The Customer Experience – Shaping the Future of Cleaning as a Strategic Asset
Customer experience is evolving rapidly. Today, it goes far beyond routine service delivery. Every interaction, every impression, every small detail shapes how customers view a brand. This reality is especially true for industries like cleaning, where the service is often invisible—until it’s missing. One such company is JPC by Samsic.
Traditionally, cleaning has been transactional. It was about hygiene, cost efficiency, and compliance. However, times have changed. Businesses today face new challenges: hybrid workforces, climate responsibilities, wellbeing mandates, and tighter economic expectations.
In this new reality, cleaning companies must evolve. One firm—JPC by Samsic—has already redefined its approach. Their transformation reveals vital lessons for businesses globally, especially those in India, looking to drive customer loyalty through enhanced service delivery.
Beyond Clean: The Shift to First Impressions
For JPC by Samsic, cleaning is no longer just about wiping surfaces. It’s about shaping how people feel when they walk into a space. First impressions matter. Therefore, their teams are trained not only to clean but also to interact, to enhance atmospheres, and to anticipate needs.
The company, part of the €3.3 billion Samsic Groupe, reinvested £1.5 million into transforming its operations. They launched a concierge-inspired cleaning model, merging hospitality with facilities management.
Unlike legacy models, which focus on technical specifications, this one embraces human-centric principles. Notably, frontline workers are now trained as environment enhancers, not just background service providers.
Integrating Hospitality Into Cleaning
To stand out, JPC by Samsic turned to hospitality. Their teams adopted the Forbes 5-Star Service Standards, usually associated with hotels. The result? Cleaners became experience architects. They now deliver professional, courteous, and proactive service—every day.
Importantly, cleaning staff don’t work behind the scenes anymore. Instead, they serve as ambassadors for the client’s brand. For example, they reset meeting rooms within minutes, manage waste creatively, and maintain high-end standards down to the placement of crockery.
As Mirela Ciobanu of British Land Portfolio notes, “Our job is not just to clean but to enhance the environment and the experience.”
Strengthening Team Connection and Culture
JPC’s model also transforms employee experience. Traditionally, cleaning teams operated in silos. There was little to no integration with client teams. Now, that’s changed.
By giving cleaners a seat at the table, JPC has created a culture of ownership. Staff feel part of something larger. This approach improves morale and reduces attrition. It also improves service quality because workers take pride in the details.
Account manager Andrew Jack says, “When you feel part of something bigger, it changes how you approach your role.”
Regular development sessions support this shift. Both technical training and customer service workshops ensure that every team member is equipped to respond to real-time needs.
Redefining Cleaning as a Strategic Asset
Why is this important? Because in 2025 and beyond, cleaning can no longer be a commodity. It must be a strategic function.
Crises such as the pandemic, climate change, and hybrid work have made cleanliness a visible benchmark of trust. People expect safety, comfort, and hygiene without compromise. Cleanliness is now an extension of a brand’s reputation.
JPC created what they call “cleaning equity”—a framework to measure how well a service contributes to public happiness and workplace confidence.
This reframing has won them new business across nine sectors in 2024 alone.
Tangible Impact on Customer Experience
JPC’s customer-facing model shows direct ROI. A clean, welcoming reception increases tenant satisfaction. A responsive, polite cleaning staff member enhances brand perception. These aren’t extras—they are now expectations.
Whether for a corporate event, a hybrid office, or a high-traffic venue, clients want reliability and elegance. Therefore, a new standard is forming: one where cleaning adds value.
By aligning operational excellence with hospitality, JPC by Samsic has proven that cleaning can support everything from employee wellbeing to tenant retention.
Elevating the Sector and Shaping the Market
JPC’s transformation sends a clear message to the industry. Cleaning is no longer a back-office function. It’s a front-line service that deserves investment and innovation.
Their Workplace Concierge Model is the UK’s first of its kind. It redefines job descriptions, trains for autonomous decision-making, and includes customer interaction training. It creates professionals, not just workers.
Notably, JPC became the first cleaning firm to enter—and win—the UK Customer Experience Awards. This recognition underscores the importance of viewing customer experience as central to cleaning services.
What Indian Companies Can Learn
Indian businesses, especially in facility management, real estate, and hospitality, can draw critical insights from JPC’s model.
- Customer experience is not a department—it’s a philosophy.
All staff, even in technical roles, should think and act with the end-user in mind. - Reputation is built through every role.
Cleaning staff may be the first people visitors see. Train them accordingly. - Human-centric service design matters.
Don’t just tick compliance boxes. Build services that elevate emotional and sensory experiences. - Invest in people.
Workforce engagement is not optional. An empowered team is a brand’s best asset. - Measure experience, not just output.
Traditional KPIs like cost per square foot are important. But don’t forget to track satisfaction, wellbeing, and emotional response. - Think hybrid and flexible.
India’s urban offices are evolving. Service models must reflect changing usage patterns.
Conclusion: Cleaning as a Future-Proof Investment
Ultimately, JPC by Samsic is not just cleaning buildings. It’s cleaning perceptions, rebuilding trust, and creating lasting impressions. Their story offers an important lesson: customer experience can and should be integrated into every function.
For Indian companies, this represents a powerful shift. Whether in tech parks, airports, hospitals, or co-working spaces, elevating support services can dramatically improve stakeholder satisfaction.
In the coming years, businesses that treat every touchpoint—from lobby to loo—as part of the brand story will lead the market. Cleaning will not be an afterthought. It will be a strategic pillar of customer delight.
So, if you’re planning for 2025 and beyond, ask yourself not just what is being cleaned—but how it’s being experienced.
The future of CX is clean. But more importantly—it’s intentional, human, and unforgettable.
