“While leaving the mall, visitors in the Gulf make sure it remains exactly as the janitors kept it. If the same attitude is adopted by mall visitors in India, half of the Janitors’ work will get done,” says Shainu John, Assistant G.M-Operations-Gulmohar Park, Ahmedabad.
Shainu John
“Visitors create a mess while using washrooms and janitors are expected to continue doing their job of cleaning quietly! In India, the washrooms used by women are in a much better state than the gents’ washrooms.”
Gulmohar Park has outsourced the maintenance to Mumbai based Sanjay Maintenance Services. “Outsourcing is cost effective and we are also able to engage skilled manpower with the knowledge of managing and cleaning different areas during demanding times.”
However, the services can go off track and may not meet the expectations unless we take on the responsibility to supervise so that service providers follow instructions. “They may not work on our payrolls, but from our end, we make sure everything is going well as per the contract.”
“We do not give room to issues related to machine breakdowns, as under the contract it is the responsibility of the service provider to make sure the said number of machines are operating. If my mall has to face the brunt due machine breakdown, we get into the penalizing mode.
“There are checklists whereby we take rounds of the premises and inspect every nook and corner. It is normal that one who is working in an area regularly may not pick up the flaws in service delivery, but when inspected with a fresh eye, one can find a thousand errors. When any kind of deviation is found, we begin the rectification process. A check on the cooling, the music and fragrance comes under the rectification process.
“Machines are available to wash the upper surface of the escalators but since we have extra manpower employed we make sure he wipes the hinges and every part of the escalator with a fresh cloth. This happens every fortnight, in the unfriendly hours of night, after the customers leave.
“Chemicals are used where the garbage is placed in the backyard keeping it odourless and maintained. For pest control, there is a annual contract.
“During festive seasons, the man power and security measures are increased. We evaluate the demands and adjust the budget and spending accordingly. Unlike in Mumbai where the footfall is by and large uniform year round, in Ahmedabad, the visitor flow is predictable. However, we are also hit by workers not turning for duty during religious holidays. They need to look beyond missing out on a day’s salary to understanding the fact that their jobs carry a huge responsibility!”
