http://britishcleaningcouncil.org/2017/03/02/bcc-release-new-industry-trends-report/ https://www.swnsdigital.com/2017/03/young-americans-lack-key-social-skills-avoid-the-phone-and-fear-small-talk/
Communication is key
Facilicom MD, Jan-Hein Hemke, explores what impact the decline of social skills in the digital era has on the cleaning industry.
The demand for cleaning is perceived as being less subject to the fluctuations of the economy than other sectors. This is due to the fact that cleaning remains a necessity – especially in public places and healthcare facilities, for example.
It is also good for business, since a consumer’s positive impression of an establishment will influence whether they decide to return or recommend it to others.
Indeed, the contract cleaning industry is thriving, contributing over £24bn to the UK economy (according to the BCC). However, it remains competitive; many public and private sector organisations employ their own cleaning staff in-house, and there is fierce competition when it comes to bidding for new contracts. Offering a first-rate professional cleaning service is no longer enough to win and retain business. To be successful, a contract cleaning supplier needs to differentiate themselves and add value to their clients. At Facilicom, we believe that success starts with communication.
Digital evolution or social regression?
However, the world in which we live and work is constantly evolving and, so it seems, is the way we communicate. Thanks to the digital and technological evolution, there appears to be a worrying trend of deteriorating social skills – despite people being more connected than ever via their smartphones and social media platforms.
It has also been suggested that younger people entering the workplace, particularly those born in the millennial and ‘Gen Z’ generation, are lacking in inter-personal skills and have little confidence with human interaction. In fact, a One Poll study last year of 2,000 millennials found that 65% don’t feel comfortable engaging with someone face-to-face, 80% prefer conversing digitally, and 62% feel a sense of dread while speaking on the phone to clients and customers at work.
Interpersonal value
With this in mind, Facilicom trains all of their colleagues in ‘Hostmanship’, or, in other words, ‘the art of making people feel welcome’. You may question why cleaning operatives would need these skills to do their particular job, however, it is a way that our colleagues can adapt and add value to their services.
It may mean, for example, that our colleagues working in healthcare facilities can help free up the nurses’ or healthcare professionals’ time by taking on some of their non-medical jobs, such as refilling water jugs, or making a cup of tea. In other settings, such as leisure or retail centres, they can assist and engage directly with consumers,
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providing help with directions to specific areas, cafés or washrooms for example. After all, to the public, everybody working in a facility is part of the same team – and should therefore be approachable and knowledgeable about the place they work.
Our Hostmanship training programme helps our colleagues develop and hone interpersonal skills, as well as building their confidence to communicate and engage with colleagues, clients and customers effectively. This practical philosophy goes further than customer care, encompassing quality, friendship and hospitality, and introduces a caring, yet professional, approach to our work, as well as helping our colleagues to see the ‘bigger picture’.
We embed these people skills across our entire workforce, from management level right through to on-site staff. We believe that it is these attributes that can really make a difference in business, from winning and retaining new contracts, to adding value for our clients, and ensuring we stand out in a crowded and competitive environment.
www.facilicom.co.uk twitter.com/TomoCleaning
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