2 out of 3
If you’ve ever delved into the dark, and mysterious world of used cars, you know that price should be one of the least important determining factors in your purchase. A low price could be hiding a whole host of issues from brakes, transmission, suspension, and combustion problems, and the seller is really anxious to make a quick buck. It can be way too risky for you to even take a chance; buy a brand-new car, and at least you know exactly what you’re getting. And that new car depreciates 30% in value as soon as the tires leave the dealership’s lot.
The problem with many decisions in strata is that the lack of time, background, and factual information either causes hesitation, or the opposite reaction: a quick, knee-jerk reaction that is based on a number. It can be common for a strata manager to hear “Well, they all look the same to me. Which one is the lowest price?” This might be an adequate solution for a one-off purchase such as a new hot water heater; it can cause a painful, and far-reaching impact when it comes to services that regularly visit your building, such as cleaning, and caretaking.
Most people agree with the popular saying ‘you get what you pay for’. Despite hating having to clean their house, and knowing how difficult it can be, it can be surprising how little those people want to pay for it. This is why most cleaners in stratas today are immigrants, who speak little English, and are paid minimum wage. Most of us think that when we see our cleaners working away in the hallways, and lobbies, we think that they must be doing a good job. The actual truth is that many of them are trying to look busy, especially when someone like you is around. A great deal of their work is often unnecessary, and repetitive. It’s easy to miss this, and most people don’t care enough to spy on them every day to see exactly what they do.
One of the biggest secrets in the strata industry is that there’s often no one around that trains, supports, communicates, and holds accountable the cleaners, and caretakers that are hired. A common misconception is that it’s the strata manager’s job to do that, especially if they hired the caretaker in the first place. It is not uncommon for a strata council to complain about the situation month, after month, yet end up doing nothing about it. This eventually just leads to apathy throughout the building; nothings going to change so why even bother?