SAFE
PRICING –
What goes into pricing for safety?
Often the
largest factor in pricing window cleaning services is
the cost of the time it takes to do the job. But one
must also consider the long term investment in time and capital
to do the work safely. All
too often window cleaning proposals are priced to “Get the job”
and are based more on beating their competitor’s rates, rather
than real costs of business.
The Cost to maintain a
safe work environment and culture is very different in the
High-Rise Window Cleaning industry than in other Cleaning or
Janitorial type activities.
Here is a
list of some of the things, surely not all, that have to be
included in the price to have safe pricing, not just competitive
pricing.
SAFETY... IT'S IS ABOUT TIME
-
Training: Besides the basic Standards (IWCA-ANSI I-14) and
Rules (MI-OSHA) training must include attitudes, values and
beliefs along with understanding of why rules are important.
If the technician feels the rules seem arbitrary and
bothersome, it is not likely they will consistently follow
them. If one understands the reasoning behind the rule and
the impact on each individual’s lives it will be followed.
- Safety
is about example. The company needs to put their time and
money where our mouth is.
Plan ahead and do the right thing, and sometimes the
right thing can be expensive.
- Most
importantly a company needs to be able to afford to be
selective in the hiring process, train correctly, re-train,
discipline if needed, and even terminate incorrigible
employees, even if such termination will be expensive and
inconvenient. .
SAFETY IS ABOUT ATTITUDES
and CULTURE
Owners and
Management attitudes dictate the attitudes of their staff.
Company culture takes a long time to develop and cement,
and a long time to change. It is about everything we do. Doing
the right thing is a choice that is presented to us everyday. It
is reflected in many large and small decisions that establish a
company’s culture over time.
BOTTOMLINE SAFETY IS ALSO
ABOUT FAITH.
Throw aside
the fear of not getting the job and live by the faith that doing
the right thing, even if it is costly, will work out in the end.
Clichés to live by;
Accidents don’t just happen… They’re caused
Safety is
no Accident