After more than a year of coronavirus closures and disruptions, vaccine rollouts have helped shine a light toward the end of the tunnel. Yet, COVID-19 affected more than our health. The pandemic also caused severe labor and supply shortages that continue today. As a result, many companies face higher demand for goods and services, yet they struggle to fill positions and get the materials they need at the price they expect.
Shipping delays and labor and supply shortages have significantly impacted commercial janitorial cleaning companies, an industry whose services are more critical now than ever. That’s why Total Cleaning is working harder than ever to maintain smooth operations while it protects South Florida Businesses.
Total Cleaning has continued to provide high-quality janitorial services despite the pandemic pitfalls through competitive wages, employee training and benefits, long-standing supply partnerships, and honest thorough quoting.
The Labor Shortage Problem
Today businesses aren’t just hiring; they’re desperately trying to fill 10.1 million jobs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics—an all-time high. In tandem, the number of employees voluntarily leaving their jobs is also at an all-time high.
Throughout the pandemic, janitorial businesses increased their job openings by 5.7% to a total of 1,063,988 and counting. Unfortunately, that means the cleaning industry has more positions to fill than ever at a time when the workforce is scarce–a detrimental combo when consistency and reliability are crucial to mitigating risk.
Businesses want to know that the people accessing and cleaning their buildings are experts they can trust to deliver the quality they expect. However, consistency is not so commonplace in the cleaning industry–especially now. A recent Statistica survey revealed that facility managers are the most concerned about employee retention. As a result, cleaning companies must constantly retrain new hires and potentially send inexperienced workers to do crucial jobs.
What American Workers Want
The pandemic forced millions of Americans to leave the workforce, and many of them are simply not in a hurry to return to the same working conditions. They want:
Higher wages. Many workers say they don’t see the value in returning to work for low or minimum wage. Employees of all skill levels expect around $15 per hour today. Several large companies, including Under Armour, Bank of America, and Chipotle, have raised wages in response.
Flexibility. Employees also want more flexible scheduling options, which could mean remote work or simply more flexibility in their hours. According to the Harvard Business Review, organizations now recognize that employee benefits can be life-changing, especially concerning child care, flexibility, and mental health.
Safety. Not only do employees want higher pay and better benefits, but Honeywell reports they also want to feel safe when they return to work. To create these safe spaces, businesses need to implement advanced hygiene practices and provide social distancing options to ensure workers are protected in case of outbreaks.
How Total Cleaning Avoided Labor Shortages
While businesses have struggled to find reliable workers, Total Cleaning has maintained a robust workforce of 250+ people. Its employee retention rate is also notably higher than the industry average because it spends significant time and resources hiring the right people and training them to succeed and grow. At Total Cleaning, employees receive:
- High competitive wages
- Benefits, including paid time off, paid holidays, health insurance, and appreciation events
- Training and education in new cleaning methods, safety, certifications, and technology per Cleaning Management Institute (CMI) standards
- A job at a GBAC certified facility, ensuring a safer working environment
- Support for work-life balance and flexible scheduling options
- Promotion opportunities to grow within the organization
As a result, Total Cleaning has successfully protected its current clients throughout the pandemic while serving new businesses as well. For example, amidst the Covid crisis, Broward County School District entrusted Total Cleaning to protect its buildings, businesses, and the lives of its students and staff.
The Supply Chain Problem
A lack of employees is one-huge-half of the problem. The other half is the cost of goods and shipping delays. Rising raw-materials costs and unrelenting supply-chain constraints have prompted many Chinese exporters to increase prices for the goods they sell abroad. This places a burden on businesses that rely heavily on overseas partners to provide critical cleaning solutions and PPE.
As the costs for goods skyrocket, American demand for household cleaning products has also surged due to increased concern over hygiene and cleanliness. Approximately 7 million units of cleaning products and sanitizers have been sold in the U.S. since the pandemic began, and ZipRecruiter projects a 75% increase in demand for cleaning services compared to last year. In addition, grocery chains have started stockpiling supplies in anticipation of rising prices, causing even more strain on an already tenuous supply chain.
Total Cleaning’s Supply Chain Solution
The cost of goods continues to increase, but Total Cleaning has managed to stay ahead of this constantly advancing curve and adjusts where needed. The keys to its success?
Long-standing supply partnerships. Total Cleaning has maintained business relationships with cleaning-supply companies for more than three decades. The organization constantly communicates with vendors to stay ahead of shortages by ordering early and in bulk.
Detailed customer quotes. Total Cleaning goes the extra mile to provide customers with an accurate quote, incorporating labor and supply costs upfront. This involves thoroughly inspecting the property, using lasers to measure square footage, and attaining detailed information about the clients’ needs, such as how many times per day, week, or month a client wants their refrigerator cleaned. Other commercial cleaners perform quick spot checks, resulting in inaccurate quotes and upcharges down the line.
Quality checks. Total Cleaning never starts a job unless it has all the tools, PPE, cleaning solutions, and labor it needs to get the job done. On top of that, the company provides extensive quality checks and has a digital system for clients to submit tickets if any issues come up. The company also conducts on-site spot checks to ensure technicians are doing a thorough job, which allows them to solve problems proactively before they arise.
Thanks to these measures, Total Cleaning has kept its pricing model competitive and raised the bar on its quality of services.
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Total Cleaning understands that when businesses invite cleaning technicians into their home, office, or building, they need to know and trust each person who walks through the door. That’s why the company goes above and beyond to ensure its workforce is trained, happy, and reliable. Total cleaning also understands that businesses are expecting a higher level of continuous service at a fair price. That’s why the company works with long-standing vendors to get the best prices on supplies without delay. Amidst one of the most uncertain times in recent history, Total Cleaning is a beacon of reliability.
Do you need to lock in a consistent routine to sanitize your building, or are you interested in specific cleaning services? Contact Total Cleaning today for a quote.