From keeping your building safe for your employees and customers to use, to keeping it a place that has the air of being well kept and professional, there are so many reasons why it’s important for you to keep your business premises well maintained.
However, maintaining your building to the desired standard can be time consuming, expensive, and complicated thanks to the variety of skills needed, not to mention the many hoops that need to be jumped through to meet the various compliances.
That’s why some businesses choose to take all the stress out of the equation by enlisting the skills of a professional building maintenance provider.
But how do you know how to choose a provider who will be competent and reliable?
Here are some green and red flags to look out for.
When you ask a provider for a cost, there should be no hesitation in providing you with one before a contract is signed or work begins. They may want to carry out a site survey so they can gather all the relevant information and give you an accurate figure. But if you find that you’re consistently struggling to get even a rough price from them and you can’t see a good reason for this, then this is a sign that their priority may be to get as much money out of you as possible, rather than maintain your building to a high standard. They know that once the work has been carried out, it’ll be much harder for you to query the price, which is why they hold it back for as long as they can.
Whether they’re not being clear with what maintenance they’re going to carry out, or they’re vague on how they’re going to do it, it’s often because there’s something they don’t want you to know. Perhaps they’re carrying out maintenance that isn’t needed, or maybe they’re using outdated or unsafe methods. In any case, there’s no legitimate reason why your maintenance provider shouldn’t be able to share any information on the work they’re carrying out for you.
Additionally, a provider who is consistently dodging your calls or is slow to respond can be a problem. At the very least, it’s frustrating for you when you can’t get an update on work going on in your property, but when you need some urgent work carried out and your provider is unavailable, small problems can quickly escalate.
As a professional facility maintenance provider, anyone you’re considering working with should have certain types of insurance. While the only one legally required is Employers Liability Insurance (if they have employees and aren’t just a one-man business), there are other types of insurance that you should check your provider has, including:
If your provider doesn’t have these insurances and an accident happens or work has to be halted for any reason, you could be left to foot the bill yourself. On the other hand, if your provider does have them, their insurance will be able to cover any damage to your building or mistakes on their part.
From a business point of view, any accidents or injuries that occur on your premises can be damaging. From a personal point of view, you don’t want somebody to get hurt where it can be easily avoided by following all the necessary health and safety guidelines.
Your maintenance provider’s number one priority should always be safety. The well being of your employees and customers is one of the key reasons why you’re taking steps to keep your building well maintained, and your maintenance provider needs to be on the same page as you.
If they’re not serious about health and safety, it can lead to:
Like any bad salesperson, if they’re pushing hard on a sale, it might mean something is off. Perhaps they’re just bad at selling, but it could also indicate that their main focus isn’t on providing a good service, but on parting you with your money.
A genuine provider will talk you through their service, show you what you can do for them, and won’t mind if you need some time to consider other options or decide that they’re not the provider for you.
If other clients have been satisfied with their service, the chances are that you will be too. Even if they received a slightly different service to what you need, these reviews will give you an idea of how communicative they were, the quality of their work, and how cost effective they were.
Look at customer testimonials on their website, look at their Google reviews, and if you know someone who was a client, ask them for their opinion too.
If someone has a lot of experience, it means they’ve probably been successful. It also means they’ve seen and done it all, and know how to handle any number of different scenarios.
There are certainly younger businesses who are great at what they do, but having a wealth of experience does go a long way in building trust with prospective customers. It shows that they’ve been successful enough at what they do to continue operating over a long period of time, and it implies that they’ve accumulated many years’ worth of knowledge, giving them an edge over less seasoned competitors.
While a provider can carry out basic repairs and maintenance without legally needing any qualifications, some types of maintenance will require your provider to hold specific qualifications. Electrical work, fire safety maintenance and gas work are some examples of the type of maintenance that requires official training and certification.
There are also qualifications that, while not absolutely necessary, do show that your provider has extensive experience and training, and will be more likely to be able to provide you with an excellent service. These include:
Maintaining your building isn’t just about carrying out repairs and fixing things once they’re broken. A large part of the job is (or at least, should be) planned preventative maintenance, which is all about stopping problems from even happening in the first place. From carrying out inspections on roofing that identify potential issues early, to fixing old or faulty wiring to prevent electrical hazards, there are a number of ways your maintenance provider can help you avoid the bigger problems and a heftier bill. If this is how they operate, it shows that they’re priority is keeping your building well maintained and providing a good service, rather than waiting for larger problems to occur so they can hand you a larger bill.
While providing fewer services doesn’t mean lesser quality, it does mean that they’re less likely to be able to meet all of your maintenance needs. If you can get a provider who can boast a strong track record along with a range of qualifications in a variety of disciplines, it makes your life a lot easier, giving you just one port of call for any building maintenance services you may need.
