It was 2 p.m. in the afternoon last month when partner and senior director Amanda Barnes was walking vacant units at The Quinn with manager in training Ty Giovanni. And all of a sudden, alarms started sounding.
A pipe burst on the second floor, and the fire suppression system was flooding an apartment and fast.
“We immediately grabbed brooms, a mop, and started extracting water,” Amanda said. “We were in the area and we didn’t waste a single minute.”
The team’s urgency was key, and it wasn’t long before they had backup from lead tech Aiden Cunha and turn tech Sam Dahl. Regional service trainer Brian Pedersen was in the market and jumped in to help as well. While our associates sprang into action, the local fire department didn’t get the water shut off for another 30 minutes.
“We got soaked,” Amanda said. “And I’d do it all over again. It’s important to dive in with your teams. It’s incredibly impactful. There’s not a single thing as a manager I won’t do that I would ask my guys to do.”
While there certainly was damage in the unit where the pipe burst, our Quinn team minimized the amount of the water damage by pushing water off the balcony as it poured down from the ceiling. Ultimately, they were able to save the carpets and units below from major damages.
But the real game-changer was their customer service approach.
“We door knocked up and down the hallways to make sure everyone was ok, and they had their heat on. Two residents lived below the unit that flooded who needed help,” Amanda said. “We took them to the clubhouse, fed their dog and bought them dinner. We also helped move their furniture and saved as much as possible.”
Sales associate Cody Gagner handled the phones in the office, answering questions and taking traffic while the rest of the team worked to dry out the property. Partner and regional head Brad Dykes was impressed by how this emergency brought the team together, building culture.
“Our managers and service team came together as one unit, finding solutions and rolling up their sleeves to get the job done,” Brad said. “Their relentless efforts paid off big, saving other units while building culture.”
Ultimately this quick action saved between $6 and $8,000 at The Quinn by doing the work in-house vs. outsourcing.
“It’s full circle of why we do everything. One year ago, we wouldn’t have understood that full circle,” Amanda said. “It was also great to have a manager in training to experience this as well. Everyone took ownership and acted like one unit.”