How working with a smaller FM company can bring big benefits

There are all kinds of FM companies out there, many of whom have grown to manage buildings of different sizes. But does it necessarily follow that those bigger companies are better for your demands?

There are actually many good reasons to think that a smaller company might be more able to meet your needs.

Suitability For Your Needs

Does an FM company have the features and characteristics that align them with your positioning as a brand? For instance, you may run a company that prides itself on green credentials, so you would ideally choose an FM provider who has concrete carbon zero plans.

You’d want to go for a smaller company that can prove its green credentials rather than a large one whose ethics don’t go beyond simply supplying Fairtrade Coffee! You will be looking at the company’s track record to see if it can meet your specific needs.

Ease of communication can be a considerable factor in deciding which company is best for you. But, when you get through to someone, is it someone who knows you and the requirements of your individual business?

Brij Thankey, CEO at Precision FM, believes aligning yourself with the right company is essential and that smaller companies can be a good choice.

“Suitability, of course, doesn’t just mean are they able to turn up and do some kind of job”, says Brij, “but are they professional, do they have a good track record, do they have a high staff turnover? There’s a lot to think about even before you get to cost,” says Brij.

Adapting To You

Larger companies can settle into a particular way of working. It can get to the point where they’re telling you: “Look, this is how we do business, and you need to work around that.”

A smaller company is more able to meet your needs because it’s less rigid. Precision FM changes certain aspects of how it works to suit the type of business you do and the times you do it.

“That element of flexibility in our decision-making is crucial at Precision,” says Brij, “We can develop bespoke solutions for a particular customer. This adaptability, in turn, means we have a consistently high service level because we mould to meet demands.

“We manifest the attentiveness of a family business. We’re not accountable to shareholders or equity companies; our accountability must always be to the customer. Since the customer’s needs are a priority, it helps that as a smaller company, we can change how we work to suit them.”

Keeping Costs Down

Smaller FM firms can be just as competitive on price for the discerning client. Precision FM has far lower overheads than some of the major FM players and can pass on the savings to the customer.

Brij continues: ” We recruit team members who are specialists in their field but who can and are willing to do more than what they are trained to do. This recruitment policy means we can have fewer staff but the same service levels as the large FM companies.

“Since our staff are so free-range, they will also have a more comprehensive idea of what’s happening across the project. Even I, as CEO, will often be found there out on the field, ensuring something is getting done. I’m not averse to getting my hands dirty if it means we keep the customer happy.”

A cost-effective and flexible approach to business has seen Precision FM continue to win many customers and contracts. But just as crucial as getting the customer is the relationship with them.

Effective Relationships

Establishing a solid working connection with clients is crucial to the lasting success of any company. Building a solid relationship rooted in trust and communication supports clients to feel more secure and engaged with a brand and drives customer retention. If that’s how it benefits the FM company, surely they’d want to foster such relationships and keep them?

“At Precision FM, you’ll often deal with the same people you met when you signed the contract”, says Brij, “Customers find that relationship reassuring. They don’t like to be passed on to a team they’ve never met, who don’t know their personal needs.

“We like to ensure all clients have someone they recognise and know throughout the process. There’s always a member of our team who’s there on the ground to answer any questions. It is frustrating when the person who made assurances to you cannot be contacted.”

Keeping Our Values

Much of what has been discussed here comes down, ultimately, to values. Of course, smaller companies still have the values they were founded on. Indeed the larger companies that are most highly rated tend to still have the sound values they had a hundred years earlier. But sometimes, values get lost in the race for expansion.

“We will always act like a small company no matter how big we are, says Brij. “We have the saying at Precision that we’re a small company with a big heart. That heart keeps beating no matter how many extra staff we take on or how many lucrative contracts we win. We’re not in a race to get to the top. We’re trying to get as many happy customers as possible.”

“When a company chases only profit, it develops lower service levels and can be removed from the idea that the customer is number one. When you remember what matters most – the customer – you can make the best decisions about where you want to go.”

If you are looking for a facilities management services company that can bring big benefits to the management of your facility, get in touch to see how Precision FM can help. Call us on 0116 366 6508 to find out more.