August 8, 2016

Real Time Field Management At Work – Real Time Updates & Reminders

In the last few weeks, some of you may IMG_0398have noticed that we’ve been sending some emails notifying you about scheduled services for the buildings you manage. This system is connected to our real-time field management software, and are tied to actual dates and events. Its part of our broader effort to bring you a higher level of service.
We currently send two emails. The first is a reminder for an upcoming service. We implemented this system because we noticed that building representatives often forgot about the upcoming work, or were never informed of the date it was scheduled for. Perhaps a more serious issue was the failure to post building notices. This would often cause problems: screens on windows were left up, residents were not home for dryer vent cleanings.
This was not always the fault of building representatives: the emails we send could be blocked or missed. Thus by sending a reminder, we ensure that everybody is on the same page as to the upcoming service.
The second email we send informs you of when a job is complete. Often, and especially for large technical work that my sprawl over a large complex, it is difficult to know when our staff has completed its assigned work. However by leveraging our field management systems, all work is marked complete by staff upon finishing their work. We then automatically send an email a few hours later based on that status change. While we originally thought of this as a courtesy email, we realized there was a very useful purpose for our customers: they could now bring up problems to correct.
The system is still fairly new, and there are still a kink or two to be worked out, but by far we’re pretty happy with the result. We hope that you will be too.
August 8, 2016

Oil stains in parkades: a difficult subject. 

Parkade cleanings are a common type of work we doIMG_9601 (1) in the summer months. The drier weather allow us to both power sweeping and pressure washing to get underground areas looking as best as we can. A difficult issue we commonly face are oil stains. While we always want leave a parkade looking as clean as the day it was built, oil stains are a nearly insurmountable challenge for our crews. The key  problem is that concrete’s porous nature, which the oil molecules are able to penetrate the surface and get locked in.
Our two primary cleaning methods have difficulty removing oil stains. Power sweeping really only cleans the surface layer, so it can’t get at the oil. Pressure washing can have substantially more effect, but its still unable to penetrate deeply enough to remove oil. Usually it leaves a stain looking much much better, but we frequently find that a feint outline of the stain remains. That’s partly because oil is insoluble in water, and the pressure washer only removes the discolourations on the uppermost layers. The deeper layers remain, which are almost impossible to remove. It is possible to improve this situation, but it requires several hours per stain applying different chemical treatment methods. Its uneconomical for the building to pay for such a service, and we usually recommend that it is the responsibility of a resident (it usually is for most buildings).
July 11, 2016

Fair Wage – Janitorial & Caretaker Management – Option For Our Customers

If we had to come up with one line description of ServiceMaster Clean’s photoJanitorial & Caretaker Management Services, it would be our commitment to providing a level of service at an affordable price. That’s not an easy balance to strike, The key part of that formula is finding and retaining the right staff, which can be difficult in the Lower Mainland. The high cost of living is a real problem, and we do what we can to help: we already offer higher than industry average salaries for many of our janitorial positions. Still we think this is not enough, which is being acknowledged elsewhere. Two years ago, Seattle introduced a $15 minimum wage, with Vancouver considering a living wage for its employees. We’d like to get ahead of the curve, by offering our clients the option to provide a guaranteed fair wage for our janitorial staff.
We believe there are a number of positive benefits for our clients when selecting this option. By ensuring our janitorial staff has a better quality of living, we keep them happy and engaged in their position, which is a critical part of the service industry. They take greater care in their position, leading to better outcomes in locations. Furthermore by retaining more of our staff they also develop greater familiarity with a location and its people, which means they can see potential problems before they escalate. At the same time, residents and representatives of the location may find them more approachable and can also work out issues before they get raised to the property manager attention. It’s a winning formula for all.
Now we want to stress a couple of things. We offer a janitorial management service, so the actual janitor wage (which is what fair wage will cover) only consists of 60% of the total cost. So if your strata selects the fair wage option, on average it will only result in a 15% increase. The other 40% covers all of the other services that ensure your building remains in tip top shape. This includes supervisors, the office, cleaning supplies, equipment and maintenance that we may include as part of a contract.  
Starting in August we will be providing a Fair Wage Option on all our Janitorial proposals. Again this is only an option, but we believe strongly it will improve the industry and the quality of service for the properties we serve.  All Fair wage Janitorial Management contracts will have a clause that guarantees that the cleaned serving their building will make no less than X. (We can show payroll records to verify etc…) 
July 11, 2016

Roof Treatment & Abatement – Best Time Of Year To Complete The Service

Roofs in the Lower Mainland face a rough life. Constantly bombarded by rain and shade,west coast style lowrise color they are a magnet for moss, mildew and algae that can severely curtail their lifespan. Removing them is one of our exterior cleaning services, and the best time to undertake this work is the late summer and fall when they are the drieest .  We use a                                             three-step process, which incorporates industry best practices to guide our approach.  
Step 1-  Air blower cleaning. 

In this stage we basically use high-pressure air to remove loose debris and a large portion of the growth. This allows us to gain better access to the underlying roof surface, without damaging the roof itself.

