At 8:30 p.m. Saturday, The Quinn at Plymouth’s e-phone rang. Turn tech Rafael Ortiz answered. In fact, he’s the only tech who’s answered the e-phone at this Minneapolis property for the last 90 days.
“I enjoy the challenge. I don’t let it get to me,” Rafael said.
Rafael is The Quinn’s go-to associate for work orders, turns and grounds – no easy task at this 300-unit property. Over the last three months, he’s worked with partner Amanda Barnes to correctly plan his days. Together, they’re maximizing productivity to deliver elite customer service. From November through January, Rafael completed 659 work orders and 26 turns.
“He’s super upbeat, energetic. It’s refreshing because service at The Quinn is a huge task, and he embraces it,” Amanda said. “We have a clear plan every morning. It’s very structured. We tackle four to five work orders at a time. If he needs to complete turns, he does that until lunch, and then we attack other work at the property.”
But that’s not the only challenge Rafael’s faced recently. He’s tackled everything from fires to multiple floods at the property from busted pipes over the last three months.
On Saturday, he responded to another emergency call, repairing a boiler until midnight. He returned to the property every four hours on Sunday to ensure alarms were not going off and that our systems were working properly.
“He’s been relentless,” regional head Cody Shank said. “It doesn’t matter what the job is; he’s happy to do it. He has a great attitude and never complains about being on-call seven days a week.”
Rafael joined The Connor Group in 2021 with a background in car mechanics. Admittedly had a steep learning curve when tackling work orders at our properties.
“I’ve been learning as I go along. At first, I didn’t know anything. I’ve worked at Allura, Quinn and Stonebridge, so seeing different properties has helped me a lot. I also use (partner) Paul Leber and senior lead tech Aidan Cunha as my go-to resources,” Rafael said.
Through all of the challenges, Rafael says our reward and recognition culture makes the difference. He’s committed to his career with The Connor Group and recently moved his girlfriend and two-year-old daughter Layla to Minneapolis from Chicago.
“The biggest thing is the appreciation. I’ve worked at other companies where you’re just a number. They care about you. I don’t mind working hard for a company that cares,” Rafael said.
Thanks to his hard work, Rafael earned tickets to NBA Timberwolves games and new Nike shoes. He’s even watched his all-time favorite NFL team, the Chicago Bears, take on the Minnesota Vikings.
Rafael says staying positive, patient and solutions-oriented is his key to success.
“You just have to take it one day at a time.”