It’s been a bit since I posted on our blog, and I wanted to complete my posts on our 5 Rules of Engagement. To review our 5 rules of engagement are as follows:
Be Accurate.
Never Assume.
Communication is key. Never want to hear “I didn’t know…”
When in Doubt, consider what is reasonable?
No Loose Ends
We already covered Rule #1 here. Over the following few weeks I will complete my thoughts on the remaining rules above starting with Rule #2. It forms the core of how we operate and I learned the hard way proving these rules work only when you deal with the fall out of not following them.
RULE #2 – NEVER ASSUME
As the owner of Pacific Gateway Properties, I can say that never making assumptions is an important part of how our property management business works.
As Mark Twain famously said, “What gets us into trouble is not what we don’t know, it’s what we know for sure that just ain’t so.” That’s why we must verify information before making decisions that impact our properties, clients and tenants. We understand that mistakes can be costly, and we strive to avoid them by never assuming.
Trust is essential in property management, and we work hard to build trust with our property owners and tenants. It takes a many correct actions to build trust and only one mistake to lose it. Our service is built upon trust and credibility, and making assumptions without checking can make us look careless and incompetent. Knowing that keeps us committed to not taking short cuts.
Other benefits we realize for our our clients and tenants:
1) Efficiency: By not assuming and taking the time to check material up front, we can avoid mistakes, cut down on the amount of work that needs to be redone, and make our operations run more smoothly. This makes it easier for us to take care of our properties and give our clients the best service possible.
2) Risk management: Identifying and mitigating potential risks is critical to protecting our properties and clients. Trust but verify. This would go for double checking completed work by a vendor and ensure it was done per scope of work, or site inspection to be pro-active about identifying preventative maintenance, tripping hazards and such.
3) Professionalism: professionalism is a fundamental principle at Pacific Gateway Properties. We believe that making assumptions without verifying them can make us appear unprofessional and negligent. By always verifying information, we demonstrate an industry-leading commitment to precision, attention to detail, and professionalism.
It all boils down to this old saying: "Assuming makes an 'a**' out of 'u' and 'me' These anecdotes are precious reminders to avoid making mistakes you can control and allows us to become better in so many ways.
We think that our success as a property management business depends on accuracy, trust, efficiency, risk management, and professionalism. We always check information to make sure we meet these standards and give our clients the best service we can.
