For Farina and Farsheed Shah, strong customer relationships have been the cornerstone of their success over the past 10 years. The Balclutha franchise owner recently celebrated a decade with CrestClean, during which she has established a solid reputation as a reliable and trusted cleaning professional.
When Farina first purchased her CrestClean franchise, she was working at Silver Fern Farms and Farsheed had recently suffered a back injury that left him unable to work. This challenging situation prompted them to make a career change, recognising that running their own business would provide the flexibility to manage unexpected events without needing time off.
“Having our own business made it easier to help each other and cover for each other,” she recalls.
“Now, if he feels a bit of pain, I can easily jump in and help him to reduce his workload.”
At first, Farina continued her work at Silver Fern Farms while managing a small turnover within their CrestClean franchise. As they gained contracts in both Balclutha and Dunedin, Farina eventually left her job to focus on the business full-time. For 18 months, the couple commuted to and from Dunedin, steadily growing the business.
Farina fondly recalls their early days working for Rosebank School, where they were initially brought on as a temporary replacement for the regular cleaner. Their high standard impressed the school principal, who offered them a permanent contract.
“Because the principal was happy with the job we did, the school hired us permanently,” Farina says.
With her three children attending the school, Farina was motivated to get involved with the Home & School Association – the school’s fundraising committee. She served as chairperson until last year.
Rosebank School Principal, Callum Tytler, describes Farina as a key figure in the Rosebank School community and valued her involvement while her children were at the school.
“She fully embraced the school life, and she wore many hats. Sometimes she was here with her parent hat on and sometimes she was here with her CrestClean hat on,” says Callum.
Callum is impressed by the couple’s unwavering consistency. Even after 10 years with the school, they’re as dedicated as they were on day one.
“When there’s a problem, they’re not just looking to identify it. They’re looking for solutions,” he says.
Callum praises Farina and Farsheed’s flexibility and their commitment to building relationships with everyone at Rosebank School.
“We’ve got such a good relationship with them, but that is in large part because they have worked hard to make it so,” Callum says.
“I’ve got nothing but good things to say about them.”
Keeping many of her original customers has meant Farina has built genuine friendships over the last decade. Anita Kingma, Store Manager at Farm Source in Balclutha, considers Farina and her family part of the Farm Source team.
“She’s the bomb. She is absolutely amazing. We have a really good relationship with her,” she says.
The Farm Source store in Balclutha sees farmers coming in and out all day, often with muddy boots. Despite the messy store, Farina and Farsheed take it all in stride, handling everything without complaint.
“Absolutely nothing is ever a problem for Farina and Farsheed,” Anita says.
Anita says Farina has a knack for going the extra mile for the team at Farm Source and they’re grateful for her generosity.
“At Christmastime, she’ll cook some traditional dishes and bring it to us for morning tea.”
“She appreciates us, and we certainly appreciate her and her family.”
Anita is thrilled to be part of Farina’s 10-year celebration, reflecting the strong bond they’ve built over the years.
“We absolutely love her – she’s fantastic.”
The longstanding relationships Farina and Farsheed have developed with their customers are a highlight of their journey as a business owners. Congratulations, Farina and Farsheed. Your commitment to your customers has made for a remarkable decade in business.
