The 'gladiator' effect

You may have seen or heard of the film Gladiator set in ancient Rome and starring Russell Crowe. If you have, you will probably recall the scene in the Colosseum where the Roman Caesar decides whether the Gladiator lives or dies by putting his thumb up or down.

There are many times every day when we choose to give a thumbs up or a thumbs down about something. It is widely recognised that it takes less than 4 seconds to make this decision. In fact according to Malcolm Gladwell's book 'Blink', in many cases the decision will be an instant gut reaction. At NJC we call this the 'gladiator effect'.

So why is this effect so important to facilities managers and property managers?

It's all about first impressions. A good first impression will make sure that you get the thumbs up! The standard of cleaning in your premises can speak volumes about your company and it's service values.

There are many positive commercial effects of smart, clean, tidy and well presented premises. The main positive effect is a good first impression to both prospective customers and employees. Good first impressions will always make it easier to attract the right staff and impress visiting clients and suppliers. The worlds leading companies have always paid very careful attention to the presentation of their buildings.

Why else is a good standard of cleaning so important?

Good standards of cleaning are the physical representation of the brand values and efficiency of your organisation. In addition, smart and clean premises will give an increased feeling of employee well being. This leads to higher employee productivity and higher rates of retention. We all know that good people are an organisations greatest asset. Keeping them is critical to the success of the operation. Having a high rate of employee retention will substantially reduce the high costs of re-recruitment, re-training and business disruption.

For property investors and managers, the quality of common area cleaning can have a direct impact on investment performance. This link has been more evident since the introduction of the RICS service charge code in April 2007. All property managers know that good quality common areas keep tenants happy and 'happy tenants are a good investment'. The company responsible for the common area cleaning (entrances, receptions, stairwells, lifts, lift lobbies, toilets etc) are trustees for the first impressions of all tenants in a multi-let building.

For tenants in a multi-let building there are benefits to using the cleaning company that cleans the common parts. You should benefit from the continuity of service from common parts to your demised space, the existing site management structure and the economies this will provide.

Reuben Heppelthwaite
Not Just Cleaning Ltd
127 Cheapside
London
EC2V 6BT
0207 600 1956
rheppelthwaite@notjustcleaning.com
www.notjustcleaning.com