Selling Customers on Robotic Floor Equipment

Robotic technology and artificial intelligence (AI) applications have quickly crept into just about every industry. New vehicles now come loaded with safety features to compensate for human error. AI technology is being used to quickly analyze and summarize large bodies of text, making life easier for students and professionals alike. More trivially, some bars have installed self-pour beer stations, meaning less time spent in line and more time with friends. Even the cleaning industry — which has been historically averse to newer technology — has shown a willingness to explore robotics technology.  

To get a better sense of why and how the industry has made the jump, Sanitary Maintenance spoke to Bill McGarvey, director of training and sustainability at Imperial Dade, Jersey City, New Jersey. 

Sanitary Maintenance (SM): Right or wrong, end users often seem to think many robotic technologies are the same or similar. Why do you think that point of view exists and is it justified? 

Bill McGarvey: Part of it just goes to the nature of the business. We tend to lump things together. When we look at the various types of equipment, you've got different manufacturers — and they've all got different bells and whistles. Some of that certainly is part of the reason why the customer gravitates toward a particular model. But I think when we talk about this as an industry, we refer to robotic technology and folks see it as one monolithic system. They don't necessarily see that there are various operating systems from different organizations, but instead consider it all as autonomous machinery. 

SM: What are some of the more popular floor care robotic offerings on the market and what makes them unique? 

McGarvey: The most popular technologies I've seen are either automatic floor scrubbers or vacuums that tackle either hard or soft flooring. I'm sure when manufacturers were first trying to decide where robotic machinery makes sense, they looked at larger-scale equipment and bigger areas, like long hallways. It didn’t take long to realize the advantages of using autonomous equipment in these areas.   

One of the first robotic scrubbers I saw was at a school district where a longtime custodian had retired. Times were tough, and the district couldn’t afford to replace this person. The custodial supervisor at the time was one of the early adopters of robotics and brought in a floor scrubber. He had to reassign some of the work, but was able to let the scrubber take on some of what a former full-time employee or full-time equivalent was producing.  

This was a few years ago, but as we look back on that time, we can see that's where the trend was. Some people saw it as replacing workers, but in reality, that’s not normally the case. An organization could hypothetically set out to do that, but I think more often than not, end users are just trying to fill cleaning voids that they couldn't fill with people. 

Then there was the advent of the pandemic. People realized that the custodial team could make an impact when it comes to protecting public health — and protecting health is more important than having the shiniest floors. If custodial teams can reassign the work that doesn't need that human touch, they can free up the people to take care of things that, frankly, are more important, especially when we start talking about protection of health. 

SM: Do you think that autonomous technology is here to stay? 

McGarvey: I don't think autonomous equipment is going anywhere. Manufacturers will continue to improve them just like we've seen with the traditional floor scrubber — which were automated floor machines when they first came out; meaning that they dispensed the solution at the touch of a button. We are presently seeing the evolution of some of this equipment, so I would expect to continue seeing it progress further. 

SM: When it comes to selling autonomous floor care products, what features are the most important to customers? 

McGarvey: Multiple factors come to mind. When we talk about healthcare and education, safety is first and foremost. Nobody wants their patients or students to be run over by robots. Manufacturers have done a good job of addressing that.  

I also think the ease of operation is important. Some machines are more complicated in terms of establishing the route. Others are more easily adaptable, so they might have their regular route, but then an obstacle comes up. For some, users can hop on, override the machine, and operate it themselves. Other machines require a quick lap to learn the route and from there it'll go on its own. The ease of routing is important.  

Service after the sale is important, too. Some manufacturers, at a certain point — if ongoing service is being paid for — will replace the machine for users if they're having problems, which was never done in the old days.  

SM: Robotic floor care can certainly get expensive. How can distributors sell end user customers on its long-term value? 

McGarvey: I think part of it is looking at that return on investment (ROI). What job or jobs is this machine accomplishing? And while frontline teams aren’t trying to put anybody out of work, robotic equipment offers a fixed-cost solution to frontline cleaning jobs that are difficult to fill.  

We're also talking about trying to improve the quality of life for custodial personnel. Oftentimes there has been a fine line between providing the service and being able to pay people. Robotics may offer an avenue to take care of some of that work, while also putting the employer in a position to better reward the people that are there taking care of the bigger tasks. 

SM: Do you have any advice on how end users should be maintaining their robotic equipment?  

McGarvey: A big piece of maintaining any equipment and keeping it in working order is making sure all those little bullet points within the operator's manual are being addressed. Distributors should educate their end user customers to make sure fluids are being emptied out, that the equipment is being properly rinsed, that parts are being wiped down — really, all the things that we would normally look to take care of on any piece of equipment. 

SM: When considering robotic floor equipment, how crucial is it for distributors to provide good customer service, especially when the price point is higher? 

McGarvey: It's something that customers must weigh when making their ultimate decision because, as we said, these folks are taking a leap of faith in this technology. The last thing they want to deal with is a problem with the machine, and now they can't get somebody on the phone. Custodial managers have people to answer to, so they need to be able to get those answers when things aren't going optimally. 

Jake Meister is a freelance writer based in the Milwaukee area.