— By William Gagnon — High-speed hand dryers offer total solution for retail restroom challenges. Cleanliness and general appearance are top concerns for successful retail and restaurant establishments, which often rely on positive brand reputation and word-of-mouth advertising to keep their businesses running. Even one patron complaint about this aspect of a facility — including its restroom — can have detrimental consequences. These establishments are often tasked with finding solutions that will not only keep the restroom environment visibly clean for employees and patrons, but ensure that they meet even …
Industry Voices
— By Angela Tucker, Ph.D. — It’s not just a restaurant problem: Here are some common pests in retail facilities. With frequent deliveries, changing inventories and new visitors every day, retailers face a unique set of pest control challenges and problems. Customers may be alarmed by signs of a pest issue, and these unwelcome visitors may even lead to costly damage to inventory and facilities. Retail facility executives should familiarize themselves with general pest control processes and ensure they are followed. Of course, some pests call for special attention. It’s …
— By Carol L. Carey — It’s also what’s OUTSIDE that counts with customers. Your company has prepared by making sure the market research has been done, you have all the latest gadgets, toys, clothing and items everyone would want to buy. Each location is stocked, product and staffing budgets are approved, but are you really prepared? Do you see what I see? Many companies plan and budget for interior cleaning and maintenance. They outline preventative maintenance programs for janitorial services, HVAC, flooring, painting and even lighting. Their focus is …
— By John Goetz — Establishing a food safety culture with chemical dispensers. In a 2017 study published by Kline & Company, food safety compliance in commercial kitchens and food preparation areas was rated as the Number 1 emerging trend by the 750+ end users surveyed.1 Compliance with food safety standards is so important because it can make or break the success of a restaurant. Take Chipotle’s food safety crisis as an example. In 2015, E. coli and norovirus outbreaks forced some locations to close temporarily after 55 customers …
— By Jay Black — LEDs are the secret to success when it comes to reducing facility costs. Facility maintenance and management can no doubt be expensive, hence why many managers are left to find options that can help them cut costs and be more efficient with their budgets. Of these everyday expenses, one which offers the most potential for reducing costs is energy — more specifically, lighting. According to Energy Star, approximately 657,000 retail buildings in the U.S. consume more than $20 billion in energy each year. While lighting …
— By Jesse Wood — How document management software can help the restaurant industry. When your entire business is focused on bringing customers the services they need, paperwork often feels like it just gets in the way. However, in the digital age of virtual documents and cloud storage, the hassle is completely unnecessary. What is a Document Management System? Imagine a world without collating, sorting or searching for hours through big filing boxes of old documents for a single form. What if you didn’t even have to organize your own …
— By Mike Weber — Improve your total finished floor care program. They say that a first impression is usually what sticks, no matter what changes or upgrades are made later. When people enter your business, the first things they’re likely to see are your floors, which, depending on how clean or dirty the floors look, can shape their perceptions. Floors that appear dirty, scuffed or dull can convey the impression that the facility’s cleanliness standards are lacking. Studies have shown that facility appearance ratings can drop as much as …
— By Bradley Vanover — When epoxy pipe restoration makes (dollars and) sense. The first call to our national facilities maintenance group was an emergency. Sewage was backing up into the restroom of a major department store. Not good for business. Plumbers were called, quotes given, and shock ensued. Replacing old cast iron pipes is a pricey fix, but not a surprising one. Cast iron is notoriously subject to corrosion, particularly in waste lines where hydrogen sulfide gas forms. Drain cleaners, a common fix for slow-running pipes, often contain sulfuric …
— By Dan Diehl — Navigating the digital transformation of building products and services. The building products, services and solutions industry is being transformed. Like many industries before it, the market for commercial building products, services and solutions (BPSS) is undergoing a digital transformation. This sector has been a relative innovation laggard for several reasons, including: the long life cycles of buildings and major building systems; the fact that each building is somewhat unique, requiring engineered systems; and the win/lose legacy culture that traces its roots to the hardball construction …
— By Del Williams — Streamlining reporting, monitoring and operations requires a flexible POS system and quick, supportive vendor response. In the quick-service restaurant (QSR) arena, both established and emerging franchises understand the importance of choosing the right POS system to keep operations functioning smoothly. Although there are many options on the market, most POS systems offer similar technological advantages: the commonalities include hardware such as POS terminals with touchscreen interfaces and credit card swiping mechanisms as well as the software that ties to all to back office operations. Today, …