Stéphane Point live on Thursday May 7 on BFM Business: Watch his interview in full
Stéphane Point, President of Réseau Services Onet, was live on BFM Business on Thursday May 7 to answer Stéphanie Coleau's questions on business recovery. He explains how Onet, a major player in the cleaning sector in France, is supporting all its customers during this period of recovery.
A look back at his testimony.
- Tuesday May 12, 2020
- - Onet Cleaning and Associated Services
Have you seen a boom in the demand for cleaning/disinfection for decontamination?
"We have indeed seen a sharp increase in requests for disinfectants as a result of the resumption of business. The need for disinfection is obviously essential to enable employees to return to work in complete peace of mind, and to reassure customers in transport, hotels... by guaranteeing them a healthy environment."
What types of sites do you work on, and how do you decontaminate them?
"We're facing a strong upsurge, a concentration of requests. It's clear that not all requests can be met at the same time. It's clear from recent statements by the government and ministers that this will happen gradually. So for those who are listening to us, one watchword: anticipate.
We sincerely believe that the demand is not a one-off but a structural one, and that it's here to stay. Hygiene will become an increasingly important concern. The influx of passengers in transport systems, of employees in offices, of customers in retail outlets, will make cleaning services necessary more frequently and more intensively."
How do you manage this demand internally?
"We are, of course, coping by organizing ourselves, by asking our teams to work overtime, by increasing the frequency of visits to our customers, by organizing requests with customers... We are the number 1 in France, we have over 200 branches in France and a strike force of over 50,000 agents.
Our teams are fully mobilized. Even though we have been affected like all companies by this epidemic, because some of our customers have had very limited activity, or have even stopped working, we now have the resources to manage this situation and the increase in requests.
Do you offer any special services?
"It's very different depending on the type of installation (factory, office, transport network, etc.), and we work on a case-by-case basis, with recommendations adapted to each customer. In some cases, we carry out simple disinfection procedures on a more frequent basis, such as disinfecting contact points, handles and switches.
In other cases, specific disinfection procedures are required. And sometimes, we have to perform a feat of technical prowess: for example, aerial disinfection, which treats not only surfaces, but also the interior of furniture. These services require advanced technology and specific training for our staff.
Rituals will also change, as everyone will have to play their part. That's why we're also receiving many requests from our customers for individual cleanliness kits, because it's not just the head of the company who is responsible for ensuring the hygiene and cleanliness of all employees. This is a growing demand. Cleanliness and hygiene are everybody's business.
What will this health crisis mean for the cleaning/hygiene sector in the future ? Will it be a new strategic sector?
"Absolutely, we can see that the way people look at things has changed completely. We used to be a profession that was asked to intervene early, before the offices opened, so as not to be disturbed by the noise of the vacuum cleaner. Today, seeing our teams is reassuring. Cleanliness is no longer a behind-the-scenes job, it's now a real priority. You can feel it in the discussions we have with our customers.
Since the start of the crisis, we have begun a higher-level, morestrategic dialogue with our customers. Today, they include us in the design of their premises or production facilities...
Companies today understand that if they want to maintain their performance, they have to integrate hygiene and cleanliness issues well upstream in the chain, in the very design of their operations.
Onet carried out a survey with Ipsos last year, which showed that for 98% of employees, cleanliness was fundamental. In the current phase, this has become even more strategic, as we feel in our day-to-day dialogue with our customers. As number one, that's also our role in this takeover: we're going to have a key role to play, because company directors need to reassure their employees. There is a legitimate concern that is shared quite widely. Hygiene and cleanliness are going to be ways of reassuring employees and ensuring their well-being. Yes, cleanliness is strategic, it's not just a convenience.