Findings from the 2025 Simon-Kucher Commercial Excellence Benchmarking Survey contend customers are pivotal for company growth, Building Service Contractors Association International (BSCAI) reports. The study shows how building service contractors (BSCs) need to prioritize customer acquisition and retention to capitalize on current and future pricing capacity. As customer acquisition costs (CAC) continue to rise, Phoenix Strategy Group shares, commercial cleaning executives will have to consider adopting innovative strategies to support their consumer and subsequent organizational growth.

The top trending tool for the industry is the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, Forbes says. Surveys provided by the IBM Institute for Business Value (IBM IBV) and Phronesis found that 81 percent of leaders believe geopolitical and economic issues impacted their businesses in 2025, and they anticipate being adversely affected in 2026. Amid increased competition and engagement costs, MetricMomentum and Clearbit identify, executives are tasked with sustaining their current customer base and creatively engaging other end users. AI systems offer predictive algorithms and analytics that support executives in identifying and maintaining pre-existing and future consumers, as AWS Marketplace affirms.

However, a shift in stratagem alters operational structures. Customer relationships are built on trust, and AI transparency is favored by 89 percent of end users, according to IBM’s report. Increased social surveillance from data gathering, as presented by BuiltIn, could impair client acquisition and retention. Moreover, cleaning teams are seeking answers on how this technology will transform their jobs. Around 65 percent of BSCs seek to counteract rising costs with increased employee efficiency, BSCAI and Simon-Kucher's report states, and AI could support this goal. Yet, this potential solution can also ostracize the workforce, with Goldman Sachs reporting how AI could potentially replace an estimated 300 million full-time jobs.

BSCs can consider the pros and cons of AI usage as they strategize how to improve their client base process.