You can’t turn on the news or even have a conversation with colleagues without speaking or hearing phrases like “we are in unprecedented times,” or “this is the new normal.” But what does that mean for a business owner or manager struggling to keep afloat during this season of uncertainty and constant change? Doing business safely in the time of COVID-19 demands not only heightened cleaning and disinfecting, but also an intentional and continuous commitment to talk about the cleanliness of your business internally and externally.
Employee Confidence
On average, Americans spend approximately six hours per week cleaning their homes, and over one third have concerns about if they are cleaning enough or cleaning correctly. Americans not only want a home haven that is safe and clean,but as they return work, they demand their employers provide a safe and clean environment as well. In fact, a recent survey shows 28% of employees worry that offices are not cleaned regularly.
When COVID-19 hit earlier in the spring, one of the first things Carpet Tech did was create internal cleaning and disinfecting protocols to reassure employees that it’s safe to come to work. Based on CDC guidelines, our protocols included not only our commitment to daily cleaning and disinfecting, but guidelines and instruction for personal hygiene, social distancing and personal protective equipment. Other inclusions in your company’s protocols may include:
- What is COVID-19 and how does it spread
- Proper hand hygiene
- Personal protective equipment
- How to clean and disinfect
- Operational adjustment for additional cleaning and disinfecting
- Daily cleaning checklist
- Training on proper and effective use of disinfectants
- Recurring professional disinfecting to complement daily employee cleaning
- Cleaning and disinfecting after suspected/confirmed case of COVID-19
- Provide / reference links to CDC and WHO, local/state government coronavirus orders
The fear and uncertainty of COVID-19 often follows employees into the workplace.Your employees may be going through a range of emotions and personal challenges as a result of the virus and containment efforts. We have found that honest and consistent internal communication surrounding these concerns is vital to building and maintaining employee confidence in the company. Provide clear, concise, and well-worded updates that are relevant to your location, industry, and current work culture.
- Communicate in a timely, calm manner.
- Offer channels for support and two-way communication. Create a space for your staff to reach out with their concerns and needs; where possible, make accommodations for specific needs that arise.
- Provide signage around the office that will keep everyone mindful of safety: good respiratory hygiene, cleaning recommendations, social distancing, and symptom checks. The CDC has developed a series of printable materials and posters for use in community settings, like outside of meeting rooms or throughout high traffic hallways.
Consumer Confidence
With a firm foundation in employee confidence and commitment to proper cleaning and disinfecting, the next step in reopening and staying open safely is to communicate your internal efforts to customers. For some reason, there are still businesses who are slow to share that they have invested in professional disinfecting, but current statistics show that today’s pandemic consumers need reassurance. In fact, 51% of Americans say they will stop doing business with brands that don’t discuss cleaning protocols.
Without a doubt, COVID-19 has affected consumer behavior, and these behavior changes could have a lasting impact. Consumers are actively looking for safety measures when deciding where to shop in stores such as enhanced cleaning, masks, and barriers. Almost one third of consumers say their top priority in deciding where to shop is cleaning and sanitizing measures.
External Clean and Care Communication
More than ever, we are operating in what experts call a health and “caring” economy. Health and safety are trumping customer loyalty, and we are seeing consumers gravitate to businesses they know are clean. Consumers need to see and hear about what you are doing to keep them safe.
Marketing and communicating cleanliness doesn’t only only retain customers, but can build new business. Utilizing emails, social media and in store signage, business owners are communicating protocols, and service changes, and demonstrating how they care for their customers.
“Empathy and compassion are key right now,” said Carpet Tech General Manager Stephanie Henderson. “We are concerned about the current health issues and economic impact of that, and we want our customers to know how we are caring for our employees, and for the community.”
Many businesses are adapting to meet consumer concern by offering products and services in a new way that allows consumers to feel safe. Unfortunately, there is no clear road map for successfully navigating coronavirus, but forging a path that makes sense for your unique challenges and customer needs will be crucial to survive this season.
Here are some considerations:
- Let customers know you are constantly cleaning and disinfecting
- Offer curbside service and / or delivery
- No contact transactions
- Virtual consultations/sales calls/estimates
- Leniency with cancellations/fees
More than great offers and deals, today’s consumers want the constant reassurance that you are taking the necessary steps with cleaning and disinfecting to keep them safe. If Carpet Tech can help develop a plan that meets your corporate cleaning and disinfecting needs, please let us know.
Sources
McKinsey & Company COVID-19 the US Consumer Pulse Survey 6/15-6/21/2020
Vital Vio
April 2020 CNN / US Census Report