No-Touch Cleaning® helps contractor win and keep customers and employees.

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Tony Miller has never been one to shy away from challenges.  So, as president of Jancoa Janitorial Services, a contract cleaning service specializing in buildings over 100,000 square feet, he relied on creativity and innovation to overcome the three biggest challenges plaguing his industry: winning new customers, keeping existing ones, and employee turnover.  The results speak for themselves.  In an industry burdened with 300-400 percent employee turnover, Jancoa’s rate is approximately one-quarter that.  Equally impressive, over the last five years, they’ve doubled their business while only losing two customers.  With stats like that, it’s no surprise that the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce named Jancoa the 2003 Small Business of the Year.

“Cleanest Restrooms in the World”

What’s Jancoa’s secret to such high customer loyalty?  Besides a stable, skilled workforce, they’ve also developed unbeatable competence in cleaning restrooms, the number one building maintenance complaint.  As Miller says, “All business is won or lost in the restroom. As a contract cleaner, it really doesn’t matter what else you do if the restrooms don’t sparkle.”

So when Miller saw a new invention that turns out spotlessly clean restrooms -- the KaiVac No-Touch Cleaning® system -- he immediately took notice. Developed by Kaivac Inc., the KaiVac is an all-in-one cleaning system that combines chemical injection, pressure washing, and wet vacuuming into a single machine. Using its chemical dispenser, employees spray cleaning solution onto restroom fixtures and walls, then blast the soil to the floor with a high-pressure spray. As a final step, they vacuum the floor dry, completely removing all soil and bacteria.

“Not only does the KaiVac reach areas that mops can’t, but our employees don’t have to touch any fixtures or surfaces,” said Miller. “Plus, dirty water gets vacuumed away, rather than just being moved around as with a conventional mop.” Miller was so impressed, that he actually bought the very first KaiVac machine in 1998. “I wish I had invented it myself,” he added.

Miller now uses at least one No-Touch Cleaning system in every building he serves. In fact, it’s the first piece of equipment he buys for every new account.

“The Kaivac/Jancoa combination has achieved tremendous results in our facility,” says Franz Klaber, facility director for Cincinnati Financial Corp., a longtime Jancoa client.  “We have visitors from around the globe,” he continues. “One claims that we literally have the cleanest restrooms in the world. Others have said they thought they were in a hospital.”

The Dream Engineer™

Even with the finest equipment, Miller knows he can’t deliver results without great people.  So, to attract and retain exceptional employees, Jancoa developed a comprehensive HR program that balances remarkable employee support with workplace accountability.  For example, full-time positions include health insurance, three weeks vacation, shuttle service, referral bonuses, thorough training, and more. In return, employees are held accountable for their performance, confirmed by weekly “report card” inspections.

“Our people are our product, and we must invest in them,” says Miller, “including purchasing state-of-the-art tools like the KaiVac.  Plus, it increases worker satisfaction and image.”

Recently, Miller, along with his wife and business partner, Mary, established the Dream Engineer™, which helps qualified employees and their family members work systematically toward their dreams.  Among other things, it offers life-skill classes like reading, languages, math, and financial management. It even includes a guaranteed home ownership program. In addition, he works with other companies to help them develop employee retention strategies.

As Miller puts it, “Without hope and opportunity in our peoples’ lives, they can’t be great employees. Likewise, without equipping them with the best tools, they can’t achieve great results.”