6 minute read
How Service Providers Innovated Through The Pandemic
By Ryan Kwon, Communication Manager
It’s no hidden secret that the COVID-19pandemic landed a prime Mike Tyson punch on our industry. The cost of construction materials alongside house prices skyrocketed to the moon unlike Dogecoin, finding staff became similar to finding Waldo, and we couldn’t meet with one another in person through this trialed time.
No matter who you were, you were affected by COVID in some way, shape, or form, and companies weren’t an exception. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in July 2020, over 31 million people weren’t able to work for nearly a month due to their employer losing their business due to COVID.
Even though our industry received a shocking right hook, we didn’t hear no bell, and we were ready to keep pushing forward. Modern problems require modern solutions, and service providers within our industry took that saying to heart and continued marching forward and innovating.
Maintaining: Turning Potential Loss to Increase
Dirk Petchul, Esq.
With COVID throttling the curve of a company’s losses, it’s easy to lose sight of the customers that you have right in front of you.
David Carino, Business Development Manager of BluSky Restoration Contractors, said, “At first, we were slow to adapt to the pandemic, but that didn’t stop us from staying in front of our clients and managers and keeping them updated with everything, especially with current losses. The key for us was keeping in contact and communicating with our clients and managers. In turn, we actually grew from the pandemic.”
And, BlueSky wasn’t the only company keeping in touch with their clients. Whitney | Petchul saw the pandemic as an opportunity to expand their customer reach. “With the change in attitude with online portals, video, and audio, we were virtually capable of seeing more people than we usually would in person,” said Dirk Petchul, Esq., Partner and Attorney of Whitney | Petchul. “Through this acceptance of technology within our industry, we were able to cover more ground than ever before.”
The Paradigm Shift
Rob Buffington
Before COVID, everyone used to be stuck in the same freeway to go to their offices for work, but after the pandemic, many staff had the opportunity to work from home. According to data scientists at Ladder, “25% of all professional jobs in North America will be remote by the end of 2022, and remote opportunities will continue to increase through 2023.”
The concept of remote work became more common during COVID, but Gordian Staffing was ahead of the curve. “As more and more positions moved to remote and became harder to fill, we were able to aid companies by providing them with remote staffing without ever replacing anyone domestic,” said Rob Buffington, President of Gordian Staffing.
Lending a Helping Hand
Jim Fontaine
Even though office buildings and business were closing in large in 2020, 31.67 million individuals, frontline workers, were still out there serving and aiding the general public (Statista Research Department). Frontline workers were the true MVPs of the pandemic, and in recognition of their efforts, Antis Roofing & Waterproofing partnered with the California Love Drop to show their appreciation to the frontline workers by providing them with food and supplies.
The pandemic was a confusing time for our managers and associations within our industry, and a lot of questions of what people could and couldn’t do within a community were up in the air. To combat this confusion. SwedelsonGottlieb published and broadcasted rules and regulations of what people can and can’t do, legally advising managers and associations on how to deal with the pandemic.
While layoffs were occurring in most companies, Fontaine Weatherproofing took a different approach.Instead of downsizing, they took care of their employees.
“It’s difficult to employ right now. It’s difficult to get workers, technicians, and even people into the office,” said Jim Fontaine, President of Fontaine Weatherproofing. “Some of our employees have been a part of company for 20-25 years, so we believe that maintaining our staff of 56 was a top priority.”
Embracing Technology
Karen Bouslog
“Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, and…ZOOM,” said Chris Lucas, Vice President and Relationship Manager of Heritage Bank of Commerce. “It’s a great way to stay in touch with managers, keeping education seminars like the Law Seminar going, and most importantly, it gave us an opportunity to learn the ins and outs of new technology.” It’s no mystery that Zoom became an essential tool in our technological tool kit throughout the pandemic.
Reconstruction Experts utilized and embraced Zoom by using it to maintain their connection with their clients, having luncheons, and capitalizing on homeowners having more time to evaluate the needs of their home.
Other companies made their own advances with other applications. “We were able to increase our ability in communicating with each other through Microsoft Teams,” said Karen Bouslog, Vice President of Pacific Western Bank. “We were able to stay in great contact with our customers and prospects, and personally, I had the two best, productive years in my 25 years of being in the HOA industry.”
“Cloud-based is where it’s at,” said Sara Rathsack, Account Executive of TOPS [ONE]. “TOPS Software switched over to TOPS [ONE], and it’s cloud-based, meaning anytime, anywhere, anyone can access their work from any device, making it easier than having to deal with a server. It has really innovated our industry and changed how things are done now.”
Ryan Kwon, Communications Manager, CACM
