A couple of weeks ago, I had a glass of ale at the Signal Pub with my guy N. I will not share his full name because some people may consider it a conflict of interest. N. runs one of the big London cleaning companies and has over twenty years of experience in the industry.
“The cleaner turnover has become a real problem these days”, N. complained. “Maybe it was the pandemic, but people are decreasingly motivated to do the job for more than 2-3 years, strictly as a springboard to something better. I rarely find someone under thirty who will seriously consider cleaning a long-term career path.”
I knew what he was talking about. I’ve noticed it in my interaction with younger cleaners as well. It made me think of a conversation with my mentor in the cleaning business, Stewart, a few years ago. I had just started the Forest Hill Cleaning Academy and wanted to ask him for some advice. Stewart had been in the cleaning business his whole life – he had started at twelve as an apprentice in his father’s window cleaning business and then climbed the ranks as one of London’s most respected all-around cleaners. Now in his late sixties, he is still sought by cleaning executives for advice on how to run their businesses. He is also one of the most generous and kind-spirited humans I have ever met.
I found him in his garden, clipping at his favourite pink roses. “Peter, my boy!”, he exclaimed and pointed me to a garden chair. I explained my idea for a cleaning academy where young and aspiring cleaners would find all the necessary resources to advance in the industry. He never stopped clipping at the roses, but I knew he was listening attentively.
Finally, he put down the garden scissors and turned towards me. “I think it is a fantastic idea and a commendable one. The problem is you will have a hard time finding people who are really interested in cleaning.”
“Do you think so?” I did not try to hide the disappointment in my voice.
“I know so. But don’t get me wrong – you will have people interested in the service you provide. They will see it as a stepping stone to higher positions in their companies or higher rates they can charge. But that doesn’t mean they love or understand the business.”
“You see, a lot of people have grave misconceptions about cleaning. They think cleaning is hard or unpleasant. Oh, really? My uncle worked for a maintenance crew on an oil rig in the North Sea. That was tough. I watch these Discovery shows about Alaska fishermen – that’s a tough job. My mom worked 28 years as a nurse, giving 12-hour shifts – that’s a tough job. And you want to compare it to cleaning?!”
“Think about it. Unless you are a window cleaner, most of the time, you work indoors. You don’t have to worry about weather conditions or anything remotely life-threatening. And what’s the worst thing you can do? Mess up the wrong detergent? Skip a stain on the floor?”
“Cleaning is easy. What is even better – it is easy to learn the basics and attain a relatively high level of proficiency. You cannot become a good neurosurgeon or chemical engineer in six months. Give me half a year, and I will turn the most hopeless rookie into a perfectly adept cleaning professional.”
Stewart took a sip from his glass of homemade lemonade and smiled. “But you are not here to listen to an old man’s rant. Let’s get serious. I cannot tell you anything technique or standard-related that you don’t already know. You’ve done your homework, I am sure of that. But here is something you should teach every person who claims to be interested in professional cleaning.”
He made a dramatic pause and then nailed me with a question: “What is the most important factor in professional cleaning?” Stewart loved these kind of questions. Their answers were so obvious that you wanted to punch yourself if you gave the wrong one. But I decided to try the most apparent option. “Time.”
He looked at me, surprised. “Have you hit your head on something? You never used to give me the correct answers so fast!” With that, he burst out laughing. “No, I am just teasing you. But you are correct, of course. It is time. Think about it. Let’s say you need to clean a bedroom. Even the most clueless person can do it. The question is – how fast? They might need three or four hours to finish even the most basic chores, while a professional cleaner will need thirty minutes. Let’s assume the end result is similar, with slight deviations. Therefore the critical differentiating factor is time.”
“It is a concept even experienced cleaners find hard to accept. They obsess over quality, trying to convince themselves that superior performance will get them more customers. They are wrong for two reasons. The first is about perception. Let’s say you have two competing carpet cleaners working on equally dirty carpets. The first one needs three hours to clean it 10% better. The second – two hours, at 10% worse. You have been in the business long enough. Do you really think that a regular customer, the average Joe or Jane, can tell the 10% difference? No, they can’t. In their mind, the two cleaners have done a similar job, but the second was faster, so he must be better.”
The second reason is simple Math. If you can do a job for three hours, and I can do the same thing for two, I will have 50% more customers in the long run. So teaching your cleaners to be time-efficient is much more important than anything else. Not at the expense of quality, of course, but you get my point.”
I must have stared at Stewart with my mouth agape because he asked me if I was OK. “I’ve never thought about these things from that particular perspective. I confess I have committed the sin of quality obsession. But you are correct, absolutely correct – as usual. Stew, you must come and give a lecture or two at the Academy. You will kill it!”
“No, my boy, I don’t have the patience for such things any more. But you go ahead and incorporate it into your program. I believe it will help a lot of people!”
And I did. Some people have tried to argue against it, some have laughed at the notion, but most come back after a year or two and admit they have incorporated it into their business strategy.