Rathfern Primary School, Lewisham - School Cleaning Case Study

Experience in the Education Sector

Rathfern had been unhappy with their existing cleaning company for some time - a combination of dealing with daily complaints from teachers about the standards, absence of staff without warning, and struggling to communicate with head office. Having realised that this was not going to change, Eugene, the school’s Premises Officer, invited 5 companies to provide a cleaning quote for the service.

It’s fair to say that cleaning companies will often submit quotes that on paper look similar, but Rathfern was looking for an improvement in the standards as well as communication. When asked what made them choose Rapid over the other companies, Eugene said:

“Rapid was the company that most impressed us. You had experience of cleaning schools which was important to us and the Operations Manager, Paul Twinley, came across as personable and wanting to help.”

Eugene says himself that the building is difficult to clean. The summer deep clean is a crucial time to ensure that the cleaning is thorough, to make it easier for the team to maintain the standard going forward. We spoke to Eugene just after the recent deep clean:

“Ingrid (Rapid’s Contracts Manager) was overseeing the team to ensure it went well. With our old company, I used to have to organise the cleaners on site myself. The cleaning team included additional areas in the deep clean and it was all spotless.”

In our experience, a successful school contract relies on a hands-on Contracts Manager, looking after a dedicated team of on-site cleaners. It’s always great to hear feedback like this: 

“The supervisor on site, Charles, is very good. He goes and does anything we ask straight away. He seems motivated and has a good attitude to work.”

Communication is Key

Having a motivated team of cleaners is something we strive hard to achieve. It not only makes for a happier team but it improves the standard of work, resulting in satisfied customers. As our conversation drew to a close, we asked Eugene to share what makes Rapid different from the previous company he was using:

“Communication. I can contact Paul or Ingrid at any time if the on-site supervisor isn’t available. They always phone me back and I have peace of mind that the back up is there if a problem ever arises. Even when things don’t quite go to plan, people listen and put it right. I have no issues with Rapid at all; we are getting what we pay for.”

Rathfern is just one out of the 150 schools that we currently service. If you would like to find out more about our education cleaning service and how we might be able to improve your cleaning standards, please make an enquiry.