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Q 1: Let’s start with the basics. It may seem self-explanatory, but how do you define productivity when cleaning floors?
A 1: At ProTeam, we look at productivity from two angles.
• The first is speed—the number of square feet a typical worker can clean per hour. This is how ProTeam started. Our founder was a commercial cleaner, and he knew there had a to be a faster way to clean floors than the dust mop and upright. His innovation, the lightweight backpack vacuum, revolutionized the industry. Independent sources like ISSA have shown the ProTeam backpack vacuum cleans up to 3.5 times faster than a single motor upright. In this industry, like most others, time means money.
• The second angle we look at is efficiency.
Q 2: How do you define efficiency?
A 2: Basically, how well the job gets done. We tend to take a wide-angle view of the word.
• First, we look at dust capture. ProTeam vacuums have a high-powered motor that creates great suction, and our Four Level® Filtration system keeps that dust—even microscopic particles—from being blown back into the air. Studies have shown that after 5 passes, ProTeam backpack vacuums are 43 percent more efficient than a commercial upright vacuum in removing soil. In the long run, this means less dust bunnies and dusting, which cuts down on the work you need to do.
• Second, we think about the vacuum’s effectiveness in cleaning the overall environment. If a worker can’t easily maneuver around furniture and switch tools to do detail work, places will get missed. At ProTeam, we have a motto: use “the right tool for the right job.” Get the vacuum that works for your exact needs and eliminates the need to switch equipment when cleaning different floor types and spaces. For example, our suction-only vacuums work great on both hard floors and low- and mid-pile carpet, and we include easy-to-access tool belts so you can go from cleaning the floor to cleaning a ceiling fan in a few simple steps.
• Finally, we look at other factors that can add up to long-term effectiveness, including ergonomics, Team Cleaning, durability and maintenance.
Q 3: I know that ProTeam emphasizes educational programs like Team Cleaning® to enhance productivity. Can you explain why that method would make a difference?
A 3: When ProTeam introduced the backpack vacuum, we also emphasized a program called Team Cleaning. This flexible system offers an efficient and cost-effective way to deploy staff. One member of a crew covers light-duty work, one vacuums, one does restrooms, and the other is a utility specialist for cleaning lobbies, glass, and mopping floors.
Team Cleaning results in increased productivity, less equipment and a consistent deep clean. We have more information about the program on our website, pro-team.com.
Q 4: You also mentioned the impact of durability and maintenance. How do you factor in things like downtime when thinking about productivity?
A 4: Bottom line, if a vacuum breaks down again and again, or is beyond repair only a year after you buy it, it cost so much more than the initial price tag.
ProTeam vacuums are easy to maintain and incredibly durable.
Routine steps, like emptying the filter regularly and checking the brush heads, is usually all it takes to keep one of our vacuums going and going. Our suction-only backpack and canister vacuums eliminate the need for belts and beater bars, so there aren’t as many moving parts to worry about. Then our Four Level Filtration protects the motor from fine dust and particles.
Your cleaning staff also contributes to the overall lifespan of a vacuum, so we offer quick start guides and do-it-yourself videos in both English and Spanish to teach workers about proper use and maintenance.
Add that to our unsurpassed warranty, and you’re covered. On most of our 19 vacuums we manufacture, we offer a warranty of three years on parts, labor and motor, and lifetime on molded body parts.
With ProTeam, you’ll come out with a vacuum that goes the distance.
Q 5: Do you have any examples of long-lasting vacuums?
A 5: Yes, actually, just recently we had a surprise delivery to our repair center. A hardwood floor installer sent in a 21-year old ProTeam vacuum that still worked fine. He just wanted to improve the suction. We gave him a reconditioned Super CoachVac® , and kept the old vacuum for our archives.
We also recently spoke to a company out of Manhattan, called IBS Services Group, that purchased one of the first ProTeam backpacks in production in 1988. They think they have vacuum number 13, and they still use it on a daily basis. They now own 300 ProTeam backpack vacuums, and say they’ve never had to junk one. That’s music to our ears.
posted on 5/18/2009
