I know I am not the only one who grew up with Levar Burton when he was known for Reading Rainbow and not Star Trek.  There were a lot of lessons Levar taught me over the years, but the one that is burned on my brain is his lesson on Teamwork.

It was brought to mind as I was preparing for a seminar tomorrow on the Service Request process. A successful service request is only possible when the office team and maintenance team are on the same page and supporting each other.  In specific terms, it means that the leasing team begins the process by:

  1. Asking enough questions to ensure the maintenance team receives a detailed, specific service request so they have the best idea of what tools and parts they may need to resolve the issue.
  2. Enter the service request directly into the work order system so that the maintenance team can receive and prioritize the request as quickly as possible.

The maintenance team then takes over the process and:

  1. Ensures they have the necessary tools, training and equipment to resolve the most common maintenance issues in their community.
  2. Completes the request quickly, carefully and thoroughly.
  3. Leaves the work area as clean or cleaner than they found it.
  4. Notifies the resident if there will be a delay, the reason for the delay, and when they expect to be able to complete the work.
  5. Close out the service request in the system by the end of the day.

Once the service request is closed out in the system, the process comes full circle to the office team who should complete the service request by following up with the resident to ensure two things:

  1. Was the work completed to the resident’s expectation?
  2. Is there anything else you can do for the resident?

Whether the follow-up is automated through the work order system, or the office team sends a follow up email or checks in with a phone call, or if it’s a third party automated follow-up such as our Insite Work Order Follow-Up, this final step can be a critical part of creating value for resident in a tangible way. In fact, service request follow-up has the 2nd greatest impact on the resident’s likelihood to renew their lease!

Service requests are not just a maintenance thing. They are a team thing. And as Lavar sang and danced to our childhood delight, we’re, “doin’ it better… as a Team!”

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