Is having your kitchen staff clean windows an efficient use of their time, or your money?

Is it an efficient use of your staff's time
to have them clean your restaurant's
windows?

What restaurant owner isn’t thrilled when a family of eight or more come in to celebrate the birthday of one in their group? A celebration, such as that, tends to prompt a lax fiscal mentality that includes more appetizers and, definitely, dessert. But you want the service to bolster the festive nature of the event. What if it doesn’t?

For instance, what if they are left waiting too long for service. What if the joyous conversation is interrupted by someone asking, “When are they going to come take our orders?” This is not a good time for diners to notice waitstaff standing about idly or even doing chores that could be done at other times.

Imagine if members of that group are beginning to glance at their watches because their meals have yet to arrive while they see a waitress washing windows. It’s not hard to visualize someone in the group commenting, “Couldn’t they be helping to get our orders out rather than washing windows right now?”

It’s not that clean windows aren’t important for an establishment that serves food and drinks; they are. Clean windows are vital when it comes to presenting an eatery or café in a light that suggests cleanliness that extends to food preparation areas. Diners like the idea that their food will be served in a clean and hygienically safe environment. But is having the staff clean the windows an effective use of their time?

When it comes to cleaning windows, restaurant managers may choose the less experienced members of the waitstaff for the job. But wouldn’t their time be better used learning the ropes of taking orders, promptly communicating the customers’ wishes to the kitchen staff and efficiently serving orders?

It takes time for a waiter or waitress to learn the menu and all the nuances involved in filling orders while addressing special needs of some diners. Mostly likely, they also need to learn your POS system, as well. And how many on your staff are really qualified to clean windows.

Cleaning windows isn’t just about getting the dirt off the glass; it’s also about avoiding streaks and not making a mess in the process. Hopefully, the employees who run your restaurant are professionals who know what they’re doing. It’s a bit much to expect their expertise to extend to window cleaning, too.

And how long will it take them to clean your windows? It’s not their primary job. You can’t expect them to complete the window cleaning as promptly as you expect them to take orders. But those who clean windows professionally know what they’re doing.

When a professional window cleaner is done cleaning your windows, the windows are clean, there are no streaks and no mess. And they don’t take all day getting the job done.

Are your windows and walls giving dirty looks to potential customers

Consciously or subconsciously, potential customers are
likely to notice if the windows and walls of your business
are clean or dirty. And what they see outside is likely to
influence their impression of what they'll see inside.

Have you ever seen a scowl or a dirty look on someone’s face as they entered a business? Could it be they’re only returning the dirty look your business gave them on the way in? Unfortunately, that’s the kind of dirty look that could have potential customers walking on by.

The first impression a potential customer has of a business is based on what they see of the exterior of the building. This is especially critical for a company that sells food where a dirty look can even change a potential diner’s appetite. But it really applies to all businesses.

People are particular about what they eat. With a restaurant, they want their food prepared in a clean kitchen and served on clean plates and bowls. Customers will send back a fork that isn’t clean. Any hint that the food is prepared in a dirty kitchen is sure to earn a dirty look from the customer. 

Restaurant owners go to pains to keep their kitchens clean only partially because the health department has codes requiring it. The health department doesn’t inspect a restaurant every day but diners do.

Keep in mind that the health department doesn’t inspect restaurants, diners, cafés and other eateries out of aesthetic concerns. The health department conducts inspections of these establishments because an unclean eatery is likely to be an unhealthy eatery. And this brings us back to the external appearance of a restaurant or café.

Clean windows and walls speak volumes about the quality you offer your customers

The prominent aspects of the outside of businesses are the windows and walls. If the windows aren’t clean, they might prompt dirty looks from potential customers. The same goes for the walls. There are those who won’t give it a conscious thought. But their subconscious may return the dirty look reflected on dirty windows.

Window cleaning and power washing have the miraculous ability to wipe away dirty looks, the kinds of dirty looks that turn diners and customers away from a restaurant or business.

If the presentation outside the business demonstrates a conscientious effort to present a good impression, most diners and customers will assume that such an attitude carries through to the products and services provided inside. Dirty looks are as unlikely inside as they are outside.

Window washing and power washing are both dirty look eliminators. 

Wedding Party, Graduation Party, Birthday Party or a simple BBQ:

Window cleaning and power washing help, whatever you’re celebrating

Summer time is party time. As your backyard

becomes the outdoor party room, make sure

the house is presentable. You may want to

consider power washing and window cleaning.

