Press Release: 29th October 2008
Global Cleaning Contracts today announced the appointment of Richard Luckman as Managing Director with effect from 10th November 2008.
Richard joins Global having successfully pursued a career with several service industries, mainly in IT, and has a background of Customer Service and Project Management in the utilities sector. He has held several Executive Board positions being responsible for all aspects of sales, operations, service and finance.
On his appointment Richard said: “I am very pleased to be joining Global at this time. Over the past twelve months Global have continued to invest in infrastructure, people and processes, and there are many encouraging signs that Global is well set to meet the challenges of the uncertain economic climate that we all face. We need to continue to recruit and train enthusiastic contractors and ensure that our clients are provided with the high level of service they deserve, and in so doing are never given any reason to look elsewhere for their cleaning contracts.”
Outside work Richard follows most sports, being involved with his local rugby club, supports Reading FC, and plays golf.
On taking over as MD Richard thanked his predecessor Mike Weston for the efforts he has made to ensure a smooth transition of stewardship of the company and wished him well in his future career.
For more information contact Magda Colley at Global Cleaning Contracts plc on 0208-661-4041 or email magdacolley@globalcleaningcontracts.co.uk
Press Release: 1 September 2008
Michael Caines joins Global Cleaning Contracts as Finance Director and Company Secretary (designate) with immediate effect.
Michael is a Chartered Accountant with over eighteen years experience in senior financial positions. His most recent position was as Group Financial Controller for an Oil Services Company with a £200m turnover, a position he held for ten years. Prior to this he held senior financial positions in two service related companies. His responsibilities included planning and managing the forecasting process and the approval of budgets, profit and long term plans.
Based in Sussex he is a staunch supporter of London Wasps Rugby Club. He lists quality red wines and fast cars as his hobbies although not to be enjoyed simultaneously. Avoiding scoring political points and dishonesty are the rules he goes by.
At Global, Michael will be responsible for the management and development of the Company’s financial functions, implementing procedures and taking Global forward to the next stage of its growth. Michael said: "I am pleased to join Global at this exciting time and look forward to being a part of a change and underlying profitability improvement."
Commenting on the appointment, Mike Weston, Managing Director, said: "Michael's considerable skills in financial control and analysis together with his hands on experience in managing business will be a considerable asset to Global. I very much look forward to welcoming him to GCC.”
For more information contact Magda Colley
At Global Cleaning Contracts plc on 0208-661-4041.
Or email magdacolley@globalcleaningcontracts.co.uk
Press Release: 16 April 2008
Dee Aplin, one of our longest serving Global employees, joined Global almost 8 years ago in Telesales. Recently her commitment has been recognised and she has been asked to join the Customer Care Department. She will be responsible for CTS calls and will also be involved in the proactive management of Client relationships, improving our service response and extending Global client lifecycles.
Mark Payne, Customer Care Manager welcomes Dee into his department. He says: ”Dee has been helping us on ad hoc basis for some time now and proved to be a trustworthy and hard working team player. I would like to express my gratitude for all the help and welcome Dee. People always ask me why the Customer Care Department is the most vital organ of every company? My answer is that the key to success lies not only in having a good product, but also in being able to provide the customer with the level of service they desire. After all Sales are vital to your business, so shouldn't you take care of the customer?
To cope in a high pressurised environment Dee swims every morning at her local leisure centre. She lives by the scriptures and has two favourite quotes to go by: “Wise man learns by mistakes of others, a fool by his own.”, “What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals”.
For more information contact Magda Colley
At Global Cleaning Contracts plc on 0208-661-4041.
Or email magdacolley@globalcleaningcontracts.co.uk
Press Release: 15 April 2008
Melissa Davies, Assistant Manager of our Telesales Department has become Employee of the Quarter. Melissa joined Global two years ago and throughout this period has shown an upbeat attitude and a fighting spirit. Her’s is a challenging role keeping BDMs happy and making sure that Telesales advisers are getting their commission intact. Melissa received a £50 cheque and a bottle of Champagne, the prize was based on her professional achievement and conduct towards colleagues.
