Develop A Backup Plan For Budgets

What happens when the economy turns south and we have some of our best customers having to lay off staff and cut wherever they can to stay afloat?  

First of all, the savvy BSC (Building Service Contractor) should never be surprised by such news since they should have the pulse of the customer and the surrounding economy.  They should know ahead of time and be willing to go to the customer with a Plan B that will focus on cleanliness and key high profile areas that need attention.  Back to Mickey’s 80/20 rule which may become more 90/10 as the BSC evaluates where cuts can be made without the customer noticing too much.

Remember that there are other hungry BSC’s out there looking for any opportunity to prove they can do a better job for less money (or at least that is their promise until reality hits).  The savvy BSC should know information such as: 

1. Total Square Footage, which takes into account unused or areas, not serviced.

2. Total Cleanable Area, which includes all office, hallways, rest rooms (including fixture count), and other spaces serviced on a regular basis.

3. The most important areas (broken out by SF) including entrances, rest rooms, break rooms, conference rooms and other high profile spaces.

4. Current SF/Hour productivity rate based on type of cleaning being provided.  Zone, Team or Gang cleaning styles can have a major impact on productivity.  

5. Who are the most productive, flexible workers in the account.

Going to Plan B should not be left in the hands of the customer who is looking at dollars; not key areas.  In future articles we will consider how to develop a Plan B for a win/win outcome.  We will continue to take a look at the differences in Plan A, B and C in future articles. 

Your comments and questions are always welcome. I hope to hear from you soon. Until then, keep it clean...

Mickey Crowe has been involved in the industry for over 35 years. He is a trainer, speaker and consultant. You can reach Mickey at 678.314.2171 or CTCG50@comcast.net.