In this episode of Polishing Profits, hosts Mark Anderson, Sharon Cowan, CBSE, and Ed Selkow dig into one of the most critical — and underused — tools in the janitorial world: structured customer feedback.

If your only customer communication happens when something goes wrong… you’re playing defense.
 This episode will show you how to switch to offense — by creating a feedback system that actually improves service, builds trust, and sets you apart from competitors.

From simple walk-throughs and inspection logs to Net Promoter Scores and CRM tools — this is your guide to collecting, responding to, and acting on what your customers are telling you.

💥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ Why most customer feedback is too little, too late — and how to fix that
✅ The difference between reactive and proactive client communication
✅ How to tailor your communication style to different types of clients
✅ Tools you can use (free and paid) to collect actionable feedback
✅ How to close the loop with your clients and turn complaints into loyalty
✅ How to use feedback as a training tool for your team
✅ Why follow-up matters more than you think — and how it can save your account

📌 This Episode Is For:

• Janitorial and commercial cleaning business owners
• Operators and account managers looking to boost retention
• Teams that want to improve service and stand out from the competition
• Anyone tired of hearing complaints and ready to fix the root issues
  
  
  

🧭 Episode Breakdown:

• (02:26) – Why feedback systems matter more than ever
• (04:00) – Funny stories + real feedback horror stories
• (06:00) – Walkthroughs, inspections, and when to show your face
• (08:00) – Why “no news” isn’t always good news
• (10:00) – Tools: NPS, CSAT, customer effort scores, and free templates
• (12:00) – Offense vs. defense: are you always catching up?
• (16:30) – How to use the data: tracking issues by supervisor/team
• (18:30) – Sharing positive feedback with your team (and why it matters)
• (21:00) – Real story: pest control company dropped the ball
• (23:00) – How to close the loop with customers and build long-term trust

🔗 Where to Find Your Hosts

• Sharon Cowan, CBSE – LinkedIn
• Mark Anderson – LinkedIn
• Ed Selkow – Janitorial consultant & industry veteran
• CleaningProphets.com – Where this collaboration began
  
  
  

🎙️ About Polishing Profits

Polishing Profits is hosted by three of the most respected and experienced leaders in the janitorial industry: Mark Anderson, Sharon Cowan, and Ed Selkow.

With over 140 years of combined experience, they’ve built and scaled commercial cleaning companies, coached hundreds of owners, and helped countless teams go from stuck to thriving.

Each episode brings you real stories, real strategies, and practical tools to build a cleaning business that actually works.

Produced by The Profitable Cleaner Network.

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