Melissa says: “The most common problem in a Telesales Department is motivation. Call Centre Burnout is a real dilemma facing every manager. It can result in the inability of callers, through frustration and boredom, to continue making productive calls. Ignored, it can lead to depersonalisation, vanished motivation, dropped productivity and problems with attendance and timekeeping.
The answer to reducing the risks of agent burnout lies in longer term planning, where a structure is created that allows the agent to enjoy a sense of development. Our goal is to migrate call centre staff from easier tasks to the more difficult tasks through training, testing, on-the-job coaching and availability of projects.
Each time the call centre agent receives training, it should be different - tougher to reflect the higher levels to which they aspire. In terms of incentive we take a winning team for lunch once a month, there is a Board of Shame and a graded commission structure based on the number of quotes.”
The Employee of the Quarter Programme was established to recognise Global’s employees for outstanding accomplishments and contributions to the Global mission. Criteria include: superior performance, innovative improvements, teamwork, patience and stamina.
For more information contact Magda Colley
At Global Cleaning Contracts plc on 0208-661-4041.
Or email magdacolley@globalcleaningcontracts.co.uk
Press Release: 7th April 2008
Restructuring at Global Cleaning Contracts
Following the introduction of new accounting systems, Global has announced changes to their Head Office Management and Departmental structures. As a result 3 separate departments have been created by restructuring the Finance, Administration and Customer Care Departments which have now been completely overhauled
Key elements of the Finance and Administration Departments will be merged to form a new Commercial Department. This department will be responsible for all transactional issues that arise from the trading relationship between Global, its clients and contractors. The department will be responsible for processing sales transactions, data input, invoicing clients, paying and managing contractors, credit control, cash reconciliation and banking. This department will report to the Financial Director.
Accounting will become a separate function. The Company Accountant will primarily be responsible for the production of management accounts, statutory and payroll functions as well as non commercial ledgers and journals. Kevin Wakefield will control this function and will report directly to the Finance Director
A separate Customer Care Department will be created. This department will be responsible for the proactive management of Client relationships, improving our service response and extending our client lifecyle.
Two new positions have been created.
Suzanne Wilson joins us as Treasury Manager and will head up the new Commercial Department. Suzanne joins us from Erinaceous plc where she was responsible for the trading aspects and cash management deriving from complex transactions in the property letting and leasing market.
Mark Payne joins us as Customer Care Manager. Mark joins us from Vertex where he was responsible for the department handling 70,000 client’s inbound commercial and domestic enquiries, claims and complaints for Westminster City Council.
Debbie Stilwell, previously Customer Services Manager for Global, will be leaving the Company as a result of this reorganisation. Senior management at Global want to recognise Debbie’s contribution to the Company and wish her well for the future.
For more information contact Magda Colley
At Global Cleaning Contracts plc on 0208-661-4041.
Or email magdacolley@globalcleaningcontracts.co.uk
Press Release: 3 April 2008
Damon Lochinger, Business Development Manager for London nominated cleaning contractor Chrispin Pratt to receive the “Contractor of the Quarter Award” which is given to those who meet and exceed their clients’ expectations.
Based in Dulwich, he has been trading under the name of Chrispin’s Cleaning Services for the last 10 years and has 6 contracts with Global. He joined Global in 2004.
According to Damon, Chrispin possesses two important qualities for a good Contractor: Trust and Reliability. “When Crispin says that he will do something, I know it will be done..” says Damon with confidence.
One of Global clients, Sarah Joyce from the National Autistic society says: “The standard of cleaning is very high and when, at the beginning we were having some issues, Chrispin responded very quickly with a new contractor. We would highly recommend his services to anyone..”
