We all acknowledge that the major cost of any custodial contract is direct labor. The larger the contract, the more important this number becomes. We also acknowledge that labor is driven by the frequency of tasks, which can be impacted by training, equipment and supervision. A well-managed contract is going to have standardized equipment and processes in place to keep labor costs under control. The day of each worker simply cleaning the account as they deemed appropriate is long gone.

One major airline has the philosophy that they are only making money when they are in the air moving passengers from point A to point B. They took this philosophy to the point of expecting pilots to assist with baggage when necessary. Their costs per passenger mile is usually the lowest in the industry. We, as cleaning services, need to adapt the same philosophy and focus on keeping our crews on task cleaning rather than tracking down a belt or bag. What is our cost per square foot for cleaning an account? Can we improve that number through better, well maintained equipment and training?

A well-managed BSC (Building Service Contractor) will focus on one equipment line whenever practical to simplify training as well and maintenance concerns. Most of us learned the hard way that the cheapest equipment was oftentimes the most expensive over time due to repairs, difficulty in operation and break downs. When it comes to training, most workers are more comfortable with the switches, colors and cords being the same. Being able to find the right bag or belt is crucial when workers are expected to be productive.

An investment in dependable, standardized equipment can go a long ways in reducing the real costs of your custodial contract: direct labor.

Your comments and questions are important. 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.


posted on 2/5/2015