Why Customers Benefit From Our Security Team Training?
The last decade has revolutionized the way a customer evaluates any business’ products or services. It’s not just about treating the customer right anymore; it’s about making them feel good.
A study conducted recently revealed that, “U.S. brands lose approximately $62 billion each year due to poor customer service.” The results aren’t surprising considering the many competitive options available.
Another U.S. based survey revealed that 65% of customers stop using a brand’s service based on one poor customer service experience. It concludes by adding, “By 2020, Customer Experience Will Overtake Price and Product as the Key Brand Differentiator.”
At Guardian we take this seriously and have developed strong customer centrist training programs. Our marketing team recently had a one on one sit down with Major Sellers, Quality Assurance Manager, and discussed the importance in providing customer experience training to our employees.
How do you think Customer Experience Training helps any company?
I believe training is the key to good service, especially with our residential clientele. Our residential concierge, porters and handymen, interact regularly with residents whose expectations are high. Customer experience training teaches our employees the importance of creating a positive experience for our customers and their guests.
What makes Guardian’s training program stand out?
I have worked with some pretty large security organizations in the past. None of them offered the specificity GSS Customer Experience training has to offer. Oftentimes our competitors focus on standard operating procedures, emergency situations, and access control, without ever really considering the environment in which our customers reside.
How does it benefit the customers?
Our customers benefit by being able to contribute to the training. They tell us what is important to them and we incorporate those needs in the training. In the end, our clients benefit by retaining, and renewing their tenants and residents.
Are there any changes in employee behavior after they receive training?
Yes, we are able to qualify employees during the training. We can identify better the right prospects for the job.
Customer Experience Training
Guardian Security Services aims to constantly empower its team so they could deliver the best customer experience. We regularly conduct customer experience training programs that help our employees brainstorm innovative learning solutions to boost engagement and development.
The Benefits of Customer Experience Training are many, but we at Guardian, have observed these first hand:
- Enhances customer experience by helping employees understand customer-centric approach.
- Employees get to enhance their skill set and familiarize themselves with the newest industry trends.
- Improves employee engagement, which later translates to greater motivation and job satisfaction.
- National Center on the Education Quality concluded that a 10 percent increase in workforce education level led to an 8.6 percent gain in total productivity.
- Better training increases employee retention rate.
Why It’s Important to Have a Clean Workspace
Maintaining a clean working space can be especially difficult when people bring in a mixture of mud, snow and rain along with their boots and Monday blues. When making more sales is priority, we overlook simple things like maintaining a cleaning routine. We believe you should focus on your work and leave to rest to us.
Use It or Lose It
First impressions almost always decide whether or not there are going to be any more impressions. You must have heard the phrase, “Your environment is the reflection of your state of mind.” But did you ever wondered if the environment could make or break a deal? An unclean space indicates negligence and less attention to detail. Your customers could take the inattention for carelessness. Hiring a professional service team for tasks like general maintenance, window cleaning, carpet and floor cleaning, may not necessarily stand out to you but definitely stands out the customer.
Pictured above is our employee using the latest Imop floor scrubber. At Guardian, we believe in implementing the latest technology to maximize the effectiveness and reduce costs. The Imop is a quicker, faster, and more efficient tool that helps cut cost, which we eventually pass on to you!
Health Before Wealth
Maintaining a clean work space will prevent the spread of disease and illnesses. In 2014, a research revealed that germs on a single doorknob can spread to 40-60 percent of workers and visitors within just 2-4 hours. Floors, doorknobs, desks, bathrooms and walls should be thoroughly and frequently cleaned to prevent an epidemic of multiple sick leaves.
In 2012 alone, nearly 3 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses were reported by private industry employers. A clean and organized office space would prevent falls, slips and injuries that could easily be avoided.
Do It For The Smiles
Employees are more productive when their work space feels more organized and clean. Having your office frequently cleaned would boost employee morale and increase productivity.
