A stack of 21 in 19 minutes. Yes, that was the final outcome. A water pipe burst on the 21st floor in a one bedroom unit. Within 19 minutes an entire stack had flooded to the ground level. There was water pouring out of every light fixture, ceiling fan, ac duct, traveling from floor to floor. 19 minutes!!! That’s millions of dollars worth of damage and a loss of trust from the community. The concierge who was on duty at 2am at the front desk long after the Property Manager and Engineer had left had never been trained to shut off the water. Now, let’s think about that. Who is on duty around the clock? Who has the most amount of face time with the community? The Concierge… Is your concierge well trained to prevent this kind of damage?

The alarm sounded due to the loss of pressure in the fire system. It could have been from a fire, a damaged sprinkler head or maybe a pipe burst. The concierge checked the alarm panel and called the engineer. The engineer didn’t pick up the first time and he attempted again. Tick tock, 10 minutes had passed by already. Half the damage had already occurred and he still had to run to the 21st floor and shut down the water while the engineer tries to talk him through the procedure.

Do you see how critical it is having a competent, well trained Concierge staff? Your entire staff should be able to recite the fire alarm response and water procedure on command. They must be able to work under pressure and quickly without a second guess. The plans need to be documented in detail and I would even suggest detailed pictures of the system as well.

At a property with a well trained Concierge the loss would have been reduced greatly. The Concierge would have looked at the panel with a clear understanding. Identified the water problem location and type of alarm. Then head to the 21st floor stairwell and turn the water shut off valve and drop the pressure in the pipe with the lever. He would then return to the panel room silence the alarm and make an announcement to the community stating this is a non- emergency situation. Next he would reset the alarm and call the emergency response team. This is all done while reassuring the residents that he had the situation under control.

Let’s face it; long after we have fallen asleep, our building is being secured by the Concierge. Find a company with hands on management that is skilled in training and mentoring competent individuals. And trust me, The Concierge wants be able to handle this type of accident. It will empower your staff and raise moral. This will also gain trust from the client with clear life safety and risk management procedures in place.

1) Will you handle all phone calls late at night and channel them accordingly?
YES! Our direct management staff will handle all after hour phone calls from staff and either
take care of the issue or direct the call to the appropriate person.

2) Will I no longer have to worry about covering a shift because someone didn’t show up?
YES! You no longer have to stress out about callouts or finding coverage. It is our responsibility
and we are equipped to cover shifts in the event an unforeseen absence takes place.

3) Can you guarantee to free up my time from the demands of our residents?
YES! We save you time because our associates are trained to handle any situation that may occur in a most professional and friendly way. We train, manage, and update our associates on procedural and policy changes just as timely as they occur.

4) Will you manage complaints regarding lack of service from the building concierge or security?
YES! We increase the value of your community because we provide more than just a great service. Our customer satisfaction rating is 100% when service is the deciding factor.

5) Do you handle crisis situations in case of fire, flood or other emergency situations?
YES! Due to our well trained and dedicated associates, our loss prevention efforts have saved millions for our Clients in water, fire, and potential criminal damage.

First- Service. Why compromise service for security!? Generally with a true concierge company you’ll get the best of both worlds. Security companies hire security minded people who generally have never worked in customer service plus security companies do not understand how to provide service. Especially to residential communities where service is the most valuable asset and one that coincides with security. Most security companies now days will likely have a concierge division which is just the security guards with nicer suits, but same mentality and no training on how to service a community effectively.

Second-Even more secure. Concierges are taught to multi-task and own the lobby. This means that not only can they provide service, but can also provide security by monitoring all camera’s, having all guest sign in, making sure only those who are in the building are suppose to be by notifying all residents of visitors, and by simply caring more about their jobs. Not to mention in the event something happens of security breach or other issue, the concierge is to respond the exact same way the security guard will by calling 911 and/or investigating the incident.

Third-The perception. Most have a inclination that having a security guard means protection. However, for a residential community is gives off the impression to those interested in buying or visiting that the area is unsafe. The key is communication and awareness. A Concierge is taught to always greet residents and guest to ensure they know someone is there and the concierge is aware of their surroundings. Not to mention the concierge is responsible for getting to know all residents and normal visitation patterns which is not taught by security companies. Rarely do you see security guards in an upscale hotel because the staff is always attentive and making sure that each and every person is acknowledge which deters a lot of issues.

Forth- The image. A concierge is usually dressed in a crisp suit and tie and carries themselves well. A security guard is usually in an unflattering suit with “security” stamped on the front pocket. Image is everything. To a buyer or visitor, the first impression is everything when they walk in the lobby for the first time.

