Rather than a service kept behind the scenes and wheeled out for a spillage, cleaning in public spaces is now proving to be the key factor in regaining consumer confidence; ahead of the UK having lockdown restrictions lifted next week, a services contractor suggests.
Research commissioned by ABM UK has explored the perception of built environments regarding the visibility of cleaners, compared to life pre COVID-19. It suggests that the mere sight of disinfection happening in public spaces can go a long way to creating the confidence people need to feel safe and return to the site.
Of the 1,0001 research participants, a majority, 61 per cent said that seeing cleaners in public spaces makes them feel that safety measures are being taken seriously and nearly half (48pc) agreed it reminds them to stay alert. A quarter of people said that visible cleaning instilled a sense of trust in the environment and 27pc agreed it made them feel safe.
John McPherson, ABM UK Managing Director says: “Crucially, 45pc of survey respondents agreed that the visibility of cleaning in progress would encourage them to return to a built environment, whether that’s an office space, shopping centre or airport.
“Covid-19 represents a turning point for the facilities services industry. In the past, facilities services often went unnoticed, but it now has national awareness and represents a gateway for the UK to reopen and stay that way.
“As we continually adapt to changing restrictions and navigate the winter season, businesses which want to instil confidence in their customers need to bring their cleaning and disinfection practices out for the public to see. It’s about going beyond the hand sanitising stations and the two metre markers; the conscious consumer wants to see proof of cleaners in action.”
When asked about their attitudes to seeing cleaners doing their job in public spaces pre COVID-19, a fifth of people admitted that they thought cleaning was something that should happen after hours or behind the scenes. This is compared to just 2% who think the same post-COVID-19. Nearly a quarter of respondents agreed that before lockdown they hadn’t considered what went into keeping the spaces they lived, worked and played in clean, and 12pc said they had never considered whether a space was clean or not.
Pictured from November 2020 print edition of Professional Security magazine; Haymarket shopping centre, Leicester city centre; cleaning and security operatives.
