Why Outcomes (Not Goals) Are the Missing Link with Commercial Cleaning (ReThink Clean #1)

If you’re reading this, chances are something’s not sitting right with you about your current commercial cleaning company. Maybe your cleaner turns up, but the job still feels half done. Maybe things keep getting missed. Or maybe you've got that quiet frustration—the bins are empty, the floors are vacuumed, but somehow the place still doesn't feel clean. You're not imagining it.

In my more than 30 years as the co-founder of In-Tec Commerical Cleaning, here's what I've learned—most cleaning issues don’t start with bad people. They start with unclear expectations. Vague scopes. No shared definition of what “clean” actually looks like. And if your cleaner doesn’t know what the outcome should be (and they’re not properly trained or supported to deliver it), how can they possibly get it right?

📊 Case Study: Car Dealership Achieves $480,000 ROI, 11% Productivity Gain with In-Tec

That's what this exclusive behind the scenes conversation is all about.

Recently, I sat down with Jo Granna, our new Business Manager, who’d just wrapped up her second week at In-Tec. Now Jo’s worked across hospitality, customer service, and uniforms, but never cleaning. So what you’re hearing in this discussion is her raw, first-hand reaction to what it’s actually like to step into this industry the right way, and what she’s already noticed that most people completely miss.

It’s honest. It’s unfiltered. And it’ll probably challenge a few assumptions you might have about what commercial cleaning really involves, what clients are responsible for, and what a “clean” site actually takes to maintain, day in, day out.

Watch Our Full Conversation

Key Takeaways from Our Chat

Our culture of care at In-Tec starts with the small stuff, and it changes everything.

One of Jo’s first observations after joining the team was how different the workday felt. Not because of the job itself, but because of how we treat our people.

At In-Tec, we stop and have lunch together. We look after each other. And Jo said something that really stuck with me—she'd never been encouraged to stop and eat lunch at work before. And when she finally did, she realised she finished her week not feeling completely burnt out. That might sound like a small thing, but in our industry, that’s rare, and it matters.

“I wasn’t exhausted, I wasn’t stressed... even though I was in a new environment, learning new things. That lunch break made a difference.”

Cleaning isn’t simple. It’s layered, technical, and far more complex than people think.

Jo admitted she walked into this job thinking commercial cleaning was straightforward. But within two weeks, she saw how much depth and process there really is, and how much the public doesn't see. From cloth systems to compliance to scopes of works to audits, the work is professional, and when it's done right, it’s not just labour. It’s thinking. It’s planning. It’s care. The mistake most clients make is assuming anyone with a mop can clean.

But it’s not that simple.

“There’s so many layers, there’s so much to cleaning that the general public don’t know.”

Standards are personal. Outcomes are shared. That’s where the clarity comes in.

This is something we hammer home with every client: you might have a cleaning standard in your head, but if I ask three people at your company what it means to have a “clean site,” I’ll get three different answers. So we throw out “standards” and start talking outcomes. Outcomes are clear. Outcomes are measurable. Outcomes allow both parties to agree on what success looks like, and that’s where trust is built.

“Standards vary and standards are left to interpretation. But outcomes are what they want to achieve.”

If your cleaners don’t have a clear scope, they can’t succeed, even if they’re trying.

Jo saw this firsthand during some of her early site walkthroughs. She said at first glance, a site might look fine. But when she started really looking, she’d find grime, buildup, small things that had been missed for weeks. Not because the cleaner was lazy. But because there was no clear Scope of Works in place.

Or worse, they had the right tools but had never been shown how to use them. That’s what happens when scopes are vague and training is missing.

“You could see the grime, you could see the build-up that comes from not having that clear scope of works. (Cleaners also) didn’t have the right tools, or didn’t know how to use the tools they were given.”

Auditing works. Not just because it keeps people accountable, but because it builds trust.

Jo’s already doing audits, and I’ve watched her do them. I'll be honest, she’s tougher than me. And the funny thing? Our clients welcome her. They expect her. We’ve had clients say they didn’t bother emailing us about something because they knew Jo would be there soon to catch it. That’s not something you build overnight. That’s earned through consistency and showing up when you say you will.

That’s how trust is built in our industry, through accountability and action.

“We’re turning up fortnightly and clients go, ‘You’re not going to find anything.’ But we still go. Because that’s the job.”

A  goal is not a scope of works, and it sets everyone up to fail.

One of the most important things we cover in this episode is the difference between a goal and an outcome. Clients will say things like, “We want this room cleaned,” but they won’t define what that means, or what not to touch, or when it needs to be done. That’s how expectations get broken. That’s how cleaners get confused. That’s how risk creeps in.

Jo and I talk through a few real examples of this, and how a cleaner can’t possibly deliver the right result when the brief is vague.

“You’ve given them a goal, but you haven’t been clear. A goal is: 'I’m going to clean up my diet.' An outcome is: 'I’m going to stop eating junk food.' That’s the difference.”

Want to Improve the Quality of Your Commercial Cleaning Service?

Start by getting clear on your outcome. Not a goal. Not a feeling. The actual result you want to see every day when you walk into your site. Then work backwards. Build a scope of works that matches that outcome. Set the expectations. Define the frequency. Remove the grey.

And if you don’t know how to do that yet, that’s fine.

Most people don’t. But that’s where a good cleaning partner steps in. We’ll have that conversation with you. We’ll walk your site, ask the questions, challenge what needs challenging, and help you build something that actually works. Because once you’ve got the outcome clear, everything else gets easier. And if you get that part right from the beginning, you’ll never have to go looking for another cleaner again.

If you're interested in learning more on how to choose the correct commercial cleaning partner for your organisation, you can download our guide, 10 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Commercial Cleaning Company. Or you can contact us at any time with your questions, or to start a conversation about how we may be of service to you.