A trained eye
Published: 01 May, 2007
At over a million sq ft thecentre:mk in Milton Keynes is one of the UK's biggest shopping centres. Its 230 retail units attract over 30 million visitors per year and that puts real stress on the floors and other finishes. That in turn means cleaning is a top priority and the centre has learned that cleaning is a people business.
The centre operates an in-house cleaning team. Long-serving employees, a low staff turnover and high morale contribute to making it a team that delivers consistent standards of cleaning and service. Often in the public eye, the cleaners interact with customers and retailers on a daily basis, and they perform a vital role as front line staff.
Of the 132 people who manage the centre, 39 are full-time cleaners, and 10 are part-time, and they provide a year-round 24-hour-a-day service. In order to equip them for this task, thecentre:mk has formed close links with The BICSc, the British Institute of Cleaning Science.
A cleaning training centre has been established, which provides a realistic setting in which cleaners can practise their skills. The training facility is fitted with finishes and surfaces that are typically found in any office block, home, school or shopping centre.
Cleaning manager Carol Wakelin explains: "The centre provides a single, contained area where all the finishes are in one place. This gives us the opportunity to interact one on one with colleagues, to train them in a quiet and private setting without interruptions and away from the bustle of an actual office or shopping centre. Training all team members to the same consistently high standard raises the benchmark for thecentre:mk."
Test areas on the floor have coverings like carpeting, tiles, rubber matting, vinyl, marble and wood, and the walls are finished with a selection of different materials including stainless steel, glass, paint, tiles, mirrors and fabric blinds. A brick wall complete with graffiti - an ever-increasing phenomenon in public spaces - is part of the simulated setting and enables staff to learn the correct methods and materials to use.
One of the areas duplicates all the finishes likely to be found in toilets, bathrooms and kitchens. Alongside this is an 'office' with a desk, keyboard, chair, filing cabinet and whiteboard. All the materials have been recycled or reused from within the building and were installed by the in-house maintenance team
Wakelin says the introduction of BICSc training is having measurable benefits. Staff turnover has fallen from 31 per cent in 2001 to 6 per cent at the end of 2006, and absenteeism has fallen significantly. She says staff morale is up and the employees feel more appreciated and valued as a result of management investing in their careers.
All cleaners undergo customer service training and are supported by an in-house coach who provides regular refresher sessions.
To show the cleaning staff that they are highly valued and essential members of thecentre:mk's team, they are regularly taken to exhibitions to view the latest equipment, products and methods, and awards ceremonies are becoming a regular day out.
Operations Manager Dan Murphy says: "This simple act of recognition and inclusion builds their confidence as a team and also gives them the reassurance that they are all individually valued."
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=== Comprehensive cleaning contract for The Mall ===
The Mall, the UK's leading community shopping centre brand with 23 malls across the UK, has awarded one of the UK's biggest-ever shopping centre cleaning contracts to OCS Cleaning. The £6m single national cleaning contract, called MallClean, is structured to ensure both high quality cleaning and enhanced value for money.
And because The Mall brand is still growing through new centre acquisitions the contract is set up so that any future additional Mall can be incorporated with relative ease.
OCS and MallClean will utilise the latest cleaning equipment technology to maximise productivity and deliver the highest possible standards. Micro-fibre cleaning systems will significantly reduce chemical usage, in line with The Mall's objectives under EnviroMall. As well as providing daily Mall cleaning services, MallClean will provide food court table cleaning, periodic window and high-level cleaning, escalator cleaning, car park cleaning and the provision of all toilet consumables, cleaning equipment and materials.
Mall chief executive Ken Ford says: "Not only is this partnership beneficial for our retailers and customers, it will also empower our people, who are core to our success. The development of the Mall-based cleaning teams is a key objective of MallClean, and in working with OCS, we are able to deliver at a national level."
