Cleaning company Merry Maids pay homage to business partner for her ‘resilience and inventiveness’ during pandemic.
Gina Glendinning of Yorkshire has been crowned Merry Maids Franchisee of the Year after impressing judges with her business diligence and creativity during the on-going pandemic. Steve Morris, the company’s brand leader, said: “Throughout the pandemic, Merry Maids of Wakefield responded to the challenges in an exemplary manner.
“Of particular note, she maintained regular contact with head office, for which I was extremely grateful. She showed excellent business management and customer service skills during this challenging period, and this is now being rewarded by a strong business recovery.
“With regards to business management, Merry Maids of Wakefield employed exceptional safety protocols, while maintaining vital standards of customer service. And Gina actively explored new opportunities to ensure the future success of the business. All in all she showed great resilience and inventiveness.”
Merry Maids of Wakefield is a franchise of ServiceMaster, and is owned and managed by Gina Glendinning who has been cleaning homes since 2018. Gina expressed her delight by adding: “I can’t quite believe I’ve won such a prestigious award having only just completed three years as a franchisee. My team has worked exceptionally hard to keep the business going during such unprecedented times.
“Although I knew the business would be impacted by the pandemic, I also knew that I had the drive, as well as the team, to steer the business through choppy waters. I took the bold and immediate decision to temporarily close the business, but also to contact my lovely customers and let them know we would be back at some point. It was important not to panic but to act.
“Re-opening in June 2020 was great. I had meticulously planned which members of the team should come back and how we would approach each job. I brought back eight full-time ladies, with each working on an individual basis.
“The business steadily grew and eventually we got back to normal. I also looked for opportunities to grow the business, and so worked with several estate agents and property developers to make certain our working days were full. My year ended on a high as my husband and I took the decision to expand. We purchased two new additional franchise areas, taking the reins just before Christmas of last year.”
Merry Maids presented awards to a number of other franchisees, and their employees, to celebrate their success and fortitude in many different ways, including giving back to their local communities. ServiceMaster has over 300 franchisees operating in almost 700 licensed areas, representing a number of brands, such as: Merry Maids, ServiceMaster Clean, Furniture Medic, TruGreen Professional LawnCare and Rosemary Bookkeeping.
About ServiceMaster: Founded in the United States in 1928, it now operates in more than 30 counties.
