Housekeepers who support social apartments for 11 years value

Hello. My name is Hashimoto, and I am in charge of viewing social apartments.

I show properties to people who are considering moving in on a daily basis, and I find that I am really often complimented on how "clean and beautiful" and "just like the pictures on the website.
Social Apartment's common spaces are cleaned 5 to 6 days a week, and the housekeepers, who are staff members of the management company Global Agents, are in charge of this role.

For this interview, we interviewed Mr. Uoji, who has been involved in cleaning for more than 10 years based at Social Apartment Shinkenmigawa.
Social Apartment Shinkenmigawa is a large property with over 100 households. Because of its large size, the lounge is spacious, and there are many other common spaces, showers, and restrooms, but it is always surprisingly clean whenever I visit. Mr. Uochi has laid the foundation for this quality.

What is behind his pride in his job as a housekeeper and his positive attitude toward his daily work? We asked her about episodes with residents and the reason why she has continued to work for 11 years.

- It has been a long time! It's been a while since we met at a company event. Please start by introducing yourself!
Mr. Uochi:
Yes, that's right. Once again, I am nervous when it comes to interviews (laughs).
I joined Social Apartment Shinkenmigawa in 2014 as a housekeeper. This year will be 11 years.
My hobbies are going out to dinner with friends and guessing activities.

-11 years! That's a very long time. And... I'm really interested in the guessing game (laughs).
Mr. Uochi:
I'm pushing for two Thai idol/actor groups. I go to fan meets and follow them on YouTube.
I wear their limited-edition character T-shirts at work to cheer myself up!

- It's wonderful to live a life with my guesses. Please tell us about your current job.
Mr. Uochi:
I am currently working as an area manager.
To maintain the quality of cleaning, my main job is to train housekeepers, support recruitment, and create manuals. I do anything related to housekeepers.
I patrol all of the social apartments, which are about 40 properties, so I am visiting all over the place every day.

-It sounds like you are busy every day with 40 properties. What kind of work did you do before you became a housekeeper?
Mr. Uochi:
Before I became a housekeeper, I was a stay-at-home mom for a long time.
When my child started high school, I decided to try working again.
Being a full-time housewife is not very rewarding because it is a family job, and there are no rewards.
But now, working makes it easier for me to go out for lunch and drinks, and I can enjoy the events that I have been pushing for. Above all, I can see the results of my efforts, which gives me confidence.

-What made you choose to work as a housekeeper at a social apartment when you decided to work again?
Ms. Uochi:
Cleaning is a part of housewifery, so I thought I could make use of my previous experience.
I was also attracted to the fact that, unlike ordinary cleaners, social apartment housekeepers "work like a matron, communicating with the people who live there.

-I was also attracted to the fact that, unlike ordinary cleaners, housekeepers at Social Apartment are like dorm mothers, allowing them to communicate with the people who live there.
Mr. Uochi:
The common spaces in social apartments are available 24 hours a day, so unlike hotels, we actually clean in the presence of residents. In that case, communication is very important. We greet each other with "Hello" and "Have a good day," and we work hard every day to clean while paying attention to each other. Residents see us doing this every day, and I think it naturally creates a good relationship with them.

Sitting on the toilet first": Rewarding and rewarding conversations with tenants

- It's been 13 years since you opened the Shinkenmigawa property, and yet it always looks shiny and new. I am often surprised by the people who come to view the property. What do you pay special attention to in order to keep it clean?
Mr. Uochi:
That makes me happy.
In cleaning, I am conscious of taking the "tenants' point of view" into consideration. The quality of cleaning is of course important, but sometimes there is a discrepancy between what we perceive as "clean" and what the residents want.
In the past, a resident once asked us, "This part of the shower room is dirty. I thought, "I clean it well, so why?" But when I looked at it from a different angle, I found that there were indeed stains that I had not noticed. Since then, I have been thinking of myself as a resident, actually sitting down in the bathroom or entering through the entrance, and thinking about what areas are bothersome to me in my daily life.

