Day porters function behind the scenes in your facility, keeping things looking good and running smoothly.
Day porters can be the heroes in your facility doing day cleaning, handling whatever needs to be done, and even averting disasters.
What does a day porter do? Whatever you need them to. Think of a Day Porter Program like a daytime cleaning service with benefits.
The right program can give you an extra set of hands to support you as a Building Manager or Facility Manager. It also helps maintain a polished image and assures satisfaction with customers, employees, and tenants.
“A Day Porter Program is like a daytime cleaning service with benefits.”
These invaluable team members help ensure your facility never has to live with a mess while waiting for the nighttime cleaning crew.
Likewise, your Day Porter can help you tackle your to-do list, so you can focus on the most critical action items.
Can Your Day Porter Leap Tall Buildings in a Single Bound?
Probably not. But they might be faster than a speeding bullet and more powerful than a locomotive!
What your individual Day Porter does is mostly up to you. There are basic tasks most Day Porter services offer, plus extras based on your facility’s needs.
“What your individual Day Porter does is pretty much up to you.”
As a rule, your Day Porter follows a scheduled list of cleaning and maintenance responsibilities. These duties become the foundation of their day-to-day work.
Common responsibilities include:
- Lobby maintenance
- Maintaining and refreshing common areas like kitchens, lunchrooms, and patios
- Monitoring and servicing restrooms
- Restroom restocking
- Removing trash and debris
- Meeting setup and tear down
As far as extras go, where do you really need help? Your Day Porter can support your workload and help keep your facility on track.
Maybe you need meeting setup support. Maybe someone needs help moving offices. Maybe you need a quick package run downstairs.
How Can I Get the Most From My Day Porter Service?
For your Day Porter to truly function as your facility’s superhero, they need to understand what kind of help you need.
Most successful Day Porters have the personality for the job. They enjoy helping and being of service to your occupants.
Often, you only need to point them in the right direction and they will get moving with ease and enthusiasm.
“The best Day Porters need you to point them in the right direction and they will be off and running with ease and enthusiasm.”
To get premier building maintenance from your Day Porter, determine what type of daytime help is most valuable for your facility.
A Day Porter can also be cost-effective by filling service gaps. It adds the right amount of people power to keep your building operating smoothly.
“A Day Porter can be immeasurably helpful and even cost-effective in helping to fill in service gaps.”
Enlist Your Janitorial Company to Define Scheduled Duties
Once you know what you and your facility need, work with your janitorial services company to create the role and schedule.
A clear job description makes it easier to find an individual who fits your facility. It also helps ensure the porter and nighttime crew cover all areas without gaps.
Holding Out for a Hero!
Because they work during the day alongside your staff and occupants, your Day Porter can become an integral part of your team.
The role requires helpfulness, attention to detail, responsiveness, and positivity. You want a Day Porter who enjoys working with people.
“The position of day Porter requires a certain level of helpfulness, attention to detail, responsiveness and positivity to really get you the hero you deserve.”
Your commercial cleaning company should know how to attract, interview, screen, hire, and train amazing individuals.
They should conduct in-depth screening such as criminal background checks and drug screening.
Many top providers also include reference checks, employment verification, and other assessments to ensure a great fit. Your Day Porter works alongside you and your staff, so trust matters.
A Hero Doesn’t Need a Cape, But They Do Need Direction
To set your Day Porter up for success, determine which duties are most important for your facility. Clear expectations from day one make it easier to track progress.
Day Porters are people first and superheroes second. Without direction, most of us naturally gravitate toward tasks we enjoy and delay the rest.
Day Porters are often asked to do a lot. Over time, even great porters may start viewing tasks like restroom touch-ups or spot mopping as less important.
Why? Because special tasks often get the most attention and praise. The fix is simple: define priorities clearly and keep them visible.
Also, don’t allow too many random requests with no process for prioritizing them. Otherwise, the workload becomes impossible to manage.
From your Day Porter’s perspective, it may be unclear who can assign tasks without your approval. A point person can help field requests and decide what should be added to the schedule.
Solid communication helps you get the superhero-level service and responsiveness you want.
“Setting clear expectations with your Day Porter from day one sets them up for success and allows you both to track progress.”
A Day Porter program can be an effective addition to your maintenance services and offer the right amount of help to keep your facility looking great and running well around the clock.
If you think a Day Porter might be just what your facility needs, please contact Stathakis today at (800)278-1884 so we can assist you in designing a Day Porter program customized to your facility.
