Food Retail Cleaning Case Studies

TCFM Providing Cleaning for Food Retail Stores. Delivering transparent, flexible and value driven cleaning solutions for two leading food retail brands in London. TCFM partnered with two leading food retail companies to raise standards, unlock operational savings and constantly embed continuous improvement across 25 UK stores. The first of the food retail companies brings customer centric ethos to brick and mortar grocery retail. Combining real time inventory, expansive product selection and rapid checkout technologies.

• Launching its UK rollout in 2020, they required a highly flexible and responsive facilities partner like TCFM to scale cleaning operations across new urban stores as new opening occurred.
  
• The second is an American supermarket chain that is focused on providing natural and organic products. Founded in 1980, the company has gained a reputation for its commitment to high quality, ethically sourced food. They first entered the UK market in 2004 with the opening of its Kensington store in London.
  

Locations & Scope

• Locations: 19 stores
  

Services we Deliver

• Store cleaning
• Window cleaning
• Washroom services
• Adhoc cleaning
• High level cleaning
• Periodic deep cleaning
  

Challenges & Resolutions

• Absence Procedures
  
  
  • Previously, there was a lack of structure with cover for absent colleagues, and they were often under resourced with cleaning colleagues.
    
    
  • When TCFM took over, we drew on the strength of our team by utilising colleagues from other contracts who wanted additional hours not available on their contract to fill in during peak holiday times.
    
    
  • We also implemented our mobile support team and mobile structure to offer flexible support where needed.
    
    
  • TCFM implemented our absence reporting procedures and holiday planner. Our Area Managers are experienced in this area.
    
    
  • Their management and approach of remaining close to the contract ensures efficient site coverage when colleagues are absent, sick or on holiday, minimising disruptions to operations.
    
    
• Recruitment
  
  
  • Due to their central London locations and low hours required, recruitment can be a challenge.
    
    
  • To ensure no gaps in service, we have crossed trained a network of support colleagues who can step in at short notice to complete cleans.
    
    
  • Our Area Manager maintains a close relationship with each store to proactively inform them of any variant in cleaning time or colleague attending the store that day.
    
    
  • All pay rates have also been benchmarked against the locality the store sits within to ensure we can attract and retain talented colleagues to deliver our services.
    
    
• Right to Work Checks
  
  
  • Building on our commitment to legal, ethical employment practices, our HR team remains vigilant in monitoring and verifying the legality of our colleagues.
    
    
  • Our HR team used our rigorous vetting and right to work checks using the platform Experian, and when taking over the contract, TCFM identified that a number of the cleaning colleagues were working illegally and did not have the right to work in the UK.
    
    
  • The colleagues working illegally were already aware of what they were involved in, so they voluntarily left Whole Foods, and this resulted in several vacancies for TCFM.
    
    
• Machinery & Equipment
  
  
  • TCFM initiated a replacement plan involving retiring all old machines no longer fit for purpose and investing in industry leading cleaning equipment.
    
    For the unique requirements of larger sites, we provided escalator cleaning machines, ensuring efficient cleaning of the escalators.
    
  • By giving our colleagues the right tools for the job, we enhanced operational efficiency and improved the cleanliness of all areas.
    
    
• Review of Schedules
  
  
  • TCFM reassessed the hours we were delivering and ultimately reduced some of the hours to ensure we provided savings to them whilst not compromising standards.
    
    This involved a comprehensive evaluation of staffing needs, considering the evolving demands of the post pandemic landscape.
    
    We completed a cost saving exercise to ensure that by sizing the team correctly and optimising cleaning schedules, we ensured the customer received savings.
    
    Communication and transparency were key to ensuring the company and the entire team were informed and engaged during these necessary adjustments.
    
    By remaining close to the contract and conducting monthly audits and reviews, we quickly identified that the cleaning patterns no longer aligned with their needs, particularly during the night when colleagues were not supervised correctly.
    
    We, therefore, initiated a strategic shift in our working patterns and redefined the cleaning schedules to better suit the needs of their environment.
    
  • Again, this required TCFM to remain close to the contract to ensure the cleaning standards were high during the shift realignment, and our agile approach, in turn, improved efficiency and cleanliness.
    
    

Goals & Outcomes

• Consistency
  
  
  • Their first goal was to improve cleaning standards across all areas.
    
    To achieve this, we implemented a strategy focused on ensuring we maintained consistency in our cleaning process and practices across all locations.
    
    This included standardised protocols and training programs to ensure our colleagues consistently delivered high quality service.
    
    We conducted monthly audits to assess and enhance our performance, where we were scored against mutually agreed upon KPIs and SLAs. This provided us with valuable insights into areas of improvement.
    
    The Contract Director and Area Managers discussed these audits in monthly reviews and regular meetings with Store Managers.
    
