Have you documented your cleaning process and procedures? Should you?

Over the past 13 years I have trained literally 1,000s of owners, managers, trainers and cleaners and visited more than 50 offices across the US and Canada training in their client’s homes.  The one common theme that made house cleaner training so difficult for these companies, and in most cases is still true today, in 97% of the offices I worked in did not have a fully documented cleaner training system.  I never had one.  Without that you have to have a human being repeat everything a cleaner needs to know about cleaning in your company every time you hire someone new. 

The few companies that actually had a manual did not use it because it was outdated or purchased and the products, tools and actions in their manual did not match the products, tools and actions actually used by their company.  If your manual does not match your company you will stop using it because it is a waste of time.  All of the materials have to be covered again in the client’s home because the products, tools and actions in the manual were not what your company uses. 

Most companies use their trainer’s time and energy to teach their company’s process and procedures.   The trainer says the same thing over and over again to every new hire.  “I have to ask you, why would you have two people doing what one person can do alone in the same amount of time and possibly with more retention?”  I would submit it is because your cleaning process and procedures are not documented and that is usually the catch 22.  Most companies have not documented  all of their cleaning processes and procedures because there simply has never been sufficient time to document all of the products, tools and actions used in their company to clean any and every area or item that needs to be cleaned in any home.  There are so many.  It takes 1,000s of hours to document but until you do this you will continue to throw hours of training time into your direct cleaning payroll.  Training hours drop directly to your bottom line with no revenue to off set them.  In like respect, saving training hours is the fastest way to improve your net margins.  Perhaps it would be a good idea to start your documentation today?  Perhaps you could possibly even start and finish it today with House Cleaners Training kit?  Take a look.   It’s only a click away.