Question: Is their anyone else besides Green Seal that is certifying cleaning contractors?
Steve’s Answer: At this time there are 2 basic certifications that a cleaning service can get and both are new. The first is ISSA (International Sanitary Supply Association) which has developed a certification program for contractors, which is a general management standard. The second is Green Seal, which is specific to Green Cleaning and would allow a contractor to make “green” claims.
Both certifications offer real value, but both are new and it is yet to be seen if the marketplace (your customers) will “value” the certifications. If it is unclear what I mean by this, I would encourage you to think about the ISO 9000 certification program. ISO 9000 truly will help a manufacturer with their quality control process, but most consumers aren’t aware of this program. So while it will help a manufacturer be more cost effective by eliminating defects and making a more consistent product, consumers don’t see much “value” in it and as a result we don’t see many manufacturers really advertising that they are ISO 9000 certified.
I use this example simply to point out that if your goal in getting your contracting business “certified” is to improve your internal operations and become a better managed company, then I think both of these certification are valuable. However, if your primary goal is to use these certifications for marketing purposes, then I think it is still unclear whether or not customers will recognize the value.
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