an ongoing retention strategy. 

7. Vacation!! Outside of bonuses, paid time off is one of the staff appreciation ideas nearly guaranteed to keep your team happy. We all need a break sometimes, yet many employers don’t offer this benefit. By adding PTO to your team’s list of benefits, you can attract the best employees and retain them. 

8. Celebrate Birthdays. It may seem a little silly, but a cake and 15 minutes at the beginning of a workday to celebrate a birthday can do a lot to make your team feel valued. 

9. Celebrate Achievements. Birthday celebrations are nice, but so are celebrations of other achievements. Whether they are work-related, such as certifications or a promotion, or personal, such as a graduation or wedding, celebrating your team is always a good idea.

Remember, the best staff appreciation ideas can help you keep your team happy, but they need your help. Your retention efforts have to be an ongoing part of running your business. And don’t forget, while it’s a nice thing to recognize your team, it’s also good for business overall.


Increase employee retention in your cleaning business with Janitorial Manager. to advance your business like never before. Learn more today with a free discovery call!


 

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