RETAIL & DAYTIME CLEANING
Night And Day
While the switch to daytime cleaning may, in some sectors of retail, not always be viable, it is important that staff understand the importance of integration and easing the load on their nighttime colleagues. Nigel Crunden, Business Specialist at Office Depot UK, explains.
The whole customer experience is at the heart of efforts to maintain a clean and tidy store – availability of products at the right price is only half the equation when it comes to satisfying customers and keeping them in store. Retailers must therefore remember that a spotless space is an important selling point, not simply a box ticker.
It is also important not to disrupt the customer experience unnecessarily, so retailers must carefully weigh up the proportion of cleaning which is done during trading time and how much takes place out of hours.
Day To Night First impressions count in retail so ensuring a store is clean and tidy at all times is essential, as it has a direct effect on a retailer’s reputation.
Achieving this means that for many retailers a ‘clean as you go’ policy is adopted, where shop assistants are expected to clean surfaces, sweep and tidy as part of their day-to-day duties. Usually, there is a sensible approach to this with staff focusing on cleaning during quieter times of the day to ensure that customer service is not compromised. To ensure that these duties are adhered to, management usually introduce protocols, such as hourly checks that ensure toilets and
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common areas have been sufficiently cleaned. Log sheets are usually displayed within areas like these to reassure customers and so staff can verify that schedules have been strictly adhered to.
The Right Products The layout of individual stores can be varied in terms of specific cleaning needs and the subsequent products that are required. However, for those retailers focusing on maximising the value of all in-store activity, multi- purpose cleaning products are one of the most popular choices.
Consolidating cleaning requirements by using multi-purpose products not only helps make cost efficiencies but also saves on storage space otherwise taken up by countless specialist products. Cleaning operatives and shop staff are also less burdened by having to switch products, depending on what and where they are cleaning.
Train And Engage It is important that store managers include training in cleaning in the induction programme for new members of staff. That way they understand from the outset that it is a part of their role as it supports night time cleaning and guarantees that the
customer experience remains the top priority at all times. Store managers must regularly audit the proportion of night time cleaning that is carried out to check if it needs to be increased or if the level of training for daytime staff needs to change in any way.
Cross-Sector Focus The mixture of day and night time cleaning is, to an extent the best fit for retailers. The ‘front of house’ nature of store activity means that image and first impressions are major deal breakers. However, it shouldn’t be forgotten that office premises, for example, rely on a slightly different cleaning routine to minimise interruption to the working day. This can be challenging as employees deserve to work in both a clean and safe environment – this makes it essential that night time/evening cleaning services implemented within offices is as comprehensive as possible, given that opportunities to ‘top up’ cleaning efforts during the day are minimal.
The need to revisit and review cleaning procedures to ensure an individual system is the best fit is vital.
online.officedepot.co.uk
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