Chrispin says: “I am never scared to get my hands dirty and when my staff is on holidays or sick I do the cleaning myself. I really appreciate training offered by Global in terms of Health and Safety because at the end of the day safety comes first for my staff and myself. It is also known that good cleaning equipment enables great cleaning results so I always make sure that my hoover is working and the cleaning products are diluted in right measures.”
Loyal customers are the most valuable and nowadays standards in the cleaning sector are very high. The outbreaks of MRSA and Norovirus present new challenges to cleaning contractors and various new methods of cleaning need to be applied in different environments.
Global is awarding Chrispin bottle of wine, £50 janitorial vouchers and a Certificate of Excellence.
Well Done to the Winner!
For more information contact Magda Colley
At Global Cleaning Contracts plc on 0208-661-4041.
Or email magdacolley@globalcleaningcontracts.co.uk
Press Release: 7 January 2008
Andy joined Global two years ago and almost immediately progressed to the position of Team Leader. He trains, he motivates and instils a strong esprit de corps into his troops. Every month, for the last six months Andy’s team has won the team of the month award and had the largest number of team members over achieving their target. Well done to Andrew!
Andy says: “To be a successful team leader you have to lead by example and show the team that not only can you do the job as well as them but can exceed this and do big numbers on a regular basis while leading the team. The next factor in success comes from motivation. You must have a well motivated team, this comes from always giving as much help whenever possible and the offer of incentives to the staff whether that is a freebie appointment or prizes for individual and team success. Global Cleaning Contracts regard and treat their staff as customers knowing that they, in turn, will provide better service to external customers….”.
In every industry sector motivating and retaining staff is vital to the smooth running of the business. In the cleaning industry especially, where the clients do not come in droves and complaints travel five times faster than good news, employees are responsible for their company’s success. Excellent customer service begins internally and is reflected externally.
The race is on and the next announcement will be in March 2008.
For more information contact Magda Colley
At Global Cleaning Contracts plc on 0208-661-4041.
Or email magdacolley@globalcleaningcontracts.co.uk
Press Release: 7 January 2008
Garry Evans, Business Development Manager for Midlands nominated cleaning contractors Valerie Ashton and her husband Graham to receive the “Contractor of the Quarter Award” which is given to those who meet and exceed their clients’ expectations. Based in Stoke-on-Trent, they have been trading under the name of G and M Ashton for the last 17 years and have 7 contracts with Global.
When asked to share her recipe for success Valerie commented: “Hard work and going an extra mile will guarantee a happy customer. When you start a new contract the office can be really messy so it takes few additional hours to achieve a desirable standard. From then on it always get easier.”
James Ogoran, General Manager of Afford Rent A Car based in Stoke-on-Trent commented: “Every day when I come to the office I am amazed at the high standard of cleaning continuously provided by Valerie and her husband Derek. When they started they spent a few extra hours to take the office to the required standard. No job is too big for them and they never let us down. Every Christmas we award them a bottle of wine. I would recommend them to everyone”.
A similar view is shared by Mark Machin who runs Rogers Barber shop in Stoke-on Trent. Mark praises the couple’s commitment and attention to detail required in this type of environment. He says “There is lots of cleaning involved at the hairdressing salon on a daily basis and failing to do so will have an impact on both clients and staff the next day. Valerie and her staff never fail to deliver.”
Global is awarding Valerie and her husband Derek a bottle of wine, £50 janitorial vouchers and a Certificate of Excellence. Well Done to the Winners!
Cleaning is not drudgery when you are getting paid well to do it. For those with a sense of independence and a creative spirit, starting an office cleaning business is a wonderful way to earn great money and provide genuine security. Successful contractors receive recognition from clients which leads to recommendations for more contracts.
For more information contact Magda Colley
At Global Cleaning Contracts plc on 0208-661-4041.
