A large cleaning service provider asked us to help them reduce customer complaints and improve contractor accountability. We deployed 11 Sense Gateways and a series of Sense Badges, to show them where their cleaners were, and what tasks they were working on – both in real-time, and historically. 

“Customers were complaining that work had not been done”

Our client is a large cleaning service provider operating throughout the UK and Europe. For the sake of preserving their anonymity, let’s refer to them as Cleaning Ltd.

They approached us in 2023, because they were suffering from a number of customer complaints. These complaints ranged from ‘why wasn’t the kitchen floor mopped yesterday’ to ‘are your staff even turning up!?’ – common complaints in the cleaning services industry.

In a situation like this, it often comes down to whether the supervisor trusts the cleaner’s word – the cleaner says they did the job, the supervisor decides if they believe them. Which creates friction between the supervisor and their staff, as well as friction between the cleaning services company and their client.

“We didn’t have an effective way to prove or verify anything”

For Cleaning Ltd, the nub of the problem was this: when a customer complained that a cleaner wasn’t doing their job properly, there was very little they could do to prove or dis-prove anything. In fact, depending on the system at each particular site, they didn’t always even know if a cleaner had made it on-site, let alone whether they had got around to mopping the kitchen floor!

This is because when they first came to us for the solution, they were using a mixture of systems to track tasks and timesheets. For example, at some sites, their cleaners would sign in and out on a sheet of paper at the main reception – at others, they would simply text their supervisor to say they’d arrived. For some sites, they would have lists of tasks provided via email or WhatsApp messages – at others, they’d be expected to find out what the client required on arrival. At some sites, there would be sheets of paper hanging on bathroom doors that they would need to sign to mark work as done – at others, there was simply no way of marking a task as complete.

These systems were inconsistent and easy to manipulate, meaning that when clients complained about a job not getting done, there was simply no effective way to prove or verify anything.

“Our tracking systems were at the mercy of each client site”

One of the reasons Cleaning Ltd struggled to consistently track time and tasks, was because each tracking system was at the mercy of each client’s individual site.

For example, some clients insisted that cleaners enter via the back door, meaning they would often forget to sign in or out. Others insisted on not having cleaning task lists stuck to doors or walls, because they didn’t like the way they looked.

But because Cleaning Ltd did not own the sites, they were limited as to how well they could control these tracking systems – a problem that was not only making it difficult to track time and tasks, but a problem that was even leading to cleaners being put at risk and unaccounted for during fire drills or evacuations.

“GPS, RFID and QR codes all failed us”

Before turning to Sense, Cleaning Ltd tried a whole range of solutions that put the tracking of time and tasks into their own hands.

For example, they tried GPS location tracking to see when cleaners were arriving on location – but found that this was only accurate outdoors, and didn’t help in situations where client sites were part of large, shared complexes, as they couldn’t prove which parts of the wider area their staff had visited. They also tried RFID solutions, but the cost of entry getting this equipment into people’s hands was too high – and the sensors required very close proximity.

Other solutions, such as QR codes, were only as effective as paper systems – easy to manipulate, and too unsightly for some clients to let them get stuck to desks, doors, or other visible surfaces.

“Sense put the hardware – and the control – firmly into our hands”

We decided that the best solution for Cleaning Ltd., would be a combination of Sense Gateways and Sense Badges, to give them accurate indoor and outdoor location tracking, complete with time-stamped task tracking, via discreet, indoor sensors and a durable, pocket-sized badge that staff could take with them to client sites. This meant that Cleaning Ltd would have control over one unified system across each client site.

To kick things off, we deployed 11 of our gateways at a couple of their client sites. These gateways are unobtrusive, and require only a plug socket to install – meaning their clients were happy for them to be placed discreetly on-site, with no complex engineering work required.

Then, each member of their cleaning crew was issued their own Sense Badge – a simple wearable device with its own in-built SIM card, GPS tracking, and accurate indoor-location technology that talks to each Sense Gateway.

“We can see exactly when each member of staff arrives at or leaves each client site”

Thanks to the wearable Sense Badge, which clips to pockets, bags, collars or belts, Cleaning Ltd can now see exactly what time cleaners arrive at each client site. And when they tap the device to clock in or out, their supervisor can quickly verify where they were when they started each shift – ensuring they get paid accurately, for time actually worked.

Each Sense Badge requires a fingerprint to verify any actions taken by staff, meaning the system is very hard to manipulate.

And because it runs using both GPS and accurate indoor location technology, Cleaning Ltd can even see when staff have arrived at client sites within larger, more complex indoor locations.

“Staff get a daily task list sent straight to their device – and we see where they were when they completed each task”

The real magic of the Sense solution though, is that Cleaning Ltd can now even verify when – and where – each individual task was completed.

When staff first arrive on-site, their badge can automatically load a recurring task-list for that particular site, or their supervisor can send them ad-hoc tasks or varied daily task-lists, depending on what’s required.

Staff can then consult their badge, and mark each item as complete – with the location technology inside telling their supervisor exactly where they were when they completed each task, down to room-level accuracy.

“Supervisors can now quickly investigate and resolve customer complaints”

Now, when complaints come in, supervisors have a fast way to investigate whether or not cleaners were on-site, or whether or not tasks were done.

For example, if the kitchen has been marked as “mopped” – they can quickly see whether the cleaner was, in fact, in the kitchen at that time, as well as how long they spent there.

And in cases where complaints mention cleaners not showing up, the Sense system can quickly work out whether this really is the case – or whether, perhaps, the cleaner arrived at a slightly earlier time, before anybody else was on-site.

“Less tasks are being forgotten, and fewer complaints are coming through”

Of course, faster complaint resolution isn’t the only result of implementing the Sense system – Cleaning Ltd are also happier that they now receive fewer complaints from their clients.

And this is because less tasks are being forgotten by their staff, now that they have a dynamic digital reminder of what they’re meant to be working on.

It is also because ad-hoc tasks or extra jobs can be added to each cleaner’s task-list at a moment’s notice, ensuring a fast response to things like spills, or other incidents.

“Our staff are happier that they are being questioned less, and being paid more accurately”

Before implementing Sense, Cleaning Ltd were struggling with tensions between staff and their supervisor – especially when they had to question timesheets, attendance, or activity levels on shift.

Since implementing Sense, however, cleaning staff have been much happier – knowing that they no longer need to defend their workloads, or prove that they arrived at a client’s site.

Staff feel less like their supervisors are mistrusting their word, and are also being paid accurately for their hours worked, without having to discuss or even argue over whether their timesheet is correct.

Key points as a summary

Here’s a quick summary of this case study, to remind you of the key points:

• Cleaning Ltd were struggling with customer complaints
• They had no way to verify whether their cleaning staff were arriving on site
• They had no way to verify whether certain tasks were being completed
• They implemented 11 Sense Gateways at client sites, and issued each cleaner with a Sense Badge
• This allowed them to prove where staff were when they clocked in
• It also allowed them to send task lists to each cleaner at the start of each shift
• The Sense Badge shows which room each cleaner was in when they mark each task as complete
• As a result, Cleaning Ltd can respond to client queries quickly and provide evidence of work completed
• Cleaning Ltd receives fewer complaints, due to a higher task completion rate
• Their cleaning staff are now happier that they are being challenged less about their workloads

To learn more about Sense, and how it could help you track time and attendance both indoor and out, get in touch for a free demo today.