3 2 of light fixture.” Burke says that, since implementing day cleaning, they have reduced electrical costs by four percent to eight percent. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, buildings con-sume 39 percent of the primary energy in the United States, out of which, on average, 18 percent is from the lighting system. Jim Peduto, chief executive officer (CEO) of Matrix Integrated Facility Management, references a free day cleaning electricity cost saving calculator at www.cleanforhealth.com/daycleaning.htm. 6. Daytime cleaning prevents social and other isolation of the workforce, promoting healthier human interactions and better communication between workers and build-ing occupants. “We are getting a 90 percent to 100 percent sign-on rate of workers willingly transitioning from night to day,” Burke states. “Absenteeism is way down with day cleaning. We think there are two reasons for this: Loyalty to the tenant develops and relationships grow because workers want to be there, and it’s a healthier time to work — one that supports a better lifestyle for the workers’ family.” “Greater communication in the cleaning process makes for bet-ter understanding and the prompt addressing of cleaning issues,” notes Spencer. 7. Day cleaning encourages better grooming, personal hygiene, social skills and emotional intelligence since the workforce must interact with the public. “We require uniforms and communication devices and the contractors we use hire and train their day staff to provide profes-sional service in the presence of people,” Spencer says. 8. Day cleaning can engender greater awareness and appreciation for the work performed, promoting higher self-esteem and better public relations. “People know the cleaners and don’t want to make their jobs harder by making a mess,” remarks Spencer. “They also fre-quently acknowledge the cleaners and thank them for their service. Compliments are given more often and in greater numbers.” According to Charles Hart, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Associate (LEED-GA) in charge of business develop-ment for Select Commercial Services, “Day cleaning tugs on the heart strings of the tenant. Customers associate a face and a person with the cleaning and understand that this is an individual with a fam-ily. They appreciate the cleaning more because they see it and are glad someone is willing to do it; it’s a symbiotic relationship.” Burke goes on to say that tenant behavior changes with day cleaning; people are neater and they respect the cleaners. “Cleaning during the day requires that workers have more edu-cation, training, language and people skills. The psychological benefits for them are enormous,” says Hart. “Complaints may be reduced by more than 50 percent because people actually see the work being done and are less likely to complain that it hasn’t been done.” 9. Encourages soil prevention measures because sources can be more easily identified and addressed, reducing long-term labor costs. An anonymous day cleaning manager insightfully noted that what you can see and source, you can remove and prevent. 10. Greater visibility of the workforce and facility condi-tions creates opportunities to add value, improve fis-cal and physical performance. According to the anonymous day cleaning manager, “They see us and aren’t afraid to ask about specific issues, which leads to better cleaning, customer satisfaction and profitability for our company. It keeps us aware and on our toes.” 11. Fosters greater cooperation between occupants and cleaning crews, reducing costs when systems are col-laborative. “On days, we tend to work closely with our customer and there’s more cooperation, making things easier,” explains a work-er on a daytime shift. “Putting out trash for us to pick up without entering their office is an example.” 12. Greater need for worker and occupant-friendly clean-ing practices promotes selection of healthier chemis-tries and equipment. Newer crossover technologies enable areas to be cleaned more quickly and flexibly, minimizing downtime and restricted access in daytime scenarios. “Hybrid cleaning systems are a Swiss army knife for daytime facility management,” says Tom Morrison, vice president of mar-keting for Kaivac Inc. “The ability to adapt to different daytime needs and return areas to service quickly and economically are key to an effective toolset.” CM 10 4 www.cmmonline.com 9 Circle Product Information no. 210 on page 32 31
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