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LEGOs, Avatars and Your Home.

LEGOs

An Exercise in Raising Awareness of Your Home

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 This is not a typical Thursday morning meeting, today our team members build their own avatars with LEGOs.  Yes, I said LEGOs, the bulky multi colored rectangle shaped building blocks that have managed to work their way into our children’s toy boxes, robotics and now box office films.  The staff are provided with instructions to create a “work avatar” and a personal avatar with the provided LEGOs. “An avatar is a graphical representation of a person, alter ego or character in games or internet activities.” https://vhil.stanford.edu/mm/2013/lee-cbsn-mask-mind.pdf

A flurry of activity occurs as containers filled with various heads, mini hands, clothing options and accessories were vied for, shared and sorted through.  The volume in the room escalates with eruptions of jokes and laughter.  Creativity is alive. 

An active forum about personal style and preferences was created during this activity. Choosing physical attributes of the avatar such as hair color, glasses, or color palate of clothing and accessories are easy and obvious descions.  Arguably, the more subtle expression of “personality traits like agreeableness may be solidified by the selection of faces with wide open eyes or short hair which infers conscientiousness” according to literature, Avatar. 

Avatars in the making.

Each of the chosen LEGO blocks interlink in specific ways much like our cultural influences, religious background, physical limitations and education define our roles and relationships. These influences also predicate our needs and style in our homes.  The discusion progreses towards awareness of client’s expectations and preferenes, such as “blocking counter top items forward, closer to the counter edge facilitates a clients’s restricted reach due being wheel chair bound” states one employee.  Another team member gives the example, “Some religious house holds defer having the master bed made by others while others prohibit dusting shrines.”  Awareness and sensitivity to the signifcance of these preferences is paramount in professional residential service.

Colors, shapes, sizes and style play a factor in avatar creation and your home!

Much like selecting avatar colors, we gravitate towards certain color palates and styles for home decor.  Interior design styles range from Mid Century Modern to Eclectic Style.  It is important your service provider understands the style that appeals to you as a home owner so the set and staging is appropriate.

Your home is your santuary.  We expect others, especially cleaning professionals, to have a similar respect and appreciation of our environment as they work within the most personal space of our home. After all, attendance to personal style and preferences is the individual hallmark, appeal and essence of your home.

Personal style and preferences are the individual hallmark, appeal and essence of your home.

Who's Cleaning and Why?

Teamwork assures quality outcomes.

 Once we have given in to our desire and need for help with cleaning our home and hire a residential cleaning service, we expect professional service with consistent results. To some homeowners, employee compensation may seem inconsequential. After all, if a cleaning company pays less salary then those savings trickle down and are transferred to homeowner, "Right?”  Employees who are paid less look for ways to work less. Often underpayment leads to breaking equipment and client’s possessions due to carelessness and ‘the avoidance of high effort areas of cleaning.”  Life Maid Simple’s blog post points out, “More expensive companies pay their staff better, may have [other] benefits and use higher quality products in your home.” Studies show employee compensation and retention is a reflection of the type of cleaning service you and your home will receive. Join us as we examine one of the biggest investments a cleaning company can make; an investment in their employees and the return on that investment for the homeowner.  

It’s Tuesday evening at 7 P.M. after a long day at work and you are finally home but it’s not time to completely relax yet.  The cleaning company that your coworker recommended is scheduled to arrive in fifteen minutes for a free quote.  You wish you had been able to research the business prior to the meeting but the daily duties got in the way and the dust bunnies threaten a mutiny to take over your home. The cleaning person is punctual, they pull into the driveway and the car has the business name sleekly printed on the side. Introductions are made and you begin the walking tour of the house, discussing areas that are to be serviced, the estimated length of time in the home and frequency of the cleans; all the while Dale is taking careful notes. You finish your tour at the kitchen bar where Dale produces a price list of the services offered and the discussion turns to the possible dates for the first clean. 

 Overall, they seem knowledgeable about the surfaces of the home, answers most of the questions quickly until you ask about the employees.  Their body language slightly stiffens as they confide, “It’s hard to find good help.”  As an employer yourself, you recognize this is a common thread amongst many industries, so you follow up by asking, “Are your employees compensated fairly?”  Dale responds, “The employees are paid a living wage, above average in comparison to other cleaning businesses locally and they have the ability to advance in the company.”  This business review is proceeding well as you offer Dale a drink while you continue the conversation. 

It is common knowledge, you usually pay for what you get and “low-ball employers who pay bottom-tier wages get bottom-tier employees and then those employees do bottom-tier work.” Employee Retention.  A $15 per hour minimum wage like the movement in Seattle may not be financially feasible for many small businesses. $15 wage   But let’s face it: compensation embodies more than wages and insurance.  It’s about creating a work-life balance and a sustainable work force.  

 Now that you know Dale's employees are paid fairly, you inquire, “What other ways do your employees receive compensation?”   They share several employees qualify for health incentives and the business is small but has, "Worker’s Compensation Insurance although it is not required at this size it is important to us.”

