Technology in the Janitorial Industry

When one thinks of tools used in the janitorial industry, things like mops, brooms, or buckets may come to mind. However, technology plays a significant role in the janitorial industry. From floor scrubbers to vacuums, to power washing machines, these technological advances have facilitated many custodians’ jobs. But we can’t always rely on machines or technology to do everything for us because no matter how advanced something is, there will still be a need for some human interaction.

A few of our employees recently had the opportunity to visit a robotics center and test out a vacuum & floor scrubbing robot that is expected to revolutionize the way vacuuming and floor scrubbing is done! Mainly, these cleaning robots are expected to run themselves and clean paths that are programmed into them. After getting to test out these robots, our team members decided that although these machines would be able to speed up janitorial jobs, there will still need to be someone present while the cleaning robots are at work for the following reasons:

Machines are not capable of seeing every detail: 

While these cleaning robots may be great for facilitating many custodial jobs, how will they know if they did a good job? Many robots are programmed to perform specific functions, but unless someone is physically there to inspect the work that was done, we cannot guarantee the job will be perfect. What if there is something in the way of the machine? There is a 99% chance the robot will go around what it might consider an obstacle and miss a spot. What if there is a glitch with the robot while it is in the middle of cleaning a carpet?

Machines cannot create a B2B relationship:

We all know that our clients are the most significant part of our business, mainly because of the relationships we can form with them! Having one of your custodians’ service a facility helps give your company a good reputation when excellent customer service is performed. If we were to merely rely on machines, that one on one interaction would be lost, potentially losing an opportunity to build a good rapport.

Machines will not be able to provide extra services:

If a client has a special request such as dusting a few windows, the cleaning robot will not be able to perform that task. As I mentioned before, one of the most significant advantages of human interaction is the ability to provide excellent customer service to your clients. More importantly, if a client is not satisfied with the work that was done, a custodian will have the ability to remedy the situation by possibly offering a complimentary service or re-cleaning a particular section.

As everyday technology continues to become more advanced, it is crucial to remember that these robots and machines cannot be relied on for everything we do. We are moving towards a world where robots will do most of the things we do not want to do at a cost that will be less than hiring someone. However, in the janitorial industry, there is no room for glitches, because of the precise expectations our clients have. Whether we live in a world of technological advances or not, there is nothing like a proper inspection from a reliable custodian.

“Pride yourself in being someone whom others can turn to. Reliability is a quality to be admired. “

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A blog post by Natalie Quijada