Vanessa Branham’s Back to the Floor experience
by Vanessa Brandham, Health & Safety Director
My Back to the Floor day was spent at 190 Strand in London, where I joined the concierge team led by Elena. Throughout the day, I got a real insight into the number of tasks that our concierge teams oversee each day in order to support the residents’ experience, from issuing parcels to managing contractors.
As Health and Safety Director, I was particularly interested in seeing first-hand how our health and safety policies are managed on the ground. It was a fantastic opportunity for me to connect the work we do in head office with what happens day to day at the development. Catia took me on an inspection of Wren House, and it was great to discuss her experiences as a concierge and to talk about the health and safety management at the development. Catia’s experience was evident through her attention to detail, noticing minor wear and tear throughout the areas we visited, and logging everything.
During the day, I also attended a team meeting, led by the Estate Manager Ray. This was focused on automatic opening vents, and it was interesting to observe how the team shares information and learns together behind the scenes to ensure we are continuing to deliver a smooth service. There is also a real sense of pride amongst the team, with the management team supporting the more junior members and ensuring they feel valued. This connection was enforced during the team meeting when Ray highlighted how valuable the team’s work was in protecting residents and managing fire safety.
Overall, my Back to the Floor experience at 190 Strand demonstrated the quality of the customer service that our team delivers. Every member of the team was excellent, and it was clear to see that there was strong rapport with the residents. All the residents I spoke with thought very highly of the team which reflects the consistency of their emphasis on high standards. I think Catia summarised it beautifully, explaining how she likes to ensure that everyone who steps through the door feels like they are walking into a home.
