RBSM Volume 1
40 - Define delegation.
"Entrusting activities and tasks to subordinates after first coming to a meeting of the minds on exactly what is to be done."
26 - What is the key to being a successful manager?
"overcome...obstacles with a positive 'can-do' attitude without putting blame on the company, the customer, or the employee"
26 - How can managers become a valuable asset?
"successfully communicate company needs to the customer and customer needs to the company" --> they thereby build a cooperative rather than an adversarial relationship with the customer
27 - Describe the typical functions of a building supervisor, area manager, operations manager, and general manager.
- A building supervisor has direct responsibility for the nightly or daily cleaning of buildings. - An area manager supervises the servicing of assigned accounts to conform to direct cost budgets, quality standards, and customer satisfaction. - An operations manager plans, organizes, directs, and controls operational activities so as to achieve specified costs and profit objectives and to ensure that all work is performed in accordance with contract specifications. - A general manager guides and directs company staff in the identification of objectives and preparation of plans and programs.
96 - What are key components of an effective storage system for use in the building service industry?
- A complete inventory and forecast should be made periodically for all items to be stored. - Storage areas should be close to the works areas where supplies will be used. - Use appropriate shelving, racks and bins.
129 - What are 10 steps for dealing with complaints?
- Acknowledge the complaint. - Arrange a meeting with the customer and keep the appointment. - Listen to the customer and focus on understanding the complaint. - Take notes. - Inspect the area of complaint. - Summarize your understanding of the complaint in your own words. - Ask what you can do to remedy the problem. - Do what the customer asks, regardless of short-term cost. - Report back to the customer and make sure he or she is satisfied. - Never argue or defend.
114 - What are 3 strategies for establishing a TQM culture in a company?
- Adopt existing theories [TQM workshops, a TQM team, or a TQM consultant]. - Use the company model [observe how it functions in other companies and craft their own model]. - Adhere to prize criteria [i.e. the criteria for quality standards set by various Quality Award programs or relevant ISO standards, specifically, ISO 9004].
50 - What are two ways to develop time standards?
- Base time standards on existing jobs (consider an account with similar size, density, and service detail: total square footage / total worker hours). - Base time standards on industrial engineering methods (have an above-average employee perform the task in normal working conditions at least three times and calculate an average).
121 - What are 5 rules for good communication?
- Be clear (use the best medium for the message) - Be complete (don't leave out any details) - Be concise (briefest way possible) - Be concrete (use specific details and examples - avoid the abstract) - Be correct (verify that what you are saying is accurate and supportable before you communicate)
122 - What types of issues might be entered into log books for the customers attention?
- Building maintenance issues beyond the scope of the service contract, such as plumbing or HVAC problems - Non-urgent security issues - Why an area was not cleaned or why a scheduled task was not performed
70 - What items should be the focus of retuning site inspections?
- Cleaning quality - Number of tenants and building traffic - Square footage of cleanable space - Floor arrangement and division - Building Density - Floor and wall coverings - Normal hours of operation and special requests - Smoking Versus nonsmoking - Specifications versus actual need - Inventories - Use of equipment - Use of labor
115 - What are some potential benefits to consider for Inspection Software?
- Client satisfaction monitoring - Supply ordering - Effectiveness of supervisors and managers - Scheduling or project work - Contract compliance with regard to specifications - Instant reporting to clients - Tenant requests - Elimination of excess paperwork - Online tracking, customer satisfaction and quality control
9 - What are 6 management trends in the building service industry over the past 25 years?
- Close cash flow management - Strong emphasis on marketing - New methods of planning - Expanding services - Diversification - Competition
14 - What are 10 overall trends in the building service industry today (choose from these 12)?
