For the cleaning division at Anchor Group, there is nothing more satisfying than beginning work on a retail site in need of a complete turnaround. This allows for the formation of a clear, detailed, and effective strategy that ensures the retail space meets the exacting standards of all those visiting.
This is precisely what were were able to take on when Anchor became cleaning contractors for the iconic Trafford Palazzo retail space in May 2021.
But what has made this partnership between Anchor and Trafford Palazzo so successful?
Background on the Trafford Palazzo
Trafford Palazzo, previously Barton Square, was acquired by Peel L&P in May 2021 following its 2018 £75 million revamp.
Taking inspiration from Italian architecture and design, the palatial retail space boasts a glass dome, replicated on St. Paul’s Cathedral (and matching it in scale), constructed from over 1,800 pieces of glass.
In addition to this, the site’s key features include columns, pilasters, Grecian cornices embellished with gold leaves, 120 marble statues and, as a tribute to those that lost their lives in the 2017 Manchester arena attack, 22 bees, which have been painted around the site’s murals.
As you would expect, the scale and features of the site means it requires a great deal of care when it comes to a cleaning regimen, something that had sadly been neglected prior to Anchor’s involvement.
Effective recruitment
Any successful strategy requires an equally successful team and therefore recruitment has played a significant role at Trafford Palazzo from the outset.
Speaking of Anchor’s recruitment efforts Business Manager, Sami Alfarhan, has said:
“We have been very fortunate to have gained a fantastic team at the Trafford Palazzo site. This was a very ‘green’ site, with no rotas and no specifications in place. Therefore, it was crucial that we chose the right people for the job and were lucky to recruit a number of highly experienced individuals who had previously worked at the neighbouring Trafford Centre.
With a total of 17 staff, including two day shifts and one night shift, our team works tirelessly to ensure the site receives the care and attention it deserves to maintain its status as the UK’s ‘foremost experiential and retail destination’.”
A focus on team wellbeing
Establishing the right team is only half the challenge for Anchor Group, as we put great pride into our efforts to always ensure team wellbeing.
Whilst the right training and machinery are key, the cleaning industry is renowned for having an impact on an individual’s work-life balance due to the ever-changing needs of a client. Anchor however, works closely with all of our teams to ensure that maintaining a healthy balance is a priority, even going as far as hiring two cleaning teams with the ability to cover holiday and sickness so no one feels over-stretched.
Founder and CEO at Anchor, Andrew Harper, has said:
“Ultimately, Anchor aims to create a workplace for team members to have this vital work-life balance and return to the workplace fully charged. At the end of the day, the perfection we expect on sites will only be achievable when people are happy in their role.
Our ethos in this area has been key to maintaining high staff motivation, wellbeing and job satisfaction from the get-go.”
Results for Trafford Palazzo
Since joining the site, the cleanliness of Trafford Palazzo has completely transformed; from what was arguably a cleaning standard of 3 out of 10, it is now consistently rated 10 out of 10 across the board.
Business Manager Sami has gone on to say:
“From the very beginning we vowed to Trafford Palazzos’ owner, who is himself very involved on site, that we would overcome the many challenges facing the site and get a ‘wow’ out of him, and very quickly we did!
My best advice when forming a cleaning strategy for a retail space of any size, is to place a real focus on the team, ensuring they are happy in what they do and have the tools to carry out their work effectively. Ultimately this is where those great results are achieved.”
Speaking of Anchor's work at Trafford Palazzo, Dave Usher, Customer Service Manager for Trafford Palazzo - Peel L&P, has said:
"Can I formally thank your staff for the excellent work that they did yesterday in the testing circumstances we found ourselves with the condensation.
As always they stepped up to the mark and worked tirelessly to keep the Centre in a fit state to trade.
Despite the never ending cycle of mopping up, they always have a smile on their faces and interact well with the customers.
A credit again as usual and I am immensely proud of what they have achieved in this past year."
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