Facilities manager building strong customer relationships

Competition

Due to lack of appropriate regulations guiding the operations of facilities management firms, core professionals in this field have to compete with firms lacking the requisite skills.

Michael Kehinde Ojo, chief executive, Smart Link Management Limited, a company specialising in facilities and property management services explains that because there are no regulations guiding the operations of facilities management firms, people who do not know about the business but are fortunate to get contracts to manage the facilities or property of organisations because of their connections just get a group of men and women, put uniforms on them and assign them as security guards or cleaners.

Regulations

Ojo says, “But in the United Kingdom where I started the business before coming to establish in Nigeria, we have the Security Industry Association.

All the security operatives must have this badge on their uniforms and it is only companies belonging to the SIA that can operate this service. We are also registered in the United Kingdom with the sole nationally recognised institutions for cleaning – British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICS).

Starting

Ojo started the business in England February 19, 2007. After a successful year, the business was also established in Nigeria in June, 2008. Currently, the business operates in London, England and also Lagos, Nigeria.

Ojo says the vision is to make Nigerian businesses appreciate the importance of having a clean working environment, so as to improve the day-to-day running of their workplaces and to reflect the image they want to create. He reveals that his company also plans to get an international licence in order to train and certify operatives and suppliers of facilities services companies in Nigeria.

Services

He says, “We do specialist spring cleaning, bio-hazard cleaning, after-builders clean, pre and end of tenancy, security management concierge, manned security, mobile patrols, CCTV operation, event security, investigations, loss prevention, special projects (under cover personnel), car park management and maintenance management.”

In addition, Smart Link also provides a complete range of services that relate to activities necessary for a company to function. These include block management and maintenance, commercial estates management, painting and decorating, waste/junk clearance, electrical maintenance, air condition maintenance, carpentry, plumbing.

Operations

He adds, “We achieve these by integrating the Smart Link Management Services Limited team with the client’s own personnel so that the day to-day interface is seamless. We adopt a flexible approach and operate an open book policy between the client and us.”

He explains that the business has been able to withstand competition in spite of the lack of regulations by building strong relationships, saying, “We tend to build strong relationships with our clients. We have therefore been getting contracts. We just got a contract to manage the facilities of Ebeano supermarket, one of the biggest supermarkets on the Island.”

Customer care

He adds, “We treat each and every one of our clients the same way irrespective of size or the value of their contract. Where the contract allows us to be directly involved in the day to day running of our sites, our management style of managing these sites enhances the delivery of our services to our clients. We think, work and handle our clients better than our competitors. We deal with every client as if they are the only one.”

Staffing

On the issue of staffing, he says, “We have an open, equal and fair employment procedure that gives an opportunity to every person irrespective of social status, religion, gender or educational levels. We do not discriminate against any person, but the calibre of staff we employ must have some key elements. Our training and people development programme is second to none in our industry – we rely strongly on our international experiences and knowledge on facilities management, which uniquely stands us out from our peers in the sector.”

Background

Ojo lived and schooled most of his academic life in Camden London. He studied marketing and statistics at the ‘City and Islington College’ which then led him into studying at the renowned Middlesex University (Hendon, London). Ojo has always been self-employed.

By: OLUYINKA ALAWODE