How your commercial building looks matters. It’s one of the first impressions your customers have about your company. It’s where your employees spend the majority of their day. But having a clean building exterior is made up of smaller tasks and maintenance projects. Make sure your building is getting optimal maintenance by counteracting the broken window theory.
What is the broken window theory?
This theory was originally created as a concept in criminology. If there’s evidence of one crime happening, it’s easier and more likely for another crime to happen. Negative factors build up on each other based on the impressions people have of an area. But the broken window theory has grown to encapsulate several different ideas about human behavior. If your parking lot is grimy and unkempt, it looks like the property managers or owners don’t care about the appearance. That makes it easier to drop a piece of garbage and just not pick it up. If the parking lot isn’t kept clean, people are more likely to cut across the medians’ landscaping. In fact, landscapers may be less likely to optimize the space, especially if it looks like no one cares. That’s not to say third-party service providers will cut corners or not meet their commitments, but it does mean there is less of a reason to exceed expectations.
The broken window theory applies in reverse, too. The nicer a property looks and the more signs there are of regular maintenance and care, the more visitors and workers will maintain that standard. A freshly cleaned parking lot implicitly encourages people to pick up dropped trash. It means the medians will be better maintained and the more pedestrians will stick to approved areas and paths.
The more you do to make your building look like an orderly place to work, the more that idea will manifest. Start with a deep-cleaned parking lot by going to 214 Pressure Washing here.