How GPS Tracking Can Help House Cleaning Companies

Like any business, house cleaning companies must grapple with finding and keeping customers, managing margins, and balancing quality with growth. They also have the added challenge of managing mobile employees.

Monitoring remote employees and maximizing their efficiency is difficult, to say the least. That's why more and more residential cleaning companies are turning to global positioning system (GPS) technology for help.

GPS uses satellites to track a smartphone (or other device) in real time, and that location information can be viewed remotely using software. There are two types of GPS systems—smartphone apps and vehicle-mounted devices. Apps are free or inexpensive, but aren't as robust in their capabilities. 

Installed fleet tracking systems vary in price, but may be worth considering. They can be safer because they talk to the driver and don't require looking at a screen for directions. More importantly, they can be integrated with sophisticated reporting software that can provide you valuable insights for improving your operations.

GPS can do more for your house cleaning business than tell you where employees are at any given moment.

Interview with Gosia Baran, owner of Helping Hands Cleaning Services about GPS Tracking

Benefits of GPS Tracking for Cleaning Companies

Efficiency
Some GPS trackers can be used to analyze and optimize routes to help drivers get between homes in the shortest distance and time possible. This reduces lost time from longer routes and lowers fuel costs. Some GPS software can also monitor engine idle time and send an alert when it passes a specific threshold. Reducing engine idling can also save on fuel costs.

Accountability
If employees know you're tracking their moves, they're unlikely to take the “scenic route” to a job site or make unscheduled stops for personal business, like picking up snacks. This is an especially attractive feature when you pay employees for drive time. As a business owner, you're sensitive to unproductive paid time, so keeping them accountable will save time and expense, which goes right to the bottom line.

Service
Finding a new customer costs more than retaining a current one. One way to keep customers happy is to arrive on time for their cleaning job. Using GPS software, you can track drivers' locations to provide customers with accurate, updated appointment windows and instant notifications of delays.

Records
GPS trackers can provide time-stamped records of the start and end times for every cleaning job. Having detailed, accurate reports with precise in-out times eliminates discrepancies and makes it easy to settle disputes with a client. It's also a great tool for verifying payroll.

Safety
Excessive speeding, harsh braking, and aggressive driving can waste fuel. What's more, they are potentially dangerous actions that can result in accidents. Some GPS software can send real-time alerts to help managers correct these behaviors. Fewer accidents saves money on vehicle repairs and can lower insurance rates. Also, GPS devices can provide after-hours alerts to warn of unauthorized vehicle usage.

Marketing
Given all the benefits above, GPS can also differentiate your company from the competition. It signals to customers that your company is innovative and that it makes efficiency, service, and accuracy priorities. Talking up the technology in marketing materials and on sales calls can give you a competitive edge.

If you own company vehicles, consider investing in GPS Tracking

Getting Started with GPS Tracking

You may be thinking that GPS technology sounds useful for your house cleaning business, but how do you get started?

First, consider which features are most important to you and what you could live without. Do you simply want to improve routes to reduce fuel costs? In this case, a basic free GPS app will likely suffice. Taking this approach will mean you may want to provide your employees with smartphones. Asking them to install a tracking app to their personal phone could cause potential privacy violations so proceed with caution.

• Provide job check in and check out for employees? Generate detailed reports for these times?
• Allow you to speak remotely to your employees to provide them with driving directions or job instructions?
• Automatically compare routes and generate the most efficient options for you?
• Alert you to engine idling, driving safety violations, potential vehicle theft, and/or vehicle maintenance needs?
• Come with technical support or other service options

Once you have your wish list, determine your threshold for upfront costs and monthly fees. If a free or cheap app isn't the optimal solution, then you'll need to pay for a vehicle-installed device with a subscription-based software/app.

The latter option requires an initial fee for the plug-in hardware ($100-$500 per vehicle) and a monthly subscription fee for the software and ongoing support (varies widely, but typically in the $20-$50 range).

Where can you buy GPS Tracking systems for your home cleaning company?

• GPS Trackit
• GPS To Go
• Veriot Venture

More cleaning companies are employing GPS to monitor their vehicles, and many are beginning to view it as must-have technology. The systems continue to evolve to offer more features and integrations, which means even more opportunities for streamlining and improving your operations and customer care.