[Music]
this is Ricky Regalado CEO and Founder
rules out services
welcome to cleaning and cocktails
[Music]
hi I'm mark Batista president of
citywide building maintenance we're a 37
year old company located in Itasca
Illinois we clean about 15 million
square feet at night and we are a total
facility solution provider
my name is Juan I'm the owner of
spotless clean Chicago so we have a
little bit over 170 employees currently
and I think the biggest thing that we
love about the company is the technology
that we use that allows us to stay in
communication with everyone hello
everyone my name is Sawa Marshawn I'm
the founder and CEO flew commercial
cleaning here in Chicago
our goal is basically to find solutions
for every client and our mission is
really truly enhanced the image of every
facility we touch thanks guys enjoy the
show thank you guys for coming I
appreciate it I know how busy we are you
know being business owners the time
doesn't stop right we work 24/7 but what
I what I want to do is bring us together
you know we're all friends we're all
colleagues in the same business I wanted
to really just you know talk shop on the
industry so Burt I mean first question I
want to talk on because there's always a
topic I'm going as you go from 50
employees to 100 to 200 how do you guys
and I'll start so we'll start with you
is how do you start an employee how does
the onboarding look like for a new
employee well for us I mean we're on the
younger side of the company so we're
still almost kind of reinventing it
every year just because you have to
adapt and um depending on you know what
you're gonna do every year right because
you know sometimes the business model
changes and so forth so for us it's more
getting to know you first right do you
fit the culture because then we can
train for the skill so for us it's more
that the interview process isn't so
corporate anymore it's just more talk to
me about yourself I mean let me get to
know you a little bit right and so the
interview process also consists of
making sure our teammates gets another
person as well so we bring people
understand who that individual is and
can make me a part of that culture
moving forward and then you can start
with the old onboarding and so for the
training end of obviously get him into
the team so for us it's really getting
to a person right away yeah
mark what are the onboarding it you know
has become such a crucial part of
starting up a new employees for us has
been really introducing the employee to
what it is exactly that they're gonna be
doing because everybody wants to work in
a class a office building everybody
wants to work in a clean environment
well you know we do some accounts where
I mean you got to kick the drum before
you cleaned around it to watch the rats
run out at night there's the biggest
dogs in the city you know so we want to
get people on the same page and we want
them to know exactly what the job is
going to entail we also do schools so we
want to make sure that we have the right
type of person that we're putting into
the account we want them to know that
they're gonna be around kids they're
going to be around parents and and
images everything today you know it you
know it takes years to build a
reputation and a split second to to have
that reputation go bad so we really fit
the person to the job
what you know saara what we found is in
the first three days we tend to have a
little bit more turnover or so so reduce
that what we've done is we by design
we've made our interview process a lot
longer and we kind of introduced them
you know through videos and some
examples of what is your gonna be doing
we make it take an exam and really kind
of create these little hurdles to see
how much buying they really have are
they really interested they're really
willing to go through jump to those
hurdles and usually sometimes we have
people say you know this mouth it was
nice knowing you but you know at least
we get that buy-in and then from you
know once we do hire them then we have a
full day of training and then we know we
can see somebody in true some of the
technology what their pay dates are
gonna be because they always have
questions that's really so then that's
quite the most important thing right and
we kind of forget about that you know
it's like when they're gonna get paid
what were the expectations and then from
there we start the you know field
training if you work so okay so to touch
back on that actually videos right you
brought that up I know I've talked to
you about that a little bit
you guys probably all see the old school
videos that are out there right the
black and white just just call them old
school right because they're it's just
not modernized it's not training videos
great so it's it's tough for us cuz
we're not we're not a manufacturing type
of company right where it's step 1 step
2 step 3
these are gonna this is what your day is
going to look like
that's just not us do you have you guys
seen and you so you said yes you're
doing videos solid marker you guys
implementing videos in the trick in the
unmooring yes so for us again as the
business model changes and feel the rut
you want to take a smarter so but um so
for us it's the videos for we're
learning a lot now you guys understand
we're not blue collar world right blue
collar industry so a lot of these guys