According to a survey conducted in 2017, 89 percent of Americans believe the condition of a workplace restroom is one indicator of how a company values its workforce. In short, a cleaner environment increases employee morale leading to more productive workforce and resulting in increased sales. Wasn’t that the point anyways?
While you focus on your goals and missions for the upcoming year, let us do what we do best and help you grow your business. Guardian Janitorial Services combines today’s technology with 100 years of innovative experience.
We customize our cleaning service to meet the needs of commercial properties, residential communities/buildings, financial institutions, retail locations, academia and municipal buildings. We can offer you a full range of solutions based on your individual needs and help you save money!
New Jersey’s Minimum Wage Increase Plan Approved
On Monday, Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey, signed a law that paves path for New Jersey workers to earn a minimum wage of $15/hour. New Jersey, preceded by California, Massachusetts, New York, and District of Columbia, has now joined the growing list of states adopting the left-leaning policy.
The measure attempts to introduce higher wages in subsequent amounts over the course of next five years.
Furthermore, According to Crain’s New York, “The bill raises the current $8.85 minimum wage to $10 an hour in July, and then increases the rate by $1 in subsequent years until it reaches $15 in 2024.”
Thousands of workers in New Jersey are now going to earn higher wages under the new bill. For most workers, this is how the schedule looks:
- $10 on July 1
- $11 on January 1, 2020
- $12 on January 1, 2021
- $13 on January 1, 2022
- $14 on January 1, 2023
- $15 on January 1, 2024
But How Does It Affect Businesses?
Preparing and budgeting for the next five years will benefit home owners, renters, and commercial property owners directly affected by the increase in wages. At Guardian, we are studying and examining the effects of the minimum wage increase on all businesses. Consequently, we aim to aid businesses by preparing them for the next five years and helping them minimize costs.
The new minimum wage law applies to most workers with the exception of seasonal workers, small businesses and tipped employees.
Workers employed by small businesses (with five workers or fewer) and seasonal employees (whose job falls only in the window of May 1 to Sep. 30) will have to wait until 2026 for their minimum wage to reach $15. Tipped workers currently earning an hourly wage of $2.13 will witness an increase to $5.13 an hour by 2024.
Proponents believe that increasing minimum wage would have long-standing benefits for the economy. However, there is no denial that businesses are likely to incur higher costs in the short run.
And How Can Guardian Help?
But behold the anxiety, Guardian is here to help you eliminate unnecessary costs. While you focus on profits, we help prevent loss.
Our leaders, like Jonathan Kessler, Guardian’s Senior Vice President, and Jeff Logan, Guardian’s Regional Director of Business Development, are dept at budgeting and cost cutting. Our approach includes developing a tailored plan that addresses the specific needs of your facilities. Above all, it helps assure the achievement of your objectives and generates immediate and cumulative cost savings.
The Importance of Commercial Window Cleaning
Commercial window cleaning is an overlooked task for many businesses. But the importance of clean windows goes beyond aesthetics. It gives an excellent return on investment by reducing damage to windows and increasing their lifespan. Here are a few reasons why clean windows matter to your company:
Clean Windows Increase Staff Productivity
Summer months are here as is the time to clean away the winter and spring blues. And let the sun shine through! Over the past few years many studies have shown that work environment affects employee productivity. According to researchers, work spaces with natural light greatly boost efficiency. Maintaining clean windows will not only improve the look of your building from the outside but also help your employees’ mood on the inside. With this understanding, commercial property have the chance to create and sustain environments that reduce employee stress levels and increase their ability to focus.
According to a customer satisfaction survey result “companies that have an office cleaning service provider achieve higher production numbers because of increased staff morale.”
Moreover, “Not only does the clean office help lift employees’ spirits, but it also encourage them to be more organized within their personal work space.”
Clean Windows Reduce Damage
Did you know that glass windows are porous? Exposure to natural elements, such as rain, snow, and dust, can adversely affect the strength of your windows over time. Weakened glass windows in most commercial buildings can lead to costly cosmetic damages. Professional companies like Guardian Service Industries, Inc offers cost effective, green and efficient ways to clean your office glass windows, especially from the outside. These types of services enable your company to reduce cost in the quickest and most effective way.
