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RE-ENTRY TO THE WORKPLACE Three Focus Areas to Consider CBRE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT RAPID RESPONSE SERIES MAY 2020The Importance of Customer Experience in Workplace Re-entry The property management industry is well underway with planning the country’s re-entry to the workplace. A lot has changed – there are new hygiene expectations, safety measures and social distancing norms to accommodate – but we can’t lose sight of the importance of the customer experience in all this. How do we balance this “new normal” with the need to maintain the exceptional workplace experience your tenants have grown accustomed to? Let’s face it, it won’t be straightforward. The process of returning to the workplace will be fraught with barriers to re-entry and we have a big task on our hands to attract customers back to the workplace and ensure that their experience is as frictionless as possible. Here are three focus areas to consider when planning how to prepare your assets for re-entry. CBRE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT | © 2020 CBRE, INC.Communication You'll already be underway with developing a tenant communication strategy to address the steps to full building operation, but don’t keep these conversations a secret. Regularly share with your community the areas you’re focusing on and inform them of the measures you’re taking to prepare for a stress-free and healthy return. For example, an ongoing daily or weekly comms piece where you share what you are working on, e.g. reviewing access and visitor protocols, traffic flow, loading docks and shared-spaces protocols, how you’re working towards minimising customer contact with elevator control buttons, end-of-trip cleaning frequencies – you don’t need to offer solutions at this point but merely communicate that you are leaving no stone unturned. COMMUNICATE NOW! COMMUNICATION CBRE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT | © 2020 CBRE, INC.Let’s avoid a situation where customers are forced to wait in line for half an hour to get to their floor (and ultimately decide to work from home because it’s all too hard!). Make their return easy and smooth by allowing your Property Management team to proactively contact tenant representatives to understand their return to work program. These conversations are crucial. Be sure to discuss the likely return date, the number of employees returning on what days and consider security and cleaning rosters to allow for high traffic hours. Also consider using a checklist to support your return to workplace conversations to ensure you're collecting the same information and nothing slips through the cracks.These conversations will also inform the preplanning of potential pain points such as the loss of access cards, reactivation of lockers and reinstating fire wardens if previous employees have left the tenant organisation. AN EASY DAY ONE COMMUNICATION CBRE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT | © 2020 CBRE, INC.COMMUNICATION To help reduce any anxiety and uncertainty customers may be feeling, increase your lobby support in the return to work period, sharing the load between the Concierge, Community Manager, Building Management and Security, especially during those peak times to provide a frictionless experience as we all adjust to the new-norm. Continue to create the attraction to return to the workplace by activating your spaces with consideration to social distancing. Encourage reconnection with colleagues by offering the shared experience of live music and art to lift their moods. A personal ‘welcome back’ message from the Property Manager and Community Manager, as well as positive messages in the lobby and lift screens. Reschedule your building tours (incorporate your new hygiene considerations) to continue to promote building amenities. CBRE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT | © 2020 CBRE, INC.COMMUNICATION Wellbeing, hygiene and efficiency of using the office space will be the primary focus of your ongoing comms strategy. But consider the non-verbal messages you could share with customers. For example, a video of the building being ‘fogged’ that morning, or photographic evidence of cleaners seen working in common areas in peak periods and Facility Managers seen performing more regular end-to-end walk through checks. Educational communications can also be useful, such as the impact of increasing outside air ventilation and filtration efficiency. Remaining informed, customers are likely to feel empowered and proud of their safe workplace. Thinking short, mid and long-term communications, an app (such as CBRE | Host) is a brilliant ‘one-stop- shop' solution to communicate broadly with your building occupants. Use the app to push out content, as a resource of reference on new rules and regulations, and importantly, as a way to have two-way conversations with your customers via a survey or polling feature whether they're in the workplace or working from home. ONGOING COMMS CBRE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT | © 2020 CBRE, INC.COMMUNICATION Have conversations with your lobby café and other retailers now to help guide them on the best solutions that will pivot their business and your customers’ experience. For example, your Community Manager could discuss how they may include a grab & go food service, deliver-to-desk, independent wrapped meals instead of a shared approach, and offer them extended marketing communications across in-app, lobby and lift screens. To elevate the relationship even further, consider compiling a resource of guidelines as well as a list of certified suppliers to help them meet your operational standards with fast turnaround. RETAILER ENGAGEMENT CBRE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT | © 2020 CBRE, INC.COMMUNICATION Technology has never been more important in our lives than now, and the ability to stay connected whilst physically apart is a foundation of the modern, happy, human psyche. Continue to look at ways in which these operational and experience challenges can be streamlined. Use technology to book lift time slots prior to their first day so you can program the usage, allow ordering your personal sanitation packs or access cards online; CBRE | Host app technology can help you implement this. TECHNOLOGY CBRE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT | © 2020 CBRE, INC. An App designed to support communication and safety across your property or portfolio. Its functionality allows you to send tailored push notifications, have two- way conversations and share the most up-to-date safety messages in real-time (to name a few).Emotional Health We’ve all felt the sense of loneliness that working from home brings and the desire to get back into the workplace to reconnect, interact and collaborate. Alongside the daily communications and physical design changes to support health, safety and wellbeing, there’s always that ‘little bit extra’ we can do to make our customers feel welcomed and understood. Such initiatives could include a ‘Community Commitment’ campaign that offers a wellness kit of goodies on arrival (see twogood.com.au offering), a support group to field any emotional health-related questions and the continuation of wellness activities like yoga, meditation and immunity-boost masterclasses… now reinvented and delivered online. CBRE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT | © 2020 CBRE, INC. EMOTIONAL HEALTHNext >