CREJ - Property Management Quarterly - August 2015
“The best way to find your self is to lose yourself in the service of others,” said Gandhi – a quote that exemplifies property-management. We should all feel fortunate to be able to lose ourselves by providing service to others. I have been in the property management industry for over 30 years, and over half of those years have been with Transwestern in Denver. I have enjoyed every minute of it, but it never was just a job. It has been a career in which I have the ability to always look for how I can do more, how I can increase enhancements, how I can create a synergetic surrounding for clients, and how I can think outside the box to increase a strong building culture of service. By doing more for our team members and tenants, more for our vendors and more for our community, we are creating a better environment and a responsive place to work. However, many things have changed in the last 30 years – technology, innovations, best practices, sustainability, carbon footprints, etc. The one constant is that property management is providing a professional service to tenants. This does not mean managers are providing the service of turning on and off the lights at the end of the workday or making sure the office is clean. To the professional manager, the building should be viewed as a canvas, and when the work is done the manager should be proud to put his name on the completed work of art. The challenges are what make this industry exciting – to stretch oneself to be better every day to provide customers the best service. Before management can start thinking about the next customer enhancement, a manager must first make sure the “house” is in order with standards that exceed expectations. Taking a virtual tour will help illustrate what a property manager should look for when entering a building. It’s important to consider if the entire property can pass the white glove test. While walking around the property, one thing to watch for are painted ceiling tiles, rather than new ones installed when the ceiling tile is dirty or damaged. Ceiling tiles need to be changed immediately even if your engineer feels that he should find the leak before changing it out. A dirty ceiling tile is one example of not professionally managing your building. Another example is if the mechanical rooms are dirty, dusty or have storage in them. If the mechanical room is not clean, this gives the perception that the property is not properly maintained, which is not acceptable. The mechanical rooms should be clean, contain no storage items, have the floors painted, and equipment should be washed down and immaculate. My philosophy always has been that the bowels of a building should be as clean as your lobby. Managers should complete a janitorial walk through at least twice a month. How do your thresholds look on the entrance doors, elevators, mechanical rooms and janitorial areas – are they clean and shining? When walking down a corridor, notice if the lighting is different colors, some warm versus white. Every building must have a standard. If you don’t have one, it is recommended that you implement one. This affects the aesthetics of a property, and it is noticed. Tenants care about how their building looks and want to be proud of it for their clients. Another key area to check in on is vacant spaces. These spaces should be clean, floors waxed, all cable rolled up, holes filled in, the necessary walls painted, and signage that states availability and broker’s number. Potential tenants cannot visualize their office if all they see is dirt and debris. Walk your properties all the time – looking up and down. Create lists and action plans, and implement procedures to ensure that at all times the building is ready for sale. That is the owner’s objective and should be ours as well. Remember, it does not cost more money to have a clean building versus a dirty building – it just requires diligence. Tenants appreciate good service and want to stay in buildings where management cares. Don’t expect if you don’t inspect. Tenant relations are the most exciting and rewarding. We have the opportunity to connect with people on a personal level. The management and engineering staff create the culture of the building. You want your tenants to believe that management is friendly and easy to work with, and that you genuinely care. Elements of a successful tenant relations program include the celebration of holidays, hosting community service events, going above and beyond expectations on service requests and sending hand-written notes to individuals. “Thank you” needs to be the theme of property management’s business – thank you for allowing us to serve you, and thank you for being in the building. We cannot thank them enough because they are the ones who make our jobs possible. Property management is the opportunity to serve and to serve well. We should all make the most of it and be thankful.