As “one of the largest, fully insured and licensed window washing company,” Guardian provides information on the best methods of commercial window cleaning. We also work on a frequent basis to extend the longevity of your windows.
You can learn more about our commercial window cleaning services on our website here.
Or you can contact us directly to create a solution that is best for your business needs.
Sniffs and coughs are NOT the only signs of sickness to look for: How eyes, lips and skin tell you who is ill!
You can spot signs of sickness through eyes, lips and skin and When someone says ‘you don’t look so good,’ you might want to head to the doctor, according to new research. Detecting illness is essential to survival from an evolutionary perspective, but it was previously unclear if and how humans could identify signs of it just by looking at one another.
With a particularly bad flu season upon us, symptoms like a runny nose or a persistent cough seem like good potential indicators of who to avoid if we want to dodge the bug.
But researchers in Sweden, the US and Germany collectively found that we are able to tell the difference between a sick person and a healthy one just by looking at their faces.
The annual flu epidemic has already reached widespread status and claimed the lives of a number of people, including at least 12 children. Reports have been swirling around that the flu shot may not be as effective against this year’s strain, leaving many looking for alternative preventative methods.
The new study, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, shows that we might just be able to keep ourselves safe from sickness by searching for physical signs in peoples’ eyes, skin and lips.Researchers from Stockholm University and New York University injected half of their 22 subjects with a placebo and the other half with a drug that causes brief but notable inflammation and signs of sickness.
Two hours later – just as those given the real injection were starting to get puffy – the researchers snapped photographs of all of the study participants.
The study used two different groups of 60 observers to assess the 16 pictures after eliminating six images from the original batch for being too inconsistent.
Observers with no medical or related training were able to correctly guess that 13 out of 16 of the people whose photos they saw were sick. Looking back at the side-by-side pictures of sick and healthy people, the researchers identified eight factors that make a person look sick, though, surprisingly, the features most drastically affected by the injection were not the ones that observers most closely associated with looking sick. Of those eight, three signs stood out as making people look sick.
For the full article click here.
Winter is officially here! Watch For Frozen Pipes!
Winter is officially here! As a reminder, please pay special attention any possibility of frozen pipes in your facilities. Especially: Any construction that has been done in the last year or penetrations that did not affect pipes last year, could freeze this winter. Those areas should be walked with a thermometer and checked. Pay attention to “curtain” or outside walls where work was done.
Sprinkler work that is open to outside air penetrations:
- Loading docks
- Outside air plenum rooms
- Roof mechanical rooms
- Stairwells on outside walls
- Fire stairs that exit directly to the street
- Please make sure all heat trace that is supposed to be working is in fact pulling amps
- Cooling tower lines
- Hose tank lines
- All OA dampers should be air tight when closed
- Some buildings may have to shut outside hose spigots (this could apply to your home as well)
Remember, if a sprinkler system is in danger of freezing, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO isolate a drain a portion of it (CHECK LOCAL CODES AND YOUR LOCAL FIRE HOUSE), BUT YOU MUST NOTIFY CENTRAL STATION AND FDNY DISPATCH.
For more details on the winter storm click here.
Prevent Frozen Pipes During Brutal NJ Cold Snap
The bitter cold is not just an inconvenience, in many cases it can lead to property damage due to frozen pipes. Here’s how to prevent that.
By Kara Seymour, Patch National Staff | Dec 28, 2017 11:16 am ET | Updated Dec 28, 2017 5:31 pm ET
The bitter Arctic blast that has enveloped New Jersey will linger into 2018. The National Weather Service has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook across the Philadelphia region for “nearly continuous subfreezing temperatures” through next week.
The bitter cold is not just an inconvenience. In many cases it can lead to property damage due to frozen pipes. But there are steps you can take to minimize the risk of frozen pipes at your home.
