Rosa Fernández of A.E.L.M.A discusses how the pandemic has impacted businesses within the cleaning sector in Spain.
How has the pandemic affected business operations over the last three years?
In Spain, as it has been all over the world, pandemic has changed the way we clean. We learned that cleanliness is more important than people initially believed. Thousands of enterprises have faced countless challenges with employees contracting the Coronavirus, customers closures, and new disinfection best practices.
Due to the effects of the pandemic, in what ways has your business evolved (new service offerings, hiring, staffing, procurement of supplies/equipment, etc.)? Is there anything that has remained the same?
Companies must evolve. Organizations must change and so must their cleaning process and how they keep their employees safe.
How has the way in which your employees work changed or evolved?
Many workers had to face the panic of protecting themselves and how to apply new cleaning processes using new equipment and products. These workers have persisted through the most difficult parts of the pandemic and have improved on both a personal and professional level because of it.
Are there specific measures in place to further protect employee health and well-being in order to keep them engaged and performing at a high level?
Employees have received specific training regarding protective measures, including wearing protective suits in hospitals or other high-risk places. Masks are also a must. All of the organizations indicate protection protocols and send them to all of the employees.
How have customer expectations/behaviors changed as a result of the pandemic?
We must differentiate between the first few months of the pandemic and the current situation. At the beginning, all the customers invested in cleaning and conducted special treatments and implemented methods of disinfection in their work places. At the moment, customers have diminished their protocols and have resorted to a more standard set of cleaning practices.
What have you learned from this experience that will help you better serve your company, employees and customers for the next major disruption? What must governments do to better prepare for the next major disruption?
We must to raise awareness that cleaning is important for people’s health. The pandemic has shown us that cleanliness is crucial in combatting illness. In this way, employees have been recognized and valued for all of their tireless efforts. We believe we are stronger and better prepared for the next major disruption. Associations did a great job supporting and giving information to their members. This is also something very important for the sector as a whole Governments must listen to the professionals and let them lead the way regarding best practices during a crisis.