There’s so much to do you don’t know where to turn next. But all those preparations aren’t going to take care of themselves. Whether it’s a wedding party, a graduation party, a birthday party or simply a barbeque get-together, you want everything to go off without a hitch. And you want the house to look its best – and that includes clean windows, doesn’t it?

Do you have invitations to send out? Do you need to rent tables and chairs? Do you need to rent a tent, chafing dishes, bouncing houses and/or games? Where will you set everything up? 

Of course, before you put one stake in the ground for the tent or a bouncy house, place tables and chairs anywhere in the yard, you’ll need to cut the grass and clean up the yard. And you’ll want the house to be spotless, inside and out, won’t you?

If you’ve straightened up inside, vacuumed and dusted, shined the silver and polished the glassware, that’s a good start. But, if all that is done, and the windows are dirty, those windows will standout like sore thumbs all around the house.

Windows are generally transparent. Therefore, they’ll need to be cleaned indoors and outdoors. 

While looking at the windows from the outside, you may notice that the siding around the windows is none too clean either. Essentially, the house needs a bath before the party begins.

With all you have to do, why add cleaning windows and bathing the house to your to-do list? A much better idea is to call in the pros.

Professionals will do a streak-free job of cleaning your windows. And, with power washing, your home will look so nice you’ll enjoy the appearance long after the party is over. Same thing with those clean windows.

Whatever your celebrating, clean windows and siding will go a long way to presenting your home the way you want friends and family to see it. 

From window cleaning, to power washing to window tinting and gutter cleaning: NIW has the professional service for you

From window cleaning, to power washing, to

window film and gutter cleaning, NIW has

an array of services to meet your needs.

It’s wonderful to have a window cleaning company on speed-dial. After all, who wants to wash their windows. It’s not uncommon to hear a maid service say, “But we don’t do windows.” Not only do window cleaning companies ‘do windows’ but they specialize at doing windows.

A really nice thing about quality window cleaning companies is that some of them do more than windows. For instance, Northern Illinois Windows, which has cleaned windows for residential and commercial clients in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin since 1991, also provides other services that keep customers smiling while safely keeping them off ladders.

Window Cleaning

Window cleaning is how NIW got started. As mentioned above, they’ve provided superior window cleaning services for 34 years. They like to say that they clean windows “one pane at a time.” They clean windows in the spring, summer, autumn and winter. 

Some customers like to setup to have NIW come out and clean their windows on a monthly basis. Others prefer to call and schedule a cleaning when they’re ready. Commercial clients often prefer to see NIW’s professional window cleaners cleaning the windows on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. 

It’s good to know you can call on NIW if you have a special occasion, if you want to present a positive image for customers and if you simply appreciate a clear view out of your windows.

Power Washing and Awning Cleaning

If your home or business is looking a little grubby, NIW is ready to come out and clean the exterior of your building when you need them. If you’re getting ready for painters to come out, NIW will help to prepare your walls for paint.

The same applies to cleaning your awnings. Trees will sprinkle your awnings with sap and we don’t even like to think about what the birds do. NIW will return respectability to your awnings.

Window Film

Is the sun shining a little too brightly in your windows? Are the sun’s UV rays fading your floors and furniture? NIW installs the best professional window film, including quality 3M products in homes, retail stores and offices.

And if you’re looking for an aesthetic appeal or a little more privacy, NIW can provide professionally installed window film that will do the trick. 

Gutter Cleaning and Gutter Guards

Clean gutters allow water to properly drain. Clogged gutters will back up and the water will pour over the edges of the gutters or back up under the shingles of your roof.

NIW will clean your gutters so they work properly. They can also install gutter guards that will keep you gutters clean.

Curb appeal means attention to detail and that includes clean windows

You’re thinking about selling the house? You want it to sell fast and at the best possible price, right? You want it to look its best. Curb appeal matters and that means attention to detail. And, if you’re attending to every little detail, you don’t want to forget the windows. Dirty windows on a clean house can stand out like sore thumbs.

Of course, you want clean siding on the house, too. If it needs some TLC, you may want to have some power washing to bring the impression up to snuff.

You’re selling the house, you’re going to make sure it’s ready to impress potential buyers: the grass is cut, bushes are trimmed, windows are cleaned and everything is in its place. But what if you’re not selling the house?

