February 20, 2015

Setting Up A New Building “Meet The Team Document”

People deal with people, a novel concept.

When we set up a new building, we send the property manager and site contacts an information binder that outlines what services we will provide. It includes a “meet our team” document. We let them know a little bit about the cleaning staff , their supervisor and general manager, as well as their roles, contact information and a headshot. When lines of communication are opened, it allows all parties to have relevant conversation. This in the end  greatly helps us to meet and exceed our customers’  expectations.

Please Click  below to see a sample meet your team sheet.

ServiceMaster Clean _Meet Your Team_ Sample

February 20, 2015

Building Inspections “Staying Ahead”

In our modern lives people are bombarded with different tasks, jobs and interests. That leaves us less time to notice small details in our surroundings, until they become a big problem. We also have come to  expect that someone takes care of it… so who takes care of your buildings?

Our cleaning staff and caretakers are constantly in a building (everyday in some cases) and are acutely aware of its health; its part of their job. In the service industry we try stay in front of challenges in order to do this one the tools we have is periodic inspections of our sites. We accept the responsibility that we are the eyes and ears on the ground for the property managers we serve.

So if our staff has this information, but we don’t pass it along to the property managers we serve then where is the value in the inspections? We use a cloud based software called ServiceLink https://www.servicelink.com/app/login.do  that allows our Supervisors perform monthly inspections, (some accounts semi-monthly). These inspections are forwarded to the property managers (or whoever is designated). In these inspections we rate areas and every inspection is logged in the system.

CleanTelligent – Inspection Report – Sample

The report can help us identify problem areas and or recurring concerns.  In some cases it may not be as simple as the staff on site need to spend more time on a certain area. It could be a training issue, a cleaning product issue, site issue, equipment, etc. We also will let our customers know if there is some other maintenance items that is need of attention, like if the garage door doesn’t seem to be working. At the end of the day we do our best to stay ahead of problems and make sure the property managers we serve know the condition of the their buildings.

Servicelink gives us this ability to perform at a higher level.

http://healthyapartmentbuildings.com/category/servicelink/

January 29, 2015

Roof Cleaning For Strata’s

There are benefits to living in the Lower Mainland: the warm, wet climate is much preferred to the icy coldness that grips eastern Canada today, while verdant forests proviold grungy roof tiles overgrown with mossde a beautiful backdrop for the region. Managing a building with a roof however, is definitely not an advantage of living in the region. The very same climate and foliage makes for almost ideal growing conditions for moss, mildew and mold accumulation. This roof growth has a number of negative effects that a property manager needs to be aware of. Most roofs should have a life expectancy of 24 to 28 years, yet the average age of a roof replacement is 14 to 20. These problems are not confined to roofs designed for replacement; the growth damages all types of materials:

Concrete tiles can become porous

Asphalt loses its oil and disintegrate.

Shake roofs rots cracks and warps.

Metal roofs surface become etched, losing lustre and durability.

All of these cause damage. Moreover mold, moss mildew accumulation can give a building a prematurely aged look. Even if they are removed over time with the help of a Mold Damage Restoration Company near you, they can sometimes seriously discolour the roof surface and facades and decrease property values. Finally, they have a knock-on effect: roof growth traps organic matter like leaves and nettles, which then are pushed into the gutters during storms, causing blockages and overflows. This vastly increases the costs of maintaining a building.

Roof Cleaning is an area we have been doing for the past few years as an offshoot of our gutter cleaning programs. These are often in building that have chronic blockage issues with their drainage systems. However we see many more buildings with similar issues. We utilize industry leading eco-friendly techniques, which not only remove the existing growth, but delay its return for several years. Finally, our technicians can clean most roofs, even ones with steep pitches. We can often use our rope access systems to reach areas that would normally be inaccessible to regular cleaning techniques.

January 29, 2015

Central Air Duct Cleaning “History Of Sick Building Syndrome”

(Strata buildings are notorious for not cleaning their central air supply ducts, take an inventory of your buildings and ask yourself when was the last time they were cleaned? In most cases they have never been cleaned.)

Today, having access to a home with adequate heating/cooling is not just seen as a modern convenience, but as a basic human right, on par with food, water, sanitation, etc. Many residents, before the onset of winter, tend to invest in companies (such as Romeo’s Fuel, for example) and get oil deliveries stocked up for their boiler, furnaces, or water heaters. However, what they fail to understand is, that if proper care and attention to the appliances are not provided, it can quickly become a source of illness for the residents living inside.