- Continued Competitiveness (grow or go out of business) - High diversity with contracting companies of all sizes - The growth of franchising (5% of the total market [what exactly is franchising?]) - Continued labor shortages (some solutions: hiring handicapped and other disadvantaged workers; introduce more attractive compensation and benefits packages) - Changing labor force (traditionally, mostly young men between 18-25 years of age; now, more women and immigrants, as well as men seeking a second income stream) - Automation and computerization (computer and smartphone use [WinTeam, eHub, Excel, Word, Outlook]; hi-tech cleaning equipment like improved scrubbers, backpack vacuums, and sanitizer equipment [e.g. Clorox has a line of high-tech room sanitizing products for hospitals]) - Increasing government regulation (equal opportunity, discrimination, sexual harassment, wage/hour issues, occupational safety) - Stricter safety regulations (safety and training programs have become more important along with increased government regulation) - Increased importance of training: cleaning techniques, chemical use, equipment use, safety, security, company policies - Controversy over illegal subcontracting (some companies try to classify their workers as "independent contractors" to save money [e.g. to avoid FICA payments and other benefits] - the courts define this classification narrowly, so this practice can easily lead to legal action)
35 - List 7 general rules for effective time management.
- Decide what you want from your time. - Plan carefully, on paper, each day, or at least each week, how you will use your time. - Put time in where it counts the most. - Train well. - Delegate well. - Concentrate on the job at hand. - Respect time.
111 - What are essential principles to any successful total quality program?
- Define quality according to the customer [the customer determines the standard of quality]. - Building a long-term partnership with the customer [Example: pass savings from retuning on to the customer]. - Work for long-term success, not short-term profits [Greater quality tends to bring profits up and costs down in the long run - "quality the first time around"]. - Focus on systems, not individuals [what about the context is resulting in poor quality?]. - Strive for continuous improvement. - Focus on prevention. - Involve the entire company [every subordinate is an "internal customer"]. - Empower your employees [goal: to work effectively and maintain top quality independently]. - Standardize processes [standardized processes throughout the company allow consistent measurement and produce consistent quality].
40 - What are 6 principles of effective delegation?
- Delegate routine tasks (if of low value to overall objectives). - Delegate entire tasks (whenever possible). - Prevent upward delegation (avoid fostering dependence of subordinates on you for answers that they are capable of discovering). - Delegate to the lowest practical level. - Delegate clearly (simply, concise, unambiguous language). - Provide feedback (performance against goals, predetermined intervals).
46 - What are the essential items of a proposal?
- Description of areas to be cleaned - List of services to be performed and their frequencies - Cost sheet - Contractual terms
97 - What are 8 tips for controlling supply costs?
- Develop a budget for each location. - Buy products in smaller amounts and packages, all things being equal. - Use controlled dispensing systems. - Complete monthly inventory forms and order supplies accordingly. - Have employees turn in empty containers before new supplies are issued. - Maintain daily usage records for items like, trash bags, restroom products and aerosol cans. - Protect materials from loss or theft. - Train your people in the proper use of supplies.
80 - Operational Budgets are generally divided into what two categories?
- Direct Expenses - Indirect Expenses
10 - What is the difference between diversification and expansion?
- Diversification: "offering services that are not closely related to basic cleaning and may require specially trained worker" (p. 11) - EXAMPLES: maintenance of lighting, exteriors, grounds, HVAC; security services; snow removal; construction cleanup; fire and water damage restoration; pest control; carpet sales and installation - Expansion: "offering new types of cleaning services that are closely related to basic cleaning, such as carpet and floor care or perhaps upholstery and drapery cleaning" (p. 10)
86 - What is EMR and how does it affect workers' compensation insurance rates?
- EMRs means "Experience Modifier Rates": If the accident rate is higher than average, the modifier rate (EMR) will be higher than 1.00, if it is lower than average it will be lower than 1.00. - The EMR is used to determine what proportion of the manual rate per industry is paid by a company. For example, the manual rate might be $11.12 per $100.
12 - What are 4 changes in the design of today's buildings that affect building service companies?
- Energy conservation - Increase in rentable space - Changes in perceptions and attitudes of tenants - More luxurious office space
36 - What are 6 pitfalls of effective time management?
- Faulty perception: thinking you spend your time differently than you actually do - Procrastination and indecision - Hastiness: gather facts and make calculated decisions - Failure to develop alternatives: do not skip brainstorming problems before deciding on solutions - Failure to overcome habit patterns: i.e. habit patterns that inhibit effectiveness or success - Work expansion: work tends to expand to fill available time, so set time limits and due dates or times
88 - What factors are part of most modern systems for controlling materials?