it's all about vision you know you can
only do so many bullet points so many
PowerPoint presentations they won't get
it so for us is like enough of the stock
book was it nothing the stock videos
let's get our actual people out there
telling the story of what we do and
that's so much about what we do is what
but about what
Wow right and what the culture is with
the need is what solutions are we
bringing to the table so for us that's
why we've always mentioned ourselves as
technicians we don't cause those
janitors like there's a period because
we are crying we clean with a crash and
so that's the kind of change that needs
to be implemented out there so how do
you do that videos let's start showing
as a matter of fact right now we're
redoing you know all of our techniques
and retraining cuz we're really focusing
and Horning in on that because you know
we all go through a sticks right we get
the complaints right we get the issues
but how do we mitigate that well we
minimize it where the QC isn't so
astounding right when you're checking in
every day or every other day and
especially you guys obviously much
bigger you guys I'm sure have process
systems in place to ensure that you guys
keep that - it's a low number so that's
what we want to do you want to be more
proactive than reactive yeah yeah mark
what about so to give some backdrop -
right I mean we've got many different
levels and stages and companies here
which is which is what I want why I did
this for a reason is it's you know
there's a lot of a smaller SMB market of
the industry you know for you guys
settle to some some numbers or
statistics maybe 90% of the industry
works at a million in revenue London you
know but it's not that they can't get
there it's you got to put processes from
day one you know so that's why I'm
boarding of employees it's such a big
deal right okay mark are you doing
videos so change is inevitable the
change is hard right and we're a 37 year
old company and my father is the CEO and
founder and to try and to try and change
in Italian man's ways is it's tough man
so we're not using video yet we're still
doing a lot of just not so much stock
photos but a lot of bullet points sure
um but I really feel like the hands-on
is the way to go you know the days of
the you're right the days of showing
people these you know bullet points and
things like that are kind of like the
days of yesterday's day we need more
integrally more interaction you know and
in its its people over profit right so
if you're investing in your people and
you're getting your people to show up to
work today it's half the battle I mean
Greg you're hired and then they show up
all right well I guess I'm cleaning
tonight I didn't have anything cool you
know so getting him to show up getting
their buy-in getting them excited about
coming to work for you that's yeah
that's really what we want to build how
do we because I think it's super
important the hands-on training aspect
where you know a client should
appreciate if we are dedicating so much
time to training a team member you know
so thoroughly it's so hands-on where
what are some ideas you guys think of
her I've ever thought of about how do we
message that to a client the inertia
leaning line-item was not going to cover
an time train like how it's gonna be you
know time will tell how clients will pay
a higher price because we know told it
said I know what's gonna go out minimum
wages going up what are some ideas you
guys think of as far as how we can
message to clients to allow us to spend
more time in the beginning because
that's when we lose contracts that first
30 days they go back to the other
cleaning company or they just say this
is not what you know we wanted this is -
I'm paying too much for what you guys
are producing you know to be honest I
guess I don't wanna say if that's never
happens to us but you know we usually do
have a contract we're also usually
working with larger counsel the start-up
expenses of the it's pretty pretty big
you know and so with that said is you
know the understanding you know we have
the startup process and then you know
even at that if you know I don't know
what there's really a perfect way to
mitigate that but you know just really
having good tight processes around you
know what that comment stop is going to
look like and sandals are the
expectations of decline is really
important so the realities they have to
know that when you come in the next day
or it's not going to be spotless it's
gonna take time right because the other
thing is you can't train your staff on
the everyday cleaning the service
checklist the week the items are being
the items a monthly items if you try and
do everything in the first two three
days right that's the one you're gonna
scare the employees and they're gonna
quit so you have to know that this is
gonna take 21 days and to be honest
there's some accounts that are in such
bad shape I taught them up front like
this is gonna take two or three months
to you know get this back up to speed so
they know that one thing I think that's
beneficial is if you know you're gonna
get in an account in your 30 days out if
you are looking or recruiting for these
people if you have a pilot account or a
test account that you can assign your
best lead to right or training manager
and the training is built within your
customers building so I mean you've got
