[nat1]

Hi all, I am going to look at a commercial premises on Wednesday in hope of getting the contract.  However the company want us to clean during office hours either 8-10am or 4-6pm, I know this seems to becoming more popular & I have read on here that alot of you think its a good idea as you get to know the staff at the company your cleaning for & this can reduce complaints, I am however concerned about things like how conveinent it is to be hoovering whilst people are in the middle of calls, trying to access the toilets to clean them, trailing cables from your vac etc...  I feel as though I will always be apologising for just trying to do my job!!  Any thoughts would be appreciated..Natalie

[richyvezy]

In my experience in doesn't work for all the reasons you've listed. The office staff began to look at our staff as a nuisance as they would inevitebly have to get up out of their seats to 'poke' one of our girls and with a grimace tell them to turn hoover off so they could take a call. Obviously our girl didn't hear the phone as the hoover was on  :

There became a time issue to due to having to turn hoovers off or having to leave a room/desk as there was some meeting go on and the worse was having to dart in and out of the toilets. I see no benefit in it myself.

[Karl Wheeler]

Hi Richy
You can purchase hoovers which are battery operated so this eleviates the problems of trailing cables.Companies such as OCS and Rentokill are promoting this service of cleaning during office hours, so it must be worthwhile. They claim that you can obtain staff more easily because they are working in sociable hours etc.

Karl

[Pristine Clean]

HI Karl & Nat,

Battery vacuumer cleaners are available! Hoovers are not that is a make of vacuum cleaner

We have a battery operated one by Karcher and one by Nilfisk. Now the battery operated ones are much much better as they produce only a low level noise. They are that quiet, even if you were next to some one on the phone it would not interfere with the conversation.

However you may need o price this in to the contract. A nilfisk model is expensive. Its not like £85.00 for a Henry. Not that I am keen on Henry vacuums im not. They range from around £1100 pound mark and the batteries are expensive. They need to be fully charged and you only get around 50 minutes of vacuuming time.

Extra batteries range fron around £250.. on some models and some much more expensive so be warned dont just dart in and purchase one.

Trailing cables can be an issue but they even use them in hospitals... typically I saw the trailing cables yesterday from a cleaner in the Medway hospital and was actually talking to someone how to over come this problem...

We work with a few companies during office hours and its fine as long as you make it clear from the start... That you are there to do a job and you do not want to be held up by meetings... toilets having to be done twice as you soon as you clean them some one uses them.

Providing you are polite and have friedly banter with the staff they should be fine. You will find there is always some one that you will agrivate.

Go for it!

Dave

[nat1]

Hi all thanks for all your comments, the battery operated vac's sound good but Im not in a financial position to buy 1 yet-i've heard you can get the yellow A-signs with "beware trailing cables" so will have to find a supplier & start with the cheaper option.  Im not thrilled with the idea of working whilst everyone is there as I dont think their going to get the full benefit of the clean, however it's what the company want & i will just have to make my concerns heard.  Thanks again Natalie

[julie ellis]

Hi Nat..If trailing cables are a problem and finances are tight why dont you consider a re-chargeable carpet sweeper..no cables and they are silent in their operation..there was an offer in the daily mail abt a week ago £45 each they come with a tool for stairs..do some internet research on carpet sweepers.

Julie

[Robert Parry]

Hi Nat,

Day cleaning is gaining wide acceptance throughout the industry, you will find as richyvezy says all the problems that go with this.

Be sure to allow extra time for stoppages which cannot be avoided, when their staff have to answer telephones, or when you find someone on the loo etc, and be sure to figure this extra time into your final price.

Your own observations on your prospect not getting the biggest bang for their buck, is again in my opinion, spot on.

You should also ensure that you have all Health & Safety, Insurance etc nailed down tight, as the more people you have on site, the greater the risks, so please inform your insurance company that your are engaged in day cleaning.

Remember, insurance covers you in case of accidents, it will not protect you from either your own staffs stupidity, or your client's. When we offer this service to our own client's we get them to issue their own staff with a form explaining our safety measures, and each of our client's employee's signs and dates this form, so that if for example, a member of the client's staff ignore a "Wet Floor" sign, we are pretty much covered.

Also ensure that at all times safety signs are used, please remember to leave wet floor signs outside kitchen, toilet doors while the floors are still wet, not just whilst working in those area's. A flat mopping system might well go some way to lessen the risks in these area's.

Whilst on site, during your survey, try to chat to the staff, not just the person showing you round, this way, you may well be able to gauge, just how "awkward" or not they are going to be while your staff are cleaning, dont forget to ask, them politely, why they are set on day cleaning, is it because of problems in the past? Or is there some other reason? Good luck!

Regards,

Rob

[nat1]

Hi Rob, very good advice,thank-you, on the Health & Safety forms that you issue the clients staff with, is it the information you aquired from doing the initial "Risk assessment"(ie) wet floors, trailing cables, open drawers on filing cabs etc?

Many thanks Nat...

[Robert Parry]

Hi Nat,

Yes it is, glad to help.

Regards,

Rob

[chloejayne]

I hate doing it duing office hours: Cant help myself to Tea and Coffee  The boss looks down at you  and staff say dont do my desk cause im busy, then their boss moans cause you havent done it!!  :

[Gilbert Sprous]

About half of my office cleans are during hours.  I do some of them myself.  Others are by employees.  I clean each area once, and once only unless there is a severe problem.  Some of the places are very good about staying out the way and letting me get on, others could care less if I am cleaning or not, they will walk on a kitchen floor, with wet floor sign and all, sometimes while I am still mopping lol.  But as I said before, I clean each area once, if they want to walk on it while I am mopping, not my problem.  I do shut down the vacuum when someone is on the phone but I never stand and wait for them, I find something else to do, then go back when I get the chance.  I will go back a couple of times but if it is a long convesation, and I finish the rest of the office, well it is time to leave then, and it will get done next time.  I always ask if they want their desk wiped when they are sitting at it, if they say no then I move on.  Some want it each time, a few never.  One comes to mind, he never wants his desked cleaned but I still always ask.  I find it best to just smile, offer to clean, and move on.  I have never had the boss of anyone say anything to me about not cleaning when I have asked, or if something gets dirty again after I clean it.  Hope this helps

[nat1]

Hi, thanks for reply sounds like it works pretty well, as long as make myself clear from the offset that areas will not be re-cleaned due to people walking on wet floors etc I think we should be ok.


Cheers Nat