One of the aspects of maintenance that is often overlooked is customer service, says Jamie Willsdon of Future Group.
One aspect of maintenance that customers often simply assume will be provided as a matter of course is customer service. Sadly, this is not always the case. As a lighting and electrical contractor which prides itself on top quality maintenance provision, we are often surprised by the poor level of service that some blocks have received at the hands of others.
At one luxury block in central London we were commissioned to replace a previous contractor which had simply reacted to repairing lights as they failed and had never bothered to investigate further. The property manager was fed up with arranging endless call-outs to change failed lamps and residents were unhappy with the mounting cost of repairs. Future Lighting was actioned to remedy the problem and quickly discovered It was simply down to poorly-commissioned occupancy sensors, that were switching the lights on and off all day which was causing rapid deterioration of the units.
Our team simply adjusted the settings and maintenance costs at the development fell by a staggering 2000% in just 12 months.
Eventually we persuaded the client to replace their now fatally damaged lighting system with a new LED equivalent, completely eradicating the need for (and cost of) maintenance. All that was required to radically improve life for the residents – and save a small fortune – was a professional approach and a little constructive thinking.
On another site we took over earlier this year, we quickly discovered that only 10% of the emergency lighting was working. We immediately asked for evidence of testing and found nothing, despite the Property Manager at the block having emails from the previous contractor to state the lighting was in a “Satisfactory Condition”. Clearly the previous contractor was charging for the service but had never actioned the works.
At Future, we pride ourselves on outstanding customer service as well as on extremely high quality lighting and electrical installations – and have just won the 2018 ARMA ACE Customer Service Award for excellence in our industry. This is borne out by our client base. In a recent independent survey, 96% of our customers said they would recommend us to another property manager – and 54% already had.
Each of our clients has a dedicated client relationship manager, giving them a personalised service and a unique point of contact. This team member is up to speed with their buildings, residents and services at each site, preventing errors and providing a complete customer service package.
We also pride ourselves on our rapid response to enquiries – always answering emails the same day and returning phone calls immediately. We have a robust complaints handling system enabling us to deal with grievances quickly and efficiently. And we offer clients complete peace of mind via our insurance-backed warranty which covers all parts and labour for a full five years.
Key challenges for property managers while undertaking lighting projects are:
- getting buy-in from residents
- avoiding noise and disruption
- ensuring sympathetic solutions are found to match décor in existing blocks
To overcome these challenges we work closely with block managers to timetable resident- friendly works with the lowest possible impact and we also believe in talking to end users wherever possible. We frequently hold out-of-hours resident’s meetings to showcase and test our products and get buy-in for our installations. Once lighting has been installed we offer on-site training to ensure flat owners can effectively control their lighting and we provide plaques for communal areas with instructions for getting the best out of the new system.
If you are looking for a new supplier, here are our top tips for employing maintenance contractors:
- Check they have the relevant accreditation. i.e. NICEIC, BAFE etc.
- Check their health & safety documentation and insurance is up to date
- What is coverage like in your area?
- Ask them how they schedule-in routine testing and compliance visits
- How do they monitor/vet their engineers and how do they know the work is done correctly?
- What are their fees – and are there any hidden costs?
- Warranty/guarantees – Do these cover parts and labour?
Finally, don’t underestimate the importance of identifying a company that has the interests of the customer at the heart of its operation. There is no substitute for building strong relationships with the people you do business with so make sure you ask the right questions at the outset.
Jamie Willsdon is a founder and director of the Future Group. Contact Jamie at: [email protected] / www.future-lighting.co.uk
