As summer rolls in with its promise of long relaxing days, property managers face the seasonal shift in resident behavior and building activity. Many residents plan vacations, the influx of visitors increases, and the need for efficient management becomes more pronounced. So, how can property managers ensure smooth operations and maintain high standards of service during these bustling summer months?
In this blog, we'll explore several strategies using BuildingLink that help you effectively prepare your front desk for the summer vacation season, ensuring residents enjoy a seamless experience.
1. Welcoming guests of residents
“As an owner / operator servicing high rise condominiums for well over a decade and working in both Canada and the U.S., I’m very familiar with software solutions designed to manage front desk operations. I also know how crucial it is that the system in place can efficiently process everything from incident reports and parking permit to high volume parcels. My team loves using BuildingLink, not only the best suited for these it also provides my team with the ability to provide superior customer service” - Matthew Williams, President of Pennine Security
As summer vacation season peaks, so does the frequency of guests, such as relatives and friends visiting or staying for extended periods. Handling this influx effectively requires a robust system for managing access and parking. With BuildingLink's Front Desk Instructions, your front desk staff can have precise, resident-provided guidelines about who is allowed entry and when. This clarity streamlines the check-in process and enhances security by ensuring that only authorized visitors gain access. Without a system to streamline this process, the front desk can become overwhelmed, leading to long wait times and frustration for guests and residents alike. Residents can also include photos of their visitors to help staff easily recognize and verify them.
Additionally, to efficiently manage parking spaces during these busier times, BuildingLink's Parking Permits system allows you to allocate and track parking spots for guests. Without an efficient tool to track parking permissions, guests might occupy resident parking spots, leading to conflicts and complaints. BuildingLink’s solution ensures that each visitor has a designated place without disrupting resident parking or increasing the workload for front desk staff as they handle corrections and complaints.
2. Managing access for service providers
As residents head out for summer vacations, many arrange for services like cleaning or pet care in their absence. Efficient management of these service providers is crucial for maintaining security and smooth operations within the property, and BuildingLink's Visitor & Contractor Management system is designed to handle these needs seamlessly. The platform maintains a comprehensive resident and unit directory, allowing front desk staff to verify the credentials and intended destination of service providers quickly. Additionally, the ability to capture photos at the point of entry further enhances security by ensuring that only verified individuals can access the premises.
Each visitor, including service providers, is issued a badge, making it easy for everyone on the property to recognize authorized personnel. Moreover, BuildingLink generates an audit trail of all visitors—capturing details like entry and exit times. This feature is particularly useful for property managers to cross-verify the actual time spent by contractors against the hours billed, ensuring transparency and accuracy in invoicing.
3. Managing and storing packages
During the summer, not only can the volume of packages increase, but many of these parcels arrive while residents are away on vacation, posing a unique challenge for property management. Where do you store these packages securely until they can be claimed? The front desk experiences heightened demand as they must also consider the secure storage of these deliveries until residents return.
Fortunately, BuildingLink’s dedicated Staff App streamlines this process, enabling you to manage package intake and storage efficiently. This tool helps you process packages 80% faster than other package tracking solutions, reduces front desk workload, accelerates package pickups, and ensures your mailrooms remain organized and clutter-free, even during peak vacation season. Residents can also enjoy peace of mind while on vacation by receiving notifications and/or using the convenient resident mobile app to check if there are deliveries waiting for them back home.
4. Streamlining summer communications
Summer can bring significant changes at many properties, making effective communication essential for keeping residents well-informed and prepared. From alerting residents on new summer hours, community events, and amenity safety to sharing how they can get involved in summer activities, BuildingLink's Email Templates & Distribution feature allow property managers to send clear and detailed messages quickly. For example, information about pool openings—including hours, rules, and safety protocols—can be shared efficiently, managing expectations and minimizing the need for residents to seek information directly from the front desk.
Additionally, for summer-specific amenities like rooftop decks or barbecues, emails can guide residents to use BuildingLink’s Amenity Reservation tool. This tool can embed rules and costs directly into the system and is highly configurable to virtually any type of booking. This ensures that everyone enjoys their summer amenities smoothly and without confusion.
Partner with BuildingLink
Trusted by HOAs, co-ops, condominiums, and multifamily properties around the globe, BuildingLink helps property managers deliver superior resident experiences while streamlining maintenance and operations. We offer tools that will simplify your record-keeping and administration, communications, maintenance, and front desk staff operations, all while elevating the resident living experience.
When you’re ready to run your community better, smarter, and faster, book your BuildingLink demo today.