 Many residents falsely believe their homeowner’s insurance will cover a worker if they are injured while in their home. Some policies may provide some coverage depending on the situation but typically a high deductible must be paid first. Ultimately, the cleaning company you hire carries a general liability policy that protects against damage to the homeowner and property. Additionally the business has “worker's compensation, which covers any injuries staff may sustain while on your property and pays for lost wages so they will not be tempted to sue you.”  10-things-your-cleaning-service-wont-tell.html 

 Dale's business health care plan is an added perk for the employees too. The cleaning companies that do not offer health care incentives have employees that are more likely to call off work or worse; they could potentially come into your home while they are contagious.  The lack of primary health care coverage causes further work dissatisfaction due to financial strain on an employee with costs of unpaid sick leave, out of pocket medication costs, urgent care bills and possible ER visits. 

 Work life balance is defined as “being fresh enough to give all you need to both at work and home, without jeopardizing one for the other.”  Balanced employees tend to be positive, energetic, motivated, committed, take pride in outcomes and have increased productivity.  These behaviors are transferred to you, as the customer, because the employee provides consistent service.  Essential to being a balanced employee is a manageable work load and time for recovery.  Employee recovery may be as simple as a shared work load by working in teams, facilitation of breaks, a modified work week and paid time off. work life balance 

 Dale continues speaking about the business’s employee structure, “We deploy three person teams for equitable work distribution, utilizing a systems approach, meaning each member has assigned areas and roles while detailing the home.”

 “Give preference to companies that use cleaning ‘teams’, in which two to four cleaners, including one supervisor, come to your home at the same time to divide tasks. Not only does that make your cleaning more time-efficient, but also, employees are less likely to steal or be careless under a supervisor's watchful eye.” 10-things-your-cleaning-service-wont-tell.html

Lastly, you ask Dale, “What type of training does your staff receive?”  Enthusiastically Dale shares information about the employee standardized training protocol with skills assessments, quizzes, video audits and continuing education. 

 “A commitment to training is seen by employees as an investment in their worth and a powerful incentive to stay at the company,” says Kevin Griffin, an IT advisor at Falco Enterprises and former CIO of GE Capital.  Structured training strengthens institutional knowledge, reinforces protocols and builds commitment. Josh Bersin, Industry Analyst shares, “The longer we stay with an organization the more productive we get - we learn the systems, we learn the products, and we learn how to work together.” Employee Retention

A systematic approach assures all areas are covered and encourages employee accountability.

You have decided to select Dale’s cleaning company based on the business model which invests in their employees and promotes work-life balance.  Employees who are well compensated, trained effectively and feel valued by their company demonstrate consistent, high quality work performance while cleaning your home. The investment in employees causes employees to be happy and ultimately makes customers happy. 

 You want well trained and skilled cleaners in your home to consistently protect and care for the home as you do; from the sentimental, cultivated artwork to the sunny outdoor kitchen or perfectly fluffed and tucked oasis of your bed. Clean is Happy!

 “… success is dependent upon tremendous attention to detail.”    Frederick Lenz

Bio Conscious

Today as we strive for awareness concerning our individual and families’ impact on the planet, our choices like recycling and the purchase of sustainable products influence positive change.  As Mahatma Gandhi said, “be the change you wish to see in the world".  The integration of this concept is applicable to the selection of a cleaning company as well.  A bio-conscious approach as a business is the consistent awareness, evolving integration and practice to decrease the environmental foot print by:

• The reduction of single use items such as paper towels.
• Repurpose items for additional use like linens. 
• Limiting exposure to chemicals; employees, clients and environment. 
• Incorporating alternative energy resources and utilize eco friendly vehicles.
• Reviewing scientific literature to improve over all outcomes and safety such as cross contamination prevention.

Bio-conscious businesses are inherently progressive in their approach to incrementally modify, adapt and integrate eco-friendly measures. Quality control measures are paramount in bio-conscious cleaning businesses, unlike green washing, “an effective marketing method by thousands of companies overreaching numerous industries, (including some in the green clean movement), which utilizes disinformation to present an environmentally responsible image.  The bio-conscious business also participates in their community, donating their services and supporting local initiatives.

Frequently, green or eco-friendly products or solutions are touted as safe or non-toxic cleaning agents without regard to their effectiveness in removal of all residues on surfaces.  The use of resources such as the EPA’s Safer Choices program products recommendation list ensure appropriate eco-friendly products. http:\\www.epa.gov Independent research of products furthers debunking of false advertising claims, myths and greenwashing of products.  Researcher Dr. Annie Pryor PHD is one independent source who completes such scientific experiments about cleaning practices and products.  http://dranniesexperiments.com  Regular review of research has the power to improve cleaning practice and safety.  For an individual homeowner to remain current on the latest changes to scientific information on the efficacy of cleaning products is cumbersome and a lack luster use of personal time.  A bio-conscious residential service has a vested interest in educating their staff in safe practices to better serve their clients and protect their employees from harmful exposure.  Hence, a bio-conscious cleaning company would supply their cleaning products that they have researched, understand and trust.  An example of a cleaning business that resonates with the bio-conscious ideology and concepts is Castle Keepers.  https:\\castle-keepers.com/blog/is-my-maid-service-really-green/

In addition to a bio conscious approach, a professional residential service would have the appropriate insurances to cover the cost of repairs or damages that may occur, much like the insurance you carry for your home.  The cleaning business also maintains workers compensation, healthcare benefits, a living wage and paid time off for their employees.  These insurances influence a manageable career within the housekeeping industry.  After all, employee retention is fundamental to an educated, sensitive staff able to provide reproducible results via a quality control verified and systems approach to making your environment the best!.