contractor success happy and they will be more willing to go the extra mile for you. This, in turn, will make for more satisfied customers — a win-win all around. ■ Train for excellence Training and education are often overlooked when going green or becoming greener. Many in the industry see it as an expensive hassle rather than a cost-cutting necessity. But, how else is one to understand the proper way of cleaning a restroom or remov-ing a coffee spot from a carpet unless he or she has been instructed on the proper proce-dure and taught why it is done a certain way? We are trained to do things from the day we are born; learning cleaning and mainte-nance techniques is no different. Training can be something as simple as reading a trade magazine, viewing an educa-tional webinar, completing a training course or going all out and partnering with a consul-tant to maximize your green efficiency. As stated by Bill Griffin, president of the International Custodial Advisors Network (ICAN) and owner of Cleaning Consultant Services Inc., “Training doesn’t cost; it pays.” Think about this situation: You present your green cleaning services to a potential client who eventually hires you and later discovers your employees are not using the formulations you said they would be and are doing a host of other things on the opposite end of the green spectrum that soil your good word in the eyes of that client. Proper training could have prevented this situation and possibly saved the account. “If the owner of a particular building you are contracted to clean hasn’t really come up to speed on the greening of their facility, you can alert the building owner to the idea that it is a smart economic thing to do, at the same time sending the message that you are aligned to provide services to green buildings,” adds McFadden. For instance, if you live in the South where the sun radiates heat all day, which drives up cooling costs, you can suggest the installa-tion of window film to reduce the issue. Or, if you are in the Southwest where sunshine is the norm, you can suggest the installation of photovoltaic solar panels to reduce energy loads. “Some local utilities will even cover sig-nificant portions of the overall costs for ener-gy efficiency upgrades,” states Lawrence Constantin, director of sales for Saint-Gobain Performance Plastic’s Solar Guard brand. And, with your knowledge, you just might help your client achieve or increase their level of green certification — be it LEED, ENERGY STAR or something similar. CM Speak Your Mind Aside from the actual cleaning and main-tenance tasks performed, you have clout when it comes to making suggestions to building owners. You are entrusted with the cleanliness of a facility and know the nuances of each area from your daily presence. Who better than you, the knowledgeable BSC, to offer suggestions or tips on ways to increase the energy efficiency of a building or simple things building occupants can do to increase the greenness of an area? Product Information no. 212 on page 24 30 CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® • March 2012
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