“Sorry anak saya sakit”
“Pak cik saya baru meninggal dunia”
“Gigi saya sakit, tak dapat kerja”
These seemed to be poked fun at by the netizens but to us is a daily reality, we received hundreds of messages like this on a monthly basis and we cant be dealing with it just by scolding employee or telling customers ” our worker is sick “.
In the cleaning service industry, manpower is everything.
A great system doesn’t only depend on machines, checklists, or apps — it runs on people who show up, stay trained, and care about the work they do.
But here’s the reality:
The average turnover rate in the cleaning industry can reach up to 200% annually in some countries (source: ISSA).
The daily absence rate of cleaning crews in Malaysia is estimated between 8–12%, especially in casual or part-time setups.
So how do we, at Kilat Pro, manage this?
Let’s pull back the curtain.
The Industry Problem: Absenteeism and Turnover
To understand why this is a real issue, let’s break it down:
| Metric | Industry Average | High-Risk Scenarios |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover Rate | 70% – 100% yearly | Part-time or outsourced cleaners |
| Daily Absence Rate | 8% – 12% | Peak season, back-to-back jobs |
| Replacement Lead Time | 1 – 5 days | Without structured HR backup |
The impact? Missed appointments, low morale, inconsistent quality — and angry clients.
Our Internal Solutions: How We Maintain Service Continuity
At Kilat Pro, we’ve learned that HR stability is not a bonus — it’s infrastructure.
Here’s how we proactively manage our teams to stay ahead of the game:
1. 🧩 Sustainable Recruitment System
We don’t wait for someone to resign before we hire.
We maintain a rolling recruitment system, ensuring:
- Active candidate pool always ready
- Training starts before slots are needed
- Internal promotion and role rotation available
This gives us a replacement readiness rate of 95% — meaning 95 out of every 100 sudden absences are covered within the same day.
2. 💰 Above Average Employee Benefits
Our employee package includes:
- Attendance bonus
- Overtime pay
- Emergency leave allowance
- Birthday/holiday incentives
On average, this has helped us reduce voluntary turnover to under 30% annually, which is significantly lower than the industry standard.
3. Back-Up Crew For Absence
We run a dedicated float team — also known as our “relief unit”.
These are trained workers who are on standby duty, allowing us to:
- Handle last-minute cancellations
- Send experienced replacements to ongoing jobs
- Prevent service interruption even when 1–2 members drop out
We’ve clocked a 98.5% job completion rate without cancellation, even with multiple absences.
4. Minimum Wage Guarantee Policy
We enforce a minimum monthly income policy — even for flexible workers — to ensure financial stability and loyalty.
Result: Less turnover caused by side jobs or short-term “better offers”.
5. Single Worker Adjustment Policy
For smaller jobs (like studio or 1-bed units), we allow a single cleaner to take over in case of partial team absence.
This:
- Saves the job from being cancelled
- Provides continuity
- Empowers
- staff with trust and ownership
The Results: By The Numbers
| Metric | Kilat Pro Average | Industry Average |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover Rate | 24% annually | 70%–80% |
| Daily Absence Rate | 2% | 10% |
| Replacement Readiness | 95%+ same-day | 60% |
| Cancellation Due to Absence | 1.5% | 12% |
Why It Matters to You, The Customer
When you book us, you’re not just booking “some cleaners.”
You’re hiring a system built to:
- Ensure people show up
- Ensure they are trained
- Ensure replacements are in place — always
You won’t hear: “Sorry, not enough people today.”
You’ll hear: “We’ve got it covered.”
Many smaller vendor just turn off their phones when they cant meet your demand, and its the easier way out for them. But with systems in place even when we face challenges, we have a few layers of backup before we really tell you ” we can’t make it”.
Still Curious? Here’s How You Can Help Too:
- Book early if possible — it gives us more prep time
- Share job details clearly (photos, size, schedule)
- Reschedule — we’re happy to reschedule for you in the case of unable to fulfil your slot
Final Word: People Problems Are Real — But So Is Our System
Most cleaning companies face the same issue — absence and high turnover.
But not every company builds a system to deal with it. End of the day, this is a manpower reliant industry and it always comes with uncertainty, unpredictablity, complexity and ambiguity.
We’re proud to say: we do.
And our clients stay loyal because they know someone will show up, every time.
