Passion for service: The mark of Ayala Land’s after-sales service group

"The more you do things better, the more invisible you become."

This, in a nutshell, is how the head of the Ayala Land subsidiary company, in charge of property management, describes work done by his group.

And truly, hardly did anyone notice that after each momentous people’s gatherings on Ayala Avenue, the site was immediately readied for regular traffic flow. Ticker tapes to greet homecoming boxing champions and beauty queens, as well as paper whistles, hats, sparklers and other party debris that dotted the night to welcome the New Millennium, all of these disappeared in a jiffy. Even traces of people’s rallies fronting the Ninoy Aquino monument were hardly in sight.

"Things fairly get back to normal immediately," says Raul M. Irlanda, president of Ayala Property Management Corp. (APMC), which is the largest property manager in the country in terms of scope and coverage.

Irlanda says that when people take to the streets, the APMC also gets a fair dose of other tasks, in coordination with specific government and private agencies.

These times require the company to further enhance security in densely populated areas under its supervision, such as malls, theaters, hotels, office buildings, condominiums, subdivisions and even parking lots which all together comprise 13,000 parking slots mostly in Metro Manila.

As the key after-sales service provider of Ayala Land, the country’s premier and most trusted real estate company, the extent of APMC operations can be overwhelming from an observer’s point of view. "We manage office and residential buildings, subdivisions, commercial centers, carparks and various institutions which include an international school, the NAIA 2 and 3, and others," says Irlanda.

Properties under its wings also include other non-Ayala Land structures, as the two airport terminals. Other companies, which are not in direct competition with Ayala Land properties, have sought out its world-class services in this area of facilities management.

Building maintenance involves a wide gamut of tasks ranging from efficient elevator operations to management of garbage disposal systems and impeccable janitorial services, from upkeep of gardens and decor features to maintenance of alternative power supply and communications systems.

Other kinds of properties involve other facets unique to their classification. For schools, for instance, APMC has to take into account the convenience and safety requirements of largely young users of buildings.

And for NAIA 2 and 3, fully-functioning advisory systems for flights and instant relaying of messages for passengers and airport personnel have to be given premium attention.

But despite the diversity of its responsibilities, APMC emerges as an exemplary company whose achievements become harder acts to follow as the years pass.

Being an after-sales service provider, the maintenance of Ayala Land’s sterling reputation is largely determined by this company.

"In the property market, the level of after-sales service or property management that a developer provides is the key factor in determining whether the company brand or image will be enhanced or diminished over time," explains Irlanda.

"A testament to the level of after-sales service we provide is that the values of the developments we manage have multiplied several folds over the years," says Irlanda. The appreciation of values in Ayala Land subdivisions and communities are way higher than market levels.

Enclaves like the Forbes Park, Dasmariñas Village, Urdaneta Village, San Lorenzo Village, Bel-Air and Ayala Alabang have carried the premium brand in Philippine quality living that is solely Ayala Land’s to this day. In the case of Ayala Alabang, property values have risen 70 times since its launch, over the 30-year span. This legacy is continued through Ayala Land Premier properties that are offered to the market.

In recent years, Ayala Land presented to the market two other brands – Community Innovations and Avida. The former caters to young, urban, dynamic and upcoming professionals and their families while Avida spans the broader market of those who work hard and aspire for affordable quality homes within secure and functional environments.

Even with the broadening of Ayala Land’s target markets, APMC applies consistent high-level service standards, says Irlanda. To do this, APMC stratifies its property management services by tailor-fitting its services, from engineering and accounting services, to repair and concierge services.

The needs of the sector are the primary consideration in tailor-fitting the quality services it provides. For instance, "white-glove" concierge-like services are required by owners of Ayala Land Premier condominiums while on-the-ball services that fit the busy lifestyles of upwardly-mobile professionals and urban achievers are the norm for Community Innovation property owners. For Avida owners, ample focus is given on services that enhance residents’ sense of security and confidence in the future.

"All these APMC does with world-class standards. We do not use the term ‘world-class’ lightly. APMC is the first and only property management company in the country, and the only amongst a limited few across all industries, to obtain three international certifications," he states.

These include two from the International Standards Organization, ISO 9001:2000 for Quality Management, and ISO 14001:2004 for Environmental Management. The third is from British Standard for Occupational Health and Safety or OHSAS 18001:1999.

Superior training of its people is also highly valued by APMC, says Irlanda.

Irlanda is the first and only Certified Facilities Manager (CFM) in the Philippines who is accredited by the US-based International Facilities Management Association (IFMA).

"Passing the tests to be a CFM was a challenge I took. At the time I took the exams, I told my team that I am not fit to lead them if I don’t make the mark. It was, of course, good that I passed," Irlanda beams with a smile.

APMC practices cross-training of its people, resulting to a company with people of multi-faceted skills. For instance, managers of malls also get to be assigned to manage condominiums after a certain period. The same managers may also find themselves handling schools or airport terminals in the span of their careers with APMC.

"We have a wide base of full-time technical experts consisting of licensed engineers from all disciplines. We have more than 70 licensed administrators among our employees. All our frontliners undergo year-round training programs uniquely crafted by our in-house Service Providers Development Group," he narrates.

Interestingly, of all tasks APMC carries out, managing subdivisions and condominiums are the hardest of all. "The difficulty does not arise from the complexity of the jobs involved. It comes from the emotional attachment people have with their homes. People are most demanding when their homes are involved," narrates Irlanda. To render services for them and exceed their expectations, APMC includes as top in their list this important element – passion for service – as a prerequisite for being part of the APMC team.