The short answer
Most contract losses are preceded by complaints that were dealt with individually and never counted. Nobody saw the pattern because nothing recorded it.
Capture them all, respond on a stated timeframe, and review the pattern monthly.
Capture every one
- Including those made verbally to staff on site
- Including small ones nobody would formally raise
- With the site, the date and what was actually said
- With the cause once it is known, not just the symptom
- In one place, so the pattern is visible
Verbal complaints to cleaners on site are the ones that never reach management, and they are the earliest warning available.
Respond in a way the client sees
- Acknowledge quickly, within a stated time.
- Say what you will do and when.
- Do it, and confirm when it is done.
- Say what you changed so it does not recur.
- Check back a little later, unprompted.
Point five is what turns a complaint into retention. Nobody expects it, and it demonstrates the fix was real rather than a reply.
Look for the pattern
| Pattern | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Same site, repeatedly | Staffing, access or the spec |
| Same day of week | Rota or cover problem |
| After a staff change | Handover gap |
| Across several sites at once | Process or supply problem |
| Rising generally | Capacity stretched too thin |
The last row is the one to act on quickly. Complaints rising across the board usually means the operation has taken on more than it can deliver.
Tell staff what came of it
Complaints that result only in criticism produce hiding rather than improvement. Staff stop reporting the problems they see, and you lose your earliest warning.
Where a complaint reveals a resourcing or specification problem, say so plainly. It is frequently not the person's fault and treating it as such is expensive.