Survey reveals top priorities of environmental services leaders

A recent survey that polled cleaning professionals from across four industries showed that those in the health care field experienced pressure to keep costs down. The P&G Professional Cleaning Industry Insights Survey reports that 76 percent of health care cleaning managers have felt “extreme” or “some pressure” to reduce operating costs. That’s up 11 percent from 2014 and represents the biggest year-over-year increase of the other three industries surveyed: commercial, food service and hospitality. As a result, many in the health care cleaning field are focused on becoming more efficient to support their organizations’ bottom lines.

“Cleaning managers in the health care sector report that they would rather find ways to become more efficient (78 percent) than raise prices for customers (12 percent) as their preferred course of action to improve their company’s bottom line,” the report states.

One of the ways health care cleaning managers report becoming more efficient is through retaining staff and reducing turnover. Half of the survey’s health care respondents say they have improved their staff retention, up 18 percent from the previous year. Fifty-one percent report improvements in staff training and 47 percent say they have made positive strides in reducing waste.

The goal to improve operational efficiency, however, is not done at the expense of customers, which in the case of health care mainly means patients. Top priorities for health care cleaning managers start with keeping customers satisfied at 24 percent, growing the business (21 percent), being as efficient as possible (20 percent) and making a profit (16 percent). When ranking most important areas to clean, bathrooms topped the list, followed by main traffic areas and lobby spaces.

Health care cleaning managers also say that products are key to the overall value of the department. Features that respondents say they look for in products include high quality or effectiveness, versatility of use and a low price point.

“With labor costs accounting for almost half of overall operational costs, it is understandable that cleaning managers want effective products that get the job done right the first time, reducing the time it takes to thoroughly clean,” says Paul Edmondson, P&G Professional Americas commercial director.