ENBroken Windows, Loud Sex and Narcolepsy
Facility Managers need to be all-around fixers, and that includes dealing with the craziness of dealing with a wide range of tenants.
Facility Management is never easy. There is always something new and, oftentimes, something strange that crops up when you least expect it.
It is not a sit-at-your-desk job. It's a get-out-into-the-world-and-get-your-hands-dirty job. Part engineer, part carpenter, part plumber, part landscaper, part handyman, part electrician. Basically, part whatever is necessary.
And, to up the stakes, if you are dealing with a residential property, then you, literally, are working with people's homes. And, if you handle a commercial property, then you take care of a place that is, for most, a second home.
In any case, it is important to be able to communicate effectively, react immediately, and solve problems efficiently.
That is where technology — like FacilityApp.cloud, an app developed by Alfaveo Bespoke Software on the Jetveo Platform and App Builder — comes in handy. An app won't clear leaves out of a gutter but it will handle the run-of-the-mill tasks such that you will have more time and energy to handle the unexpected human-centric issues.
Of course, since you are dealing with people, there are often crazy situations that make life just a bit more interesting. Some are annoying. Others are downright dangerous. But, some are actually funny.
Here are some issues that we have compiled from tales told among facility managers and our own lived experience. All are tricky, but all would be expedited with a bit of technology (read: FacilityApp.cloud).
• Bad Timing — It's Murphy's Law. Things that could just as easily have broken on a weekday when you and your staff are all onsite, break down on the weekend just to make everything as inconvenient as possible.
• Broken Windows — Some damage is to be expected. Unfortunately, sometimes you often have that one tenant who constantly breaks things. (Or, you have those 10 tenants who constantly break things.) In any case, cliché or not, certain windows have a record-setting way of getting in the way of footballs, baseballs, cricket balls and, sometimes, snowballs.
• Sex — Passion is hard to control. Sometimes it strikes when least expected. How often have you had to deal with amorous relations out in the dark backyard? Or on a balcony? Or just really loud inside an apartment? You're rarely in time to catch the culprits in action — and what would you do anyway? (Of course, it is sometimes fun when the senior neighbors are scandalized.)
• Inebriation — New Year's Eve. Beautiful summer nights. The day that the local team wins the championship. Days that end in “y”. There are many reasons to imbibe. Hopefully the celebrants don't get obnoxious and the party doesn't get out of control.
• Drug Abuse — Though some drugs are becoming legalized, there are still many that are illegal and dangerous. Nobody wants to find used syringes out in the lawn, especially when children play in the same area.
• Public Urination — Usually related to the consumption of alcohol (see above), it is, apparently for some people, too difficult to get the key into the outside door and make it all the way to their apartment. The bushes next to the door often become stop-gap urinals. Apparently, if it is good enough for dogs it's good enough for the people with small bladders.
• Homeless People — If you are in an urban area, you will invariably have to deal with homeless people. Some places have it worse than others. It's never pleasant and never easy.
• Entitled Seniors — Thank you for your service in the military. Or, I understand that you had a difficult life. Or, I am sorry that your arthritis is acting up. None of these give you the right to constantly complain about your neighbor or that the snow is not cleared quickly enough. And, please, turn down the volume on your television!
• Narcolepsy — Suffering from a sleep disorder that, at its worst, suddenly puts people to sleep is hard enough; being the facility manager who has to deal with it can be tricky, too. At least this is a rarity.
• Children — Kids are great, unless they do a myriad of unacceptable things, like break windows with footballs, spray paint graffiti, hang out menacingly in the shadows, and, generally, cause disturbances.
And, of course, there's the classic: “There's a spider on the slide on the kid's jungle gym!”
FacilityApp.cloud
FacilityApp.cloud is an app developed by Alfaveo Bespoke Software, on the Jetveo Platform and App Builder, that digitalizes the facility management of companies.
Go to FacilityApp.cloud for more information related to Facility Management. CLICK HERE.
