Quest workspaces shares unique and interesting insight on how different workspace operators approach service to their members. From kindergarten to PhD, which level would your members place you on?
Guest post by Quest Workspaces
A Cruise of Fresh Ideas: Quest Style
For those of us who work for Quest, nothing quite compares to the excitement surrounding our annual Quest cruise. Each year our team comes together from New York, Texas and throughout Florida; this year it came with a bit of a warning sign, departing out of Miami on Friday, just as Hurricane Matthew was skirting the shores to the north. But, white caps be damned, we soon settled into our awesome 3-day trek to Nassau.
The Quest cruise is becoming a tradition (our third year) to honor those who work so hard to serve, par excellence, the amazing individuals (aka Questers) who inhabit our coworking spaces. ย But itโs also become a tradition for freeing up our staff to get creative and help find ways that Quest can provide an even higher level of service to our Questers. This year was no exception.
From Kindergarten to PhD: A New Way to Define โService Levelโ
Whatโs great about a cruise is that, free from day to day distractions, some pretty creative thinking gets unleashed. This year we had an amazing discussion around the concept of โservice levelโ.
We found ourselves making the comparison to levels of education. And it made so much sense! Of course we gave it the 24-hour, post-cruise test. But from sea to shore, the analogy gives added insight to how we approach service in our industry.
Hereโs what we want to share:
- Entry level (or kindergarten): Basically showing up. Thatโs what so many coworking space providers do; they just โshow upโ and, like a happy go lucky kindergartner, feel the need to do little else. For their clients, itโs just the basics. Desks, a kitchen and a parking slot.
- Early to Middle level (the middle school/high school years): At this level we see coworking operators who start adding in some value. You may get a receptionist who is friendly and helpful. And maybe theyโll add in a few fun activities like Friday Beer Night. Sure, youโll get some basic services and theyโll answer your questions, provided they have the answers. But little is provided to prepare the entrepreneurs and start-ups for the pitfalls and opportunities that lie outside the doors.
- Graduate level (the college years): Now is where operators can really be able to break away from the pack by providing a step up in quality of service. They are providing their clients with useful resources. Then can also provide them with opportunities to connect to people who can help them grow. They can help them graduate from a start-up with a dream to a real business with investors.
- PhD level: This, we believe, should be what every serviced workspace provider should strive to achieve. At this level, operators arenโt finding resources; they have become the resource. These are the thought leaders that clients seek out for insight. They have the expertise, in-house, to help their clients prosper and meet their challenges. They are providing much more than coworking space and resources. They are invested in their clientsโ futures.
Why do we think this is such a great way to approach service level? First of all, it gives operators a chance to identify where they are today and what they want to grow to become. And thereโs room for all grade levels, as with any educational structure. You canโt go from kindergarten to college without investing in your team and building relationships within the community to provide better services to your clients.
Why are we in this business?
People.
And, in all the hours in between the planning, partying and relaxing, we took time to reflect upon the reason weโre in this business. For each staff member the answer is the same. Itโs people. Thatโs why we do what we do and why, when we get together, we discover something new and fantastic about each other.
So, where is Quest in our educational roadmap? Weโll let our clients tell us.
