Frequently asked questions
Straight answers about commercial robotics
28 questions we get asked most often by UK operators — covering cost, ROI, deployment, safety, day-to-day operation and what it means for your team.
At a glance
Getting started
What commercial robots do, and whether they suit your operation.
What is a commercial service robot?
A commercial service robot is an autonomous mobile machine that performs a repeatable operational task — cleaning hard floors, delivering food, or transporting goods — without a person driving or accompanying it. It navigates using LiDAR and 3D cameras, follows routes mapped during installation, avoids people and obstacles, and returns to a charging dock automatically.
How can robots help my business?
Robots take the high-volume, low-variation work — floor scrubbing, plate running, trolley moves — so your existing team spends its time on the work that needs judgement and human contact. UK operators typically use them to cover roles they cannot recruit for, cut agency spend, raise cleaning consistency and extend operating hours without increasing headcount.
Which businesses benefit most from robotics?
Any operation with a large hard-floor area, a repetitive internal transport route, or a role it struggles to recruit for. The strongest cases in the UK are hotels, care homes, warehouses, schools, restaurants, gyms and leisure centres, garden centres, shopping centres and facilities management providers.
Do I need a large site to justify a robot?
No. Cleaning robots are cost-effective from roughly 500 m² of hard floor, and compact models suit single restaurants and small gyms. For delivery robots the trigger is journey volume rather than floor area — if staff make dozens of the same trip each day, the case usually works.
How do I know which robot model is right for my site?
The choice depends on floor area, floor type, obstacle density, whether lifts are involved and what you need carried. Fresh Mango Robotics runs a free site survey, measures the areas, models the labour displaced, and recommends a specific model and configuration before you commit to anything.
Cost and ROI
What robotics costs in practice, and how quickly it pays back.
How much does a commercial robot cost in the UK?
Pricing depends on model and configuration, and is available three ways: outright purchase, a hybrid arrangement, or Robotics-as-a-Service on a fixed monthly fee that includes support and maintenance. Most operators compare the monthly figure directly against the shift or agency spend it displaces. Request pricing and we will quote against your actual site.
What is the ROI of a service robot?
Typical UK payback is 12 to 24 months, driven by displaced labour hours, avoided agency and premium-rate cover, lower consumable use and reduced slip-claim exposure. Cleaning-heavy sites with high agency reliance reach payback fastest. We build the model with your rota and rates during the survey.
Is it cheaper to buy or lease a robot?
Buying gives the lowest total cost over a long horizon and suits organisations with capital budget. Robotics-as-a-Service avoids capital outlay, includes support and maintenance in the monthly fee, is normally an operating expense, and lets you scale or stop at term. Multi-site operators often start with RaaS and buy once the model is proven.
Are there hidden costs?
No. The quote covers the robot, site survey, mapping, installation, staff training and support. The only ongoing items are consumables — water, cleaning solution and periodic brush or squeegee replacement — plus electricity, which is minimal. Lift integration, where required, is quoted separately and up front.
Will a robot reduce my cleaning contract cost?
Usually yes, but the bigger gain is what the contract delivers for the same money. Because the robot covers the large repeatable areas, contracted hours can be redirected to detail cleaning, washrooms and touchpoints — so the site is cleaner as well as cheaper to maintain.
Installation and deployment
How a robot gets from enquiry to live operation.
How long does it take to deploy a robot?
Most sites are live within a week of the survey. Installation itself usually takes a day: our engineers map the floor plan, set routes and exclusion zones, configure schedules, run safety checks and train your team. Hospitality deployments are frequently in live service the same day.
Do I need to change my building or infrastructure?
Rarely. Robots need a charging point and reasonable Wi-Fi coverage. They handle standard commercial floor surfaces, thresholds and door widths. The only common addition is a small lift controller where the robot needs to move between floors, which our engineers install.
How much training do staff need?
Around 30 to 60 minutes. Day-to-day operation is starting a route, filling and emptying tanks or loading a tray, and reading the status screen. We train on site during installation, leave written guidance, and are available by phone whenever a new starter needs a refresher.
