Many places close for annual maintenance such as the Chapel Hill Park in North Carolina. According to the park:
“Crews are making annual improvements and repairs to the Chapel Hill Community Center and playground this week. The playground at 120 South Estes Dr. will be closed Monday and Tuesday for repairs. The work involves patching a large area of the poured-in-place safety surface and applying a protective top coat, according to a town press release. The park's pool, gym, locker rooms and meeting rooms will be close through Sept. 20 for annual maintenance. The lobby desk and restrooms will be open for reduced hours.”
At what point do you have to close the place in order to do the necessary maintenance? Can it be kept open by following some preventative maintenance measures?
Scheduling Work
There are obviously some things that cannot be done while customers are there such as patching the safety surface, especially if it is a large area. However, if the place you oversee is one that cannot afford to be shut down due to a loss in revenue, there are ways to work around it.
Night vs Day
For instance, during off-hours patching can take place instead of shutting down the entire area when it has the most business – in the daytime. If possible, night work can be done or a specific area can be sectioned off from the general public. While nighttime work is not always possible if you have to hire outside help or specific contractors, there are ways to lessen the loss of revenue by choosing to have this done during the slow season, early morning, or late afternoon, if weather permits.
Keeping Customers Happy
The point is to be able to ensure that your customers are not put out. You want them to be able to enjoy what your company has to offer. This is especially true for those in the hospitality business where customers are only there a short time and want to be able to use the ammenities. For example, no one wants to go to a hotel in the middle of summer where the pool is closed.
Read More: Coping With Limited Staff
A preventive maintenance program can really help in some cases such as making sure that pool equipment is up to date or that the playground's surface is well maintained. You can't always prevent a closure due to maintenance issues, but you can help lessen the amount of down time.
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