As the commercial cleaning industry continues to grow and evolve, what are experts predicting to emerge as the top trends next year? Technology, sustainability, and service continue to dominate customer and cleaner priorities, but 2024’s trends take these standards to the next level.
Technology
Cleaning companies can use technology in so many ways to help streamline their business and save on labour. From invoicing to robotic cleaners to AI, technology can help improve cleaning operations and provide a better customer experience, so it is expected to continue to disrupt the industry as more adoption occurs.
Simply using apps to optimize routes means you can get to more buildings in a day. It also means that you can assign teams to jobs located close to each other to save time and cover all your customers. Automated reports can help you better serve your customers by assessing efficiency, spotting challenges, and improving service. These types of technologies help save time and more with improved operations and better allocated labour.
In the wake of the pandemic, many businesses are also upping their requests for more frequent deep cleans, and technology like UV-C is helping cleaners better address these demands from their customers. While not strictly new technology, these types of tools are growing in popularity and demand as cleaning companies address a greater need for deep cleaning, better efficiency, and accurate metrics.
Exceptional service
Technology helps the customer experience, but relationships are vital these days. Though business has always been built on relationships, with lower occupancy and tighter budgets, loyalty and relationship building are more important than ever. Studies show that 66 per cent of customers expect cleaners to know and understand their unique needs and expectations. Transparency, service, and communication are the keys to building trust and keeping those clients coming back for consistent revenues into next year and beyond.
Sustainability
Green cleaning and sustainability continue to be a top priority into 2024, but the stakes are even higher as more customers focus on lowering their environmental impact. Customers are looking for “green promises” from their cleaners, standing by their commitment to reduce their carbon footprint. Things like waste reduction, increased recycling, reduced energy and water use, and green cleaning supplies and practices are topping the list of requests from businesses.
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Part of the communication and transparency that will be crucial to businesses and commercial cleaners, includes identifying and committing to sustainability goals will also help build trust and loyalty from like-minded companies.
As we head into 2024, consider these trends as ways to improve your cleaning business, better connect with your customers, and build your bottom line next year.