The first heated air type of central air heaters emerged in early 19th century Great Britain, which ironically was used to heat up hospitals. The inventors discovered that patients healed quicker when they remained warm and comfortable (surprising, I know). Soon they have installed mills, and then personal residences.

These systems were supplanted by the ubiquitous hot water/radiator system, but they shared a key limitation of only providing heat during the winter months. Residents had little recourse during the hot summer months. By the 1950s however true climate control systems started to appear. Forced air systems were paired with air conditioners and heaters to provide year-round assistance.

However, the central air systems are not trouble-free or without risk. This was made apparent in the 1970s with the oil shocks. In order to save energy, many apartment and office buildings iStock_000019880307Largewith central air systems were sealed off on the outside, and heating and ventilation was recycled within the building. This created the rise of “sick building syndrome, where poor air quality contributed to a number of illnesses.

While central system design improved dramatically in the 1980s and 90s, risks still remain. Over time central air venting will accumulate dust, organic materials, and other harmful items, that are then released into the system. living creatures, like bacteria, mold, and dust mites can actually grow inside the system, which is then distributed around a building. For this reason, many companies might want to search for companies similar to DUCTZ of DFW North, or ones in their local area, who can come and clean the air ducts, which might help reduce issues. These particulates can irritate people with allergies or asthma. It is also not a health issue. The Ducting’s efficiency drops as more and more dust and debris fill its interiors. This increases energy costs and decreases the system’s lifespan, as more energy is needed for longer in order to provide the desired temperature.

January 4, 2015

Dryer Vent Cleaning Care

Property managers often come to us with their problems and we try to solve them. In 2010 we noticed many were tired of constantly hiring different contractors to re-clean their gutters throughout the year. Our solution was the Gutter Maintenance Programs; a total service plan where ServiceMaster takes responsibility for cleaning your gutter over an extended period of time… not just for the day a technician is out there.

We are now very excited to introduce another service that will help strata buildings and property managers. DRYER VENT CLEANING CARE provides solutions to a number of challenges that a strata may face with their dryer vents. Our Standard dryer vent service includes the items listed below and the Dryer Vent Cleaning Care program has added features to deal with concerns through out the year.

Screen Shot 2015-01-04 at 7.57.08 PMScreen Shot 2015-01-04 at 7.50.43 PM

Quick Fact – did you know we serviced over 35,000 dryer vents in 2014?

What does it cost?

Similar to our gutter maintenance programs, the Care is an additional item added on the standard cost of the service, prices range from $ 200.00 to $ 400.00 per strata.

What is a return visit?

It is in the best interest of the strata that all dryer vents are cleaned every year. The damage that can occur affects the common area of the building. For whatever reason up to 30% of the units during the initial service access is not successful. We will return and attempt to gain access again.

How do you clean dryer vents? “Push & Pull”

This is an image showing how we feed the tooling into the pipe. At the top, we see how feeding it in from the inside works to ‘push’ the lint and air out the dryer vent point, so that lint does not get into the unit. From outside, the bottom pic, we feed the hose in through the vent cover and ‘pull’ the air and lint backward. They both work the same, as both remove the lint from inside the tube and force it out, away from the unit.

Screen Shot 2015-01-04 at 8.33.07 PM
FAQ’s

Can you clean high-rise strata’s without entering the units?

Yes we can we have certified rope access techs on our team that rappel from the exterior of your building and service the vents.

Should we have our vents cleaned from the exterior only, or should they be cleaned from the interior and exterior?

This depends on the length of your ducting and how many corners there are in the system, we generally recommend that strata’s alternate every year. When preparing the plan for your strata we can investigate the vent system to make a recommendation.

What is central air cleaning? & How often should they be cleaned?

Central air cleaning is the ducting system that provided the fresh air from outside into your common hallways of your building; this is generally from a rooftop unit. They should be cleaned every 2nd year at minimum and more often in a high-density area.

December 10, 2014

Success Story – How We Recover From A Mistake (Customer Letter)

ServiceMaster Clean our Commitment to Quality.

We’d love if all of our jobs went perfectly, but unfortunately there are frequently complications. Recently our exterior technicians attempted to access a series of dryer vents in a unit of a townhouse complex. It was pouring rain and they tracked some mud onto a customer’s staircase. In an ideal world, this should not have happened, but it did. Unsurprisingly she was upset. The customer called her property manager to complain, who then called us. Obviously, this was unacceptable, and we really believe in keeping our customers happy. We then turned quickly to a solution.

