Tools That Improve Productivity

In a recent report to a customer I stressed the reality that “It is all about productivity and results.” Any chemical or tool or piece of equipment that enables you to perform the work better, faster and cheaper is a bargain. The challenge is to know which ones are real productivity enhancers and which are a waste of time and money. I oftentimes inspect custodial closets and not old barrels full of discarded mop handles, scrapers (missing blades), brushes with most of the bristles missing, buffing pads that are ruined due to failure to clean properly and different types of floor finish systems.

First of all, someone should take ownership and clean the closet by tossing or donating anything that is not usable or being used at this account. Then they should give serious consideration to each job being performed and then purchase the right tools for the right job. This may entail some research as well as selling and training workers on how to get the most benefit from the investment. Remember that your greatest costs in a service contract are labor and benefits. We will take the next few articles to look at some tools that may help in this endeavor.

• A swivel brush or swivel pad - The difference between these two is that one has a bristle brush on the bottom whereas the other type has a gripper surface that can hold a scrub pad. Each has its benefits but both enable the user to scrub baseboards and edges without having to be on their hands and knees nearly as much. This means less fatigue and reduced chances of back strain which can result in lower productivity and possibly even calling in sick due to back strain. These units are useful on many different surfaces including ceramic tiles in rest rooms as well as VCT (Vinyl Composite Tile) that has finish build up.

We will continue these ideas 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