What Do you Take Better Care of – Your Car or Your Branch?

Isn’t your branch worth more than your car?

Do you treat it that way?

Consider how much maintenance effort you put into your car to keep it running and looking like new – you have the oil changed regularly, take it to the car wash, rotate the tires - the whole maintenance/upkeep routine.

Why do you do that?  With all the miles and daily wear and tear, it takes attention to keep it in good condition for the long haul.  Plus, you wouldn’t want to be driving around in a beat-up, dirty car – as part of your "personal brand"- looks matter. 

Much like your car, a branch can only take so many miles on it, and needs a little TLC and maintenance to keep it looking like new. It's also your public display to clients, so making sure it's in pristine condition speaks volumes.  

Here are some small facility maintenance ideas that can provide a big return on investment for enhancing the way clients perceive your branch.

Easily forgotten, but simple facility maintenance reminders for financial institutions

1. Make sure your window tinting isn’t mismatched

If you’ve had any of your windows replaced, chances are the tinting is slightly different.  While it doesn’t seem like a big deal, would you drive around in a car with different colored windows?  Probably not, so don’t do it for for your branches either. So, if you're replacing one…you're replacing all.    

2. Keep consistent lighting and light fixtures

Just like the window scenario, consistent lighting matters. It's the ambiance of your branch, and if you have several light bulbs that are out, or different levels of brightness due to light bulb replacements, clean it up. Again, this might mean changing one, means changing them all. 

3. Make sure your carpets are clean – and have them cleaned regularly

Not only will having your carpet cleaned on a scheduled basis make them last longer, but it’s also a must for your brand image.  Think about if you were staying in a hotel that had stains or just ragged looking carpet…it gives you the feeling of uncleanliness and uncomfortable. 

4. Take notice to your parking lot and sidewalks

Your parking lot and sidewalks are one of the first impressions clients see when they pull up to your branch. It's worth investing to regularly clean, repave and repair your sidewalks and parking lots. You know that "smooth-ride" feeling when you're driving on a newly paved road? Your clients will appreciate that coming into your branch as well.

5. Test your doors to make sure they are in working order

The goal is to bring clients in the doors of the branch - not keep them out!  Have your doors checked regularly, just to make sure they open easily, don't squeak etc.  Simple, but essential.

Just like everything in this world…your car or your branch,  it ages and needs maintenance to live a long life. So, when it comes to your own branch network, are you perfectly happy to wait until there’s a problem? Your branch is one of your most valuable assets, so make sure you treat it that way!

Whether you're ready for a complete branch overhaul, or just need some facilities maintenance work, DBSI can help. Contact us to learn more about why our ground-up construction expertise means better facilities maintenance care.