A reader asks: "Being the lowest bid means that we all have to make sacrifices and cut corners where we can. I realize the ideal is to sanitize/disinfect everything every day but it simply is not practical. Any suggestions on when enough is enough?"

Several years ago, a major car manufacturer had to make the choice of fixing a known safety hazard or ignoring it. Their accountants calculated that even if there were XX fatalities from the defective part, it was still cheaper than replacing the unit which allegedly cost less than $1.00 at the time. I do not remember anyone going to jail for the fatalities and the main beneficiaries were the banks of lawyers who squeezed out settlements and of course, collected their fees. Although this happened many years ago, I still hesitate to even look at this car manufacturer's products since the accountants may be making the same decision today. Do I really want to take such a risk if there are better options?

One of the primary lines you must draw in the sand is that your lowest cost should not knowingly put anyone (workers, tenants, etc.) at risk to infection or possibly death. An example is to save time by "spray and wipe" a surface when the product specifies a set dwell/contact time to actually disinfect. When you follow the spray and wipe procedure you are simply sanitizing (kill rate between 50-99%) rather than disinfecting a key touch point such as a handle, light switch or seat. Building value to the prospect can include the fact that you allow for dwell/contact time to protect them and their visitors.

Beware of accountants making decisions that can impact life of others as well as the very existence of your company.

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 1/7/2015