- Formal procedures for purchasing materials. - Adequate safeguards for the receipt, storage, and issuance of materials. - A perpetual inventory system that provides a written record of the quantity and value of each type of material received, issued and on hand.
115 - What are 3 additional tips for implementing an effective quality control program?
- Formalize the program [document and distribute throughout the company]. - Stress consistency [every customer should receive the same level of quality]. - Be comprehensive [not just cleanliness, but professionalism as seen in appearance, attitude, and the condition of equipment].
131 - How could you handle a complaint of theft?
- If you are confident your crew is not guilty, try to convince the client that they are innocent and that the theft was committed by someone else. - If the customer is not persuaded, promise to replace the entire crew with new personnel; then switch them out with employees from another of your company's accounts. - If the amount is reasonable, offer to pay for the missing items, even if you do not believe your crew is guilty. This has some risk since it can be interpreted as an admission of liability.
41 - What are two cardinal rules for respecting time?
- Implement time planning and follow-up (daily). - Remain flexible (avoid over- or under-scheduling).
93 - What control measures are used to safeguard purchasing?
- Initiate inventory tracking (paperwork should be attached to each material storage area showing the quantities of materials received, issued and on hand). - Control the issuing of materials. - Implement storage controls. - Verify inventory.
130 - What questions can you ask to figure out what went wrong?
- Is your firm's performance below par? - Are you not performing to contract specifications? - Have you failed to maintain good communication with the customer? - Is there any way at all that the customer will let you save the account?
97 - What are 2 indicators of an inventory problem?
- Jobs cannot be completed because of a lack of supplies. - Large inventories are accumulated to ensure adequate supplies, tying up company resources.
41 - How can a manager maintain good concentration?
- Keep tasks visible (especially short-term tasks). - Consolidate tasks (group together similar tasks: avoid unnecessary repetition and interruptions).
81 - What are examples of Direct Expenses?
- Labor - Supervision - Labor overhead - Expendable supplies - Cleaning materials - Equipment - Equipment repair - Travel and lodging - Training - Uniforms and ID badges - Computers, phones, pager - Vehicle expenses - Performance bonds
46 - What variables affecting speed, productivity and cleaning frequencies affect Standard Production Rates
- Level of quality required - Building use - Cleaning Frequency - Size and layout of space to be cleaned - Density - Traffic - Supplies used - Equipment used - Smoking versus nonsmoking buildings - Building materials - Building design - Building size - Climate - Labor pool - Average employee turnover - Quality of supervision - Quality of training - Daytime versus nighttime cleaning
96 - What are 7 rules for good storage engineering?
- Maintain item inventory. - Select shelving and other storage Equipment to fit the space. - Locate storage near work areas. - Allow space for additional racks and shelves for expansion. - Arrange stock logically. Make high-use items most accessible. Put heavy items down low, and seldom used items up high. - Design the space for easy materials handling (moving large items in and out). - Provide good lighting.
85 - What are the two most important things to do to reduce labor costs?
- Minimize employee turnover. - Increase productivity.
60 - What Key Factors affect staffing requirements?
- Nonproductive time - Travel time - Absenteeism relief - Limited worker allowance- for temporary or permanent disabilities - Non-cleaning duties - Indivisibility allowance (EXAMPLE: a calculation of 2.85 personnel required to clean a floor would result in an assignment of three people to that floor.) - Job Cards (a time-based job description) and Quadrant cleaning (regular vs. detail cleaning areas)
128 - Why is it important to handle complaints promptly?
- Of customers who take the time to complain, 54-70% will come back again if their complaint was resolved. 95% will return if their complaint was resolved quickly. - The average customer who has a complaint will tell 10 people that your servicer was poor; 13% will tell 20 people or more. - Customers whose complaints are resolved satisfactorily will tell an average of five other people about the excellent treatment the received.
28 - Define the terms planning, organizing, directing, and controlling.
- Planning mean developing specific courses of action to achieve agreed upon objectives. - Organizing means establishing and assembling the human and physical resources of the organization leading to the effective accomplishment of its purpose. - Directing mean helping individual member of the organization to receive satisfaction from achieving the results expected of them. - Controlling means identifying deviation from plans and objectives and the need for corrective activities.