a really nice office I got maroon walls
there's always a there's always one or
two accounts or a handful of accounts
that we all have that are like their
solemn and right so if you could take
your your new recruit or your new
cleaning technician and put them with
the bus people who serve in that account
as your training manager in your
training account that's how you that's
how you start them up but you're gonna
pay them for 22 days before they start
to do account that that's just the
cuspid so if you could build that maybe
into the cost of your training you know
might be worth it okay you know I think
for the way I look at it is that
I think you guys are on the same page
here is that this industry needs a
change and what I mean by that is
everybody's cutthroat and that's the
problem is that when people are going in
there just based on numbers clients are
automatically educated and trained to
say well you know what you only have two
weeks you only have a week in their mind
they're not telling you this but in my
mind they're already know like if you
ain't got it then you ain't got it but
how do you guys train your salespeople
how do you get people ready to help you
scale your business and be equal for you
it's a craft man you know because there
isn't really a set pricing out there
right so when we talk to a lot of
clients it's like well you need to be at
twenty twenty-five or thirty dollars an
hour and I always ask well how'd you get
that number well that's kind of what
we've been charged to before right so
the guy right the other guy did it this
way so I need you to stay in this budget
I said well no that's that's not the
point
right the point is to basically see
exactly what you're looking for so for
us it's almost like an algorithm that
you can create within your business
knowing the square footage knowing the
space exactly what the techniques you're
gonna utilize are the type of supplies
equipment and so forth it's almost a
point where it's a science right
you have your own science you have your
own science I have my own science you
have your own science but what dictates
that price again goes back to how are
you educating that money right exactly
what are you bringing to the table we
all sometimes fall into the trap because
you want to get that big account and
sometimes you want to get a little
aggressive with the pricing last thing
we want to do is put pressure on our
people I think you mentioned before is
that me is that you don't want to go in
there and say oh man you know what I got
to start you off at this at this weight
right it's all about fair wage out there
look how amazing this skilled labor the
way we look at it as long as you're
training them right and really
portraying them as a technician almost
like a partner consultant out there cuz
you're not just so you know at the end
of the day that's exactly kind of how we
do things now is you have to explain to
them first and show that
because otherwise if you don't then you
really are cleaner there you go with $20
an hour that mark there so you look
serious okay first of all you got to
know your verticals what you're cleaning
in commercial what you're cleaning in
schools medical you're gonna train
different all right how do you train
them go clean yeah you want to know how
long it takes to clean a bathroom that's
three urinals three sinks and three
stalls go cleaner than you'll ever ask
and you'll bid it right and you'll
better right because you'll know if you
don't you're gonna put someone else in a
bad spot and that's the difference
between trying to get an account at a
low price and knowing what it actually
takes I mean honestly it really is it's
complicated but it really is that simple
right there's their set standards you
know theirs is the state senators this
BSC I there's a PI you know but then
there's the reality right and so not
only that but then your training has to
correlate with what your production
rates are and that's part of reason why
I you know one backs to the earlier
question of why we have video training
right it's not because the video
training is the Holy Grail
but it's because in that video training
we have everything relatively
standardized right so approximately how
much time it should take for this how
much time we should take for that these
exact items that you're supposed to do
in every area
what's tradition the scope was servicing
down the scope so that's kind of what
that cover so that at least my trip my
head trainer supervisors and filters all
the way down to our technicians are
doing the same thing right so we're all
seeing the same thing
right so that you know if we're bidding
one way it's being performed right
because if we're bidding you know with
certain level expectations and then
we're cleaning differently it's just
it's never going to match up right so
for us is really sanitization okay so so
piggyback on that math is not an opinion
it's a fact right yeah so if we're
building it I mean I know that we build
models to bid these accounts right but
then you get into the account and you
have the guy who has given you the tour
who you don't know is twenty days out
from being lab goal from the company and
he's like yeah you do this you do this
you do that and then all of a sudden
you're ten days in and scope creep comes
up and the salesperson looks at you like
I don't know what happened in we just