Pipes that freeze most frequently are those that are exposed to severe cold, like outdoor water faucets, swimming pool supply lines, water sprinkler lines, and water supply pipes in unheated interior areas like basements and crawl spaces, attics, garages, or kitchen cabinets. Also, pipes that run against exterior walls that have little or no insulation are also subject to freezing.
A 1/8-inch crack in a pipe can leak up to 250 gallons of water a day, causing flooding, serious structural damage, and the immediate potential for mold. To prevent the formation of ice in pipes due to freezing temperatures and to prevent the pipes from bursting, experts recommend that you:
- Always place piping in heated areas of a building.
- Properly insulate attics, exterior walls and other areas lacking adequate heating.
- Repair broken windows, ill-fitting doors and other conditions that allow heat loss.
- Keep exterior doors closed, even if not in the immediate vicinity of piping.
- Maintain heat in buildings at all times. No area with piping should be allowed to fall below 40°F.
Here are some additional tips:
Prevention
There are three common causes of frozen pipes:
- Quick drops in temperature
- Poor insulation
- Thermostats set too low
Luckily, there are a number of preventative steps you can take to keep your pipes from freezing:
- Check the insulation of pipes in your home’s crawl spaces and attic. Exposed pipes are most susceptible to freezing.
- Heat tape or thermostatically controlled heat cables can be used to wrap pipes. Be sure to use products approved by an independent testing organization, such as Underwriters Laboratories Inc., and only for the use intended (exterior or interior).
- Seal leaks that allow cold air inside near where pipes are located. Look for air leaks around electrical wiring, dryer vents, and pipes, and use caulk or insulation to keep the cold out. With severe cold, even a tiny opening can let in enough cold air to cause a pipe to freeze.
- Use an indoor valve to shut off and drain water from pipes leading to outside faucets. This reduces the chance of freezing in the short span of pipe just inside the house.
- A trickle of hot and cold water might be all it takes to keep your pipes from freezing. Let warm water drip overnight, preferably from a faucet on an outside wall.
- Keep your thermostat set at the same temperature during both day and night. You might be in the habit of turning down the heat when you’re asleep, but further drops in the temperature – more common overnight – could catch you off guard and freeze your pipes.
- Open cabinet doors to allow heat to get to un-insulated pipes under sinks and appliances near exterior walls.
- Keep any garage doors closed if there are water pipes or supply lines in the garage. If attached to home, consider opening the door to the garage to allow home heat to enter the garage. DO NOT use kerosene or other fuel fed heating devices in the garage to heat it.
If Your Pipes Do Freeze…
- If you turn on your faucets and nothing comes out, leave the faucets turned on and call a plumber.
- If your house or basement is flooding, turn off the water valve and immediately call 911.
- Do not touch or use electrical appliances in areas of standing water due to electrocution concerns.
- Never try to thaw a pipe with a torch or other open flame because it could cause a fire hazard. Every year, many building fires are caused by people trying to thaw frozen pipes. All open flames in homes present a serious fire danger, as well as a severe risk of exposure to lethal carbon monoxide.
- You may be able to thaw a frozen pipe with the warm air from a hair dryer. Start by warming the pipe as close to the faucet as possible, working toward the coldest section of pipe. DO NOT use a blow torch or any other open flame to try and thaw out potentially frozen pipes.
- Again, if your water pipes have already burst, turn off the water at the main shutoff valve in the house; leave the water faucets turned on and call 911. Make sure everyone in your family knows where the water shutoff valve is and how to open and close it. Likely places for the water turn-off valve include internal pipes running against exterior walls or where water service enters a home through the foundation.
- If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat set to a temperature no lower than 55ºF.
Don’t Let Pipes Freeze – and Steps to Take If They Do
What’s worse than a major home maintenance disaster? Try several major home maintenance disasters at once. When a house’s water pipes freeze, the situation is not as simple as calling a plumber. A 1/8-inch crack in a pipe can spew up to 250 gallons of water a day, causing flooding, serious structural damage, and the immediate potential for mold.