STEP  2 – Spray application of the Roof Abatement System.

This is really the most critical part of the process. We use a mild, wash safe, chemical that is wash safe to basically break down and kill all the growth on the roof. The system also is a preventative step: it delays future growth for a year or so, keeping the roof integrity intact. 

STEP 3 –Low pressure cleaning of roof surfaces.
            This step is performed with pressure washing equipment limted to a maximum pressure of 1700 PSI to prevent damage. The ensures all of the growth has been removed, any discoloration and dead growth is removed before the start of the rainy fall season. 
June 8, 2016

Building Notices – Are They Important ? – YES VERY

Building notices are one of the most critical points of communication between us, (the service provider), the property manager and residents at a location. We usually send them out when we schedule service, so that they are posted in advance before the work commences. We see them as an essential part of our service, for a number of reasons.

First, building notices allow residents of a building to prepare their units for a service, which greatly facilitates our ability to complete the agreed-to work. For example window cleaning on low-rise buildings require screens be removed from windows. If notices are not posted, the parts of the work can’t go ahead requiring return visit(s) that are difficult to deal with. The same issue applies for dryer vents in large buildings. These commonly  require suite access to do a complete an interior and exterior service. Without visibly posted building notices, large number of residences are usually missed, which requires us to come back another day

Finally building notices are critical for giving residents information if they think there is a problem. We often post useful trouble shooting information, as well as contact addresses. This helps to avoid burdening you with complaints and other calls about a service, which we can deal with them quickly and directly. For example when our floor care team is maintaining the common hallways are notices provided specify whether the service is an extraction cleaning or maintenance cleaning service.

All in all building notices keep everybody happy and working productively. By posting them we reduce potential issues with a job, and ensure the service is done in a quick and effective manner…. that’s a win for everyone.

We are always looking at our notices and working to improve the message, have a look at our latest version of our low-rise window cleaning notice.

June 8, 2016

Water Restrictions – The Facts

So this week has seen a return to the hot summer weather in the Lower Mainland. While we are in better shape than last year, its still likely that we’re going to see water restrictions later in the summer.

Screen Shot 2016-06-08 at 8.59.16 AMLast year there was immense confusion on what the water restrictions actually meant for the different types of exterior cleaning: window washing, pressure washing and building facade cleaning. Two of the three require significant amounts of water, which means we are subject to the water restrictions (sort of, more on that later.) With this in mind, a number of our clients cancelled work that was legally permissible to occur. Certainly they should be applauded for their proactive approach to water conservation, but it was done without understanding the regulations that govern this area, or the safeguards we have put into place to redress any problems we may encounter.

As you are probably aware, water restrictions are based on a four-stage system. As of last month, we are at the Stage 1 restrictions: the most tangible aspect for most people is watering lawns only on specific days. However, as the summer moves along, it is likely that we will see Stage II and perhaps even III restrictions. This gets a little more complicated. At Stage II, there are actually no restrictions on commercial cleaning of residential windows, driveways, patios or other features.

This changes once upgraded to Stage III, where there can be no pressure washing, however window washing of all types is permitted to occur. That however does not mean we can’t clean buildings: we just cannot use water from the public system. Last year we invested in large portable water tanks that we can bring on site to store water for our cleaning tasks. Since they are filled with water from private sources (including potable recycled water sources), they are not covered by the restrictions. A number of buildings were cleaned this way last year without any problems whatsoever. Moreover using public water for building façade and pressure washing is permitted if it is in preparation of applying a treatment or painting. For example, we completed some water proofing and caulking last August.

So as we enter into the hot months of the year and you are concerned that your building’s exterior won’t get cleaned, don’t be. We’re already on top of it, ensuring that you get the work done when you needed and with a minimum of fuss. That’s the ServiceMaster Clean difference.

April 18, 2016

Balcony & Patio Cleaning

power wash guyOver time discolorations and stains may occur due to normal usage despite the best efforts of residents to keep it clean. These cannot be cleaned through regular methods and require more aggressive cleaning methods, such as power washers, sweepers or hand scrubbing with a release agent.

Given the disruption this would cause if everybody cleaned their own balconies with such methods, it is best that a strata periodically organize a cleaning for all residents. This also ensures that any runoff from the balcony washing is properly managed cleaned up properly and does not affect the appearance of units below.

Frequency

 Exposed balcony and patios generally should be cleaned once every two years or more, depending on their surface composition. These generally see greater weathering and the benefits are more apparent.

If the balcony is part of the gutter system, then it should be every year, since blockages may cause overflows and potential damage to the building’s structure. For covered balconies, the cleaning interval can be extended out further: every three or more years.

April 18, 2016

Eyebrow Cleaning

tower sketch-3Eyebrows are the areas at the base of verandas, decks and other features. While they cause fewer potential problems compared to other aspects of building maintenance, they are they are also some of the most apparent visual features on a building.  Cleaning them should usually be undertaken at the same time as a façade and/or window cleaning. This should create efficiencies as crews can clean all three at once, and keep the building’s appearance uniform.