had this happen to us and it's it's a
reality scope creep in our industry is
like oh yeah by the way can you can you
put the dishes away in the dishwasher
oh I'm live here this way or it's gonna
take me 20 minutes a day well 20 minutes
a day times 260 days a year times you
know whatever your rate is it's all ties
back to max somehow and so you know
going back to that you know and that's
why you know like here we're talking
about technology right and going back to
scope of work training all those things
so you know one of the reasons why we
love using Rao is because we take
pictures of all the areas and then we
create that scope of work that we put
all those pictures of those areas in
there and in our scope of work anything
that you know personnel scheme as the
source mentions that's not included
don't worry about that worry about this
we mark it down as not included not
included included or it gets taken care
of in house or whatever it may be so
that when the next person comes around
it's very clear that that was included
right you know we haven't kind of just
started it's pretty large one
it's got like quite 30 different areas
and you know just one that you sent us
the FaceTime shot no it's a different
one I guess so just you know just just
the yesterday they're like oh by the way
that big admin office building that
actually is included I forgot to show it
to you guys can you figure it out like
no it's like we're gonna have to price
it out it's only 60,000 square feet just
a yeah so but again I guess not in our
scope of work a sign on our picture sure
so he knows that he didn't show it to us
so you know we're in a good spot yeah
but you know if we were not detailed in
that walk to do it then we would be in
people yeah
and that's that's why I mean we gotta
stress enough to anybody who's up and
coming everybody's in the business or
even because really anybody could be a
salesperson for a cleaning company or
maintenance company like my car's right
but no they are - right where you got
you got to do the cleaning you gotta you
gotta learn it you got to understand
because you are gonna put your people
you're gonna set them up for failure if
you underbid right in the walkthrough
part that's where it's like you said you
capture every detail you know so you
talked about every expectation because
when I hear people whatever I'm in a
cattle call is I stop going to those but
when you when you're in a cattle call or
when you're in another car you know walk
through with somebody else the first
thing they say is let me see the scope I
feel like that's the wrong thing to do
because now you're why what does that
scope could be ten years old I'm running
into this right now but it's gotta keeps
reverting back to the scope the scope
the scope and I'm like I didn't priced
the school i priced the facility today
you know eight years later but 120 new
employees right with a lot more footage
like it's right if you press the school
you are losing right there so that's a
training tip right it's done don't ask
for a school baby let's go hey you know
it's funny cuz you know I I tell our
guys is that you don't want code let's
go cuz it's our job to educate right
you're not just gonna say hey listen
because otherwise you got to keep in
mind you've got peers of ours
looking at it and learning from us with
the understand that oh well these guys
are helping to pave the way by educating
these clients right to understand
exactly what this all means it's not all
about pricing are you gonna get the
account probably not but at least you
got that little thought process going
within their minds to understand that
well you know what that was a turnover
issue I've been having the last five
years maybe I saw old Ricky you know
quantum marker right or you know all the
other guys that are coming up you know
in the next two to three years so that's
kind of like the Montana we all need to
start taking as well to say let's start
educating this energy because industry
has been a little hot undercutting a lot
of cheap labor a lot of craziness out
there were people feel like that's okay
to do that's just I mean you know
another thing is people gotta be
comfortable with asking questions like
the hard questions you know real simple
like what / - laughs you know what are
you guys hiring laborers for $17 an hour
call but you want me to come in and do
it at 12:00 you got a sign on your floor
lawn man I mean so you guys are hiring
417 you're looking to cut me down and
the other thing is when you get into
square footage situations
we're like you're in small square
footage situations you know a lot of
times I ask people you know I'll be like
how many square feet is your house like
2,000 square feet yeah go tell your wife
to clean it in an hour
yeah good let me know how that works out
good luck because you'll get a lot of
people that think they know more than
you but if you make them see the aha
moment now if you had like dollars in it
don't even ask the right questions and
just man you're the expert man oh no
because you guys were talking about you
know like entry-level technicians that
we have you know the beginning stages of
people that start in our company now
let's talk about the the high-caliber
points you know the employees that stand
out right I just had been employed down
the street working at a Cushman
