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Over the last year, the number of Michigan-based in-house janitors to receive their walking papers has drastically increased. The reason is a growing trend towards outsourcing of jan/san departments within public schools. In light of deep budget cuts, school board members are tasked with making the difficult...
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Everyone from athletes, celebrities and businesspeople are twittering. The “next big thing” in the social networking craze allows users to send or “tweet” messages to others who receive the information on their cell phones or in an e-mail. While some might find the tweets irksome...
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We are all familiar with the traditional “Best Of” lists that clutter our in-boxes at the end of every year. After all, the close of a year provides a great benchmark for looking back. What I wasn’t expecting — and what seems to be all the buzz — was a very popular “Worst...
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The economic struggles of the country have affected all aspects of a company’s operation. To save money, a company will look under every nook and cranny, including examining the costs associated with cleaning their facility. The cost-cutting leaves no operation sacred and building service contractors...
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As I was perusing a social networking site recently, I reconnected with an old classmate that I hadn’t talked to since graduation. In speaking with him, I realized that we had a lot more in common than our alma mater. This old friend now worked on the custodial and maintenance crew at our old high...
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About a week back, I was walking towards the entrance of a local mall. Just outside the doorway was a custodial worker changing out the garbage bag. Seeing me coming, he stopped to open the door for me, wishing me a happy holiday. Much appreciated, I smiled and thanked him. As I shopped near that entrance...
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I think that overall the American consumer has a very inaccurate perception of the average custodial worker. Case and point: As I was searching for industry news, I came across an article that started, “If you think you’re getting sick from your job, you’re probably a janitor.”...
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When it comes to innovative cleaning products, the professional cleaner is often the first to know of a breakthrough. Microfiber was available to commercial cleaners long before it was available in retail stores. Green initiatives are certainly not a new concept to cleaners, but have just recently hit...
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Earlier this week we posted an article in the news that addressed options for disposing of toilets and urinals. In response to this announcement, I had a reader contact me and I felt compelled to share his comments with all my readers. The news piece addressed how the push towards water conservation...
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It’s never a good idea to skimp on customer service, even if the client is terminating their relationship with you. Recently, I was charged for a service even after my one-year subscription expired. I called to fix the situation and was able to receive most of my money back. I still had to pay...
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Do you have satisfied customers? The cover story in a recent issue of Fortune Small Business describes one way that business owners can find out. The Net Promoter Score (NPS), created by consultant Fred Reichheld, is used to measure customer satisfaction and customer referrals. Here’s how it works...
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My husband and I were in the market for a new roof on our house. To make sure we get the most bang for our buck, we called multiple contractors for estimates. Some of those contractors came recommended to us, while others were contacted simply for competitive reference. We attempted to play them off...
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Over the last year, our facility has been under construction for major renovation. During that time, hard floors have changed to carpeting, restroom fixtures have been updated to touch-free and space has been optimized to include additional cubicles and work stations. The renovations got us talking about...
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When one decides to start their own company, the gamble of venturing into the business world is overshadowed by the potential to earn large amounts of money. Speaking in regards to building service contractors, the thrill of earning that first contract is only matched by earning additional contracts...
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As many of you are aware, over the last couple weeks the Midwest was pummeled with very severe storms. The aftermath resulted in standing water, overflowing rivers and lakes and waterlogged communities. At the first sight of the sun in over a week, I quickly made way to a baseball game at my favorite...