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Top 10 Qualities of Highly Qualified Community Association Vendors
There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that it is very important for community associations such as condos, townhomes or HOA’s to have good solid management companies in place. A good management company will ensure that an association plans for the future, has a high functioning board in place, adopts a clear and concise operational plan and has the right resources to address both minor and major repairs and renovations.
Those resources that resolve the minor and major issues are the subject of my article and are otherwise known as vendors. Of course, some people use different nomenclature such as “a guy working out of the back of a pickup truck”, a contractor, Joe the plumber, Vendor Numero UNO, etc. Regardless of what you call them, vendors are one of the most important behind the scenes pieces of the equation when it comes to running a smooth community association operation. So what are the qualities of a highly qualified vendor? Let’s look at the most essential qualities of a top vendors.
- Dependability – A good vendor is reliable and is consistent in their quality. They don’t answer the phone 50% of the time rather more like 99% of the time.
- Fair and honest pricing – If a price is too good to be true, then it really is too good to be true. Everyone wants to save money but in the end what is your end goal? You want a vendor that understands the scope of work and is going to address the issue correctly the first time 100% of the time.
- Accountability – Vendors are human at least until robots take over. So in the meantime, mistakes are going to happen. Don’t fool yourself in thinking that certain vendors NEVER make mistakes. The better question is how will the vendor respond when they make a mistake. In my opinion, a great vendor is 100% accountable and will work to correct the problem until the board is 100% satisfied (assuming the board is REASONABLE).
They won’t argue about the issue and try to blame others. They will take accountability where accountability applies. I have experienced working with vendors that are highly accountable and vendors who try to blame others and I can assure you that my appetite to work with vendors with little to no accountability is ZERO. As Donald Trump would say “You’re FIRED”. There are many other vendors out there that would love to have a chance to step up and have an opportunity to serve your needs.
- Licensed and insured – Does your vendor have the right licensing and insurance coverage? Does the association really save by using an uninsured vendor? What are the risks involved? If the vendor doesn’t have a license and something happens, then what? What are the risks and benefits involved?
- Assists in Scope of work – The right vendor will help identify the scope of work if there is a lack of clarity. Or they will help modify the scope of work if appropriate. In either case, a good vendor shouldn’t simply provide a bid without clarifying or identifying a scope of work. Otherwise, this will lead to confusion once other bids are received and compared by the manager and board of directors.
Recommends – Once the job is completed especially for smaller service call type jobs, a good vendor will make recommendations based on what the tech saw during the service call. These recommendations typically are made to help proactively address issues that may become urgent or emergency type issues down the road. Pay close attention to those recommendations and if your vendor rarely makes mention of one, take note of that as well.
- Above and beyond – Does your vendor throw in an extra here and there? Or is every little thing a change order that increases the cost of the project? Certainly, vendors are in the business to make money but on occasion especially on a larger scale job, a good vendor should be willing to throw in a unforeseen extras when they come up. This benefits the vendor and certainly gives the manager and board good reason to continue to work with that vendor again and again.
- Keeps up to date – Is your vendor keeping up with the latest equipment and technology or are they still showing up in a horse and buggy? Your vendor doesn’t necessarily need to show up in a Tesla but a gasoline powered vehicle would be preferred over the Budweiser Clydesdale powered wagon. Make sure your vendor stays current and is using the most efficient HVAC equipment for example so that your community is saving on energy costs as much as possible.
Honesty – If a mistake happens, does the vendor make an excuse and blame someone else? Who me? We didn’t leave those paint drips all over the floor. They were there before we painted the stairwells even though the painters also repainted the stairs as part of the scope of work. Sounds unbelievable? Think again. It has happened. The better question is why would you want to keep working with a vendor like that? And why do some board of directs insist on working with vendors that they complain about time and time again?
- Communication – Good clear communication is so important. Especially the type of communication that keeps the manager and board up to date. For example, the manager should not have to chase down “Joe the plumber” after the plumber is dispatched to address a plumbing issue. The plumber should follow up with the manager with an update and a recommendation if appropriate. For example, we found several items in the drain lines that caused a clog in the lines. We recommend that an announcement be sent out advising the homeowners and residents on what they should avoid flushing down the toilets. Of course, some vendors like it when residents flush down diapers as that is what causes emergency service calls. LOL.
Summary
In summary, managers and board of directors should have an awareness of how essential it is to have reliable, accountable and reasonably priced vendors in place BEFORE the need arises for small, medium and large scale projects. This will help keep the association running smoothly, keep costs down and ensure the long term positive living environment for all the members of the community.
About the Author
Salvatore J. Sciacca aka “Condoboss” is one of the nation’s leading experts in the community property management industry and is also recognized for his stress relieving blogs and insight on personal and organizational transformation. He is also the President and Founder of Chicago Property Services, Chicago’s #1 community property management company specializing in management and operations of condos/townhomes/HOA’s of 100 units and under. Salvatore is also the founder of managmycommunity.com (MMC), which is a state-of-the-art online support portal for community associations.
With over 20 years of industry experience, Salvatore is recognized for his extensive knowledge of capital planning, preventative maintenance, cost-saving measures and community building techniques. He holds industry stature as a Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA), the designation of Association Management Specialist (AMS) and is fully licensed as a manager (License #: 261.001386) through the State of IL.
Salvatore has also traveled extensively around the world and has meditated with Buddhist monks in Nepal and met the world’s happiest man, Matthieu Ricard. He’s passions include cooking, traveling, meditating and hiking. He is also the founder and executive director of the Chicagoland Italian American Professionals organization.
Salvatore can be reached at: 312.455.0107 x102 or at ssciacca@chicagopropertyservices.com.
