Problem Statement

How can we deliver facilities maintenance that feels as premium as the offices themselves? The core issue was that while the spaces were premium, the service processes were not differentiated from a standard office building. Customers expected hotel-like service in their work environment but instead got inconsistencies: technicians arriving late or unannounced, varying dress codes (sometimes just a neon safety vest over casual clothes), and occasional sloppy work that required follow-ups. This led to dissatisfaction and complaints, which in a competitive co-working market, can affect client retention and reputation. The challenge was to redesign the service delivery – from the moment a service request is made to the moment it’s resolved – to exude professionalism, courtesy, and reliability.

Key Constraints & Complexity

Transforming the service culture had its complexities:

• Team Transformation – The maintenance personnel were largely the same people who had always done the job. Asking them to now deliver a hospitality-like service required significant training and mindset shift. This wasn’t just about new checklists, but winning hearts and minds to take pride in delivering premium service.
• Consistency Across Locations – The provider had multiple sites across the city (and in other cities). Ensuring a uniform experience everywhere – such that a client in one city gets the same treatment as one in another – meant standardizing protocols and communication, despite different teams operating each site.
• Minimizing Disruption – Any changes in service processes had to be implemented without disrupting ongoing operations. The facilities still needed to run smoothly during the transition; clients shouldn’t feel like they’re in a “training ground” for new procedures. Changes had to be nearly seamless and quickly effective.
• Measuring the Intangible – “Premium feel” is somewhat subjective. The client needed metrics like customer satisfaction scores, repeat ticket rates, etc., to ensure the changes were making a difference, but also had to rely on qualitative feedback. Designing a feedback mechanism that captures this was part of the task.

Maanicare’s Approach

Maanicare tackled the project by borrowing principles from the hospitality industry and blending them into facilities management. We focused on people, process, and feedback:

3.1 Service Audit & Client Journey Mapping

First, we performed a service audit – essentially a mystery shopping of the existing maintenance service. We traced the journey of a service request: how a tenant raises an issue, how the request is scheduled, how the technician engages when arriving, and how the issue is closed out. Pain points emerged clearly. Appointments were loosely handled (e.g., “we’ll send someone tomorrow” without a precise time), technicians often arrived with no clear introduction or context (the tenant sometimes had to explain the problem from scratch), and after the fix, there was little communication (no one checked if it was done to satisfaction). We documented these gaps and then mapped out an ideal “premium service journey” – what should happen at each touchpoint to delight rather than frustrate. This ideal journey was used as a blueprint for designing new protocols.

3.2 Developing Premium Service SOPs

Maanicare created detailed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that would govern maintenance service delivery. These SOPs covered every aspect of the process: how quickly requests must be acknowledged, how to communicate with the client about scheduling, how technicians should present themselves and interact, and what steps to take before, during, and after a task. For example, an SOP might state that for any non- urgent request, the tenant is offered a choice of appointment windows (morning/ afternoon) within 24 hours, and a confirmation is sent when a technician is dispatched. Another SOP outlined the “Service Etiquette Protocol”: technicians must arrive in a clean, branded uniform, with an ID badge; greet the client courteously by name; briefly explain what they will do; and post-completion, demonstrate the fix and ensure the area is tidy. We even scripted some elements (like how to politely ask if there’s anything else the client needs). By standardizing the steps, we aimed to eliminate variability in service quality.

3.3 Training & Empowerment of Technicians

Having SOPs on paper is one thing – living them is another. We conducted intensive training workshops for the maintenance teams. The training wasn’t just technical (they already knew how to fix things) – it was about soft skills, time management, and brand alignment. We emphasized that every team member is an “ambassador” of the premium brand when they enter a client’s space. Role-playing exercises were used: technicians practiced scenarios like dealing with an upset client or gracefully handling a request that wasn’t actually in their scope. We introduced an “arrival checklist” (do’s and don’ts when arriving on site) and a “closure checklist” (steps to finalize the task and ensure quality). Technicians were also empowered to take extra small initiatives – for example, if they noticed a minor issue (like a loose doorknob) while on site, they could fix it on the spot rather than waiting for another request. This proactive approach was encouraged to show clients that we go above and beyond.

3.4 Introduction of Visual Proof and Clean Closure

To reinforce the new standards, Maanicare implemented a system of closure photos and sign-offs. After completing a job, technicians would take a quick photo of the serviced area or equipment, especially if it was a repair that’s not immediately visible. These photos served two purposes: they acted as quality assurance evidence for internal use, and they subtly pushed the techs to leave things visibly in order (since “the picture should look good”). Additionally, a simple sign-off sheet or digital acknowledgement was introduced, where the tenant could sign or click to confirm the job was completed to their satisfaction. If anything was amiss, this would trigger immediate follow-up before considering the request closed. This step closed the feedback loop in real-time rather than discovering later that the client was unhappy.

3.5 Feedback Loop & Continuous Improvement

TBeyond immediate sign-off, we established a post-service feedback loop. Shortly after a service request was closed, the tenant would receive a brief survey or call – a “How did we do?” touchpoint. We kept it very short (to respect busy clients’ time) – typically a 1-5 star rating and an optional comment. These feedback scores were tracked, giving management tangible metrics like average CSAT (Customer Satisfaction) for maintenance services. Maanicare set up a monthly review of this feedback with the client’s operations leadership to identify trends or recurring issues. For example, if one site had lower scores, we’d dive in to see why (maybe a particular team member needed more coaching). The continuous feedback loop ensured that the service quality not only improved but stayed high, as we could quickly correct any slippage in standards.