Upon hearing of our error, the two technicians returned to the customer’s unit and apologized. Next, we scheduled a carpet cleaning for her entire house. We received this email a few days later.

Hi Peter

I am writing to thank you for the exceptional service you provided to me following the problem with my mud stained carpets on the day that the dryer vents were cleaned at XXXXX in Port Coquitlam.

That day, the weather couldn’t have been worse and you were very proactive in resolving my problem with the carpets. ServiceMaster came on the following day and the carpets are clean again. Here again, the service was excellent, the technician was efficient and so pleasant, and I am a very happy!

It is very rare these days to find a company that truly looks after their customers with the courtesy and professionalism that you displayed that day under difficult circumstances. Thank you for looking after me.

Please forward my message to your company manager so that he/she is aware of the exceptional manner in which you represent the company that you work for. Your actions and problem solving skills are the reason your company has gained a new customer. I will be calling ServiceMaster in the future for my carpet cleaning needs.

Kindest Regards,

While the carpet should never have been dirtied in the first place, it is our commitment to fix the problems we created and keep the customer happy.

December 10, 2014

Another Day in Vancouver, Success With Gutter Maintenance Programs

If you’re looking outside your window today in the Lower Mainland, chances are you are being treated to the effects of another pacific storm, which is dumping buckets of rain and blowing around anything that is not nailed down. Its goes without saying that we’re seeing more storms, with greater severity and longer durations.

Moreover in the last two years we’ve seen longer, warmer summers. That means trees often grow more foliage and they stay on branches for longer. Whereas Vancouverites once saw leaves drop from trees in September and into early October, now they may only start turning colours in October and drop in November (if not later.)

These climatic changes pose a serious challenge for strata buildings. Harsher storms create more debris, including nettles and broken branches that can create stubborn blockages in gutter downspouts. This means keeping your gutters clean now require more than just a one visit by a cleaner… several service calls are required to keep them clean.

Our gutter maintenance programs are tailored for the seasonal patterns in the west coast. We come once a year and do a full gutter cleaning around your building(s) and send you a report. Often we will identify problem areas where problems may reoccur. In addition, programs come with unlimited service calls, just in case new debris fouls the downspout again. We think this provides excellent value for money, as the cost of a cleaning + an unexpected secondary cleaning with another company is greater than our program with the service call. Its a little bit insurance that can be all the difference in the unsettled weather we face in Vancouver.

November 13, 2014

Keep Your Building Healthy In The Cold and Flu Season!

This year seems to be a particularly bad one for colds and flu. The summer cold season has extended into the fall and winter, while the flu season has started earlier than normal.

Certainly there are a number of preventative approaches that building residents can take, like washing hands and using hand sanitizers. Servicemaster Clean Residential can also play a strong part in keeping people healthy at home. One of the benefits of going with us is that we are franchise of an larger organization, with a wide variety of customers and situations. One of the more critical clients for commercial janitorial franchises is hospitals and other medical facilities like doctors offices. These locations often have extremely high standards, both for the cleaning quality and the chemicals used. On the hospitals expect the highest levels of cleanliness, which is a matter of life and death for its patients.  At the same time, harsh chemicals can also upset and even harm the very same people they seek to protect. Similar considerations are present in other janitorial locations, such as daycares and schools. Nobody wants their kids going attending a classroom that smells of heavy disinfectant. 

These considerations has pushed ServiceMaster to develop stringent cleaning practices, as well as proprietary technologies such as our Green For product line. We at ServiceMaster Clean Residential take advantage of these innovations and techniques for our clients. We have discussed aspects of this system in earlier articles, such as the microfiber advantage. Our Green For cleaning line all have been formulated with very strong disinfectant properties, like Sanimaster 6. Others, like GlideRinse and Microban Disinfectants, continue to protect a surface after it has been cleaned. 

Solutions and technology can only go so far: how you employ them is the proverbial other half of the coin. Our staff are trained using the ServiceMaster’s best practices, which incorporate the stringent standards mentioned earlier. We also develop written specifications and task schedule, with a inspection plan that ensures problem areas are taken care of on a daily or even hourly basis. This includes trash removal, spot cleaning of constantly handled items (like doors, railings and buttons), dusting, vacuuming and wet cleaning. These practices are essential for reducing the prevalence of viruses, bacterias and other harmful substances on common surfaces within residential buildings. 

So if you’re considering looking for a janitorial service for a building and want to ensure you will get a professional cleaning service that will do its best to keep its residents healthy and the location clean, give us a call. We have the experience and the know-how to meet your needs, whatever it may be.