The Changing Needs Of Your Floor Maintenance Programs
The old adage, “change is the only constant in business” is an axiom for the retail facilities industry. A new store format has been designed, and the construction department just turned it over to maintenance. “This is the format going forward for 2007 and beyond,” is the directive. It’s now up to your team to properly maintain the store to retain its integrity throughout the life cycle (or term of the lease).
If the current maintenance program is insufficient and the floors are deteriorating faster than anticipated, it’s time to re-evaluate the process as well. Restorative measures are costly, and even if performed, without correcting the maintenance program, the “distressed look” will once again be the norm. It’s up to your team to investigate and alter the maintenance program to effectively retain the integrity of the design throughout the life cycle.
This article will focus on how to go about establishing a maintenance program for your new or remodeled store(s), and correct issues with current ineffective programs. It will also touch on budgeting, consistency, testing of procedures and products, the specifications for services and optimizing the customer experience.
We’re going to start with the last item – optimizing the customer experience – as that is the primary objective of your maintenance programs. When a shopper is walking a mall, if the store is dirty, or the floor unattractive, the shopper keeps walking. Clean, attractive stores are entered, the others are not. That’s the “bottom line” as far as sales are concerned. Further, it is far less expensive to maintain a floor than it is to replace or restore a floor. Shortsightedness has been both the albatross of the facilities manager and job security for the construction vendor.
Whether the new prototype or the current ineffective program, we start with the floor manufacturer’s recommendations. Oftentimes, warranties will be based on working within these parameters. However, these specifications are also commonly too expensive and too narrow for the retail environment. Whether it is the products specified, the frequency of services, or the method of application, the retailer must often alter the program to make it both effective and affordable. In addition, these recommendations are based on the manufacturers understanding of expected traffic flow. A retailer will likely have mall, strip center and street locations in varying geographic zones. A street store experiencing the salt and sand tracked in from a foot of snow will have vastly different needs than a mall store in a warm, single season state.
First we review our objectives based on the needs (Such as: an annual program review, new prototype application, ineffective program, service/program feedback from Store Managers/DM’s and RM’s, etc.). You must first separate the program from the service vendor. Is the vendor the right partner, sharing the same vision, participating (if not spearheading) the evaluation process? For optimum results, your service partner should work closely with you throughout the process. As far as choosing the right vendor is concerned, this review process is not a matter of reducing costs, but partnering with companies that have the expertise and experience to make your program successful.
So the question is, “what do we do with what we’ve been given?” The time for research and testing has begun. There are several primary floor chemical manufacturers with a variety of products for every need. Whether Johnson’s, Brulin, Bona Kemi, Basic Coatings or the host of others, we start with evaluating the product, product cost, method of application and expected longevity of each service.
Assuming you have an experienced floor maintenance vendor servicing multiple clients, you will be able to rely on their expertise when evaluating products and methods. Though no two programs are alike, your vendor will be able to share the results of previous comparisons and testing which should help you narrow your list quite substantially. A product may win “best in price” but lose as “worst in cost.” The cost of the service starts with the product, but quickly enters the realm of application times. For example, cleaning a floor and coating with three coats of a sealant and/or finishing product may require one overnight service. It may also take two or even three depending on the size of the store, the application method, and the drying times needed between coats. This is where “testing” becomes essential.
Usually your chemical manufacturer will provide products at no cost for test services. It is often beneficial to test multiple products in multiple stores to minimize the testing period. Needless to say, the intent is that the products will be accepted and you’ll be buying large volumes in short order. How long did the chemical company say the product would last? One month, two, perhaps longer. The wait and see approach is inevitable. How well is the floor holding up with the traffic? You may have been told you only need the service quarterly and have learned with the test that quarterly is the optimum frequency for southern mall stores, six times per year for the remaining mall stores and southern street and strip stores, and monthly for the snow belt street and strip stores. This is where simultaneous multi-product testing becomes important. You can then compare the longevity of the products, the cost of the services, and most importantly, the visual impact of the program. This takes us right back to the customer experience and increased sales.
The time has come to develop the cost analysis spreadsheet and the floor maintenance budget. The balancing act between the cost of the floor over the life cycle, and the cost per square foot against sales per square foot hedges on the program you have chosen. Sometimes the optimum program for longevity may not be what is needed in a store where sales are low and not renewing the lease is being considered. How much longevity do you need in a store you’re thinking of closing? To make budgets work, retailers often compare traffic count and sales to determine which stores get the higher frequencies and better products. This allows for lesser cost programs for under performing stores, and more investment in higher performance locations.
Developing your specifications takes testing and time. It also takes a careful consideration of the full needs of your business well beyond keeping the store clean. Many retailers have developed multiple programs for varying brands, designs, traffic and sales volume. Either way, it is imperative that your floor maintenance program be regularly evaluated for its effectiveness. New products, equipment and procedures are continually being developed and staying on top of the industry changes will insure successful programming.
Throughout the busyness of the day, it’s easy to just delete all the voice mails from competing chemical and flooring manufacturers. However, at least once a year it behooves us to take the time to look and listen to new ideas.
