How a Property Manager Assesses a Sweeping Contractor
Massachusetts-based Laura Schmitt has been involved with property management for over 20 years, and currently manages a slate of properties for Equity One, Inc.
You'll want to hear what Schmitt has to say about what property managers look for in a power sweeping contractor.
audio interview with Laura Schmitt by Ranger Kidwell-Ross, editor
Most parking area sweeping is done at night, when the property owner or manager is not on the property. For this reason, it can be difficult to get feedback on how well the job is getting done, sometimes until the point where the contractor gets a call telling them they've been replaced!
Another difficulty is getting accounts in the first place. Even though you provide a competitive bid, perhaps even the low bid, you may not get the work for reasons unknown and unexplained to you. Many times, this situation is created because of some perception the prospect has gleaned about you or your sweeping company. In today's competitive environment, even small items about your company can become important determiners of whether or not you get the job or it goes to someone else.
In the audio interview with 22-year property manager, Laura Schmitt, you will learn what a veteran manager wants to see from a sweeping contractor. You will find that there are many aspects of professionalism, and that your opportunity to make a favorable impression encompasses all parts of your business, from how you present yourself to the cleanliness of your sweepers and much more.
Note: The audio interview will play without downloading any files onto your computer. If you hear the interview at 'chipmunk speed,' you will need to download the latest version of Adobe's free Flash player.
Note: To play the interview, click
this link or on the small triangle inside the circle you see to the left. If you have any trouble accessing this audio, please let us know.
We also have online another interview with Schmitt, in which she discusses why property managers want to be able to make one phone call -- preferably to their sweeping contractor -- in order to get as many of their maintenance needs handled as possible. In this audio interview about the value of service consolidation, Schmitt discusses the type of services and value a sweeping contractor needs to provide in order to keep busy property managers satisfied.
Even if you already provide a number of services, this latter audio interview will still provide some tips for how you may be able to do things even better. In the event you haven't yet taken the plunge into other services, it's required listening. You won't want to miss the compelling reasons why Laura Schmitt says you can't afford to just sweep. Use the player below to access the audio file, which runs for about 8 minutes.
The easiest way to reach Laura Schmitt is to send her an email.
If you have any questions or comments about this audio article, please let us know.
|
