The Key to Consistently High Services Levels in Commercial Cleaning
Anyone in the commercial cleaning business knows that it’s not as simple as just mopping a break room floor or emptying the recycling bin. There’s an art to consistently delivering high-quality service. And as with any art, it takes practice, dedication, and a whole lot of elbow grease to perfect. Fortunately, achieving consistently high service levels in commercial cleaning is not an impossible feat. In fact, it can be boiled down to two key foundations: effective communication and a stellar performance management program. At The Wilburn Company, we’ve developed simple and actionable steps to take to incorporate these foundations. We’ve seen great success with this…
Why Your Business Needs a Day Porter
Let’s face it – most commercial buildings can get messy fast. We’ve all seen sticky spills, busy lobbies, fast-filling trash bins, messy break rooms, and post-storm debris. These are just a few of a myriad of issues that can occur during the day in any work environment. Keeping up with all the activities can be a challenge, to say the least. That’s where a day porter comes in. From sweeping leaves to mopping up spills, an experienced porter can handle it all. So, if you’re looking for a way to keep up with cleaning problems, a day porter might be…
Meet the Wilburn Company: Mike O’Dell
When asked why he was chosen for this month’s employee spotlight, Mike O’Dell responded, “I think it’s because I take the time to get to know the people around me and the [leadership] knows I’ll get the job done.” “It’s either that or the Dunkin Donuts I bring to the office sometimes,” Mike added with a laugh. This explanation highlights exactly how Mike treats his career at the Wilburn Company—with confidence, determination, and a sense of humor. All these qualities have contributed to the growth and success he’s found during his time here. Hopping On to Help Out Mike first…
Why You Shouldn’t Wait to Schedule Spring Cleaning for Your Commercial Building
Spring has sprung! It’s a time for blue skies, April showers, May flowers, and new beginnings. Sometimes a new beginning means cleaning out the old and dirty. In other words, the time for spring cleaning has come. This practice has a long history and continues to be a large part of the spring season for many people. In fact, a recent Bona/Harris Poll survey of over 2,000 U.S. adults found that 93% are planning to spring clean this year. It’s a wise decision for anyone to participate, but it’s especially important for the commercial industry to consider. After all, your…
Top 7 Commercial Cleaning Services in Maryland
Finding the right commercial cleaning service for your company or corporation can be challenging. You want the right fit that meets your standards for cleanliness and health. With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of the seven top options based on our 20+ years of experience in serving the Maryland area. It is very likely this will help your business find a service well-suited to your needs. 1. The Wilburn Company Is this biased? Yes. Is it true? Yes. We have good reason to be proud of our work. At The Wilburn Company, we provide commercial cleaning for…
Meet the Wilburn Company: Elex Delmonico
“He… always tries to reach the top of the mountain but [when] he realizes that the top of that mountain is the bottom of the next mountain—he just keeps on climbing.” This metaphor describes someone exceptional at what they do— a professional athlete, a successful CEO, a top politician, and Elex Delmonico. According to Wilburn Company Building Manager Luke Raymond, Delmonico is a Wilburn Company Day Porter who is committed to working with excellence every day. “He lives this,” Raymond explained, referring to the above quote, “For a young man, it’s very impressive.” Starting Strong Elex’s quality of work made…
4 Tangible Benefits of Performance Management
It’s hard to improve in something if you don’t have data on the quality of your performance. Without data, we can’t identify our strengths and weaknesses, and that means we may not know how to work to get better. This is why schools have tests – they reveal what students need to work on. It’s part of why sports leagues track stats – so athletes can focus on the skills they need help with. It’s why businesses conduct performance reviews – so employees can understand where they should continue to grow. Commercial cleaning is no different. To do it effectively,…
Remembering Marie Freeman
Marie Freeman passed away last month after a difficult battle with cancer. She had been a member of The Wilburn Company for 21 years, serving in many buildings as a Day Porter and as an Environmental Hygienist. Marie was respected and beloved by all who knew her, on our team and in our community. Bob Baldwin, Chief Operating Officer at The Wilburn Company, puts it this way: “While I didn’t work directly with Marie, I knew her and heard the many stories about the amazing personality and dedication that she always displayed. It is always hard to see someone pass,…
What to Expect from the Fall Cleaning Season
The past couple of years have been a roller coaster ride. We’re not here to recap everything that’s happened. That would probably require a book, and besides, it’s been attempted in plenty of other places. We’re just here to offer thoughts on where things are going, especially where commercial cleaning services are concerned. Because the unfortunate reality is that the rollercoaster is making another circuit around the track; this fall, we’re facing pandemic-related challenges yet again. The good news is that the fundamentals of the course haven’t changed. Commercial cleaning this fall will still bring challenges and opportunities. Here’s what to…
How Performance Management Helps Cleaning Services Continually Improve
“I remember the first time I did a building inspection with one of our project managers and a client,” recalls Chad Conrad, Director of Performance Management at The Wilburn Company. “We went over things and I called out what needed to be cleaned more thoroughly. The project manager was a little surprised – like, ‘Why are you calling out all of these improvement areas so bluntly in front of our client?’” “But the reality is that the client is going to see what needs to be improved. We want to see it clearly, too, so that we can take care of…
Employee Spotlight: Vonderlier Johnson
