The Troubling Secret of Great Service

by Compass Cleaning Solutions • August 17, 2016

I read a lot of industry and related articles, Blogs and forums. Recently I came upon a discussion asking for input about the worst problems and issues facilities managers have with their janitorial service providers. There it was, right out there in the open, the perception we fight everyday. We are ‘just the janitor’, as if that is a bad thing. The basic premise was that ALL janitorial service providers have problems and for some reason it is important to identify the worst ones. I have to admit I was a bit defensive right from the get go. But, as I thought about it I decided we aren’t alone. Every industry has its share of bad press, and to be honest we do create the perception when we don’t perform to expectations.

As I continued to read the ongoing dialog a theme developed that I thought important to share. The theme/problem that seemed to run through the discussion was the idea that attention to detail and quality diminishes over time. I have talked about this in a previous post but I think it bears repeating and is obviously important to people. Several people offered mostly negative comments and ideas. However, one of the comments in this discussion hit on something that I found intriguing and very positive and relevant for all of us who ‘hire’ service people. The comment simply put was that, when we demonstrate a lack of appreciation it serves to de-motivate the service provider, whether it is a waitperson, teller, attendant or cleaner. Of course the opposite is true as well, when we express our appreciation motivation goes up dramatically.

Why is this? Because service is personal. It’s about what I have done. It’s about how well I do it. It’s about how I feel about myself when I’m done. Recognition and appreciation can be huge and you and I have the power to improve the quality of service just by demonstrating our appreciation for the hard work and effort put forth by someone else. It costs you nothing, but it will take effort. You want ROI? Let me suggest you invest in appreciation (gratitude) of what others do, the return will be immeasurable.