A reader asks: "Do you have any suggestions for dealing with a prospect who continues to provide incomplete and faulty measurements? We are struggling with maintaining an account that we bid based on the data provided. No, we did not double check the data since the prospect insisted that we give them a quick turnaround. Help?"

As we mentioned in a prior article, there were serious (but not necessarily fatal) errors made on both sides. For your part, you need to measure and document the actual square footage (SF) of each area making sure to note the type flooring in place. The type flooring will oftentimes determine the processes used to maintain the area. For instance, carpeting in a front lobby area subject to snow, ice melt, sand, etc. will necessitate different cleaning processes than a ceramic tile floor with sealed grout but no finish on the surface.

Another item to count are restroom fixtures (toilets, sinks, urinals) that need to be serviced at least once per day (visit) in order to keep them cleaned. Double check to see if there is the need to provide day porter service for any high traffic or high profile rest rooms that will need to be re-stocked and spot mopped to maintain a certain appearance level. I was in an office complex recently where the day porter checked all rest rooms in about four buildings between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. My observation is that I have never found the restrooms out of order for more than an hour or so including plugged toilets. If you do not know the time it takes to clean as well as police these rest rooms, your final hours could be off.

We will continue this discussion in a future article. 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 5/11/2015