For businesses that are visited by clients and organizations such as churches that are visited by guests, first impressions matter. I’m not talking about the things out of your control–a bad hair day or a tongue-twisted greeting–I’m talking about the things you do have some say over. At Sonlight Cleaning Services, our motto is “When First Impressions Count!”

The truth is, first impressions always matter when it comes to your business or organization. And the scary thing is, first impressions are formed fast–a 2018 Forbes article suggested that a person forms a first impression in a mere seven seconds. Wow!

So what can you do to make the most of those first seven seconds? We suggest a “first impression inspection”! It’s simple. Every day when you arrive at your campus, ask yourself a brief series of questions:

1. How does the parking lot look? Or as I like to call it, the “gum & garbage” check! These two items somehow mysteriously end up in every parking lot… but that’s not an excuse to let them stay there. When you use Sonlight Cleaning Services for your daily janitorial cleaning and day porter service, you can utilize the same company to both check for unwanted trash in the lot and perform routine and special power washing of your parking lot. Talk about a simple solution!
2. Is the exterior looking its best? Power washing the exterior of buildings is a good thing to add to your routine maintenance routine, especially in places prone to staining, such as where the wall meets a flower bed (when it rains, mulch and dirt can splatter the brick, rock, or siding leaving a dirty mess behind).
3. Are the sidewalks clean and appealing? See: gum & garbage check! Again, the sidewalks are an area prone to both. There’s a huge visual difference between a freshly swept sidewalk and a leaf-strewn sidewalk.
4. Is the entryway rug looking ready to greet guests? Think it’s just a rug? Think again. The entryway rug is like the “red carpet” to your front door. Does it look like you just rolled it out for the person who walked in? Now you may be thinking, “How can I possibly make it look just as good at the beginning of the day as at the end of it?” This is where Sonlight’s day porter service proves absolutely invaluable.
5. What’s the status of the trash cans? Entryway trash cans are often the most-used trash receptacles in a building besides those in the restrooms. People often drop off trash in their way into the building as well as on their way back to their vehicles. And nothing says “we weren’t ready for you” like an overflowing trash can in the entryway.

This first impression inspection can be done by you or, ideally, several people within your organization. Some companies will even bring in surprise guests to ensure they aren’t missing anything. By performing this kind of self-audit on a daily basis, you guarantee that no matter who visits your facilities that day, their first impression (bad hair day aside) will be a good one! Contact us Today!!