Everyone, no matter what the industry or the state of the economy, looks for ways to cut costs. But it is even more true during tough times—building service contractors seek ways to reduce their expenses while their customers ask for price reductions. So it may be hard for clients to accept their BSCs, while keeping prices steady, sending workers to off-site activities like the upcoming BSCAI Annual Convention and Trade Show in Chicago.

Contractors, then, must impress on their clients the improvements that can come from attending an event, says Richard Baier. Baier currently is the managing director of the CB Richard Ellis office in Kansas City, Mo., and former international president of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) as well as a former BSC. He will be giving a speech on what customers want from their BSCs on the final day of the show, March 11.

“The end result is to give a better product to your client,” Baier says.

For BSCs, the end result is a clean building, but the customers’ desires go beyond that. For Baier, if the work of the BSC can lead to increased occupancy retention, then that is a positive end result. Baier thinks BSCs lack the understanding of what the real end result is.

“We need to make [BSCs] more aware of what our expectations are and how they can achieve it,” he says.

Attending conventions and trade shows can help contractors learn how to give their customers that better product. And if a BSC can leave with new information, then that knowledge will be a greater benefit to the customer than to simply cut prices and not attend the convention.

To deliver better services, BSCs need to look for best-of-class ideas and better ways to communicate, Baier says. He also suggests taking advantage of the networking opportunities at the convention—including talking with the competition if it will help with a goal.

Think different
Learning new techniques is one thing, but actually using them is another. Once contractors return from a convention, they now need to put the newfound knowledge into action.

BSCs should start by stepping back and taking a look at what they do, advises Baier.

“Then, do even better,” he says. “We all can do better.”

And doing better could mean trying new approaches and taking risks. It might be unsettling at first, but the results will pay off in the end.

“If you step out of your comfort zone, you will produce better work. Maybe not in the short term, but in the long term,” Baier says.

Tackling new ideas is something BSCs will have to do on their own. Innovations in technology may help contractors do a job faster or maybe even better, but its their own knowledge and leadership abilities that will help them come up with new ideas. And that is what customers want, especially Baier.

“I want to see [BSCs] be more proactive to come up with a value-ad,” he says.

Offering a value-added service doesn’t always have to mean performing extra tasks. It can simply mean being more efficient. This is where the real end result is.

For example, if a contractor is more efficient with cleaning an apartment building, then the landlord won’t have to increase rents to anticipate potentially rising cleaning costs. Not having to increase rent prices would please tenants and possibly improve occupancy. This is a real end result a customer is looking for from their BSC.

Contractors should meet with their customers and find out what end results they seek. Then, when at conventions, BSCs will know exactly what educational sessions to attend in order to improve their business. And when they return home, customers will see that their money was well spent.




POSTED ON: 2/1/2003