Software Engineer: Hello Tech Support, my laptop is not switching on. I think I need a new one?
Tech Support: Sir, please try plugging into the power outlet, your laptop battery may have drained.
Software Engineer: Okay… that worked. Thanks! Bye!
Tech Support: Hold on sir, please log this in our Support tracking system, or I can log it on your behalf. Thanks.
The above is the typical scenario in any organization that takes its support function seriously. Support issues, no matter how trivial, need to be logged in the central tracker.
Why should it be any different in Apartment Owners Associations? At the end of the day, what the Associations primarily does is MANAGES work requests, suggestions. And “Anything not measured, is not managed”. Any work request, no matter how trivial, MUST BE LOGGED into your Complaint Tracker*.
Here are 5 reasons why the Estate Manager should make sure the Complaint is logged into the Complaint Tracker (he can also log it on behalf of the Resident):
1. VISIBILITY. To the work he/the Association Office is doing. A quantitative answer for “what do you do all day?” 🙂
2. RESOURCE PLANNING. The maximum service requests we get are for Plumbing? Do we need to hire one more Plumber?
3. RESOURCE PERFORMANCE. Feedback received from residents is worst for Security category. Also, complaints in this category have the maximum aging as well as escalation. Should we use this factual data to warn the Vendor? Use this data to negotiate a better deal?
4. ASSET AMC PLANNING. The old Treadmill in the Gym has the maximum breakdown complaints. Should we get a dedicated AMC for it? Or should we dispose it and get a new one?
5. DEAL WITH MAINTENANCE FEE DEFAULT! Yes. Some of our Customers have clear instructions of de-prioritizing Complaints / Service Requests from Flats that are Maintenance Fee Defaulters. Don’t pay, don’t use!
So encourage your Association Office to proudly claim, we service an average of 60 Work Requests / Complaints a day. And the average feedback we get is 4.5 on 5. We ROCK!
Communities that do a commendable job of tracking their Work Requests/Complaints centrally: Purva Riviera (Bangalore, 800 units), L&T Serene County (Hyderabad, 1100 units), Shriram Spandhana (Bangalore, 504 units). Is your Association is also doing a good job of Helpdesk monitoring? Do share with us.
* – The ‘Complaint Tracker’ is seen as the ‘Complaint Box’ on the Resident’s view.