Frozen water pipes are a problem in both cold and warmer climates, affecting a quarter-million families each winter, and it can happen in homes with both plastic and copper pipes. It’s all too common, especially considering this damage is largely preventable.
In addition to taking the usual preventive precautions, here are a few steps you can take to keep your pipes from turning frigid nights into inconvenient, and expensive ordeals.
Before winter arrives
The three central causes of frozen pipes are quick drops in temperature, poor insulation, and thermostats set too low. You can prepare your home during the warmer months.
- Insulate pipes in your home’s crawl spaces and attic, even if you live in a climate where freezing is uncommon. Exposed pipes are most susceptible to freezing. Remember, the more insulation you use, the better protected your pipes will be.
- Heat tape or thermostatically controlled heat cables can be used to wrap pipes. Be sure to use products approved by an independent testing organization, such as Underwriters Laboratories Inc., and only for the use intended (exterior or interior). Closely follow all manufacturers’ installation and operation instructions.
- Seal leaks that allow cold air inside near where pipes are located. Look for air leaks around electrical wiring, dryer vents, and pipes, and use caulk or insulation to keep the cold out. With severe cold, even a tiny opening can let in enough cold air to cause a pipe to freeze.
- Before winter hits, disconnect garden hoses and, if possible, use an indoor valve to shut off and drain water from pipes leading to outside faucets. This reduces the chance of freezing in the short span of pipe just inside the house.
When the mercury plummets
Even if you’ve taken the right preventative steps, extreme weather conditions can still harm your pipes. Here are a few more steps you can take:
- A trickle of hot and cold water might be all it takes to keep your pipes from freezing. Let warm water drip overnight, preferably from a faucet on an outside wall.
- Keep your thermostat set at the same temperature during both day and night. You might be in the habit of turning down the heat when you’re asleep, but further drops in the temperature—more common overnight—could catch you off guard and freeze your pipes.
- Open cabinet doors to allow heat to get to un-insulated pipes under sinks and appliances near exterior walls.
Before you skip town
Traveling in the winter months might be good for the soul, but don’t forget to think about your pipes before you leave. What can you do?
- Set the thermostat in your house no lower than 55°F (12°C).
- Ask a friend or neighbor to check your house daily to make sure it’s warm enough to prevent freezing.
- Shut off and drain the water system. Be aware that if you have a fire protection sprinkler system in your house, it may be deactivated when you shut off the water.
If your pipes do freeze
What if your pipes still freeze, despite your best preventive measures? First step: Don’t panic. Just because they’re frozen doesn’t mean they’ve already burst. Here’s what you can do:
- If you turn on your faucets and nothing comes out, leave the faucets turned on and call a plumber.
- Do not use electrical appliances in areas of standing water. You could be electrocuted.
- Never try to thaw a pipe with a torch or other open flame because it could cause a fire hazard. Water damage is preferable to burning down your house!
- You may be able to thaw a frozen pipe using a hair dryer. Start by warming the pipe as close to the faucet as possible, working toward the coldest section of pipe.
- If your water pipes have already burst, turn off the water at the main shutoff valve in the house; leave the water faucets turned on. Make sure everyone in your family knows where the water shutoff valve is and how to open and close it.
How 5 Technology Companies in NYC Are Incorporating Design Into Their Workspaces
In recent years, marrying design with technology has become a common practice among architects and interior designers as they design work spaces for companies across numerous industries.
So it should come as no surprise that when some of the top names in the design industry were tapped to create work spaces for a handful of corporations in the technology sector in New York City, they would look to technology for inspiration. From live-streaming monitors that nod to one company’s television roots to a major dot.com with a mission to achieve zero-waste status by tracking its progress via open-sourced technology, businesses today are realizing the benefits that come when you blend design with technology. Here are five tech workplaces in NYC leading the charge.