Appliances are also wiped down to the smallest detail one by one. They are conscious of making faucets shiny and shining.

-I can sense that they are very considerate of their tenants. That kind of attention to detail leads to a relationship of trust with the residents, doesn't it?
Mr. Uochi:
Yes, it does. Sometimes we are helped by the residents. When I was in trouble because I had lost something that I didn't know who it belonged to, one of the residents said, "I'll ask everyone" and put it on the group line, so I was able to return it to its owner right away.
They offered us drinks, gave us flowers on Mother's Day... In the past, they have even held a Thanksgiving party for our housekeepers, which was really nice.

-It's wonderful. Such events make it worthwhile, don't they?
Mr. Uochi:
Cleaning always requires high quality, but it is difficult to maintain motivation because it is basically the same thing over and over every day. The words of appreciation we receive from residents are the greatest "nourishment" for us.

Here are some of the messages sent to our housekeepers from residents. Even the smallest note is treasured and displayed for years to come.

Your room for growth is infinite. Be curious and enjoy change.

Uoji-san, you are currently working as an area manager.
Uoji:
When I first joined the company in 2014, we used to manage attendance with paper time cards. I don't think young people today know that (laughs).
After I became a leader, I was given a computer and learned by doing my own research. Now I can send e-mails, hold online meetings, and create simple documents.

-I guess it must have been quite difficult for you to get used to the change in environment.
Mr. Uochi:
In my case, I became accustomed to the digital world through guesswork as well as work.
I started using social networking services to get information and using apps to buy electronic tickets.
I found myself becoming more proficient with computers and smartphones, and I realized that people have room to grow no matter how old they are.
I think it is important to try everything with fun. You don't have to try to learn everything, so the first step is to be curious. I think that is the first step in getting on board with change.

If you gave 100% yesterday, it is okay to give 80% today.

- You have been working for 11 years, and I think many people are not good at continuing. What do you think is the secret to keep going for a long time?
Mr. Uoji: First of all, "Don't aim for perfection:
First of all, "don't aim for perfection. If you gave 100% yesterday, it is okay to give 80% today. Not pushing yourself too hard will ultimately lead to maintaining a good performance.
Also, "accept appreciation and praise from those around you with an open mind. It is important not to be too modest, but to use them as fertilizer to keep going.
Another important thing is to "find your own way to have fun. Just having a little "thrill" in your day-to-day life will make it easier to continue. In my case, it is my favorite idol!

- I will keep this in mind as life advice. Finally, do you have a message for those who are considering moving in?
Mr. Uochi:
As a first step to living alone, I think Social Apartment is really a perfect place for you. The residents are all nice and calm, and through the kitchen and common areas, you can naturally learn not only living skills but also consideration for others.
Everyone has different jobs, hobbies, and backgrounds, so you will broaden your horizons and learn a lot. In my case, thanks to the opportunity to talk with foreign residents on a daily basis, I am no longer afraid of foreigners talking to me on the street (laughs).
(laughs) Our housekeepers are working daily to prepare the property so that our tenants can spend their days with peace of mind. If you move in, please give our housekeepers a call. We are sure they will be pleased and that will be a great source of energy for us.

[Editor's Postscript
I felt that the cleaning of social apartments is not only a matter of skill, but also of daily "effort" and "passion" of the housekeepers, and their "love" for the properties and the people living there.
There are more than 100 housekeepers working in all properties. It must not be easy to carry on this kind of passion and maintain quality. I think it is thanks to Mr. Uochi's personality and leadership that we have been able to achieve this despite the difficulties.
I hope this article will give you a sense that there are people who work hard every day to support a comfortable life.
(By the way, after the interview was over, Mr. Uoji showed us his guess character T-shirts and we all enjoyed eating sandwiches he had bought for us.)

) And on this day, under Mr. Uoji's guidance, we actually experienced cleaning inside the property.
In the next issue of "Cleaning Experience Report," we will introduce our commitment to the cleaning of social apartments. Please look forward to it!
(Text and reporting by Hashimoto / Photography by Hayashi)