Wakefield early he's a great employee
you know we love him we take care of him
he's been with us for five years they
gave him a service recognition of one
right so he was in the second page of
the magazine for the property management
industry right where I am keeping him
happy as much as I can but what what can
what can we you know talk about as far
as what are things that you guys are
doing to take care of those all-stars
I'll start employees that you start to
see like they're not they started
cleaning they helped with scheduling
they go on walkthroughs they know supply
inventory other than a title what are
the things that we can do so you're
honest I think one of the benefits of
growing decent clip is you create
manager roles a great system role it
creates on and so forth right and so
honestly sometimes it's it's hard to
pull a good employee away from the
counter because we're like well they're
not gonna be happy if I pull away a good
employee that's my situation but the
reality is it shouldn't be dependent on
the employer it should be depending on
your systems and their training you
should be able to get another employee
and train em pretty close to to perform
so same level right and then you should
be able to take that important form all
right because otherwise you don't have a
sustainable model and you can't really
see it okay so that's I guess that's the
way I try to think about it because it
the reality is if you don't then you're
almost penalizing the employer for doing
such a good job does not be stopped he's
still getting to know which is me it
really doesn't make sense
I mean being able to replace yourself as
the number one way to girl I don't know
what I mean
you know we're in a severe complement at
a point right now where you know we just
we had to do this so I just hired a vice
president for our company
I can't wait because he's you know they
always say if you're the smartest person
in your company then you're in trouble
right well this this guy is he is on
point and we're talking sea level
employees versus cleaning technician
employees in all stars and I think at
that level and no matter who you're
dealing with
you have to do what you're gonna say
you're gonna do number one number two
money tops vs walks right okay and
number three the recognition does go a
long way okay if you're gonna promote
somebody in pay but not give them the
authority to be a manager and to make
managerial changes and and empower that
person to do to make the hires to make
the fires to do to you know to have all
those responsibilities you're gonna kind
of deflate the promotion that person
that's a great point you know because
then they feel like why am i why did I
get promoted or why did I get this new
title
I have authorities not that it could
people have different personalities
people people operate differently but if
they feel they have no authority then
it's like they may be getting the money
but if they are looking for inner potion
and interpersonal growth
there's nothing less deflating than
paying him the money
and having the role stay to save that
and that's something that we had to
learn because you know coming from a
family business it's tough to get the
one person that has built the whole
thing to be able to let go a little bit
and give the power to someone else to be
able to you know be in authority in the
company family business is a whole other
episode empowering is huge you know I
think you know as a small business owner
you start you always you want to empower
people and let them do what they wanted
to but you're always keeping your hand
in that jar for some reason right so the
one thing I've taught myself and just
kind of keep training myself to do is
always asking them what would you do for
the situation because 90% of the time I
guarantee it's gonna be the same answer
I'm gonna give me so a lot of the guys
allow the girls now everybody is now
starting to think on their own so we
always talk about think independently
right what would you do it's okay if you
fail it's fine
learn from it and move on so for us you
know definitely empowering and giving
people the opportunity because at the
end of day again I go back to this whole
blue collar environment blue collar
solution now people that come walking
through that door have they've never
been given opportunity so let's just be
honest right and so it's our job to
understand them where they're coming
from be patient but also making sure
that you know they're they're here for
the long term and also what's your
vision what submission would exactly is
the purpose of your company out here
because it's not here just a clean all
right
so as long as you portray that and what
your company is doing everybody will
fall on board last year for us we were
trying to scale it one dress
I learned a lot the company to learn
about you know we're trying to go a
little too top-heavy but as they always
say you know get better before you get
bigger and by getting better it's by
empowering your employees investing in a
training your employees suit exactly
processes systems and making sure that
everybody's set up for success yeah
that's a great another good segue right
because I want to talk about culture but
the empowerment part that's something
that it's it's big with me well I have a
lot of family that works in my business
right but the when you let somebody own
