So gehen wir mit Reklamationen um – unser 8D-Prozess

Complaint management at Smooth Clean

Why we handle complaints differently than many other cleaning companies

Complaints are a part of the building cleaning business .
The crucial question is not whether complaints are made – but how they are handled.

Many problems in the cleaning industry arise not from a lack of effort, but from a lack of structure in complaint management.

What other cleaning companies often do wrong

In practice, customers repeatedly experience similar situations:

• Complaints are downplayed or discussed.

• Responsibility is unclear or is being passed on.

• Questions of guilt are the main focus.

• Problems are „fixed“ in the short term without clarifying the causes.

• Processes depend on individuals and are not documented.

The result:
The customer feels not taken seriously, trust suffers – and the same complaint reappears a short time later.

Not because nobody wanted to react, but because no clear process exists.

Our stance: Complaints are not a nuisance.

At Smooth Clean, we see complaints not as a disruption, but as a challenge .
Every complaint shows us where conditions have changed or where processes need to be adjusted.

We are convinced:

We improve with every complaint we handle in a structured manner.

Therefore, we deliberately refrain from assigning blame.
Mistakes happen – especially where people work. What matters is not the question of blame, but the learning effect .

This attitude is an integral part of our corporate culture.

Why complaints arise even with good cleaning performance

Complaints usually have understandable causes:

Human factors

Cleaning services are performed by people. Even with experience, training, and routine, details can be overlooked. Additionally, over time, a kind of tunnel vision can develop.

Limited controls

We conduct regular quality checks. However, these cannot be carried out after every single cleaning. Checks are spot checks – not continuous monitoring.

Customer perception

Cleanliness is partly objective, partly subjective. What one person considers clean, another might perceive as deficient – ​​especially in heavily used areas.

Scope of services and expectations

A key point in many complaints is the question:
What was agreed upon – and what is expected?

Complaints often arise when:

• Services are expected that are not part of the service specifications.

• usage or requirements have changed without agreements being adjusted.

Practical examples from everyday cleaning

Kitchen areas:
Complaint due to soiling. Analysis: The kitchen is being used significantly more often than at the start of the contract. The agreed cleaning frequency is no longer adequate.

Floor surfaces:
Complaint about streaking. Cause: New flooring; previous cleaning method no longer suitable.

Waste disposal:
Overflowing bins despite regular emptying. Reason: More employees, higher volumes of waste.

In none of these cases was the problem due to a lack of effort – but rather to changed circumstances .

Our solution: a clear, structured 8D complaint process

To not only resolve complaints in the short term, but to solve them sustainably , we at Smooth Clean work with a structured 8D complaint process .

The focus is not on theory, but on:

• clear responsibilities

• objective analysis

• comprehensible decisions

• permanent improvements

The 8D process ensures that every complaint:

• is systematically processed

• It works independently of individual persons

• is documented and verifiable

This way, every complaint becomes a learning process – for the object and for our company as a whole.