With customer experience at the core of what we do at Equiem, we believe it is crucial to highlight the experience experts from our client partnerships, who are out in the field delivering excellent customer experiences during COVID-19 and beyond.
To continue this series, we'd like to shine a light on Amy Atkins. Amy is Lead Receptionist at 88 Wood Street in London, UK. Our Head of Product Marketing, Sarah Hudson, chatted with her about the importance of creating experience and nurturing a tenant community, and where Equiem comes into the mix.
Meet Amy Atkins
SH (Sarah Hudson): Tell us a little bit about your professional journey, from where you started in your career to where you are today.
AA (Amy Atkins): Having worked in various industries, I would describe my journey as an unplanned path, but one that has taken me on great adventures.
I started out on a farm, looking after livestock as a voluntary stable hand. I got my first break in promotions, working for the Daily Mail. Later I moved into recruitment and worked my way up to a senior administration role. Today, I am Lead Receptionist at 88 Wood Street. And that's the short version of the story.
SH: What does a typical workday look like for you?
AA: Managing the front-of-house operations, including the 88 Wood Street platform, with my work partner Shazia Kadri. My position requires me to be a valuable resource, maintain the smooth running of the reception area, uphold security protocols, and be the first point of contact. I strive everyday to act as an exemplary member of a great team, upholding building procedures to ensure the safety of our tenants, visitors and staff.
SH: Why is tenant engagement important?
AA: Tenant engagement is important because it promotes a culture of mutual trust, respect and partnership between building management and tenants at all levels. It also gives us a range of opportunities to understand tenant preferences, so we may find new and optimal ways to deliver the best and most suitable services to our building community.
Getting everyone together and planning the food and drink — and the beer pong games — brings me a lot of pleasure. It's taken some time and effort to build up this event, but I feel each year it becomes a bigger success and it's incredible to see the number of RSVPs grow on the platform side.
SH: How do you approach tenant engagement?
AA: I keep my approach simple: Ask your tenants. Shaz and I have learned to be flexible in the way we ask. Most of our tenants are quite happy to complete portal surveys, comment on posts, and provide feedback on content from the comfort of their own home. Others prefer more traditional methods such as email, phone calls, or face-to-face chats (my favourite method of communication). Whichever approach we take, it's important for tenants to see that their contributions are valued and implemented.
SH: Share with us a memorable activation or engagement experience with us.
AA: Organising the annual community drinks event with local retailers and tenants has been the most memorable experience for me. Getting everyone together and planning the food and drink —and the beer pong games — brings me a lot of pleasure. It's taken some time and effort to build up this event, but I feel each year it becomes a bigger success and it's incredible to see the number of RSVPs grow on the platform side.
The platform has caused a transformation: From hosting these events, I've seen barriers break down, which has boosted morale and created new and positive relationships.
SH: During the pandemic, how has our tenant experience platform been useful to you?
AA: It has become an integral part of my daily work routine – every day, I use the platform to promote and support our community. I circulate important information, create awareness about new initiatives, and engage with tenants. With most of our tenants working from home, it's difficult not being able to see and interact with each other as we would under normal circumstances. Tenant feedback suggests that our platform has been a positive influence, and during lockdown it has been a great source of help, comfort and distraction.
SH: How do you use the platform at your site?
AA: We use different types of content on our platform to maximise tenant engagement and glean valuable insights into tenant preferences. We use blog posts, videos, webinars, images and photographs.
I believe variety in content is a great way to learn about the needs, wants, and habits of our tenants. I value the easy navigation, trendy and intuitive design of the platform, too — it helps put our content in its best light. I'm slightly biased here, but the positive reviews we've received support this!
Written by Sarah Hudson and Amy Atkins.
Special thanks to Amy for your contribution to our Experience Experts blog series. If you are interested in featuring in our series, please contact sarah.hudson@getequiem.com.
Amy is among many Experience Experts delivering superior tenant engagement with the Equiem platform. To find out more, download our 2020 Annual Report here.
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