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Cincinnati, Ohio — Feb. 2, 2016 — The results are in and according to cleaning managers across the country, 44 percent agree the recession is over, up 5 percent from last year's results. This is one of many findings in the 2015 Cleaning Industry Insights Survey, released by P&G Professional, the away-from-home division of Procter & Gamble.
The annual study reveals observations from cleaning industry professionals and key decision makers across the commercial, healthcare, hospitality/lodging, and food service sectors.
Respondents said they expect their sector to grow over the next year, a result that has stayed consistent year over year, with 76 percent of all respondents agreeing in 2015 and 77 percent in 2014. Within food service, a full 85 percent of cleaning managers expect their business to improve over the next year, up 6 percent from 2014 (79 percent).
However, while many cleaning managers are optimistic about the future growth of their business, the number of managers under pressure to keep operating costs down has increased 5 percent from 2014, to 78 percent. Managers in healthcare reflected the largest increase in cost pressures, up 11 percent over 2014, although they recorded the lowest overall percentage by sector (76 percent).
Most managers (76 percent) reported they are keeping costs down by finding ways to be more efficient and only 15 percent said they would prefer to raise prices for customers or clients.
Almost half of all cleaning industry professionals reported that both retaining staff and reducing turnover (47 percent) and training staff (47 percent) are some of the top ways they have become more efficient in 2015, a significant 12 and 11 percent increase over last year, respectively.
Cleaning managers in the healthcare and hospitality sectors saw an even larger spike in retaining staff and reducing turnover as a way of being more efficient, with 50 percent of cleaning managers reporting these increases, 18 and 19 percent increases over 2014, respectively.
Other survey results:
• Similar to 2014, more than half of managers across industries cited products that get the job done right the first time (51 percent) as the most helpful factor for performing cleaning services.
• High quality/effectiveness (39 percent) and versatility of use (33 percent) also continue to stand out when it comes to defining value with regard to cleaning products, as opposed to low-price point at only 14 percent.
• Product performance and ease of use also ranks highest (42 percent) for managers when deciding what to purchase.
• For the fourth consecutive year, cleaning industry professionals ranked keeping customers satisfied (34 percent) as the top priority for their business, above growing the business (21 percent) and making a profit (16 percent).
• Customer dissatisfaction or complaints (52 percent) also topped the list of concerns about cleaning and disinfection when it comes to their business overall.
• Bathrooms again ranked as the area where cleanliness is viewed as being most important to customers (34 percent).
The survey, based on responses from 400 cleaning industry professionals and key decision makers, was conducted online (in English) in partnership with Ipsos Public Affairs in 2015. For the full report, visit: http://ipsos-na.com/news-polls/pressrelease.aspx?id=7119.
