Vendor Relationships: Estate Managers

As we have discussed in previous entries in the vendor relationship series, when working on a full home automation job site, it is extremely important that integration professionals take a whole project view of the site. It is because of this simple fact that it’s especially important to form a great relationship with perhaps the most important employee in a luxury home environment, the house or estate manager. Estate Managers are the top-level executive position in a large household or complex of properties that employ a wide array of staff or vendors. They are responsible for working directly with the owner to plan and execute the overall plan for management of the property. Due to the wide ranging nature of the estate manager’s duties, it is imperative that as a technology integrator we form a great relationship with these individuals.

As one could imagine, the position of estate manager comes with its share of stressful situations. Luxury homeowners, especially those with multiple homes in multiple states, are busy individuals whose time is extremely valuable. This is one of the many reasons they work with GMI and the #DoneRightNotEasy crew, as our Crestron control systems are designed to streamline their everyday lives. We find the first step in this streamlining is to ease the load of the estate manager to ensure all home projects and systems working with the automation system are working at the highest level possible. Estate managers appreciate the extra effort put forth by a capable integrator working other vendors in a home or group of homes to make sure they are working to our level of expertise.

One of the ways we ease the burden of a busy estate manager, allowing them to better focus on the other needs of the household, is by proactive monitoring and maintenance of the control system itself. Scheduling any kind of service visit is just another item on the long list of demands a typical estate manager will see on a daily basis, and we prevent this by setting up alerts for  any device failure or latency. These systems can even be programmed to notify of negative trends, allowing us to address system failure before it happens. Back end access to both the Crestron system as well as the home networks also allow us to fix any issues that pop up easily without having to send a technician to the site. Properly documented and mapped out system specifications also make it easy for our techs to know exactly what component may be causing an issue, allowing for quick repair or replacement if needed.

Being a ‘Five Star’ dealer, offering concierge level service, and delivering a quality product is not a simple task. It means working with the customer and meeting their needs at every step of the way. To do this you must manage every aspect of a project from the initial consultation to the final finished package and beyond. There are hundreds of Crestron dealers throughout the country who do quality work and build quality systems, but it takes hitting your mark at every turn to truly shine beyond just the technology you install. House and estate managers appreciate this level of detail in the same way the homeowner appreciates the simplicity and reliability of their Crestron system, reduced stress and an easier day to day.

Are you a house or estate manager for a luxury property or group of properties? Learn how GMI can help simplify your life by contacting us today!