Is Your Center “Noteworthy?”
Leaving a note for the maintenance staff is not as simple as it might seem. A note should contain as much detail as possible. Add a date, time, and name of who wrote the memo, and it will be almost perfect.
“Air conditioner making a funny noise” might be enough for some center. But centers with multiple units will need more detail.” On Monday at 7:30PM, the air conditioner over lanes 23-28 was squealing when it started up. Noted by Bob”.
The latter statement not only has the location of the problem, but a description that will lead to a shortened troubleshooting time. This same logic should be applied to any description in your bowling center. Location is paramount, followed by as much information as possible.
Legible handwriting is of great importance. I have spent many a morning trying to decipher a note from a fellow employee with poor penmanship. Numbers need to be carefully written. No one wants to start troubleshooting in the wrong place.
You must realize that the rest of the staff probably does not have the maintenance training that you do. Nomenclature might be a little off from the terms you use.
Notes might come from the cleaning crew, porters, desk people, food and beverage, or even a bowler. Of course, notes from the manager or owner are a high priority.
Where the note is place is of extreme importance. A note does no good if it is never read. At some bowling centers, a note for the mechanic left on the back part of the front desk., would be lost in a sea of post-it notes, recap sheets, and fundraiser flyers.
If there is a matter of high importance that needs to be attended to immediately, the note should be placed where the mechanic can see it the moment he walks into the building. At my center, that was on the door leading behind the pinsetters.
After getting a note from a fellow employee regarding a problem, I prioritize the noted problem along with my normal daily duties. An exit light that has a burned-out lightbulb is low on the list when the ice machine is not working.
Safety hazards should be high on the priority list. The well-being and safety of customers and employees should never be compromised by a lower priority task.
One thing to keep in mind is that a high priority item to one person might be low to another. Multiple notes about the same problem can cause some conflict between employees. Good communication will resolve these conflicts by allowing the employee who noted the issue to know that the problem is on the “to do list”.
Keep a folder to file notes in. This allows for quick access if any questions arise regarding the time and date of a maintenance problem.
To get good information, you need to give good information. Let the people you work with know exactly how you would like a note written. Some places even have pre-made forms for maintenance issues.
Maintenance of your center is everyone’s job, and communication is the key to making the best experience for your customers.