The clean you expect, the service you deserve.
“25 year Anniversary”
On the 4th February 1991 Nick Dee Shapland started up ServiceMaster Contract Services Newbury and Reading as a sole proprietor.
The first week, following training, was about putting a weekly programme together, in order to create new business. This comprised of driving around Newbury prospecting for customers and picking up compliment slips on the way.
Nick would return home, file the prospects names, produce and send out 20 prospect letters per week, 3 days later he would follow it up with a telesales call. The first appointment was with the Abbey National Building Society in Newbury, this was the first cleaning contract to be won by Nick, and he remembers the euphoria when he was told he had won the contract.
In August 1991, Nick introduced himself to Vodafone, a relatively new business to Newbury at that time, to promote the ServiceMaster Spotlight Carpet Care, a carpet maintenance programme for office buildings. Two years later, office cleaning followed and for the next 10 years ServiceMaster had the cleaning contract for Vodafone in Newbury.
In 1998 the business became a limited business, Deeland Limited t/a ServiceMaster. In 2001, Nick decided to open a Launderette in Boundary road, Newbury, The Laundry Basket.
In 2003, Nick had the opportunity to tender for Sovereign Housing Association for the countrywide communal cleaning contract for the South East and South West Region. Sovereign Housing confirmed the appointment of ServiceMaster in June 2004. The cleaning contract would run from 2004 to 2012 when Sovereign were required to go out to tender, the contract was renewed in 2013.
Over the 12 years that ServiceMaster has worked in partnership with Sovereign Housing we have introduced many innovations to the communal cleaning programme. Nick highlighted it’s a privilege to work closely with housing associations such as Sovereign, as its given him insight to the important role they play in the community, we have learnt the importance of working closely with both the housing association and its tenants, the customer, which many cleaning contractors do not always have the infrastructure to deal with.
In 2008, Nick was starting to work on the business, rather than in it and the theme of the 2008 AGM was the Pursuit of Excellence. In 2009 Deeland Limited was in a position to set up a Human Resources Department, with its own Personnel Manager, who was CIPD Accredited, this enabled the business to embrace its culture of Principles – People – Performance
In 2009/2010 the business was restructured with 7 departments, we introduced a Quality Assurance Management Programme, QAMP, comprising of Monthly meetings for each department, with set agenda’s. The results of which, to see the interaction between staff was something to behold.
Nick said that introducing the Human Resources Department was his eureka moment, as it not only enabled the company to look after the welfare of its people better, it also ensured the company was able to acknowledge it’s peoples performance, positive or negative and the company was well protected both legally and financially. It also brought about how Nick was seeing his business and how important it was for our people to be on the same wave length, Nick’s philosophy became:
“It’s not what we see, It’s how we see it together, that determines our future and our success “
In 2010 Deeland Limited was awarded ISO 9001 and ISO1400 by ISOQUAR UKAS approved. Today ServiceMaster has its own Quality Assurance Manager to ensure its procedures are followed and its personnel utilise them.
Awards
Since Nick started up his business in 1991, Deeland Limited has been recognised by both its Franchisor, ServiceMaster and the British Franchise Association. Winning ServiceMaster’s top award for its franchise network, the Marian E. Wade Award on 3 occasions, 1997, 2007 and 2013.
In 2013 Deeland Limited t/a ServiceMaster won the British Franchise Associations (bfa) top award for Customer Service, based on their Business Culture and their Quality Assurance Management, which enables their people to achieve and maintain a high level of customer service.
Today Deeland employs over 450 people and has an annual turnover of 5 million pounds. We are in a strong position to grow the business even further, as our business culture and our Quality Management produces GREAT TEAM WORK, which our customers appreciate.
Nick has purposely not mentioned any names in this article as he acknowledges that over the 25 years he has been in business he has received great support from all his staff, from the past to the present and recognises there have been those who have gone above and beyond for the business and for that he says a big thank you!