Use Mall Plot Plans To Your Advantage
Lawrence Lane, head of Lane Engineering Specialties Co., offered the following Tip:We have found it helpful in many ways to use the plot plan of our accounts. We now request that each of our clients provide us with a copy of their plan for any mall or other business area which we contract to sweep. We then reduce it to 8.5 x 11 size.
This copy is kept in their file as an original, and then copies are made which act as a sort of 'nightly log' which goes out with our drivers. On the back we photocopy all the information which might be useful about each account - not only the standard stuff like the date, time in/time out, etc., but also information designed to pinpoint any trouble spots with that particular lot. That's where having the plot plan is extremely helpful. The driver marks any trouble areas (broken pavement, oil spills, lights out, etc.) onto the map. If it is something which needs immediate attention, we call the property manager the next morning and discuss it directly. Our management person making the call has the marked-up nightly log sheet to go by in explaining the trouble. Not only do we look better, but as a result of our pictorial explanation the manager is able to more easily go out onto the grounds and find the problem.
We even go a step further: a copy of the nightly log for each sweeping day is sent along with our invoices. This is not only incontrovertible proof that we were there, but is also a monthly reminder that our company does much more than just sweep.
Have an idea that would be helpful to others in the industry? Please let us know what it is.