For most businesses, this means finding a maintenance provider who is proficient and qualified in:
When you’re looking for your building maintenance provider, keep all of these things in mind, and the chances are good that you’ll find a reliable provider who delivers great results.
Over the last four decades, The Precision Group has delivered a comprehensive building maintenance service for our customers across Northern Ireland. We know exactly what it takes to deliver an excellent service, which is why we’ve earned a stellar reputation and are trusted by private and commercial customers alike to meet a wide range of maintenance needs.
To find out more about how we can help you meet your building maintenance needs, get in touch today for a free site survey.
After studying accountancy at Queen’s University of Belfast and qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in 2001, Steven “moved to industry” in 2002, holding senior finance roles with several local businesses.
Steven joined The Precision Group in 2019 and was appointed Finance Director in 2020. Steven leads Precision’s experienced and dedicated Finance Team. He constantly strives to maximise the long-term financial performance of the Group via the provision of robust, considered and pragmatic guidance to both internal management and the board.
In addition, Steven, together with the finance team, manage the day to day finances of Precision and provide accurate and timely information to a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
Eddie joined The Precision Group in 2016 as Head of Technical Services for the Construction & Building Division.
With over 25 years’ experience within the Construction & Building Sector, Eddie has managed many large scale construction projects across the UK and Ireland.
Along with a wealth of industry experience, Eddie holds numerous professional qualifications and accreditations, including MCIOB, ACIBE, IOSH, NVQ Level 7 in Construction Senior Management and the Constructions Skill Register Black Construction Management Card.
Not content with standing still, Eddie is currently working towards the NEBOSH National Certificate in Construction Health & Safety.
Alan is one of the company’s longest-serving employees, having joined the Precision Group in 2000 as a Specialist Contracts Manager.
He is currently responsible for the development and management of the Precision Group’s specialist technical services, primarily within the Utility Data Capture arena. Latest projects include the Cork City DAP, which was one of the largest European drainage asset surveys completed in recent years.
Alan often represents the Group at various international water and engineering sector forums. In his spare time, he is a motorcycles and rugby enthusiast.
“Our dedicated Utility Data Capture team offer specialist asset surveying and data management services across the UK, Ireland and Europe. It is imperative we remain at the forefront in terms of the technology we utilise, both on site and within our back office, including the provision of industry leading data packages designed to exceed our clients requirements.”
An experienced HSE Manager, Kevin’s primary role within the Group is to lead a positive HSE culture throughout the company and bring practical HSE solutions to the day-to-day operations of the business.
Kevin provides professional advice and support for the Group’s Contract Managers, Supervisors and other staff in relation to all health, safety and environmental matters, including client site audits.
As HSE Manager, Kevin has overall responsibility for compliance with all current legislation, including codes of practice and relevant standards, across The Precision Group. He also manages the Group’s Integrated Management System, including ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001, ensuring critical control points are monitored effectively.
With over 30 years’ experience within the Fire and Rescue Service, Kevin brings a wealth of experience to the role.
After being involved in his family business for over 15 years, Seamus joined The Precision Group as one of two Contracts Managers, overseeing all projects within the specialist Asbestos division.
Now head of the Group’s Asbestos Division, Seamus has primary responsibility for over 20 staff, managing projects in excess of £1.5m last year. With over 25 years’ experience within the Asbestos and Demolition / Construction industries, Seamus has a wealth of experience within the sector, paired with exceptional communication and leadership skills.
Seamus places significant emphasis on open and transparent communication, fostering strong relationships between clients, contractors and internal stakeholders alike, to ensure projects are completed on time and within budget.
“Having experienced several changes within the Industry over the past three decades, the ability to improvise and adapt in any given situation is essential. As a team, we continually strive to deliver the best service in our field”.
Kevin has a long history with The Precision Group, beginning his tenure as Financial Controller, some 20 years ago. His career quickly progressed to Finance & IT Director, leading to his current position of Managing Director in 2013.
As a Chartered Accountant, Kevin has a steely interest in the financial planning and management for all Precision Group Companies, playing a pivotal role in the overall strategic direction of the Group. Kevin is an inclusive Managing Director, leading the Senior Management team and empowering them at every opportunity to push forward.
In Kevin’s words –
“The company started over 30 years ago as a local contract cleaning company; I am proud to have been part of the company’s growth to become one of Northern Ireland’s most diverse business providers. Today, in addition to our core Facilities Management services, we offer a host of other specialist services including asbestos removal, thermo-chemical cleaning and process equipment refurbishment. We will continue to invest in the up-skilling of our workforce who are paramount to our future growth and will continue to fervently seek out opportunities in other sectors and geographic locations. We are delighted to include some of the top players within the Global Oil & Gas industry, in our client lists.”
