Performance Issues And Communicating Them Clearly

A reader writes: “You commented recently about so called performance issues yet do not fault the customer for failing to communicate clearly what their expectations are. Your response?”

Based on a quick review of the specifications in the contract and the overall appearance of the account, you definitely have serious performance issues. The specifications are quite clear on expectations and no where do I see that the customer is supposed to “manage by complaint” which means that you should not be waiting for the customer to communicate their observations about performance.

Key areas that you are missing include the front entrance (door glass, tracks, mats dirty), carpet creep (soil being tracked into building), rest room odors, inadequate stocking of supplies, scuffs and dull tile floors, excessive dust and other issues that are clearly delineated in the specifications.

Following are a few suggestions to consider:

1. Review your current Quality Control program since it is set up for Sat/Unsat/Sat Needs Work which is not capturing current conditions. And no, short staffing is not an excuse.

2. Evaluate and train your onsite supervisor who seems to be distracted and not engaged with staff or tenants. There is a distinct possibility that he is working another job that may be consuming all his time and energy.

3. Evaluate and train your current custodial staff. It appears that they are hired and put on the job with little training in chemicals, procedures, equipment, etc. Your vendor seems eager to assist if you will simply take advantage of their support.

4. Set goals for dealing with the performance issues and report on progress to customer. No, they should not have to conduct inspections on your behalf and have indicated they have other things to do.

Remember that the customer is the customer, right or wrong. Be professional, read and abide by the specs and document performance.

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.