For contract cleaning pros, artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly embedded in business practices, offering ways to work smarter, faster, and more effectively. We spoke with Will Wilcox, president of Sunset Office Cleaning, Inc., and Greg Buchner, president and CEO of Clean Office / Porter Plus, to learn how they’re integrating AI into daily operations and what you can learn from their experiences.
1. Define Your Brand Faster
Defining a company’s mission, vision, and core values is a time-intensive task. By leveraging AI as a collaborator, business leaders can get to a starting point faster. “I provided ChatGPT with extensive information about my company, my own professional history, and then had a conversation with it about what our core values, mission, and vision should be moving forward,” Wilcox says. “It's wonderful to know that embodying company values means I simply have to lean harder into who I already am! It's been a very rewarding experience and a game-changer for getting real traction with company culture.”
2. Streamline Communication
Employee and client correspondence can be run through AI for tone and consistency, followed by a human check for errors or accuracy. Wilcox estimates that using AI does about 90% of the heavy lifting for his team. “Some of the benefits include ensuring that what we're communicating consistently aligns with our brand vision and core values,” he says.
3. Build Smarter Financial Dashboards
Not all business leaders have time to create custom dashboards using complex Excel formulas and pivot tables or synthesize varied resources already in use. With support from AI, this type of work is possible. “In just a few months, I was able to make a custom KPI dashboard that leverages other spreadsheet tools I was already using. This would have previously taken me years to bring to its current level of sophistication,” Wilcox says.
4. Navigate Complex Tools Without Training
Need to update your website or design in Canva? AI can guide you through platforms and even assist with code edits — with the right checks in place. “I've successfully used AI to accomplish tasks in WordPress, Canva, and Meta, where previously I would have had to outsource,” Wilcox says. “This includes changing code on our website. It may sound risky, but you can use different AI tools to compare code and help ensure what you're doing will work. You can typically test changes and then revert to previous versions if they don't work.”
5. Create Consistent Safety Training
AI’s value extends beyond written content. For Greg Buchner’s team at CleanOffice / PorterPlus, using AI has helped solve a long‑standing challenge: producing relevant, consistent safety training videos for a multilingual workforce.
Off‑the‑shelf videos were outdated and producing custom videos required significant resources. After adopting an AI-based video platform, Synthesia, the team was able to convert existing safety content into short training videos presented by an AI-generated avatar. They introduced “Cleo” as the face of their safety program.
“We’re now producing two- to three-minute safety and training videos in English and Spanish with a total time investment of less than four hours,” Buchner says. “Cleo has become a highly valued team member, at a cost of under $100 per month!”
Dos and Don’ts for AI Success
Fernando Cruz, president and CEO of Dynamond Building Services, has also been exploring AI with his team. Follow his quick dos and don’ts as you explore how to use these tools.
Dos
✅ Be as precise and detailed as possible with your inquiries.
✅ Use AI to help you tailor emails to specific audiences.
✅ Use AI for first or second level of research and verify references for marketing, sales, HR, legal, leadership tips, and more.
Don’ts
❌ Don’t give AI confidential information, especially if using a free version. This information may be used for future training or become public.
❌ Don’t use your or others’ likenesses or voices to create videos or AI-generated avatars.
❌ Don’t take the information received as face value. Always double check for accuracy.