Many of us simply like to keep our homes looking good. We want everything to be in tip-top shape. In fact, it’s a way of being a good neighbor. Most of us don’t appreciate a neighbor who allows their home to look like a hovel.

Then there are times when company is coming to visit.

No doubt you’ll spend time tidying up inside, vacuuming, dusting, washing the floors, bathroom and kitchen. You’ll also want clean windows when visitors are inside looking out. But, before they enter your home, they’ll gather an opinion while approaching the door. And dirty windows and/or walls won’t give a positive first impression.

Maybe, you’re one of those people who doesn’t mind washing your own windows. But, then again, you’ve got enough to do without taking on that big chore. For professionals who wash windows, they have the process down to a science. They do the work in short order and, if it’s a quality window cleaning company, they’ll leave your windows sparkling clean.

Professional window cleaners are also adept at climbing ladders and cleaning windows at heights. You don’t have to worry that you or a loved one will fall from a ladder.

Clean windows are one of the details you don’t want to miss when it’s time to clean, whether it’s Spring Cleaning, for a special event, to improve your home’s curb appeal when you put it up for sale, or just because it makes you feel good to have a nice clean home.

Yes, you can have your windows cleaned all year round

Even though it's winter, you can have your

windows cleaned all year round.

The problem with clean windows is you may not notice them because, well, they’re clean. But a dirty window is something that, more often than not, grabs your attention. And, even if you don’t think that it has touched a nerve, subconsciously, it may affect your state of mind. Those dirty windows may grate on you. If only you could keep your windows clean all year long. 

Turns out, you can! No, you don’t have to climb a ladder in the middle of January; but someone else, who is fully bonded and insured, can do it for you. Window cleaning companies, like NIW, clean windows all year round. 

Are you thinking, ‘That’s crazy talk! No one is going to try to clean a window outside when the temperature is below freezing. The water will freeze.” 

It turns out professional window cleaners do just that. They know what it takes / know what to use to ensure that the solution in their bucket doesn’t become a block of ice. Then they dress appropriately and carefully proceed to clean your windows. 

December, January, February and March: professional window cleaners are on the job. 

“We keep ‘em looking good all year round,” said Bill Thomas of Northern Illinois Windows. 

Though there is a point where the thermometer is a bit too low, in many cases, though it’s below freezing, window cleaners are on the job. 

“Some of our customers, including commercial customers such as Woodstock Country Club and Blue Ribbon Millwork, arrange for us to come out once a month all through the year,” said Thomas. “They don’t have to call us; as long as they want us to keep their windows clean, we’re on the job. You don’t have to worry.” 

While some window cleaning companies may sign homeowners up to contracts, companies, such as Northern Illinois Windows, don’t operate that way. 

As Thomas put it, “Our customers aren’t locked into anything. They can call us anytime they want and we’ll take them off the schedule. Or, if they want us to come back again, they can just give us a call and we’ll put them back on.” 

The same is true with Northern Illinois Windows’ commercial clients, who often want their windows cleaned once a week or every two weeks. 

And quality window companies, such Northern Illinois Windows, often offer other services, perfect for the cold months, like chandelier cleaning and Ceiling Fan Cleaning, to name a few. 

If you don’t want winter to hide your view.. Make your windows shine by booking an appointment with us today! 

Get paid to be your own boss with stress-free “Franchise-Alternative”

Have you ever considered a franchise opportunity? What if there was a way to be your own boss without burying yourself in an insurmountable mountain of debt? 

Franchise-Alternative offers path to success without the debt 

Northern Illinois Windows, the premier window cleaning company serving residential and business customers North and South of the Wisconsin border since 1991, has created a “Franchise-Alternative” that offers opportunity without the risks or the stress. It’s the perfect fit for those with the entrepreneurial spirit who are reluctant to wager all that capital. With NIW’s “Franchise-Alternative,” the right entrepreneur is put on the road to success with a winning proposition.  

The person with the right attitude will receive everything they need to get started, including: 

• A Truck 
• Their Window Cleaning Equipment 
• Training and Coaching 
• A Base Salary and Percentage with the potential to make $1,500 per week 
• Health, Dental, Vision and Life Insurance  

Considering that you’re joining a company with a successful 32-year track record, the potential for success is almost unlimited. The right candidate will hit the ground running and the sky is the limit. 

Interested candidates should call 815.385.6646 or email a resume to bill@niwservice.com.