Can I trial a robot before committing?
Yes. We run on-site demonstrations in your own environment so you can see the robot working on your floors, around your team and your customers. Book a demo and we will bring the appropriate model to your site.
Can robots work across multiple floors?
Yes. BUTLERBOT and delivery models integrate with most modern lifts through a controller fitted by our engineers, letting the robot call the lift, board, select a floor and exit autonomously. Cleaning robots are normally allocated per floor, or moved between floors by staff.
Operation and safety
How robots behave around people, and what they can and cannot do.
Are commercial robots safe around people?
Yes. Keenon robots use multi-layer LiDAR, 3D obstacle detection, ultrasonic sensors and emergency stops. They slow down and stop when a person, trolley or wheelchair enters their safety zone, use audible and visual alerts, and operate at controlled speeds. They are in daily use in UK care homes, hospitals, schools and shopping centres.
Can robots operate during business hours?
Yes. Cleaning robots run reduced-speed daytime cycles with exclusion zones around tills, displays and busy areas, and delivery robots are designed for occupied environments. Many operators run cleaning cycles through the day and a full scrub overnight.
How noisy are service robots?
Around 50 to 55 dB in normal operation — comparable to a quiet conversation and below typical restaurant ambience. Delivery robots include a night mode with reduced speed and softer prompts, which makes them suitable for overnight rounds in care homes and hotels.
What happens if a robot breaks down?
Our UK service desk provides remote diagnostics and telephone support, with engineer attendance where needed. Support and maintenance are included in Robotics-as-a-Service agreements and available as a support contract on purchased units. Spares are held in the UK.
How long do robots run on a charge?
Cleaning robots typically run three to six hours depending on model and mode, and return to dock automatically to recharge before resuming. Delivery robots cover a full service period on a charge and top up between rounds, so most sites see no interruption to the schedule.
Do robots collect personal data?
The robots do not record or store identifiable video or audio of customers, residents or staff. Mapping data, routes and operational logs stay on the on-site device and can be configured to meet your information-governance and UK GDPR requirements. We will document this for your DPIA on request.
Workforce and change
What robotics means for the people already on your team.
Will robots replace my staff?
No. In practice UK operators use robotics to cover roles they cannot fill and to reduce agency spend, not to make people redundant. The robot takes the mileage and the carrying; your team keeps the guest contact, the care, the judgement and the detail work.
How do staff usually react to robots?
Better than most managers expect. The tasks robots take on are the ones people dislike most — late-night mopping, trolley pushing, endless plate running. Involving the team during the survey and letting them name the robot makes adoption noticeably smoother.
Do robots work alongside existing cleaning contractors?
Yes, and it is a common arrangement. The robot covers large repeatable hard-floor areas while the contracted team handles washrooms, touchpoints and detail work. Many FM providers now deploy robots themselves to deliver contracts they would otherwise struggle to staff.
About Fresh Mango Robotics
Who we are and how we support UK deployments.
Who are Fresh Mango Robotics?
Fresh Mango Robotics is the robotics division of Fresh Mango Technologies (UK) Ltd, a UK IT support and cyber security company established for over 25 years. We are an authorised Keenon Robotics dealer supplying, installing and supporting service, cleaning and logistics robots throughout the UK, with engineers based in Yorkshire.
Which areas of the UK do you cover?
The whole of the UK. Our engineering base is in Yorkshire, so Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford, York, Hull, Manchester and the wider North of England see the fastest response, but we deploy and support sites nationwide including London, Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
What support do you provide after installation?
UK-based telephone and remote support from our own service desk, engineer attendance where needed, consumables supply, software updates, and periodic reviews of run data to tune routes and schedules as your site changes.
How do I book a demonstration?
Book a demo through the website and we will arrange an on-site demonstration with the model best suited to your environment, or a site visit to survey the areas and model the business case. You can also call 01765 606700.
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Question not answered here?
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