When COVID-19 disrupted Virgin Atlantic’s operations, cleaning standards dropped, teams became severely understaffed, and recruitment became near impossible.
Samsic UK tailored its approach to meet the client’s specific needs. We increased cleaning operative salaries to the London Living Wage, restoring service quality and retention levels. Alongside this, we delivered a major cost-efficiency project and introduced chemical-free Toucan cleaning across the portfolio.
Success at a Glance
Our Three-Phase Transformation
1. The Challenge
- COVID-19 reduced workforce to 58%, with low morale across the remaining team and rising client complaints.
- Pay rates were uncompetitive, making recruitment unsustainable.
- Virgin Atlantic later requested a major cost-efficiency savings project in 2024.
- Business sustainability goals required chemical-free cleaning across all sites.
2. Our Solution
- Increased wages by 36%, paying the London Living Wage.
- Recruitment restored to 100% capacity; engagement and retention improved.
- Delivered significant cost-savings following a presentation of multiple cost-saving strategy options.
- Introduced Toucan Eco chemical-free cleaning across 12 diverse sites.
3. The Result
- 100% KPI scores across VIP lounges, hangars, offices, and retail spaces.
- Zero major complaints since the wage increase.
- Significant cost savings achieved while maintaining excellent service standards.
- Two-year contract extension secured, with further extensions under discussion.
- Stronger, more sustainable partnership with CBRE and Virgin Atlantic respectively.