Every industry has their fair share of difficulties and lessons that are learned along the way. Working in janitorial services gave a unique perspective on a lot of different aspects of the industry. From the cost of doing business to the importance of communication there have been a lot of important takeaways from working in the janitorial industry.

Admit to Mistakes

First and foremost, we’re all human. We don’t live in a world (yet) where everything is automated, and human error is a very real thing. We all make mistakes now and then, but the most important thing you can do is own up to the mistakes you make. This is the simplest thing you can do to not only build a reputation for honesty, but also show that you can be accountable to your staff, to other businesses, and the communities in which you operate. Being able to take ownership of your mistakes, and amend them, is the least technical part of any business, but maybe one of the most important.

You Can’t Please Everyone

It’s a tale as old as time. Even if you do your very best, you won’t be able to make everyone happy. Whether it’s meeting a deadline with plenty of time to spare, or performing tasks above and beyond the general request, your best may not be enough. And that’s okay. Unfortunately, it is in the nature of some people to be hypercritical and there’s not much you could do to change their opinion. Sometimes we just have to understand that as long as we’re happy with the job we’ve done, we’ll have to count that as a win. 

Stay Open-Minded

Growth can happen in a variety of ways. Whether you’re looking to gain newer and better equipment or think of new tactics or strategies for the jobs you’re currently performing, keeping an open mind and trying new things can be great for business. If you’re always hungry to achieve more, you can never feel like you haven’t done enough.

The Covid-19 crisis taught us that with the rapidly changing information, we had to adapt quickly and stay open-minded to survive. Rolling with all the changes and building new strategies to manage a rapidly changing industry is essential.

Consistency Is Key

Everything from training to performance should be consistent. When you’re training staff, you should train them all consistently and to the same standards. You want performance to be consistent across the board. If you offer drywall work, you want everyone on your team to be able to perform the work to the same standards. If you’re providing janitorial services, you want everyone to complete these items to the same standards too.

The reason consistency is so important is that anyone who contracts you will know exactly what to expect. Employees will know exactly what to expect, and so will you. Consistency translates to accountability and credibility.

Effective Communication Is Vital

This cannot be stressed enough. Communication is of the utmost importance. Beyond that, being a truly effective communicator will help you share information with others, and understand and synthesize information shared with you. Keeping an open line of communication with companies and individuals you work with, as well as those on your team, helps everyone remain on the same page. There’s nowhere for anyone to point a finger and nothing is up in the air when every step is communicated effectively. 

These five tips are just some of the most important things that we’ve learned over the years. These are the rules we strive to live by so that we can provide our best for you. Covid-19 changed many things, but it did not affect the quality and care we put into every job. Contact us today for your facilities maintenance needs.