Or email magdacolley@globalcleaningcontracts.co.uk
Press Release: 31st August 2007
As part of the changes Global have announced that Andrew Stokes will head up a newly created Client Services Department. He will be responsible for maximising the return on this investment and developing Global’s future Management Information Systems strategy. He will be supported by a Systems Administrator and a Marketing Services Manager.
We welcome Yasmin Whittaker who joins us as Systems Administrator and congratulate Magda Colley who has been promoted to the position of Marketing Services Manager.
Martin Chipperfield, previously IT Manager for Global, leaves the Company today following this reorganisation. Senior management at Global wish to recognise Martin’s contribution to the Company and wish him well for the future.
Mike Weston, Managing Director, said “These changes enable Global to look forward and will best serve our long term plans. We want MIS to be at the forefront of our business and we needed to become more proactive in this arena. The new Management Structure and Sage packages will fulfill this goal.”
For more information contact Magda Colley at Global Cleaning Contracts plc on 0208 661 4041 or 0870 7667 557 or email magdacolley@globalcleaningcontracts.co.uk
Press Release: 22 August 2007
There are 785 contractors currently working for Global. Some have been with the company for over 25 years, some have just started their business. Mike Weston, Managing Director, reports: “ Our success is based on its people; contractors, clients and employees.
The cleaning industry is becoming ever more competitive with client’s looking for high quality service at extremely competitive prices.As client’s expect more from their cleaners Global have decided to offer a small token of appreciation to their best performing contractor on a quarterly basis. During this quarter Isaac Asamoah received a £50 janitorial voucher, a bottle of wine and some public recognition for a job well done.”
Isaac, from Surrey has been with Global for the last 12 years. He has been running three contracts with the dedication and thoroughness of a nuclear scientist. One of his clients, Susan Bennett from Secor Consulting praises Isaac’s dedication and his willingness to go an extra mile, like cleaning a flooded fridge or washing up an odd cup left by the late visitor, although this is not being a part of his regular contract specification.
Debbie Stilwell, Customer Service Manager reports: "The contractors job also involves filing monthly survey forms, completing and complying with risk assessments and keeping a Customer Care Book in order. These are integral parts of their contract, necessary to build and keep a good rapport between the parties. Isaac‘s conduct has been exemplary and worth emulating….Well done Isaac."
It is worth remembering that a Contractor will lose their investment if the contract is terminated through poor cleaning. This means that they have a vested interest in maximising Client satisfaction and, not wishing to lose their investment,that they ensure that the job is always serviced to a high standard.
For more information contact Magda Colley at Global Cleaning Contracts plc on 0208 661 4041 or 0870 7667 557 or email magdacolley@globalcleaningcontracts.co.uk
Press Release: 21st August 2007
Take for example a Day Nursery. If they suffer a flood that requires 6 weeks’ drying, their client base will move elsewhere. They may have business interruption insurance that will cover the costs of paying staff, but they face the enormous difficulty of regaining their lost market share. Obviously those businesses that are trading on their cash flow limits can be hit very hard.
When the TLC nursery got flooded at Watford Hospital in Hertfordshire, their first call was to Global Cleaning Contracts to come to the rescue. Global entered a partnership with Hydro-Dynamix in March, so such a call did not come as a complete surprise and was attended to within an hour of the incident. It took a week of overnight drying and dehumidification, imperative sanitisation but both the children and staff could return to the nursery each day.
James Every, Managing Director of Hydro-Dynamix reports: “With a nationwide network of trained Truck Mount operators, Hydro-Dynamix can respond to any type of flooding incident from a major commercial disaster to a minor commercial escape of water such as a dishwasher machine leak at the office kitchen.
So far Global have used Hydro-Dynamix successfully many times. For example when the toilet in the Putney branch of Endsleigh flooded the offices and a blocked drain at Endsleigh Sutton Coldfield left staff members paddling in water on three occasions.
Vicky Watkins Facilities Officer, Endsleigh Insurance Services Ltd states: “Hydro-Dynamix have done a few jobs for Endsleigh over the last few months and they have done excellent work – always within a fast response time and to a high standard – we are very happy to recommend this company..”
