Rapid Response Team
The worst time to seek help, advice or guidance is in the middle of an emergency. Emergencies find us at the most inopportune moments. An overflowing toilet at 3 a.m. A back-up on a holiday weekend. Emergencies happen, and dedicated and responsive property managers take the time to prepare to mitigate the potential adverse effects of emergencies.
The best defense against emergency issues is a good offense—preventive maintenance. A coordinated, thoughtful preventive maintenance program will protect you against a host of emergency issues and result in cost savings over time. It is far cheaper to address an issue before it becomes an overnight emergency.
Every property manager should have what we call a Rapid Response Team. This team of professionals should include a contractor or service provider for every major mechanical system in your building.
For water issues, your response team should include a skilled, responsive plumbing contractor. The plumbing contractor should offer 24/7/365 emergency service. You should enter a support agreement to ensure dedicated support. Responsive support is the backbone of quality customer service. Your agreement should also include a period of time during which the contractor will stand behind its work and return and make any repairs in the event of an issue with the work performed.
You are building a team of trusted partners who can support you as you provide a comfortable, pleasant atmosphere for your business and residential tenants.
Here’s a quick cheat sheet for developing your Rapid Response Team:
Identify the mechanical systems in your building
Assign a service provider to each system
Identify a primary provider and a backup provider
Execute an agreement with each provider that covers scope of services, availability, response times, warranty, and pricing
Schedule an initial meeting and walk-through to familiarize your Rapid Response Team with the building
In addition to rapid response, meet to develop a strategy to address preventive maintenance.