Mother-son team off to a strong start at Avondale Intermediate
Mother-and-son team Arlene and Eldon Olsen have recently taken over the cleaning duties at Avondale Intermediate. Their commitment to excellence and relationship-building has already earned them high praise from staff and students.
Principal Jo Hardwidge has been particularly impressed with Arlene and Eldon’s efforts to become familiar faces around the school.
“They’ve given us the opportunity to build a relationship with them,” says Jo.
“We talk regularly, and they’ve made it easy for us to get to know them personally.”
For Jo and the wider school community, creating positive relationships is key – not just between staff, students, and parents, but with anyone who works at the school. As one of the few people still on-site when Arlene and Eldon begin their cleaning duties, Jo gets the chance to chat with them often and appreciates their friendly and open approach.
“Arlene and Eldon have made a really good job of connecting with us,” she says.
“They’re part of our team.”
To help Arlene and Eldon settle in, Regional Master Franchisee Caro Wedding arranged a morning tea to introduce them to the school staff and set the tone for a strong working relationship.
“It was really awesome. All the staff know who they are now,” says Jo.
When Arlene was new to the school, she and Jo discussed her love of crochet. It turned out that the school had its own crochet group and a well-stocked workshop, creating an instant bond over the craft. Since then, Arlene’s crochet skills have become a delightful addition to the school. She even crocheted a beautiful bouquet for Jo, which now sits in her desk for everyone to see.
“It gets a lot of great comments. The kids are all so impressed that Arlene made it,” says Jo.
After looking for ways to improve efficiency, Arlene and Eldon introduced the Cleanest Classroom Competition where they’ll reward the tidiest classroom with treats at the end of each term. They’ve already seen a huge difference in the state of each classroom, with rubbish cleared off the floor at the end of the school day. As Eldon uses a backpack vacuum, he appreciates not having to bend down to pick things up off the floor.
“We really appreciate the effort. It’s been fantastic and we can tell that the students are participating,” says Arlene.
“The classrooms are really tidy.”
Jo has noticed how much the kids are enjoying the challenge and has raised the stakes by awarding points toward the school’s reward system for the winning classroom. Meanwhile, Arlene is hard at work creating key chains for each of the winning students.
“The kids love to get onboard when there’s a competition, but this one’s a little bit different. Arlene’s going the extra step to personalise the competition,” says Jo.
As Avondale Intermediate is their first school since becoming franchise owners last August, the cleaning team is grateful to have received such a warm welcome from school staff.
“The principal and staff are really kind and supportive,” says Arlene.
Although Arlene and Eldon have only been in business for six months, it’s clear that they’re focusing on what matters most – strong customer relationships. This team is on track to establish a solid reputation that will see them expanding their business in the near future, so watch this space!