Final word. Not only can a concierge service provide you with “perks” but they can provide a secure and friendly environment all for the same cost, if not less than a security company. A concierge service performs almost all the same safety and security tasks that a security company would perform. The concierge will not only handle travel arrangements and social schedules; they will also write detailed incident reports, walk the premises, screen guests, check out and inventory keys, memorize and perform all safety procedures, and assist residents in the case of emergency. They can handle unruly residents and customize a safety program for your property, all with a smile!

Concierge services seem to be popping up everywhere- now offered to clients of credit card and car insurance companies to employees of law firms and hospitals. An amenity adopted by professional organizations and corporations to increase productivity and employee satisfaction, concierge services have proven to be a sound investment. But is this still the case when it comes to real estate?

Concierge service has been a staple amenity in luxury high rise condominiums for decades. In a time of abundance, concierge services are an obvious choice; and during the real estate boom, it saw a particular resurgence. Now that the “boom” is over, and residents struggle to pay their mortgages and HOA dues, the question arises- are concierge services still a cost effective amenity to offer? Some may even consider Concierge service to be an expendable “perk” that is not essential to the proper functioning of your property and therefore not worth keeping or adding. In actuality, hiring a professional concierge service can not only increase the overall image of your building, but it will increase your efficiency, attract and retain residents, and in some cases even decrease your expenses. A concierge service provider can also provide unique benefits and discounts to your residents that won’t cost the HOA any money, and won’t take up any of the property manager’s time. Concierge service can be an affordable asset, not only to the residents, but also to the manager and board.

Essentially, there are 3 main reasons why a concierge service provider may be the right choice, despite cut backs and foreclosures- 1) You get more for your money 2) You can save the property manager time, and the HOA’s money 3) Your residents will be happier, and you’ll attract more buyers.

You get more for your money

What do I mean by this? Well, this can apply in three ways. First of all, if managed correctly, the concierge staff can take on time-consuming tasks that the property manager would otherwise have to attend to. For example, how much do you think your residents would want to pay to have the following tasks accomplished: stuffing envelopes; collecting resident information; directing phone calls; making photo copies; programming the call box; and facilitating move ins and move outs? Well, if the property manager is doing these tasks then they are paying $22-$25/hour (assuming your manager makes around 50k-54k/year) for these simple tasks to be accomplished. However, if a concierge provider is employed, these tasks can be taken off of the property manager’s “to do” list and, in most cases, given to the concierge to accomplish at a rate of $16 or $17/hour (average hourly rate for concierge provider). Since there are usually some “slow” periods at the desk, the concierge staff can be utilizing their down time for such tasks, and freeing up the property manager to accomplish tasks appropriate for his or her pay grade. For example, the HOA can save $1000 per year just by delegating the call box programming and move in logistics to the concierge. If on average these tasks take 3 hours/week, it would cost $3696 per year (of their salary) for the property manager to accomplish these tasks if they made $50,000/year. The same task would only cost $2688/year if the concierge handled it. The property manager can then use those extra 3 hours a week to focus on more important tasks. Money well spent…and saved! As an additional benefit, having the concierge staff take on some of these duties, this solution will reduce any front desk boredom and job dissatisfaction with your concierge staff; and any frustration the property manager has with tedious tasks that take up their time. Ultimately, this could lead to higher job satisfaction and lower staff turnover.

Secondly, not only will the association’s funds be appropriately utilized, but a concierge service provider can offer “perks” and discounts to residents and it won’t cost the HOA any money. Concierge service providers have unique relationships with vendors across the city which they can leverage for the benefit of your residents. In fact, you may be able to significantly reduce, if not totally eliminate funds allocated for socials for the residents just by employing a concierge service. Often times, concierge services will offer to host regular socials for the residents. They will utilize their business networks around the city to bring in the food, beverages (alcoholic or not), coupons and services (massages, flu shot clinics etc) in to the residents. In many cases, this won’t cost the HOA any additional money, and it will be a huge hit with the residents! This will both increase resident satisfaction, and potentially save the HOA money.

Thirdly, not only can a concierge service provide you with “perks” but they can provide a secure and friendly environment all for the same cost, if not less than a security company. A concierge service performs almost all the same safety and security tasks that a security company would perform. The concierge will not only handle travel arrangements and social schedules; they will also write detailed incident reports, walk the premises, screen guests, check out and inventory keys, memorize and perform all safety procedures, and assist residents in the case of emergency. They can handle unruly residents and customize a safety program for your property, all with a smile!

