Dear Maintenance Men:

My New Year’s resolution is to reduce my building expenses by doing as much of my own maintenance work as I can on my apartment building. Do you have any ideas on how I can keep a closer eye on my maintenance expenses?

Robert

Dear Robert:

Good for you and I think we can help! Maintenance savings begins at the time of the initial service request. When a maintenance call comes in, try to extract as much information as possible from the caller. For example: The resident calls in with a leaking sink problem: is the sink leaking at the faucet spout or at the incoming hot water line under the sink or is the sink overflowing because of a stoppage? You might be able to handle the first two issues, but the stoppage might require a plumber. It would be very expensive to send a plumber to replace a flex line under the sink or repair a drippy faucet, but it is appropriate to send the plumber to snake the line. Most residents don’t know how to describe their maintenance issue or exaggerate the problem. Ask enough questions to determine whether the problem is an emergency or not or if a professional is needed or it is something you can fix. Be aware of the fake emergency, it almost always involves water or leaking gas. The caller will describe for example a stopped up overflowing drain, when in reality when the plumber shows up at overtime rates, it turns out to be a clogged sediment screen on the faucet spout. Or they just need their wall heater pilot lit. So, ask as many questions as you can to get to the bottom of the problem.

Dear Maintenance Men:

I really want to organize myself this year. I own a couple of apartment buildings and want to use my time more effectively, be more productive and minimize unnecessary spending. With the economy where it is, I want to be leaner and meaner this year! Any suggestions?

Bill

Dear Bill:

We completely understand your desire to become more systematic in your approach to maintenance. We have traditionally taken slow times to re-organize, adjust and fine tune our own operations. This has paid dividends in the long run. We use a six-step procedure to get our maintenance under control.

Step one: Inspect, Identify and Document: Look at your building with a critical eye and list the daily, monthly and yearly needs of your building for the purpose of scheduling, ordering and delegating work.

Step two: Routine Maintenance Procedures: Review step one and identify the routine maintenance needs of your building. For example: schedule laundry room cleaning, trash bin area upkeep, fire extinguisher inspections, water heater cleanouts etc. Establish a routine maintenance program involving manger duties to oversee and direct the maintenance or vendor’s times and dates of services. This will greatly minimize the need for the daily development of a maintenance ‘To Do’ list.

Step three: Service Request System: Establish a reliable service request system that mandates a minimum 24-hour window for acting on a request. The system should include a procedure for calling the residents to let them know when, how and by whom their request will be serviced.

Step four: Quality Control: Establish a quality control procedure ensuring resident satisfaction and vender performance before payment. Before & after pictures are great way to record competed work.

Step five: Emergency Procedures and Vendor List: Create an emergency procedure and duties for individual staff members. Include emergency phone numbers, police, fire and vendors you have on call, such as: plumber, electrician etc. Keep this list near by or in your phone for easy access.

Step six: Record Keeping: Establish logs, appointment books, phone logs, inventory sheets, service request files, unit logs, etc. to keep track of your on-going maintenance system.

Dear Maintenance Men:

At least once a year I reorganize my maintenance garage. However, truth be told, the garage turns into a disorganized mess in less than a few months. I am constantly buying new parts, because I cannot find the parts I know are there. This is very frustrating and costly. Do you have any suggestions?

Paul

Dear Paul:

We will try not to turn this into a Martha Stewart episode, but she did have some very good organizational ideas. The problem with most maintenance supply and tool storage areas is that the items do not have a home of their own. The supplies are placed in bins, drawers, cupboards or just left on the bench. In the course of using the supplies or tools, things get moved, tools get misplaced, new supplies are put on top of old supplies etc. Nothing goes back in the same place and soon a pile starts to form. And why? Because you don’t know where to put it. Very frustrating! This is on my bucket list too, this year!

What has worked for us is giving every maintenance item a home by putting them in a clear container and labeling the contents. For example: if you need a light switch, look in the container labeled light switches. When you return the unused switches to the storage area, put them back in the container. If a pile does accumulate, finding a home for the pile will be much easier with everything labeled. Get out of the habit of storing an item ‘naked’ in the drawer or cabinet. A lot of space is wasted by putting individual items in a cabinet or storage unit. The use of a container with a lid gives you the ability to stack containers. This could double the amount of space for storage. Using a labeling machine, list the contents. That way if the bin is empty, you will know what lives there.

By Jerry L’Ecuyer & Frank Alvarez

If you need maintenance work or consultation for your building or project, please feel free to contact us. We are available throughout Southern California. For an appointment, please call Buffalo Maintenance, Inc. at 714 956-8371 
Frank Alvarez is licensed contractor and the Operations Director and co-owner of Buffalo Maintenance, Inc. He has been involved with apartment maintenance & construction for over 30 years. Frankie is Past President of the Apartment Association of Orange County and a lecturer, educational instructor and Chair of the Education Committee of the AAOC.  He is also Chairman of the Product Service Counsel.  Frank can be reached at (714) 956-8371 Frankie@BuffaloMaintenance.com For more info please go to:  www.BuffaloMaintenance.com
Jerry L’Ecuyer is a real estate broker. He is currently a Director Emeritus and Past President of the Apartment Association of Orange County and past Chairman of the association’s Education Committee.  Jerry has been involved with apartments as a professional since 1988.