something like the question right he
also if you ask the employee what would
you do like you said but yeah you asking
me yeah like here let's let's put this
on a whiteboard
let's whiteboard this session and talk
about what would you do in this position
to help the company they start to feel
ownership that's getting into culture
now right I want to talk about
everybody's cultures for me is giving
people roles and responsibilities that
own their department or own that skill
set that they're in charge of I've got a
flora Department I've got a post
construction Department these guys
operate cohesively on their own I may
step in every couple weeks just to say
hey what's going on looks like good
numbers look good yeah but they own it
they sit there they do their own 10 15
min Apollo they have an agenda they send
the agenda to us in an email it's like
it's amazing actually to let them kind
of spread their wings and say and this
is one thing I you know I hope you guys
do this too but I tell them if shit hit
the fan and the janitorial Department
fell apart and closed because your
department that likes could you guys
operate on your own they're confident
yeah we need you Rick you need support
but we got it you could actually keep
going on our own so I feel like that's
now leaning into culture is what are you
guys doing differently what are you guys
doing to improve your
culture I see a lot of culture of the
company what are we all doing oh not
that we have to be doing different
things but what are we doing everybody
well for us its we're getting booked
being on a smaller site so we have to
get we have to get it right now right
being a smaller firm on the thirty
people but for us now is is we always
say we're cleaning that cares right and
the one thing that we do in-house now
never and I'm really hunkering down and
really pushing is is you have the
character you have to communicate with
each other right it's very important you
got to hold each other accountable right
cuz you're not gonna have a set of eyes
behind you at all times to see what
you're doing with your bodies like you
gotta be reliable rely on each other
help each other out at the end strive
for excellence so it stands for
character well we see you've got to care
because it's not so much just in
business but that's life and so when you
start digging deep and you start telling
people I'm talking to people in they're
proud they really start honing in so I
you know once you dig deep and you start
billing that cuz it is it's what you
just said it's people over profit and
you've got a hone in on that you know
and that includes us as business owners
you know what are we doing let's look
let's look at ourselves are we out there
actually pushing it are we portray
ourselves to be that or are we just
saying it yeah so you know for me as a
smaller company it might be a little
easier I'm sure it's a little harder for
you guys a couple hundred people out
there but that's exactly what we're
trying to do and I'm price speaking more
of those guys that are up and coming is
that build that now building product
because those guys are going to be
basically the tentacles right it's going
to be spreading and once it spreads the
minute a person comes in it doesn't
stand for that I'm not the one making
decision that I go it's our own staff so
that's really what we were doing with
and that's what we're focusing on right
now it's so important it's so important
to have whether you're a big company or
a small company you should even if
you're a big company you should live
with a small company mentality every one
matters that comes to your customers
that comes to your employees that comes
to everyone your vendors everyone make a
friend make a sale right how many people
can we help every day
we're not here to clean toilets we're
here to provide a solution that
otherwise would if someone would have to
go fulfill themselves which they don't
want to do yeah they just don't want to
do it yeah okay
I've been worried at where the
recession-proof close to its recession
those dude
I mean you know like I said if you worry
about creating a solid business the rest
will come
you know that's that's so true you know
it's going back to culture you know one
of the issues it's a good thing but
sometimes it's a little bit of an issue
is when whenever you got a new employee
and let's see you have five people in
that building you know you've got four
rockstars and you put someone else in
and that person is just not cleaning the
effort or they're sometimes a little and
chatter they'll see I'm just here for my
picture you notice mine you know so the
thing is you guys pay yeah right so my
other employees or supervisors will say
hey you know what this person we can't
have them well you know and I understand
it completely and so I have to take
action at that point right so so the
culture maintains a certain that will
stand you know certain standard right
and that's important because you know
they're they're also worried about the
job because they understand that if we
lose the building the olives our jobs
you know so culture is very important
having set standards you know but again
you know it all really goes back to
having everything standardized so
everyone understands what they're
supposed to be doing right and so I was
going back to videos is one of the