You can save the property manager time, and the HOA’s money.

What are some of the biggest time wasters of the board and property manager’s time? Usually conflict resolution and miscommunication fit into that category. Hiring a concierge service can help with that as well. When you hire a concierge service, you are employing a company that is focused on communication and customer service. Concierges usually understand that their job is conflict resolution and customer satisfaction. This can go a long way in resolving issues so they never even have to reach the property manager.

For example, say there is a problem with parking. Resident A is new to the building and parked in another resident’s assigned parking spot. Resident B comes home late from a business trip at 11pm only to find their parking spot taken. Frustrated and tired, resident B comes to the concierge desk to ask for the car to be towed. The concierge in a friendly and calm manner, assures the resident that they will do their best to resolve this issue. Rather than simply writing an incident report, or calling the tow company; the concierge does some investigation first in order to properly resolve the issue, and avoid further complications. The concierge searches the license plate in the database to see if it is a resident before they call the tow truck. Sure enough, they see that license plate is that of a new resident who must have mistakenly parked in the wrong spot. The concierge is able to call the resident and the car is moved to the correct location. Both residents are happy, informed and the problem was resolved. A detailed report is written and submitted to the property manager who reviews it in the morning. Problem solved. If a concierge was not on duty, the property manager would have had quite a mess to clean up in the morning!

Not only can a Concierge communicate policies and resolve issues, but they can also be instrumental in helping define and revise front desk procedures. By allowing the concierge provider to be involved in the formation or revision of the policies and procedures, often times you can avoid problems before they even begin. Because the concierge interacts with the residents 24/7 (in most cases) they have a very firm grasp on the frustrations of residents and staff. Therefore, they can be very helpful in determining the safest most effective front desk and parking procedures. The property manager will have the final say of course, but letting the eyes and ears of the building help to define what those procedures look like will eliminate a lot of frustration, angry residents and wasted time.

Having trouble finding people willing to serve on the board? Most of the time, this is because most residents don’t want to get in the middle of a dispute where they live. Being on the board can be a tough job. But, if you have a professional concierge staff in place, to help with conflict resolution and elimination; you’re more than likely see an increase in the number of people willing to serve on the board.

Your residents will be happier, and you’ll attract more buyers.

Hiring a concierge service is a fantastic way to not only attract new buyers, but keep your current residents happy. Aside from the customer service element that a concierge service brings to the property, residents like to feel that their money is going to good use. A concierge service gives them the option and convenience of having a personal errand service. Whether or not they use the service, they like to have the option! For the part time resident, they find the convenience of having their refrigerator stocked when they arrive back in town; for the lonely widow, she simply values the friendly face at the front desk welcoming her home every day. Again, this is an incredibly valuable amenity to residents that won’t cost the HOA any money! Residents will also enjoy the socials, and discounts to local restaurants that are usually offered by concierge services.

As far as attracting new residents- well, let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want a concierge service? Once informed of the discounts, travel arrangements, and personal services available to them, potential buyers will be impressed to say the least. For most, this can be a significant factor in determining whether or not to buy in your property. Again, even if they don’t actually take advantage of the additional services offered by a concierge company, the option alone is valuable. The unique offerings of a concierge service go a long way in attracting new business, and keeping your condo’s full. This will also keep the bank account in balance; a very good thing in a down economy.

What about doing it in house? Won’t that save the HOA money?

It depends on how you look at it. Yes, you may be able to do it in house for a dollar or two per hour less. But, that savings may be eaten up in the time the property manager has to spend managing the front desk staff. Outsourcing a concierge company will free up the property manager’s time and ultimately be the most effective use of your funds, because they will no longer have to spend time hiring, firing and training the front desk staff. These tasks can become significantly time consuming and really take away from the main focus of the property manager’s job responsibilities. In most cases, it’s worth the extra dollar per hour to outsource the concierge service so that your property manager does not have to spend any time managing that aspect of the property. It’s simply not the best use of their time or the HOA’s money. One important note- if you choose to outsource your concierge service it is important that your expectations are outlined in the contract. Be clear about your expectations prior to service implementation so that there aren’t any misunderstandings. As in most cases, communication is key! However, if you take the time to find the right service provider, and clearly outline your expectations from the beginning, you will have a more efficient, friendly and cost effective property.

Ultimately hiring a concierge service is the best way to keep your residents happy, your bank accounts full and your property manager effective.