Shared values lead new Betterclean franchisee to take on the Chiefs!

Caroline Spiller was the co-owner of one of the south-west’s leading visitor attractions, so a move into commercial cleaning for her new business venture may not have been an obvious next step.

But she saw it as a natural extension of the customer service principles that have guided her entire career – and which have already seen her win a contract with the Exeter Chiefs rugby club.

After steering Otterton Mill to a host of accolades over eight years alongside her husband Simon, Caroline took over the Betterclean Services Taunton and Exeter franchise in late 2016.

“It might seem an unusual move from hospitality and retail to cleaning,” she said. “However, my whole career has been spent in the service industry, previously with airlines, government and education. What drives me is the delivery of excellent service, whatever the sector. And that is at the heart of the Betterclean business model.”

Those shared values have quickly reaped rewards. Caroline explains: “Having spent the early months on cementing relationships with existing clients and staff, as well as learning the operational aspects of the business, I am now targeting business growth.

“This has already started with winning the cleaning contract at Sandy Park stadium, home to the Exeter Chiefs Premiership Rugby team, as well as wins for two city centre professional services firms. With all three, our focus on a service partnership and value for money has been key to securing the business.” Caroline took on her franchise after meeting Betterclean’s managing director, Dan van Kuyk. She says Dan’s vision for the company, the partnership across the franchisees, and his straightforward, ethical approach to business were compelling. “I’m excited to be working with Dan in the early stages of the network and contributing to its growth,” she said. “I hope to act as a benchmark for future franchisees who join us.” Dan commented: “I am really pleased to have welcomed Caroline to the Betterclean family as our eighth franchise owner. I strongly felt that her previous business experience combined with her wonderful personality would be a winning formula, and that’s already being amply demonstrated in her flying start. “She joins a growing network of like-minded individuals who all possess the same passion and drive to deliver a first-class cleaning service to businesses all across the UK. It’s a very exciting time for all of us here at Betterclean.” Added Bliss! We recently relaunched our completely revamped bespoke business management system, Bliss. Here’s what Kyli Gulliford, who manages the administration for franchise owner Chris Cook in Bath & Bristol, had to say… “The new Bliss is excellent. It provides a lot more information. For instance, Chris doesn’t need to speak to us about small details, he can log on to Bliss and get a bird’s eye view on all operations. “It gives more of a summary with a new dashboard that gives management information at a glance on everything from employee holidays to audits, quotes and prospects. “There’s also been a huge amount of work done on the payroll systems. All employee times on site with clients are fed in live, which saves significant administration time. “The improvements have made daily operations so much easier, while for Chris it’s simpler than ever to oversee the business and pick out key information quickly. It’s great!”