The Growing Importance of Concierge Services in Apartment Development
In today’s competitive world of apartment development, developers, sales agents and property managers are increasingly focused on providing residents with a ‘luxurious’ and convenient living experience. More and more apartment buildings are adding concierge services to their list of amenities. Put simply, a concierge is a virtual one-size-fits-all provider of personalised services – from welcoming residents and visitors, hailing a taxi, dealing with tradespeople, accepting and storing deliveries and parcels, to making sure the building is secure.
The Role of Concierges in Enhancing Residents’ Lives
“For many, concierges aren’t just conveniences but rather essential services for busy lives,” says BMAUS General Manager Ben Mees. “The concierge puts a ‘face’ on the building. They meet and greet, open doors, assist with luggage and deliveries, provide an added layer of security – and they provide familiarity. It gives residents and strata managers peace of mind knowing the building is being well looked after and it helps enhance residents’ lives and the value of their apartments.
“In fact, with both large and prestige apartment buildings, a concierge is a must-have service. High-rise and multi-complex apartments have a high number of residents, making a concierge service a necessity rather than a luxury. And with prestige, high-end apartments, owners and residents expect a high level of service in return for their outlay.”
Benefits of BMAUS’ Tailored Concierge Services
Building Management Australia (BMAUS) provides flexible, tailored concierge services – whether a part-time or full-time concierge is required, or whether 24/7 multi-unit entry access is needed. All BMAUS concierges are friendly and professional, with good communication and organisational skills. Many have customer service and guest services backgrounds in hospitality and five-star hotels, which has given them experience in delivering high-quality service and juggling multiple requests at a time.
As many often go the extra mile for residents and Strata Managers, they quickly become a valued part of the building.
“At the start of – and during – the pandemic, particularly during lockdowns, the value of having a concierge quickly became known,” says Mees. “With many of our buildings’ residents working from home, our concierges were busier than ever. In a lot of cases, they became defacto PAs, assisting residents through this challenging time. Parcels were sent and arrived constantly, meals, groceries and parcels were arriving en masse. Our concierges made a huge contribution to the residents, making a difficult time more bearable.”
6 benefits of BMAUS’ tailored concierge services
Selling point
To maintain a competitive edge, developers are increasingly adding concierge services as an amenity in order to enhance the appeal of an apartment building. Not only does having a concierge ‘look good’, it’s an added selling point to entice buyers and tenants and it helps justify the price/rent. What’s more, if competitors are offering such a service, it’s important to match or out-do the competition. It’s a win-win for developers, owner-occupiers, landlords and tenants.
“The quality of a property’s amenities plays a huge role in the sales price and rentals that can be achieved. For landlords, a high-end concierge and amenities offering can significantly increase rental returns,” says Mees. “Residents – whether owner-occupiers or tenants – look for differentiating factors.”
Enhanced security
Having a person at the front desk is a good deterrent to anyone trying to gain access. The concierge can track who comes in and who goes out, ensure contractors and visitors are signed in and accounted for, check identification, supervise common areas, monitor CCTVs and report any suspicious activity to keep residents safe.
“Our concierges help improve security by being another set of eyes and ears; they see everyone who enters the building, monitor their movements and notice unusual behaviour,” says Mees. “They will also contact the police at the first sign of an incident, such as a break-in, theft or assault, and assist them when they arrive. Concierges help make residents feel more supported and secure.”
Enhanced liveability
Concierges create a welcoming environment and enhance residents’ lives by providing a wide range of services tailored to suit their needs, such as:
• Greeting residents and visitors
• Opening doors
• Assisting with luggage and deliveries
• Accepting and dispatching parcels and letters
• Storing refrigerated items and food deliveries
• Pick up and delivery of prescriptions
• Running day-to-day errands
• Booking taxis and transfer services
• Arranging relocation services
• Organising the collection and return of dry cleaning
• Organising access to apartments for approved trades and cleaners
• Providing information on local entertainment, sights and activities
• Recommending and booking restaurants, tickets for shows, salon appointments
• Provide travel services
• Arranging ‘ready to move in’ starter packs for new residents
• Ordering flowers and their delivery
“As more people have been working from home over the past almost two years, we’re finding new dimensions to the service are being constantly added,” says Mees.
Improved health and safety
BMAUS concierges help improve the health and safety of residents in many ways, from ensuring everyone in the building adheres to health and safety regulations – such as asking children not to run indoors and tenants not to overload the lift when moving in and out – to making sure everyone abides by current COVID-19 safety regulations.
“Concierges are a building’s ‘gatekeeper’, keeping everyone safer,” says Mees. “They won’t let visitors, contractors or couriers enter without a mask and they remind residents and their guests to wear them whilst in the common areas. Our concierges have also been the first to attend to a resident in a medical emergency, calling an ambulance and notifying and comforting their family. Some years ago, one of our concierges even performed CPR on a resident until paramedics arrived.”
Reduce costs, save money
BMAUS concierges work as a team with our Building Managers to ensure the smooth operation of their buildings. When the Building Manager is off site, the concierge will assume many of the manager’s duties to ensure uninterrupted service to residents.
“Our Concierges can reduce building operation costs and save residents money by helping reduce the incidence of break-ins and letter and parcel theft, ensuring food deliveries don’t perish or go astray, and identifying issues and organising repairs before it becomes a more costly reparation or replacement,” explains Mees
An affordable ‘luxury’
With just one concierge, residents enjoy many benefits and get incredible return on the outlay. The cost of a BMAUS Concierge is spread across many owners, making this service more affordable. When people invest in a high-end apartment, they expect a high level of service, and a BMAUS concierge can deliver this. Who doesn’t want happier residents and tenants and more desirable apartments?
