The concierge plays a massive role in residential buildings. In most cases, they are the face of your development, the first person who wishes your residents a good morning and a pleasant evening.
But their role goes far beyond basic pleasantries. A good concierge helps keep the building running smoothly and acts as the residents’ voice to ensure they have the best living experience.
In short, the importance of concierge services in your development can’t be overstated.
We answer the burning question of “What does a concierge do in an apartment building?” and explain why you need their services to keep your development operating at its peak.
What is a Concierge?
A concierge is best described as a building-wide caretaker. Their role is multifaceted, and no day is ever the same. They act as:
- Greeters
- Assistants
- Receptionists
- An extra pair of eyes for security
- Team leaders
- The go-between for residents, other staff members and management
Put simply, a building can’t operate at the top level without a concierge. They have the smarts and the skills to cover many different roles in your development. If you put them on a football pitch, they could play in every position and fill your trophy cabinet with silverware.
What Does a Concierge Do in an Apartment Building?
The traditional and outdated image of a concierge is usually reserved for five-star hotels in New York City, opening doors, carrying heavy luggage and holding an umbrella as guests walk from the building to their car.
Hollywood films downplay the importance of concierge services, barely even scratching the surface of their role. John Wick’s concierge might be the only exception to that rule, but then again, his services are very much one of a kind.
If you have a dog, though, you can guarantee Charon would do a great job of looking after the little guy.
In residential settings, a concierge’s value is arguably even lesser known. Many ask what a concierge does in an apartment building because their role is so under-represented, particularly in the UK.
But a concierge is one of your greatest assets in improving resident satisfaction. They take great care to ensure the building is running efficiently and the needs of residents are attended to.
The Role of Your Concierge
As part of their varied job role, you’ll often see a concierge:
- Organising and overseeing maintenance work in communal areas and individual units
- Arranging transport
- Working as a porter
- Acting as a deterrent to prevent unauthorised entry
- Helping to organise community events
- Assisting new residents to find their way around the building
- Protecting John Wick from unbridled carnage
Concierge staff will also take in deliveries for residents. However, in large BTR and PBSA buildings, this can mean concierges are managing hundreds of parcels every week.
It adds a lot to their workload but provides residents with another benefit and more reason to sign a new lease agreement when their current one runs out.
This level of dedication further underlines the importance of concierge services. Their work helps to keep a building at capacity, ensuring continued profits for the development.
Parcel management software — such as PSP Lite — and dedicated package rooms save concierge staff countless hours, as parcels are delivered, logged and securely stored in next to no time. Our electronic logging software registers each item in 5 seconds. Look at our PSP Lite service and see if you qualify for a free two-month trial.
How Common is a Concierge Service?
Build to Rent and Purpose-Built Student Accommodation developments come with premium costs that residents are happy to pay. However, higher rental figures aren’t an issue only because residents know their needs will be taken care of.
People lead busy lives these days. They’re out exploring the city or meeting up with friends and family if they’re not at work. Students in PBSAs often attend lectures and seminars, work at their part-time jobs, have fun, or visit their parents for the weekend.
If they aren’t around to accept parcel deliveries, oversee maintenance work or even water the plants in their apartments, they need someone they trust to do these things for them.
Most developments understand this, so concierge services are becoming more commonplace across the UK. A concierge sends the right message to potential residents that the building has a touch of luxury and that help is on hand if needed.
It also makes it easier for residents to report problems, as there’s a trusted face they recognise and who has repeatedly proven to be a proactive member of your team.
A 12-hour concierge service is expected as standard, but the very top developments provide a full 24-hour service. Their presence even helps developments score higher ratings.
According to the National Build to Rent report 2021, having a concierge correlates to an average 4.8% higher star rating, which could be the deciding factor for attracting new residents and retaining current ones.
The Importance of Concierge Services
Your concierges take on much responsibility, adding value to residential buildings. However, they’re human, just like the rest of us, and while they can be counted on to help, they need the proper support so they’re not overworked and burnt out.
One of their most complex day-to-day tasks is package management. But with Parcel SafePlace, your entire front-of-house team will benefit from the time saved and fewer interruptions.
Get in touch with us today to learn more about our services.