reasons why I created them because I
realized that one supervisor was
training with a different standard the
other one had different methods and so
at least now we're all working
cohesively and you know when it comes to
employees whether you have 10 and 15 100
and 200 you know desist our systems
today are so good that we can keep track
of all this information you know it
matters it matters that what is it to a
company that's doing you know 1 million
5 million 10 million 15 20 million to
reach out to you know let's say 5 10
employees in a month and say happy
birthday
we appreciate you not that here's a $10
gift card for Dunkin Donuts right yeah
or even think about this what was the
last time you went on a bid or you put a
proposal together and you didn't win
you still sent a customer handwritten
mm-hm
thank you for the opportunity that there
might have been five bidders there you
might have lost but if things go south
who do you think they're gonna remember
dad died
I mean touch it on the same happy
birthday saying thank you right so we
try to do that all the time but one
thing we actually did this year is I
hired a chief people officer right so I
took a page right out of chief heart
office which is a job out of the
technology company in the industry and
the trend of whether going work this guy
sole responsibility is to get out there
at eight o'clock at like 2:00 in the
morning
1:00 in the morning 6:00 in the morning
arrival doughnuts say thank you bring
them a piece of us so not just you know
we have area managers supervisors that
show up at night but this guy's sole job
is to bring let them go and remind them
you're you know you don't we don't see
you in the office we don't see you all
the time we remember you we we recognize
you
this is not a tough this is a tough job
that you're doing so this guy you know
what I hired into it was like raccoon
you know I'm HR but I'm like trust me
this is gonna go a long way because as
much as you know me as a company to I
think I have a great culture and a great
office I'm good
I still got employees that they're
frustrated they're there they don't come
to the office so they don't get to see
reap the benefits from that and it's
like oh you forgot about it that's
that's oh man I do so much as you know
it just gets so hard it's not any two
skits and there's always gonna be people
that you know people that feel like
they're getting left out you know I mean
it's it's it's it's inevitable to the
point where you're in the hundreds two
or three four or five hundred I'm these
things are gonna happen but as long as
you're showing effort I feel like that's
that's the point show some effort you
know going back to empowerment so one
things actually did recently is so every
month again supervisors
I'm the life inside I wanted to end with
this everybody
definitely has some funny stories tell
me about a time that you were in the
field that you guys said what the hell
did I get myself into what you know what
the hell is why did I do the cleaning
industry but you know what's some good
stories from you guys in the field well
you know what for I got a few no but I'm
gonna cut it real quick is that you know
when I first started you know obviously
for me is I put I pretty much invested
everything that I had into this business
I didn't have any back
I have nothing I have no clue luckily I
still ha and so you know the one the
craziest things that I always thought
was just thought I'll throw up shit the
crap
especially at bars right nighttime
clothes work but is this this is the
funny part to it is that alright I'm
like oh man this is crazy but we got to
do it we got to do do we got to do it I
went and because we're having a new QC
person that's gonna take over all of our
training so she's like I need you to
meet me here at 5 in the morning and
we're gonna get to get the techniques
down I said ok perfect let's go do it
what's the first thing I see man is shit
with an underwear in a toilet and I look
at it I'm like dude are you kidding me
I'm like I'm back at this again you know
but luckily uh is most great she just
sweat out and she's like don't worry so
here's the technique and dude that
technique honestly took her ten seconds
compared to my thirty minutes when I did
that you know five years ago which is
kind of crazy and sick and so that's why
it is about thank you so much you are
exact you're are rock stars she's gonna
really be pulling all the great training
for us so anyway my story is just it's
funny that it's never gonna stop
it's always gonna be it's always you
know I think it's just the the comedy of
the day-to-day you know no matter how
long you do this there's always
something that amazes you like just
yesterday my GM send me a picture it was
like 7 o'clock and this account that we
clean okay someone decided to that they
were gonna use the bathroom in a special
way and it's always his bathroom
basically she's me yet she sends me a
picture these people and they're dressed
up like like they're Martians like in
spacesuits I'm like what happened in the
bathtub like what happened you
oh but I mean I think we could all share
our fair our fair share of stories like
that one that sticks out for me is just
our mechanic our mechanic is just you
know he's been with us for 20 22 years
and he's kind of a rough dude you know
you know he's helped me move my house a
