Good discussion from Building Service Contractors Association International (BSCAI) on clients who'd like their hard surface floors to look like well-maintained big box stores, such as Target.
Target puts money and effort into janitorial and floor maintenance - nightly burnishing (ultra high-speed buffing), periodic re-finishing, thoughtful chemical and vendor selection, and so on. Proper maintenance shows.
We recommend, and include in our janitorial program, a full "periodic" package - burnishing, re-finishing, carpet cleaning, scrubbing ceramic and stone floors, and window washing - all on frequencies designed to give superior appearance and long floor life at a reasonable cost. Now and again, a client or prospect insists on a "bare-bones" approach, usually to his sorrow.
I've one building trades client who, several years ago, had us eleminate his monthly burnishing and as-needed refinishing package, to save money. Now, whenever the corporate folks come into town, he calls us - usually at the last moment, so my floor techs are on overtime - to do a refinishing or a full strip. Seems to happen about quarterly. Refinishing, or stripping, is several times more costly than burnishing (burnishing hardens the finish - harder finish lasts longer, resulting in less re-finishing). He's paying me more now, annually, for a "do not maintain - instead restore occasionally" system than he was for his old maintenance program, and not keeping consistent good appearance.
One of the comments, by Curtis Elliot, in BSCAI's discussion summarizes: "So, in answer to the question of "Why don't my hard-surface floors look like Target???" The client must often only look in the mirror to find the answer."
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