28 - Give examples of the four functions defined above.
- Planning: work loading and budgeting. - Organizing: scheduling and inventory management. - Directing: Training, supervising, and coaching. - Controlling: Quality control and cost controls.
19 - List 5 reasons the building service industry is important.
- Provides a clean work environment for customers and tenants - Controls germs and the spread of disease - Provides business opportunities for entrepreneurs and managers - Provides full and part-time jobs for thousands of Americans - Provides advancement opportunities for managers and workers
92 - What are 4 elements of a modern purchasing system?
- Purchase requisition (formal request for supplies) - Purchase order (prepared by the purchasing agent after choosing the best source) - Receiving report (describes the quantity and condition of the materials received) - Principles of internal control
120 - What are some key elements of good customer relations?
- Quality of services rendered - Appearance of the building, grounds, and equipment - Appearance, attitude, and actions of employees - Publicity
25 - What are 6 measures of success in the building service industry?
- Quality service and high customer satisfaction - High customer retention - Increased sales volume through new accounts - Positive public image - Growth opportunities for employees - Increased profitability
88 - What are 7 basic rules for successful purchasing of chemicals and equipment?
- Question manufacturer claims. - Test the product. - Get references. - Check reliability and repair specifications. - Minimize your chemical inventory. - Look for ease of use. - Compare costs.
17 - What are 4 challenges facing building service companies today?
- Recruiting and retaining cleaners - Recruiting and developing management talent - Increasing technical complexity - Increasing competitiveness
87 - What are 2 ways to keep state unemployment tax costs down?
- Reduce turnover. - Document disciplinary actions (from reprimands to discharge): Careful documentation can help defeat unemployment claims for employees who are discharged for cause.
75 - EXAMPLE: 5 4-hour cleaners; retune to one less hour per night. Using the example above, what are four options for retuning an account?
- Replace a 4-hour cleaner who quits or is fired with a three-hour cleaner. - Rebalance the workload and cut everyone back one hour per week. - Shift 1/2-hour of work from a four-hour assignment to a three-hour assignment; then hire a new worker for 3 1/2 hours a night and cut one employee's time by 1/2-hour per night.
82 What are examples of indirect expenses?
- Salaries for admin staff and upper management - Labor overhead for admin and upper MGMT salaries - Education and training for admin and upper MGMT - Fees to accountants, attorneys and other professionals - Dues and publications - Bad debt expense - Political and charitable contributions - Interest on loans - Entertainment and lodging - Transportation - Sales and marketing expenses, including salaries and overhead of sales personnel - Office expenses- supplies, phones, computers ect. - Facility expenses- rent, utilities, mortgage interest - Taxes- sales, use, business licenses, corporate income
97 - What 3 benefits should a good educational program on supplies control provide?
- Supervisors will understand the true cost of supplies and become more conservation conscious. - Unexpected supplies shortages are eliminated. - Hoarding is eliminated.
101 What are the three major approaches to quality control in the building service industry?
- The Traditional Approach: Frequent independent inspections - focus is on correcting identified problems before they are discovered by the customer - Total Quality Management (TQM) - focus is on prevention and includes the active participation of the customer - The Digital Method
105 - Who should be involved in inspection?
- The cleaner - The supervisor / manager - The customer - Quality control inspectors
20 - What are 5 major factors of realizing quality service and profit?
- The company's name (reputation): superior service - Work (standard of quality, morale [attitude of workers toward job at hand]): aware of needs, communication of their value to them --> workers must see themselves as an essential part of any success achieved - Information: promotes stability - Leadership: awareness of other people's dignity and their desire to do their best - Customers (we form a partnership with them): do not exploit or manipulate them; build trust; remain competitive in terms of productivity, efficiency, and quality
87 - What are some considerations that influence management of materials and material cost?
- The correct quantities and types of materials must be on hand at the proper time to permit cleaning to proceed on schedule. - Materials must be protected from loss or theft. - Investment in inventory must not tie up funds that could be used more profitably in other areas. - The risk of spoilage and obsolescence must be avoided. - The cost of materials handling and storage must be minimized.
95 - What major factors influence ordering the proper quantity?