Nowadays, the cleaning industry is all about providing a complete quality service and establishing long term relationships with clients. The partnership with Hydro-Dynamix offers priority disaster recovery service for Global Clients as well as floor maintenance program for any type of flooring.
For more information contact Magda Colley at Global Cleaning Contracts plc on 0208 661 4041 or 0870 7667 557 or email magdacolley@globalcleaningcontracts.co.uk
Press Release: 15th August 2007
Each night since July 1982, Sheila Rose rode the bus from her home in London's Archway to clean for Kenneth Pring Associates. Lee Miles, who originally introduced Sheila to the company says: "If there's a better attendance record in the cleaning industry I'd like to hear about it!"
Nowadays organisations change their cleaners on a regular basis, some every year or some even every six months because they cannot find a company that will consistently meet their requirements. What we find is that these companies do not have a clear indication of what is expected from the clean. After some time they complain that standards have fallen. To be able to maintain a good rapport with the client for 25 years is a real achievement.
Although Sheila Rose has recently retired, Angela Carrera is now carrying the torch and Global is hoping for another successful 25 years of cleaning!
For more information contact Magda Colley at Global Cleaning Contracts plc on 0208 661 4041 or 0870 7667 557 or email magdacolley@globalcleaningcontracts.co.uk
Global Cleaning Contractor rewarded for excellent service.
Press Release: 14th August 2007
Debbie Stilwell, Global's Customer Services Manager reports: "We do tend to receive some positive feedback from our customers but never in a form of financial reward. Our prestigious client informed us that they would like to reward our contractor, Nicola Agu, with a cheque for £100 for her professional conduct. They have praised Nicky's attention to detail, punctuality and reliability. What is worth pointing out here is that due to the high pace of life in the City, clients based there demand the highest standards of service.
Nicola has been working for a London City Firm for a number of years. They have commented: "Nicola has continually provided our business with excellent support within the role of a cleaning contractor. Nicola is helpful, flexible and a pleasure to be around. She has an upbeat attitude and her daily interaction with colleagues ensures she is considered as part of the team. Nicola's role within our company is an asset to us, as her reliability and 'can-do' attitude means that we can rest assured that we will meet a well maintained office for the next working day. Nicola Agu is a solid and reliable cleaning contractor, and an expert in her field."
For more information contact Magda Colley at Global Cleaning Contracts plc on 0208 661 4041 or 0870 7667 557 or email magdacolley@globalcleaningcontracts.co.uk
Press Release: 14th August 2007
A steady stream of enquiries has been generated through Global's Customer Services, Telesales and Sales Force activities. Thus far Hydro-Dynamix has rescued the flooded TLC nursery at Watford Hospital, provided flood restoration work at the three times inundated Endsleigh branch in Sutton Coldfield and completely restored the Amtico floor at Endsleigh, Oxford.
One client contacted Global to praise the high standard of work done on their carpets. Angela Creasy from Vertex Management states: "We have been with Global for a few years and the service was always satisfactory but this time we really needed a rescue operation as the carpets were much stained. Bob Bellamy was the person sent from Hydro-Dynamix to do the job. The result, frankly, is stunning.... The carpet was so stained I had little hope of reviving it. Imagine my surprise when I stepped into the room to find a carpet that looked as good as new! The boys did a superlative job... I commend the service from top to bottom. I would happily recommend you".
Bob Bellamy based in Kent is an authorised Hydro-Dynamix contractor. He was commissioned to conduct deep carpet cleaning jobs at Hotels in The Gambia and has been flown, all expenses paid to Qatar to clean rugs for the Sheiks.
For more information contact Magda Colley at Global Cleaning Contracts plc on 0208 661 4041 or 0870 7667 557 or email magdacolley@globalcleaningcontracts.co.uk
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