22 September 2022

#PeopleofSPECTRUM Concierge’s Dynamic Duo

Making an Impact with Purpose – SPECTRUM Concierge’s Dynamic Duo Weighs In

When it comes to “purposeful impact”, we tend to think of great achievements that garner lots of attention and praise. However, making a purposeful impact doesn’t always involve grandiose accomplishments. And we found out, that’s what SPECTRUM’s dynamic concierge executives Yvonne and Michelle do each day through their work: make a positive difference to the experience of SPECTRUM’s members and guests.

You’re the first two friendly faces we see each morning upon walking through SPECTRUM’s doors. Beyond greeting all of us with a warm smile each morning, what do your roles as Concierge Executives entail?

Yvonne: Quite a bit more actually! As SPECTRUM’s Concierge Executives – besides being two of the more well-known “faces” in the space – we’re our members’ primary point of contact for anything related to SPECTRUM. But more importantly, our work involves building a welcoming community and facilitating business relationships between members. We’re also involved in the onboarding and offboarding of SPECTRUM members which is why you’ll sometimes see us walking around the space with unfamiliar faces!

“Our work involves building a welcoming community and facilitating business relationships between members.”

Personally, I’m responsible for being the “middleman” when it comes to building and facilitating connections between members in the SPECTRUM community. I coordinate, plan, and organise all of SPECTRUM’s Customer Experience (CX) events such as Happy Hour, Breakfast Connections, Midweek Treats, and Festive Celebrations!
Michelle: Complementing the work that Yvonne does, my scope is more “operational” in nature. This means assisting Gibbson in any site visits to our event space –The Grid– that he conducts for potential event organisers. I also liaise with Food & Beverage vendors to cater food for our events and help in the event setup. On the day of the event, you can usually find me checking our audio-visual system to ensure that everything’s in working order, as well as ushering in our guests for the event proper.

That sounds like quite a handful! What does a typical day at the office look like for you?

 

Yvonne: As Concierge Executives there’s never a typical day! The only two fairly consistent parts of the day for us are the mornings and evenings. I usually get into SPECTRUM quite early to ensure that our pantry and coffee machine areas are sufficiently stocked and in good operational order before our members start arriving for work…

 

Michelle: And once it hits 9 am, we’re always at the concierge desk ready to welcome our members with a smile –or more accurately a “smize” because we’re wearing masks! During the workday, besides responding to emails and any requests from members, we’ll sometimes take walks around the space to chat with members to build rapport and get any feedback they may have about SPECTRUM. During lunchtime – we take alternate lunch breaks to ensure someone’s always at the front desk – we also take the opportunity to run work errands and collect mail for SPECTRUM’s members. And lastly, I’m the one who usually “closes” for the day–making sure that there’s nothing obviously out of place before leaving.

 

With such a varied scope of work, what are some of the challenges you face as Concierge Executives?

Yvonne: I’d say that the primary challenge we face is managing the expectations of our members – especially when dealing with complaints. Some of these are related to noise – other members being too loud during a video call for example. Another challenge we commonly face is non-members or guests who head straight for the GRID to use the amenities there without being accompanied by a member. While this may seem like a minor issue, it does compromise the safety and security of our shared community spaces. Yet another common challenge is having to deal with members who utilise our meeting spaces without a prior booking!

“As for our approach to solving these challenges, it’s all about staying flexible but not compromising on the needs of other members.”

Michelle: Besides what Yvonne mentioned, I think I speak for the both of us when I say that remembering the names of all our members is still quite a huge challenge. Despite trying to ensure that each name is drilled into our memory, there are times when we can’t help but draw a blank at the sight of a member!

 

From all that both of you have mentioned, your work certainly embodies Golden Equator’s organisational value of “making an impact with purpose”. In your own words, what does this value mean to each of you?

Yvonne: Since joining the SPECTRUM team as a Concierge Executive in January this year, I’ve come to realise that we’re somewhat like the “main characters” in the organisation as we’re the first two people that SPECTRUM members and guests see when they walk through the door. Hence, we purposefully strive to provide excellent service to our members as this contributes towards leaving a good, lasting impression. I think what allows us to do this is always staying true to our authentic selves, and seeing our work in the service line as a way of life as opposed to a job. In turn, this enables us to convey a sense of passion and genuineness towards those we communicate with – which is crucial for us in fostering a sense of community. To sum it up:

“Making an impact with purpose’ boils down to our passion for providing an excellent level of service which in turn leaves a positive, lasting impression on our members and even our members’ guests!”

Michelle: Although I’ve only been with the SPECTRUM team for a short time, my experience has shown me how the concierge desk is the “heart” of SPECTRUM. This is where we have the crucial opportunity to make a strong first impression on both members and guests of SPECTRUM. By simply offering a cheery greeting, we can potentially set the mood for the day! Behind the scenes, we also need to be aware of all that’s going on in SPECTRUM from a members’ perspective. This enables us to ascertain what improvements need to be made, organise relevant activities and ensure that everything runs smoothly. Most importantly,

“We’re driven by a passion to serve and assist in any way we’re able to –showing genuine interest in people and being kind to them. Kindness goes a long way towards making an impact because the way you make people feel will never be forgotten!”

 

This article was originally published by Golden Equator People Experience Management Team