- The cost of carrying inventory - The cost of procurement - The cost of the item being ordered - The cost of potential obsolescence and deterioration
110 - What are 4 absolutes of a total quality program?
- The definition of quality is conformance to requirements. - The system of quality is prevention . - The performance standard is zero defects. - The measurement of quality is the price of nonconformance.
108 - What are some tips for creating effective inspection forms?
- The inspection form should be practical and user friendly. - Use a clearly defined, numerical system. - Provide space on the form for comments. - The form should be detailed and specific, and should cover daily, weekly, and periodic work. - The form should be relevant to the building being evaluated. - The form should accommodate both positive and negative results.
92 - What are 5 principles of internal control?
- The purchase requisition must be made by an authorized person. - A purchase order must be prepared and approved by an authorized person after the purchase REQ has been received. - All materials received must be carefully checked to see that they correspond to those ordered and are in good condition. - Payment should be made only after proper approval. - Various steps in the purchasing process should be delegated to different persons to lessen the risk of fraud or error.
131 - What are common reasons for cancellation and some guidelines for what might be done to save the account?
- Theft - Non-performance (usually from cutting corners or incompetence): analyze the account - Lack of communication: reestablish consistent and regular communication with customer - schedule regular meetings and follow through - Reasons outside your control - it might be wise to ask for a letter of recommendation or referrals.
64 - When is the best time to retune?
- Three months after the account begins (rough spots in the account have been ironed out; if you need to ask for an increase, this is the best time to ask) - Annually on the anniversary date of the contract
85 - What are direct measures to control labor costs?
- Use a time control system. (Pay for actual hours worked. Start and stop on time.) - Establish and follow work schedules - Provide work breaks in accordance with local law and company policy - Provide employee incentives - Call in all direct labor hours used nightly - Keep employees motivated - Require strict adherence to company policies and procedures - Use current communication technology - Retune
98 - What are 9 tips for controlling equipment costs?
- Use the proper equipment. - Use the correct pads for the speed of the floor machine. - Follow manufacturer's instructions. - Use repair tags and repair broken equipment promptly. - Keep an equipment log. - Whenever possible, assign equipment to individual employees. - Try to use equipment that performs multiple jobs. - Keep equipment clean. - Recognize that it is sometimes better to replace than to repair.
39 - What are 5 questions all employees have?
- What do you want me to do? - How do you want me to do it? - Why do you want me to do it? - When do you want it done? - How am I doing?
86 - What are two key areas of labor overhead?
- Workers compensation insurance - State unemployment taxes
9 - What are some ways that internal management can significantly influence the prosperity of a building service company?
- communication with the customer: resolution of problems, fulfilling expectations of customer - knowledge and skill resource for workers: helping workers to improve their methods, represent the company well, and fulfill customer expectations - building worker morale to minimize turnover and provide more consistent service
10 - What are common solutions to overextension of the mission of a cleaning company?
- drop all business under a certain dollar amount - start subsidiary companies to service smaller accounts, often using a key person from the parent company who shows entrepreneurial abilities
63 - What are three good reasons to retune?
- increase margins by reducing expenses - help the company avoid raising prices - to remain competitive
10 - Why is there so much competition in the cleaning industry?
- relative ease of getting into the business (does not require large investment of money)
10 - What is a negative effect on the industry as a whole of smaller startup companies bidding low then eventually going out of business due to inadequate cash reserves?
- winning bids by submitting low bids tends to drive prices down, making it hard for remaining companies to make a reasonable profit
36 - How should managers prioritize their time between 1) managing the routine and repetitive aspects of their job and 2) activities that contribute to the company's growth and their own personal growth?
1) 1/2 to 2/3 2) the remainder [1/3 to 1/2]
32 - Identify the 6 steps involved in problem solving.
1. Define the problem. 2. Identify the facts. 3. Develop alternatives. 4. Select the best alternative. 5. Decide of a course of action. 6. Carry out the action.
29 - Describe the 3 steps involved in organizational planning.
1. Define work objectives. 2. Identify and gather the resources needed to achieve those objectives. 3. Schedule and assign tasks and resources to complete the work.
26 - Describe the organization of your company's operations division.
