In the real estate industry, the quality of housekeeping has a direct influence on tenant satisfaction and on a property's image. As a Property Manager, ensuring that high standards of hygiene and sanitation are respected and maintained is a key part of your responsibilities. Given that most buildings opt for outsourcing to specialized commercial cleaning companies, how can you, as a Property Manager, ensure that these standards are met?
The answer is simple: through specialized cleaning audits.
What is a Cleaning Audit?
A cleaning audit, also referred to as an inspection or control, is a systematic evaluation of cleaning procedures and practices in a building. It enables operators to check whether standards of cleanliness and hygiene are being met, and to determine where improvements need to be made. This inspection is not just a cursory examination, but an in-depth assessment designed to ensure that cleanliness and hygiene standards are maintained at an optimum level.
There are three pillars to the cleaning audit process: inspection, assessment and continuous improvement.
Inspection : The auditor evaluates the effectiveness of housekeeping by inspecting various areas of a building to see if they are up to the standards of cleanliness expected in the contract specifications or job description.
Evaluation : The auditor compares his observations with recognized industry standards of cleanliness and hygiene.
Continuous improvement: The auditor proposes targeted recommendations based on the assessment results. The ultimate goal is to continuously improve the quality of housekeeping services to achieve the highest standards of building hygiene and sanitation.
Beyond its monitoring function, the cleaning audit is a valuable strategic management tool. It enables property managers to ensure consistent quality of housekeeping services, enhance tenant satisfaction and improve the image of their property. In a long-term perspective, a regular cleaning audit helps to preserve the value of the building, which in turn promotes its operational sustainability.
Why are Cleaning Audits Important?
Tenant Satisfaction
Cleanliness and hygiene are of paramount importance to tenants. A clean, well-maintained building provides a pleasant living or working environment, which can contribute to tenant satisfaction and loyalty.
Preservation of the Building's Value
Good housekeeping helps preserve architectural finishes and increase a building's value. By carrying out regular cleaning audits, you can identify and correct potential problems early on, which helps avoid more costly repairs over time.
Health and Safety Compliance
Cleaning audits verify compliance with health and safety standards. It is essential that buildings are maintained in conditions that pose no risk to the health and safety of tenants and employees.
How Does a Cleaning Audit Work?
The audit process may vary depending on the consulting firm, but it generally includes the following steps:
Audit Preparation: This phase involves gathering information about the building and existing housekeeping services. The auditor may also discuss with the property manager to understand his or her expectations and concerns.
On-site Inspection: Inspection involves meticulous observation of how housekeeping services are carried out. Areas and surfaces where standards are not met are identified and noted. The auditor takes into account the cleaning techniques used, the cleaning equipment and products, and the way in which housekeeping staff carry out their tasks. The auditor may also interact with housekeeping staff to obtain additional information.
Evaluation & Feedback: The auditor analyzes the information gathered and evaluates the overall effectiveness of the housekeeping program in place, including aspects of work organization, personnel management, training and internal communication. A detailed report is issued to present the audit results and suggest improvements. These recommendations may concern operational aspects, such as the modification of certain cleaning techniques or the use of different chemical products, or strategic aspects, such as the implementation of a training plan for housekeeping staff or for the managers responsible for supervising them.
Follow-up: Upon delivery of the report, the auditor can collaborate with the property manager to implement a plan of action and provide support in monitoring operations to optimize housekeeping services.
Why Entrust Your Cleaning Audits to ValkarTech?
Expertise
ValkarTech is an expert hygiene and sanitation firm that stands out for the quality and efficiency of its cleaning audits. Recognized for its excellence, ValkarTech's strength lies in the value of its multidisciplinary team. Not only are our auditors trained to spot potential problems and propose effective solutions, they are also certified as Professional Auditors by the Cleaning Management Institute (ISSA) and the Mouvement québécois de la qualité. These certifications attest to our commitment to the highest standards of quality and efficiency in our audits. Choosing ValkarTech for your janitorial audits means opting for a company with not only extensive experience in the field, but also official recognition of its expertise and commitment to quality. We are dedicated to providing our customers with the highest quality audit service, to help you keep your building looking its best.
Personalized Approach
At ValkarTech, we understand that every building is unique, with its own set of cleaning challenges and requirements. That's why we take a personalized approach, tailoring our audit process to the specific needs of each client. Over the years, we've carried out a wide range of mandates for customers across a variety of sectors. Whether you manage an office building, a residential complex, a shopping mall, a healthcare facility, or any other type of facility, we have the expertise and in-house resources to provide you with an accurate and relevant housekeeping audit. Our client list testifies to the trust many companies have placed in us to help them maintain a high level of cleanliness and hygiene in their buildings.
Customer Care and Support
At ValkarTech, we consider the cleaning audit to be an integral part of a continuous improvement process that requires rigorous follow-up. Once the audit has been carried out and recommendations made, our commitment doesn't stop there. We offer consulting and coaching services to support Property Managers in implementing the recommended improvements. Because we know that implementing new practices can sometimes be complex, our experts are available to provide advice and support every step of the way. Regular follow-up also enables us to measure the effectiveness of the changes made and adjust our recommendations. We make sure that improvements are not only planned, but also implemented and deliver results. Choosing ValkarTech means opting for a partner who stays by your side throughout the improvement process.
Latest Technology
At ValkarTech, we emphasize the use of state-of-the-art technology to ensure the accuracy and objectivity of our housekeeping audits. In particular, we use specialized software that enables us to collect and analyze data efficiently. In particular, we have integrated an advanced automatic calculation system into our audit process. This system eliminates the subjectivity inherent in human assessment and ensures that our audits are carried out consistently and impartially. Thanks to this technology, we are able to precisely quantify cleaning performance and provide detailed, accurate reports. This technological approach not only guarantees the objectivity of our audits, but also contributes to the transparency of our process. By using this automatic calculation system, our customers can have complete confidence in the accuracy of our assessments and the relevance of our recommendations. So, with ValkarTech, you can be sure of a high-quality housekeeping audit, based on accurate data and unbiased assessment.
Bottom Line
In conclusion, a cleaning audit is an invaluable tool for any Property Manager concerned about ensuring high standards of hygiene and sanitation. Whether you're looking to improve tenant satisfaction, preserve the value of your building or comply with health and safety standards, an audit can help you achieve these goals. And with ValkarTech at your side, you can be assured of high-quality results.
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