The pandemic created difficulties for just about everyone last year. But for Vonderlier “Cookie” Johnson, it also created an opportunity. As the world began shutting down, the demand for cleaning began to pick up. The frequency and intensity of cleaning programs increased as everyone focused on maintaining healthy environments. For cleaning companies, that meant fuller schedules – which, in turn, meant asking for additional commitments from employees or hiring new employees to fill new needs. Vonderlier stepped up to the plate. “They were looking for someone to do enhanced cleaning when Covid started,” Vonderlier explains, “and I said, ‘I can do it.’”…
3 Tips to Finish Up Spring Cleaning for Offices in 2021
As we move through the end of spring and get ready to head into summer, it’s a great time to double-check your spring-cleaning list. Winter and early spring lead to a lot of time indoors, which can lead to the accumulation of dirt in buildings. Unfortunately, a dirty office isn’t just an aesthetic issue; it can hurt occupants’ health. A clean office, on the other hand, can keep people safe and benefit your building’s reputation with employees and customers. With that in mind, as the weather warms up, here are three quick tips to help you finish up spring cleaning…
4 Tips to Disinfect the Dirtiest Shared Spaces in Your Office
The break room. The common room. The kitchen. Whatever your company calls it, the purpose is usually the same: to provide a shared space for employees to relax, eat, and unwind from the stresses of a day on the job. Break rooms are some of the most commonly used spaces in a workplace. They’re also some of the dirtiest. One room continuously cohabited by a large volume of people guarantees the presence of germs – and lots of them. During cold and flu season especially, you can be sure that a microbiological zoo of bugs is thriving on the handle…
What’s New with Green Cleaning Services in 2021
Three years ago, The Wilburn Company officially became GS-42 certified by Green Seal. This notable distinction signaled that our company met green cleaning service requirements, including: Reducing chemical waste through the efficient use of chemicals Reducing solid waste Optimizing cleaning frequencies Providing continuing training to staff Ensuring transparent communication with clients and employees But the journey didn’t end there. While earning our GS-42 certification took commitment, keeping it requires ongoing effort, as well. Green Seal, the nonprofit organization responsible for confirming green cleaning services, is continually updating their standards, and maintaining the certification rightfully requires persistence in compliance. Continuing to…
The Wilburn Company Introduces its First Management Trainer, James D. Graham
James “Darryl” Graham is an encourager. “Everywhere I go, I tell people to have a blessed day,” he says. “I say it so much that people just say it right back to me.” That line – have a blessed day – comes from a strong Christian faith and represents what is a central theme in Darryl’s life. “I’m blessed,” explains Darryl. “God has blessed me, and I believe, 100%, that I’m called to live like it.” That calling translates into a passion for hard work and for building other people up, both traits that have led Darryl into his current role at…
Top 6 Commercial Cleaning Companies in Maryland
Looking for a commercial cleaning company in Maryland? We’ve put together a list of six top options based on our 20+ years of experience serving the Maryland area. There’s a strong chance one of these cleaning companies will be well suited to meet your needs. 1. The Wilburn Company Yes, we’re biased – but we’re also proud of our work. At The Wilburn Company, we provide commercial cleaning for corporate offices, high-security government facilities, and real estate investment trusts across Maryland and the DC area. What sets us apart: Our people are awesome. That’s not just fluff. Check out featured articles on…
How We’re Upgrading the Status Quo of Commercial Cleaning
As we open 2021, we’re getting ready to begin cleaning several new buildings. We’re grateful for that. We know that many service organizations have been hard pressed to make it through the past year at all. While 2020 was a whirlwind for us, we’re fortunate to have weathered the storm – and even to have continued on a steady growth trajectory throughout it. With that said, as we move forward with new engagements this year, we have an interesting perspective. From one point of view, our plans for this coming year are simply to maintain the status quo of quality work…
What Happened in 2020: The Year in Review
For each of the last several years at The Wilburn Company, we’ve taken a moment in December to reflect on the year in review. As you might expect, this year, that reflection feels a little bit different. What a crazy 12 months it’s been. Coming into 2020, our expectations for where we’d be at this moment were entirely different. And yet, it’s encouraging to realize that many of the initiatives we’d planned seem almost prescient in retrospect – useful in any year, and maybe even more useful in the midst of a pandemic. As we’ve written before: A lot has changed,…
4 Things to Know About Winter Cleaning During the Covid-19 Pandemic
By now, you’re probably caught between Covid-19-fatigue and a desire to know what you’ll be facing in the coming months, especially when combining the pandemic with flu season! We get it. We don’t want to fatigue you further. And we don’t have a crystal ball. But we do have strategies and plans in place for cleaning our clients’ facilities during the coming winter months, and we believe it’s important to keep our clients up to date as we continue cleaning for health. With that in mind, here are four things that you should know about cleaning during the winter of…
Meet the Wilburn Company: Kan Smoot
Kan Smoot claims to be a boring person. “I am boring,” insists Mrs. Smoot – or Young, as her coworkers call her. She lists her interests. “I love my home. I love my family. I have a great cat.” “I don’t need to do exciting things,” she says, laughing. Young may view her life as simple, but despite the fact that she doesn’t “do exciting things”, as she claims, there’s no denying that she has a passion for life and for others that shines through in her work. Roxanne Miller, Project Manager at The Wilburn Company, can testify to that. “Young…