The Results
After eight months of working with BuffAway, Meridian Property Management reported a measurable improvement in tenant satisfaction related to building cleanliness and common area presentation. Building inspection scores improved across all three properties, and tenant renewal rates held steady ? which management attributed in part to the improved facility experience.
Most importantly, the property management team no longer needed to spend time managing cleaning complaints, chasing contractor responses, or coordinating emergency cleans after issues went unaddressed. BuffAway handled it consistently.
About This Engagement
Meridian Property Management manages eight commercial properties in the East Bay, three of which are multi-tenant office buildings in Oakland. Each building ranges from 18,000 to 32,000 square feet and houses between 12 and 24 commercial tenants.
When Meridian approached BuffAway, they had been through two previous cleaning vendors in 18 months. Both had failed on the same issues: inconsistent crew assignments, missed visits without communication, and slow responses to tenant complaints. Their property managers were spending several hours per week managing cleaning-related issues ? time better spent on other aspects of portfolio management.
What We Did Differently
BuffAway began with a thorough walkthrough of all three buildings, documenting the cleaning scope for each property in a written service checklist. We assigned dedicated crews to each building ? the same team, every visit ? and established a direct communication line between each building’s Meridian property manager and their BuffAway account contact.
We also implemented weekly supervisor walkthroughs for the first 60 days, transitioning to bi-weekly once performance was consistent, with a clear escalation path for any issues that arose.
For Meridian’s three Oakland buildings, this included: nightly janitorial service for all common areas, lobbies, and restrooms; weekly floor care maintenance; and a day porter for their largest property during business hours.