couple times I've had to patch some
walls but just recently like we had to
deliver a machine because this this
particular company had a they had a
customer event going on well he's not in
tune with the fact that they have a
customer event so he takes this 32-inch
walked behind and he goes up this ad a
ramp because our art the dock height
didn't the doc hi doc didn't match up
with our truck so here he is going to
this all glass building trying to open
the doors there's there's customers all
over this building's the facility
manager comes out it's like no no no you
know he's halfway in the door this
32-inch walk behind you know ready to
walk it right through the lobby just a
little but you know there's so many
things that that come to mind for this
first oh wow you know there's there's
endless stories but I think the most
interesting one was where at nighttime
the supervisor calls me hey you know
there was two employees of the company
and they were an x-rated act oh you know
I think I got scared
you know they took off but now I'm
cleaning the office that they were in
and you know there's cocaine can't cause
like I don't get the crime a financial
side call facility manager and he's like
he's pissed it on Cardinal
I don't thought like it mattered right
yeah you know and he said well can't you
back a minute huh
that's only there today we vacuumed it
up and with a vacuum in a trash bring
out garbage you know she's like well I
don't want to take this trash down with
real say no throw the garbage cuz you
know split but yeah anyway so there's
all kinds of stories you know I got
endless stories the commercial account
with the rats like dogs
that's a true story so I can imagine I
mean you kick the barrels
there's biggest dogs and in I just had a
meeting with these people recently and I
told this new facility she's the plant
manager I was like you've been here a
night before okay maybe we should maybe
we should show you one night over the
other one because they're like you know
talking about how the little traps I've
talked about many but I say one that
could be probably relevant to a lot of
you know newcomers are up and coming
me and my cousin our first year business
you know stripping last jobs do it so I
talk about this because it's it's a
classic that's a classic story for me
where you know we we bid this job I
think I know what I'm doing because I
looked on YouTube and I looked at you
know the 10 tips on how to price it
because it's all like right do we got a
new machine good
they say the machine could do the job
for you all right
so we fit this job at like 600 and man
680 bucks I think and it's like three
thousand square feet and it's it's an
overnight but it's a 24 hour facility
and I don't have strippers
I didn't know you're supposed to I had
gym shoes actually we got the floor
scrubber we got what I thought was a
wetback but it was not a weapon and then
we have this stripper solution then we
had the wax and then we have a brand new
square scrub this thing is like shiny so
then Tony goes up to the top I'm like
all right I got the bathrooms you got
the top and he just keeps going and I'm
like dude Tony's it from the YouTube
video you're supposed to run one over
good he keeps going
and I go up and I'm like what's going on
he's a cricket just keep this film
there's just film everywhere so he keeps
going I'm down here he comes out cuz
we're just you know he's judging me I'm
judging him I'm better than him he's
better at me he bought that machine I
bought this one how about the bottom and
he said Rick what are you doing anything
Rick
it's all it's all stripper I think this
was a diluted dude the tile turn white
boy white soda my gosh alright cool so I
start stripping it start stripping it
the entire outer layer was white like
God there's no type this was a brown
tile up on top whatever whatever
happened on top but just so you guys
know we bid this job for eight hours
it's you know were there for 38 hours
and the client came in like a child
this thing with listing looks but it's
because we put nine coats of wax on your
society's probably ever seen I paid them
for three years ago three years old you
literally said I'm gonna lose money to
make money
ya know they were like this is the best
looking for a me it's alright so that
price is good right do got price that
three thousand square feet six $80 but I
got so many
but at that point I think we've talked
about right I think we have some good
good conversations there oh yeah for for
our first talk I think you know we want
her to keep it real we wanted to keep it
you know storytelling time right this is
this is what the industry is about this
collaboration you could you know people
could call us competitors because we're
on the same market but these guys are my
friends these guys are colleagues this
is what we need to do for the industry
not just for us but for customers and
clients to know this is a trait what we
do for commercial cleaning is a trade we
we were not demanding respect but we we
have to say let's put ourselves in a
situation to earn our clients respect by
the way we conduct ourselves and the way
we you know we take this serious right I
mean I thank you guys for coming I
appreciate you guys being a part of this
this is only the first of many to come
but yeah I appreciate you guys being
here but choose to clean in cognitive
mountains some yes