  • These regular meetings emphasise the partnership approach and collaboration that allowed Whole Foods to address any concerns and allowed TCFM to gain valuable feedback.
    
    
• Partnership Approach
  
  
  • The first brand wanted a partner in cleaning, a company that would work alongside them and adapt with their evolving business.
    
  • TCFM worked alongside them to deliver reductions in hours, open new stores and support any adhoc works required.
    
    
• New Store Openings
  
  
  • TCFM built delivery hours up in the weeks preceding the launch to set the standards.
    
  • We also completed comprehensive surveys of each site to understand the facilities, layout and identify where any issues could arise so we could build contingencies in. For the first week of new site launches we also increase hours by 10% to deliver 110% of hours to ensure the store was immaculate and ensure the standards were set from day one.
    
    
• Compliance
  
  
  • The first brand’s second goal was to ensure a fully compliant team to safeguard the brand image.
    
    This goal was driven by the lack of audits by the previous supplier, and they were not audited at all and the lack of right to work checks.
    
    We therefore implemented our monthly audits, which encompassed regular audits for quality and standards, and went the extra mile by introducing bespoke audits tailored to the needs, requirements and layouts of each of the seven sites.
    
    This allowed us to evaluate compliance at every location and ensured the levels of service we provided matched their prestigious brand image.
    
  • Our HR team also ensured all colleagues were fully vetted and compliant.
    
    
• Added Value
  
  
  • After TCFM settled into the account, we undertook additional responsibilities, going above and beyond the initial scope of work. As the contract is an out of spec contract, any work falling outside the predefined specifications was completed at no extra charge.
    
    
  • For example, an unexpected incident occurred at one of their sites, flooding the basement. This would normally incur additional costs; however, our dedicated Account Manager demonstrated their problem-solving skills and experience by accommodating the task with the existing hours, so there were no additional costs to the customer.
    
    
  • This upheld the integrity of our contract and showcased TCFM’s dedication to delivering value beyond expectations.

Contract Highlights

• High Profile Visits
  
  
  • The second brand’s stores have seen a number of high-profile visits from stakeholders from both the UK and US.
    
  • These visits were extremely successful and we gained positive feedback around cleaning standards.
    
    
• Retrofit of Stores
  
  
  • Due to their evolving business model, a number of stores have gone through retrofitting.
    TCFM worked alongside the customer to support the closure and reopening of stores once the work was complete.
    
  • We worked in partnership to ensure reopening went smoothly and customers walked into immaculate sites.
    
    
• Deep Cleans
  
  • TCFM have provided over 100 deep cleans across the life of the contract, often at short notice to ensure stores are always presentable and clean.
    
    
• Machinery
  
  
  • TCFM provided Numatic scrubber dryers and vacuums across the portfolio using Numatics’s NX range.
    
    These are both cordless machines to ensure no trip hazards whilst the store is open leading to safer conditions for both colleagues and customers.
    
  • The NX range also has interchangeable batteries with a run time of 80 minutes so the battery can be swapped instantly between the scrubber and the vacuum. This reduces costs as we don’t need multiple batteries and costs the customer less money on electricity to charge them.
    
    
• Sustainable Chemicals & Products
  
  
  • TCFM are committed to creating safer, cleaner, and more sustainable environments within the stores.
    
    We provide and use EcoLab chemicals to the stores. These are advanced, eco-friendly chemicals that carry significantly fewer hazards compared to traditional cleaning products.
    
    By using them, we not only maintain the highest standards of hygiene but also create a safer environment for both customers and colleagues, reducing potential health risks while remaining compliant with safety and environmental regulations.
    
    In addition, we utilise reusable microfibre cloths in place of disposable blue roll.
    
    Unlike blue roll, which mainly absorbs surface spills and visible mess, microfibre technology is designed to trap and hold dirt, grease, and dust at a microscopic level.
    
  • This ensures a much deeper and more effective clean. By eliminating the need for single use blue roll and its associated packaging, we also cut down on unnecessary waste streams.
    
    

TCFM Standard Technology Innovation

• Producing a full audit trail with robust vetting and right to work checks that cannot be overridden to provide an additional layer of security.
  
• Provides improved quality of training and service delivery.
  
• Internal communications platform
  
  

Outcomes

• Our Area Manager Felix Romascu, began with TCFM nine years ago as a cleaning colleague in Wholefoods. Since then he has progressed through various promotions including Site Supervisor and Site Manager. Due to Felix’s work ethic, ability and skills, he has now been promoted to Area Manager.
  
• TCFM consistently score an average of 98% across the portfolio. TCFM consistently score above 95% in our audits every month.
  
• Time & Attendance system.
  
• Real time auditing system.
  
• Accident reporting system