Ziba is a global design studio and a long time Cleansolution client. They work with a global clientele to re-think brands, products, and experiences. In a non-COVID year, their downtown Portland office is a hive of activity—home to a large team, host to clients from all over the world, and shared with several startups and small firms.
The Ziba building represents the firm’s innovative, inclusive ethos. A large auditorium, spacious kitchen/cafeteria space, a fabrication shop, and a design library augment the typical spaces of an office setting. A welcoming lobby and well-appointed conference rooms greet clients and visitors. Displays showcase physical and digital products and expansive glazing fills the space with light.
Design firms have a unique character that requires specific janitorial care. They are part function, part aesthetic inspiration, part work-in-progress, and part hospitality. In Ziba’s case, their “front of house” (lobby, displays, conference rooms) is central to their client service model as it’s the first impression a client, collaborator, or prospective employee has of the firm. Ken Dieringer, Ziba’s Facility Director, summed it up this way: “It has to look really sharp every day.”
Here’s a few ways we’ve worked with Ken over the years to ensure Ziba is always thoroughly clean and looking top-notch.
Careful Listening
From our first conversation with Ken, we took to heart that meeting his high standard for janitorial services was critical to Ziba’s success. Along with the “first impression” aspect, maintenance and cleanliness are key elements of the building’s Class A designation. Care of common spaces impacts other firms that rent space in the building. Ziba prides itself on caring for employees; a safe, comfortable workspace is one of the ways they honor that commitment.
A Responsive Plan
“Things go smoothly when the needs of the company are understood and provided for. Cleansolution has been really good at providing what we need.” Ziba had experienced high janitorial turn over and needed a consistent, trustworthy partner. The unique aspects of the building, their business and the cadence of their work year were also considerations in figuring out a “best fit” approach. We built a plan that ensured priority areas were consistently looked after. Cleaning was also set to an appropriate frequency (e.g. deep cleaning between Christmas and New Year’s when the studio was closed). And we made sure services stayed within Ken’s budget.
Day Porter Service
We’re big proponents of day porters, especially for busy, multi-faceted spaces like Ziba’s. Thankfully Ken was already using this model when we began working together. We sourced a cleaner we knew could deliver the excellent standard and responsiveness he was after. When we dug into the value of a day porter service for Ziba’s business, Ken put it this way. “Our cleaner can mix and match day porter and janitorial tasks, and call on Cleansolution if she needs backup. It’s an ideal solution. It’s more efficient than if we were divvying up responsibilities between multiple groups with limited scopes of work. She can look at the larger scope of work and find efficiencies that improves the quality and outcomes for Ziba.”