Is it time to find a new facility services provider?
The first impression of your company is your facility. Tenants, prospects, customers, and guests form opinions based on how inviting it is. Is it sparkling clean? Are all public spaces in good repair and looking like new? Do all of the building systems function properly? Is the building is warm in winter and cool in summer? Are the restrooms spotless with every fixture working? Working with the right facility services provider will make sure that you can answer “yes” to every question.
Hiring the right company to manage your janitorial and operations & maintenance services is an investment in time and money – a positive working relationship, fair pricing, and a full array of needed services are all vital.
It’s easy to fall into a situation where everything seems good enough. But just as you periodically review your vendors and contracts, you should take a look at your facility service provider, too. Like most business relationships, it’s important to evaluate more than just the financial details. Take the following quiz to review some of the less-considered aspects of your relationship:
Evaluating Your Facility Services Provider
- Does your provider have an eye for detail? Facility services contracts outline provider responsibilities and deliverables as completely as possible, but there will always be things that come up that may not be spelled out. For the following example, choose how your provider responds:
During routine cleaning, the janitorial staff discovers a loose tile in the bathroom. They respond by:
- Cleaning around it so as not to disturb it.
- Cleaning over it and moving on.
- Cleaning it as thoroughly as possible and reporting it to you so that your maintenance staff can fix it.
- Fixing it as soon as possible to eliminate it as a trip-and-fall concern.
- Does your provider say no more often than it says yes? Building tenants often have new requests, such as offering snack walls or beer taps. When you ask your facility services provider to take on an additional service such as stocking snacks and changing kegs, how do they respond?
- “No, that’s not in our contract.”
- “Our insurance doesn’t cover food handling. We can’t help you.”
- “Our employees are not trained to interact with tenants and building guests.”
- “Sure! We’re happy to add this new service!”
- Does your provider’s team have the right skills to manage your needs? For example, if your O&M provider discovers a leak in your HVAC system during routine cleaning, how do they respond?
- They ignore it. You’ll figure it out sooner or later and they don’t want to get blamed.
- They tell you a week later, after the leak has already destroyed the boiler room floor.
- The report it so that you can find a licensed tech on your own.
- They repair it promptly with their own internal licensed tech, and let you know that the problem is solved.
- Do you have detailed insight into your account? If you ask for a review of services provided including an accounting of work completed, costs, and other details, how does your provider respond?
- “No can do. Whatever is done is done.”
- “Umm, give us six weeks to gather that info and get back to you. (In the meantime, we’re secretly hoping you forget…)”
- “Let’s talk it through on a phone call.”
- “No problem. I’ll resend the monthly reports we have been delivering, plus will show you how to generate them via your personalized online dashboard. I will be happy to help you create any custom reports you’d like by end of day.”
Score Your Answers
If it’s not obvious, the goal is to find a facility services provider responds “D” all the time. You need a partner that views your facility as you would yourself, and can see and identify things that need to be done. One that is willing to be flexible and add new services when you have a request. And one that has the trained staff to be able to manage all of your operations and maintenance needs – not just have you pay to farm it out.
Finally, you need a provider that has invested in technology and processes that track work and back it up with data. Look for timekeeping information on staff that’s tracked via advanced methods, data on savings achieved from doing O&M work in house vs. using external providers, and detailed information on when contracted services were performed. This type of recordkeeping is more than just for show – it is data that your provider should be tracking and using to make sure they are providing optimal services on your behalf, and to help them find ways to save you time and money with improved efficiency and solutions.
Bite the Bullet
If your quiz answers are not up to standard, then think about the other aspects of working with your vendor.
- Do you feel you are getting the appropriate level of service for your monthly and annual investment?
- Do you have other services you would like to outsource, but don’t feel confident in approaching your vendor?
- Are you confident that the vendor’s recruiting, hiring, and training programs will keep pace with your ongoing needs?
A “no” answer to any of these is just another indictor that it might be time to consider a new facility services provider.
Making the Switch
How do you go about making a change? The first step is to evaluate other options. Reach out to potential vendors and provide them with the following info:
- An overview of your facility – type of environment, systems, hours, tenants and guests, and any information about the functionality of your facility.
- A list of the services you currently outsource.
- The terms and conditions of your current contract – hours of operation, response times, performance indicators, and any other requirements that are important for your facility.
- A list of additional services you would like a vendor to bid on providing.
- Your budget or, at a minimum, budget range.
Ask the facility services vendor to provide a quote of services they can offer to match existing levels as well as their suggestions for additional services, including pricing. Also ask for the following information:
- Details on the vendor’s recruiting, hiring, and training programs.
- A sample of the type of reporting that the vendor provides to facility service clients.
- Information on the vendor’s advanced technologies, including things such as facial recognition for time keeping.
- Details on the key performance indicators the vendor will track on your behalf, and how they will measure their performance against them.
Once you have your proposals back, you can work with your team to review the information. You may be surprised to learn how much more value you can receive without over extending your budget.
Make sure to schedule an in-person meeting with the team that will manage your account, including your lead contact and company senior management. Personal fit is important in facility services – you want to make sure the vendor is eager to do what it takes to keep your facility at its best and that you would be happy to partner with them.
While it might seem daunting to research vendors and start with a new facility services company, you may find that the extra level of service more than makes up for the transition. Take the time to invest in finding the best for your facility – you will be happy to know that you have done the right thing to make that good impression.
Call to action:
We’d love to learn more about your facility and your team. Can we provide a proposal for next-generation services for you? Just send a note to our team to schedule a requirements-gathering phone call. We’ll make it easy to learn more! [link to appropriate email address]