1. Operations manager 2. Area/contract manager 3. Lead/supervisor 4. Cleaner
37 - What are 5 steps to effective planning of time
1. Planning - "Every hour spent in effective planning saves three to four in execution and achieves better results. Failure to plan is planning to fail." 2. Daily planning - preferably on paper, for quick reference (note how the author of Deep Work also advocates the value of daily planning on scrap paper that is then disposed of after unfinished items are transferred to the next day) 3. Time analysis - daily log of activities for one week, taken in 15-minute increments; repeat at least annually; goal: "to avoid reverting to poor time management practices" 4. Anticipation - expect the unexpected and plan for it; plan for Murphy's Law to pay a visit (if anything can go wrong it will) 5. Realistic time estimates - managers tend to underestimate how long tasks will take and hope others will complete their tasks sooner than is likely
102 - What are the three major steps of the Traditional Approach?
1. Setting Standards 2. Measuring Results 3. Effective Follow-Up
102 - What are the 3 major steps in a traditional quality control process?
1. Setting standards 2. Measuring performance 3. Quality control inspections
94 - How can managers determine optimum turnover?
ABC method- - "A" Items are those few major items that tie up most of your inventory dollars. - "B" Items are those of secondary importance. - "C" items are the numerous but inexpensive items that make up only minor part of the inventory.
84 - How does Variance affect the budget?
Actual operational costs almost always include variances from the budget. While variances are likely, they should always be examined to understand their causes.
95 - What is the key to ordering wisely?
Balancing the cost of procurement, which encourages large orders, against carrying costs, which suggest infinitely small orders.
98 - How do the benefits of centralized storage differ from the benefits of on-site storage?
Centralized storage offers greater inventory control but increases company expenses for storage, inventory management, and delivery as compared with onsite storage.
45 - What is the most significant cost of any contract?
Direct labor expense
108 - What is the most important rule in correcting deficiencies?
Follow-up promptly.
83 - What is Mark-up?
It is a percentage that the company adds to cost to arrive at the total billing amount. Cost + Mark-up = total sales.
83 - What is Profit?
It is calculated as a percentage of total sales. It is always a smaller percentage than mark-up.
121 - What is the biggest challenge in customer communication?
Listening
130 - Why is it important to try to save a canceled contract?
Losing a contract not only costs the company money, it can also damage its reputation. Saving canceled contracts is closely related to the issue of handling complaints, and many of the procedures are the same.
101 - Are customer complaints a good gauge of quality control? Why or why not?
No. 1:30 customers with a complaint will tell you about it. Most will just switch to another company.
93 - What is the key to good inventory management?
Optimum turnover (not carrying too much inventory)
45 - What is Retuning?
Reevaluating the original work loading after a period of time to see if it should be modified.
109 - How and when did the Total Quality Management (TQM) movement evolve?
The TQM movement originated in the mid 1070's in response to the commitment to quality by our foreign competition.
45 - What is Work Loading?
The allocation of labor required to clean a specific building; it is originally developed as part of the bid process.
83 - What is Net income (or loss)?
The amount remaining after expenses have been subtracted from gross sales/ This represents profit. If the account has a loss, this figure is in parentheses and represents a negative number.
104 - Who ultimately sets the standard of cleanliness?
The customer
87 - What partially determines state unemployment taxes?
The number of successful claims filed by former employees.
83 - What is Total Expense?
The total cost of servicing the account.
83 - What is Gross Sales or total income?
The total dollar amount billed to the customer.
19 - What is TQM?
Total Quality Management: "The company and the customer work together to reduce cost, improve service, and adapt to changing workplace requirements."
29 - What is the "principle of unity of command"?
Unity of command means that every person at every level is directly responsible to only one supervisor.
38 - What are 6 steps for using your time more effectively (i.e. prioritizing)?
a. Set priorities (what tasks have greater potential benefit?). b. Focus on critical efforts (remember the Pareto principle). c. Set deadlines (and keep them). d. Emphasize effectiveness versus efficiency (effectiveness = doing the right job efficiently). e. Avoid the tyranny of the urgent (reduce urgent tasks; categorize tasks carefully; delegate). f. Handle paperwork once (approve, disapprove, pass on, pass back - take action rather than leaving for later).
2 - What is the key to customer retention?
sound account management
