Thank Your Cleaner Day has been recognised at the World Federation Building Services Congress (WFBSC) in Berlin.

Lillian Small, CEO of the Building Services Contractors Association of New Zealand (BSCNZ), created Thank Your Cleaner Day in 2015, in what has since become an annual event dedicated to cleaners to show they are valued and appreciated.

Speaking at the congress, Small said Thank Your Cleaner Day is a simple, yet powerful concept.

“Thank Your Cleaner Day is one of those campaigns that is so simple but when you really dive into the depths of it, it is quite powerful.”

Small spearheaded the initiative, sponsored by Karcher, in an effort to “change the conversation” and raise the importance and profile of New Zealand’s $1 billion cleaning industry.

“Prior to launching the campaign, the New Zealand cleaning industry was continually portrayed negatively in the media. We needed a campaign to change that conversation. We needed to talk about value, instead of price,” Small told delegates of the WFBSC.

The event has since gained global support, with other countries including Canada, US, UK, Spain and Australia set to recognise the event for the first time this year on Wednesday 18 October.

“By having a campaign like this, it drives standards. It enhances your client engagement, brings value back into the industry and has a positive impact on the community. I can’t underestimate the power and the value behind the change of conversation that this campaign provides contractors.”

While the theme of this year’s congress was Cleaning in a Digital World, Small stressed that the cleaning industry is still a people-orientated industry.

“Technology has a major role in the industry going forward but we cannot forgot that this is a people industry and people need to feel valued.”

Small was recently recognised for the campaign at the BSCNZ’s inaugural Cleaning for a Brighter Future conference, held earlier this month in Rotorua.

To get involved with Thank Your Cleaner Day, click here.