It’s no secret that schools are working to tight budgets, which means that some jobs slip to the bottom of the ‘to do’ list, with more urgent issues taking centre stage. This tends to be the case with school kitchen maintenance, with a lot of schools thinking that routine maintenance can wait. But, in reality, this comes with risks. Not only does neglecting school kitchen maintenance increase the risk of equipment damage and failure, it can also lead to a whole host of costly, disruptive and avoidable problems.
Why School Kitchen Maintenance Isn’t a ‘Save for Later’ Job
At DCE, we’ve seen firsthand how minor maintenance issues, when left unchecked, can snowball into much bigger problems. This is why regular school kitchen maintenance is necessary. Ignoring school kitchen maintenance to save money might feel like the right thing to do, but it usually leads to bigger, more expensive problems further down the line.
- Small Issues Snowball Into Bigger Problems – It can be tempting to ignore a minor issue for now, especially if it’s not stopping the equipment from working, but there’s no knowing if it will turn into a much larger and more expensive problem. Small issues are quicker, cheaper and easier to solve, requiring very little downtime or causing a lot less disruption.
- Emergency Repairs Cost More – If something needs to be repaired quickly and out-of-hours, you’re going to pay more for the privilege. These repairs are often rushed and needed without any warning, with spare parts and replacement equipment having to be sourced out of nowhere. This all costs a lot more than scheduling routine maintenance ahead of time, before anything major has had a chance to go wrong.
- Equipment Lifespan is Shortened – Cars are booked in for annual MOTs, so why aren’t school kitchens treated in the same way? School kitchen equipment needs regular servicing to keep everything running as smoothly as possible. Without regular checks, equipment can need replacing much sooner. This is an unnecessary expense for schools on a tight budget, an expense that could be avoided with regular maintenance.
The Cost of Poor Maintenance Isn’t Just Financial
When it comes to the true cost of poor maintenance in school kitchens, it’s not just about the money. Poor maintenance can have a significant impact on school operations as well.
- Downtime Hits Hard – You can’t control if and when kitchen equipment is going to fail, and failures rarely happen at convenient times. It’s usually when you’re in the middle of preparing everything or just before lunch is about to be served, right when you need your kitchen running smoothly.
- Disrupted Meals – Broken kitchen equipment means delayed or cancelled meals, leading to unhappy and hungry students. This can cause all sorts of issues, and rustling up a backup meal isn’t easy.
- Increased Pressure on Staff – When things go wrong, kitchen staff are left scrambling to come up with a solution, something to get them through the issue until maintenance help arrives. This leads to stress, burnout and lower morale, especially if it happens often.
At DCE, we believe in prevention over cure. Our school kitchen maintenance services are designed to keep your equipment running reliably and efficiently, so you avoid costly breakdowns and last-minute panics. Remember, neglecting kitchen maintenance doesn’t save money, it just defers a larger bill and more complicated issues.
Investing in school kitchen maintenance with DCE helps to ensure that your school kitchen is ready to serve every day, without fail. Get in touch to find out more about protecting your school kitchen and budget.