Colin Stokes, MD of Adiuvo talks about options available when providing an Out of Hours Service
Emergencies can happen at anytime. Statistically more occur outside of traditional working hours due to higher occupation of buildings at evenings and weekends so if you are responsible for repairs at your building or want to ensure any agent acting on your behalf has you covered what are the options for an Out of Hours response at your block?
These days there are a myriad of choices for an agent, so let’s take a look at those options;
Internal Dedicated Team
Probably the best but least available option, only works for large operations with margins and resources to provide multiple staff members 24/7, 365 days a year.
On-call Staff
A Managing Agent can utilise existing staff on a rota basis, the upside is specialist knowledge of buildings and people onsite and it is cost effective however in the age of work life balance and the possibility of one person being overwhelmed by large volume issues not always a suitable response especially for those covering large sites where multiple calls are likely.
Outsourced Specialist Service
A specialist company who can provide constant office based staffing and that is trained and experienced in property management will provide full triage of every incoming call along with reporting and an overall excellent response but there is the cost implication to consider.
General Messaging Service
This option is usually a lot more cost effective than the full outsourcing model. It acts as a barrier for oncall staff who are only contacted when absolutely required as they can often respond to the more straightforward issues.
General Contractor
Similar to the above and often most cost effective as contractor provides free answering service but relies on call outs to cover staffing; this can lead to needless call outs and the response is usually mobile phone based.
Whoever a building or agent utilises to manage their out of hours response there are a number of key things that can done to reduce the need for contractor call outs and, more importantly, mitigate possible damage and additional costs should an emergency happen.
From our experience of over 850,000 incidents, here is what we would suggest you should be aware of;
Stopcocks
These leaks make up around 50% of all emergency calls received by Adiuvo, so it is vital that residents know where their stopcock is (or in some cases what a stopcock is).
Out of hours the only concern is to prevent material damage so contractors are instructed to isolate the problem, which in 9 cases out of 10 can be done by shutting off the stopcock. Doing this immediately not only avoids costly call outs, but can also prevent further damage while the contractor is en-route. If stopcocks can’t be turned off or accessed by the residents in your block, make sure whoever handles your calls knows where they are located and can direct contractors and residents accordingly.
Access
If contractors (or even residents) can’t get into the building or access riser or meter cupboards/external stopcocks it may not be possible to deal with your problem. Whether it is via codes or keys or simply by installing a key safe, make sure there is a guaranteed way of entering the building and all service areas should a major problem arise.
Contracts and contact numbers for essential services
Whether it be lifts, alarms, communal boilers or vehicle access it should be checked for suitable coverage. As simple as this sounds approximately 15% of all companies we contact out of hours advise there do not attend outside of regular hours. As these are usually specialist installations general contractors often cannot attend to rectify problems meaning some issues cannot be addressed.
Contact numbers
Many companies have dedicated Out of Hours numbers that are not available via an internet search or even their own main number messages. Make sure these numbers (and any PIN or security codes) are available to those taking your calls.
Fire or Smoke Alarms
Make sure the contractors servicing the alarms supply site or call handlers have access to any codes or keys for the alarm as well as location of all panels.
Vehicle or pedestrian access gates
If there is a code or manual override key or button make sure the directors or whoever fields out-of-hours calls, has those details for those inevitable occasions when mechanical installations fail.
Qualified Contractors
It is possibly more important than anything else to have access to qualified contractors that provide an out-of-hours response. There are plenty of companies out there but good ones are not easy to find. Especially when water is pouring from one flat to another at midnight and the stopcock has seized. If you are a small or single building talk to your current contractors or look to add a 24 hour contractor to your list of service providers. Give them some daytime work to test them out first and make sure they are aware of the layout of the building and the location of your services and utilities. Your out of hours list of trades should include a plumber, an electrician, a locksmith and a drainage company which can provide an emergency service should the worst happen in your building.
Adiuvo (adiuvo.org.uk) are specialist Call Handlers for the Property Sector, managing over 850,000 emergencies to date.
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