Project: Compass.com
Firm: Vocon
Neighborhood: Union Square
Designer’s Statement with Lance Amato:
The goal of Vocon’s design was to create an innovative and dynamic environment while presenting a sophisticated narrative of how to feel the comfort of home at your workplace. We designed the front end of the office with the same spacial relationship found in an open-concept loft and a lounge seating area similar to that of a living room that is connected to a pantry. This visual connection allows occupants that are in both spaces to connect with each other as well as with passersby on Court Street. The 21st-century office has transformed from a primary workspace to a meeting place. With this in mind, we focused on providing different types of gathering and meeting spaces to support formal and informal encounters. While employees still have their own singular desk, these spaces are minimal and purely functional. Common spaces are equipped with comforts such as residential furniture paired with AV capabilities to support collaboration and teamwork.
For full article, click here.
Meet Gerard McGarrity – Guardian’s In House Security Expert!
Meet Gerard McGarrity
Gerard is a retired United States Navy veteran and a former member of the Navy Maritime Expeditionary Warfare Group which dealt with Anti‐terrorism force protection. His extensive training in the field of security is what makes Gerard a vital part of Guardian’s security solution!
Who Needs a Security Guard?
Our job isn’t to appraise what you produce, how you produce it, or whom you sell to. We believe every business is entitled to function safely and without threat of damages or loss. At our core, we are intensely interested in keeping you and your business secure. A few of our typical clients include:
- Hotels
- Retail Stores
- 24-hour businesses
- Hospitals
- Office Buildings
- Residential Communities
- Airports
Virtually any place of business can benefit from our security protection and we can tailor that to the proper safety that your business needs. Full customization of security guard schedules, presentation (plainclothes or uniform?), and equipment means that this security feature caters to the image you have cultivated for your business, and makes this a necessity for the safety of your assets.
What Can Security Guards Do?
We understand that each of our client’s needs are unique. That is why our security guards are trained to provide a variety of services. Some of the things we offer include:
MONITORING
You may want to establish a security guard service that does more than patrol. You may need someone to review surveillance or even walk employees or customers to their vehicles after hours. A security guard can help defend a number of aspects of your business that doesn’t involve simply walking around the perimeter (although, that can certainly be an option as well!). It boils down to asking yourself what are your security needs? We have years of experience in creating the ideal protection package by asking the questions no one else thinks to ask. We find the weak links in your armor and, instead of attempting to hide them, actually find ways to fix them.
PREVENTION
Hiring a security company as part of your overall safety plan will go a long way in preventing criminals from targeting you. Unfortunately, businesses are a target for vandalism and theft. A secure presence will certainly discourage criminal activity and help your business keep a safe reputation. Guardian recognizes the line between creating a crime-free zone (like a prison cell) and a place wherein crime is significantly deterred all the while business is still encouraged. Your business is not a jail cell, it shouldn’t feel or behave like one. There should be a balance between safety and claustrophobia. Our experience in protecting businesses means we know where that line is for your business.
MANAGING CRIME
The security guards from Guardian are top of the line. We train our professionals to handle crimes that range from theft, violence, vandalism—and everything in between. We want our clients to feel confident when they call on our services; they get the most competent people in the industry. We understand that quality service means constantly evolving with the changes that occur in society. That is why our personnel is required to continue training and implement those new security techniques in their positions. Our constant and consistent training does not stop at physical reactions to physical crimes. Our personnel are trained in everything from reading surveillance and interpreting body language and micro expressions to categorizing anonymous threats and responding to the newest trends of criminal activity in the age of the Internet. Just as you and your business change and evolve with time, so too do our security guards — by remaining adaptable at all times.
PEACE OF MIND
It has been proven that the presence of a security guard actually offers people a sense of safety. People simply feel better when they know that a trained professional is keeping an eye out. As a business owner, it lets you know that someone else also has your best interest in mind. When you succeed, we know that we have succeeded as well. It’s a win-win from both sides of the spectrum.
