Commercial cleaning takes place at the customer's premises, often alone and outside opening hours, with access to keys, alarms and confidential information. The service, behavior and communication dimension is its own competence: visible vs. invisible cleaning, confidentiality and GDPR, key and alarm responsibility, professional appearance and handling complaints.
Introduction
A cleaning technician is often the one with the most access to a business: you go everywhere, often outside opening hours, and you are alone with the customer's property, papers and screens. This makes service, discretion and conduct a professional competency on a par with chemistry and method. The cleaning can be technically perfect and still cost the contract if the customer does not feel safe.
Visible and invisible cleaning
Cleaning is carried out either as night cleaning (outside opening hours, where one rarely meets the customer) or as day cleaning (while the business is in operation). Day cleaning has become more common for the sake of working environment and energy — but it puts demands on how one conducts oneself among people who are working. Two concepts are used for it: invisible cleaning, where one works discreetly and does not disturb, and visible service, where contact with users is part of the service. Regardless of time of day, it applies that you represent both your employer and the customer.
Confidentiality and GDPR
When you work in others' premises you see things: papers on desks, screens, mail, conversations, who is ill, who is at the office. That is confidential. The duty of confidentiality means you neither read, move, photograph nor pass on information you come across during work. Many cleaning staff sign a confidentiality statement, and where personal data is processed, both customer and cleaning company are covered by data protection rules (GDPR).
Keys, alarm and access
Working alone outside opening hours often means you have keys, access cards and alarm codes to the customer's premises. It is a trusted responsibility: keys and codes are personal and must not be lent or left behind, you lock and set the alarm after you and you do not let unauthorised people in — not even anyone who 'just needs to fetch something'. If you lose a key or access card or discover that a door/alarm is not working you must report it to your employer immediately.
- 01Keys/cards are stored securely and are not passed on — not even to a colleague without agreement.
- 02Alarm codes are kept confidential; don't write them in a visible place.
- 03Lock up behind you and turn on the alarm when you leave the premises.
- 04Do not let strangers in, and do not confirm to outsiders that no one is present.
- 05Report immediately if a key/card is lost or there is a fault on locks and alarms.
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