ADVICE & OPINION COMMENT Customer satisfaction is always a priority for Facilities Managers. Ed Borrini, Target Market Leader for Office Buildings at Kimberly-Clark Professional, advises on best practice 6 APRIL 2016 CLEANING HYGIENE TODAY STAY AHEAD OF COMPLAINTS Research also suggests that Facilities Managers spend over 50% of any given working day on operational issues, such as dealing with customer complaints and less than one day a week is devoted to strategy and planning. (4) The top washroom complaints are a bad smell (82%), clogged toilets or not flushed (79%) and a dirty, unkempt overall appearance (73%). (5) The best way to deal with complaints is to stop them being made in the first place. Make sure that the quality is of your washroom consumables is satisfactory, that any maintenance issues are tackled before they even become an irritation. SEEK FEEDBACK A good FM will be looking for ways to create dialogue with washroom users- seeking their views on improving the service and facilities. This might be done via a whiteboard for messages, or a sign giving contact details for the Facilities Manager. Washroom users should be encouraged to interact and give “soft feedback”. Interaction also makes users feel that they are being looked after and that they are valued. Taking care of the environment is in everyone’s interest. Waste and misuse of resources has cost, efficiency and environmental implications. YOUR WASHROOM IN 5D? Kimberly-Clark Professional has taken its depth of understanding and experience of thousands of washroom environments to create Washroom 5D. The programme is developed to help FMs perfect the washroom environment in three stages: Discover, Compare, Improve. HOW DO YOU MEASURE UP? Washroom 5D asks and answers the question to FMs ‘How do you measure up?’ focussing on comparing washrooms against best practice benchmarks, discovering gaps and problem areas. It does this through Employees want to be reassured that they are more than just a number. They want to feel part of a quality enterprise, and see tangible evidence that they are valued. A dirty or badly-maintained washoom is more than a nuisance and a potential health hazard, the condition of the washroom indicates to employees just how much or little their company values them. And the quality of the washroom also reflects on the business as a whole. Research suggests that some 73% of the business community believes that a bad toilet environment indicates poor overall management. (1) Research among office workers reveals that 71% think an office washroom reflects on the Facility Manager. (2) The Facilities Manager is the lynchpin in delivering a satisfactory washroom experience to staff. We’re not talking here about installing designer sinks or built-in music systems. It’s the simple things which matter, it’s all about making sure that the office washroom is clean, looks inviting, and smells fresh – thus improving the customer experience and reducing complaints. But how can you do that? What methods are there to continuously improve the bathroom? GET THE BASICS RIGHT Cleanliness and hygiene are the two fundamentals of excellent washroom standards. Simple steps such as making sure that there is enough toilet paper available in the toilets are the key to running a successful washroom. The relevant products including towels, soap and toilet roll must be available and equipment must be in good working order. The toilets need to flush and the sinks need to drain. Smells and stains need to be eliminated, wet floors need to be dried and bins need to be emptied. Focus on odours – think about the ‘inhale moment’. If it doesn’t smell clean, then the brain thinks it isn’t clean. You can have all the marble tiles you like in a washroom, if it’s not clean and smells bad then no-one is going to be impressed. MAKE IT HOMELIKE Giving staff a nicer washroom experience comes with a payback, they tend to treat the space with more respect. They will be more likely to put a paper towel in the bin rather than throw it near the bin. They will email the Facilities Manager to report a blocked toilet, rather than just leave it unflushed. Respect differences between the genders. For women, the bathroom can represent a place for a short time out, to re-group and check themselves, so make it a comfortable environment with clean mirrors. If you create a homelike washroom environment, you will improve user engagement. With today’s many different work environments there is continuous innovation in new products, formats and dispensers for more diverse needs and it is more important than ever to make the time to review regularly your washroom amenities. Suppliers can help identify ways to enhance the environment cost effectively and sustainably. ENCOURAGE HYGIENE More proactive Facilities Managers will be seeking ways to educate washroom users in best practice on hygiene. They may site hand sanitisers right by the washroom doors, so that user can sanitise their hands after touching the toilet door, or facial tissues they can grab to protect their hands while exiting. Recent research targeting office workers in the UK and conducted by Cogent Research suggests that the top locations which office workers associate with germs in the workplace are the office toilets (78% citing) and toilet door handle (69% citing). (3) a free on-site assessment with a report of recommendations across the 5-Dimensions where potential issues often exist: Cleanliness, Hygiene, Efficiency, Sustainability and Satisfaction. The data collected during the site assessment is analysed and feedback provided on how your washroom compares to industry benchmark standards. Products and tools can help measure and improve the washroom experience, and help FMs answer the question ‘How do you measure up?’ on an ongoing basis. Devices such as door counters to measure traffic, ‘Happy or Not’ terminals and tenant surveys enable customers to collect data on user experience of their washroom. FIND A METHOD The typical office worker visits the washroom three to four times a day, within an averaged sized facility that equals more than 1.1 million annual satisfaction or complaint opportunities. Finding a method, such as Washroom 5D will help FMs to identify often simple changes that lead to measurable improvements in those important client satisfaction levels. 80% of global facility managers know that their office restrooms influences tenant satisfaction, but they are under constant pressure of budgets and time. (6) Washroom 5D as a structured programme can also help uncover operational efficiencies that all FMs to cut costs, reduce waste and be more sustainable, and allow them to invest their cleaning budget where it matters. DELIVERING A SUPERIOR WASHROOM EXPERIENCE
Cleaning Hygiene Today April 2016
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