When it comes to the many fire and safety systems within your building, it is vitally important that your service provider is performing a quality service whilst on site and not cutting corners to save a dollar. The fire protection industry is a competitive industry with a many different providers offering a range of service levels.
Here at ESS, there are two things that we value most; quality and customer service. We do things a little differently to others; we will work with you on all the details to ensure your needs are fully met. We are committed to delivering a tailored service that offers value whilst providing all your periodic services on time and with a high standard of quality and care; something you would expect from an experienced provider.
What should you be looking for when choosing a provider?
Price is important but it isn’t everything. Cutting corners when it comes to life and safety is a risk that is far too great. So here is a handy checklist to help you assess your current service provider or one that you are considering:
CHECKLIST
- Quality! Does the provider have an experienced team that routinely performs quality checks out in the field? Simple spot checks keep employees and sub-contractors honest.
- ISO 9001 Accreditation? Does the provider hold relevant quality accreditation? This is important as it holds staff to a high standard and provides a clear framework that workers can follow. This delivers client value and helps eliminate errors.
- FPAS Accredited Technicians? The Fire Protection Accreditation Scheme assures individual technicians are technically competent, have relevant ‘inspect and test’ experience in the fire protection industry and surpass minimum industry standards.
- Reporting? What standard of reporting is used? A comprehensive online CRM reporting platform that manages all your service provision information and reporting requirements is important to manage the life cycle of you building and allows you to see in real-time the status of each of your assets.
- Dedicated Account Manager? Does your service provider really know you? Do you know who you will be talking to and will they be familiar with your asset?
- In-House Technicians? A service provider with their own in-house service technicians will be able to achieve better quality control and will this also avoids additional mark-up costs.
- Obligation Free Quotes? We recommend choosing a service provider who is happy to visit and conduct a thorough on-site visit so that no vital information is missed (avoiding later nasty surprises).
- Independent AESMR? We firmly believe that it is a conflict of interests to audit your own work and that an unbiased and honest report should be prepared by an independent and skilled professional.
- Lock-In Contracts? We strongly advise against contracts that do not allow you to cease the relationship should you not be happy with the service delivered.
At Essential Safety Solutions, when you utilise our programmed maintenance service, our technician will arrive automatically, on-time, to perform fire safety maintenance and any other pre-determined checks. Through our online platform, you will benefit from instant visibility into the compliance of your buildings in accordance with AS1851-2012 and the lifecycle history of the assets we service on your behalf.
Customer service is at the heart of everything we do. Each of our clients has a dedicated Account Manager, regardless of the size of your portfolio. Your Account Manager is also backed up by a skilled and supportive administration team with extensive knowledge of the fire protection industry, the relevant Australian Standards and the National Construction Code.
We offer obligation free quotations where we will take the time to visit your site to meet with you and thoroughly assess your needs and assets. This investment of time is important to us so that we can fully scope out your needs and inspect all your building’s ESM assets. Our maintenance proposals are fixed and not open to later unexpected additional costs.
We are so confident with the level of service we offer our clients that we offer no lock-in contracts. Our focus on quality and service means that we have built up a loyal and longstanding client base. We believe that if you’re not happy with a provider then you should be able to walk away and not be locked into a service agreement that is not a win-win for both parties.
Signing off on your own work does not offer transparency. All our clients benefit from an independent AESMR from a professional third party. This provides us both with peace-of-mind that on-site works are being performed to a high standard and that life and property are being protected.
We hope this checklist and article provides some clear advice on how to identify the differences between ESM maintenance providers. As always, we welcome enquiries and look forward to being able to assist you with your essential services maintenance requirements. Please contact us on 1300 151 056 or service@essaust.com.au for further information.
