As the country is beginning to reopen, it’s bringing with it new opportunities for the cleaning industry. No matter what your state’s 3-phase plan consists of, one important recommendation for all businesses across the U.S. is that they keep their facilities cleaned and sanitized.
This is good news for the power washing industry! While a lot of businesses are having to come up with creative ways to “pivot” in order to survive COVID 19, our industry has always been doing a much-needed task – only now it’s in the spotlight. The key, then, is to make sure your commercial prospects and customers recognize the value you can bring to their safety and success.
That’s not to say you don’t have to make some changes to the way you do business. In addition to the need for more frequent and thorough cleanings, all businesses have been given new guidelines for returning to work. These may require some adjustments, but again, should not be that difficult to achieve.
1. Social Distancing This refers to staying 6 feet away from other people. While this may not be realistic when it comes to your crew members, especially if they are sharing a vehicle, it can be done fairly easily with your exterior cleaning customers. If you offer some types of janitorial or interior window cleaning, you’ll have to get a bit more creative. Here are some ideas:
Let your customers know ahead of time that they need to stay at least six feet away from your crews;
Conduct cleaning after business hours;
Handle estimates, invoices, payments, and other paperwork online;
Use photos and phone calls/texts for communicating with the customer about problems or concerns that you find on the job.
2. PPE. The President’s plan for reopening the economy says that individuals should “strongly consider using face coverings in public.” Although some people have strong opinions for and against this idea, as a business owner, having your team wear a face mask lets your customers know that you are professional and taking their safety seriously. If your team is wearing masks, it’s important they do it correctly. That’s why we offer PWNA members free access to the online PWNA respirator certification class.
3. Workplace Safety. In addition to helping your customers’ businesses stay safe, it’s now more important than ever that you implement cleaning and safety protocols within your own business. At the minimum, make sure no one who is sick comes to work without a doctor’s ok, provide hand sanitizer and tissues, implement the 6-foot rule in your own space when possible, provide PPE to your team, and wipe down frequently-touched items (including equipment) regularly.
These are just some general ideas to help you prepare for protecting your customers and employees as the nation returns to work, but you will likely come up with your own best practices as well.
As always, the PWNA promotes safety first, which is why we offer a variety of online safety training courses for our members.
Written by Allison Hester