Carrie Battafarano, Maintenance Manager at Noria, shares her extensive experience in facilities and project management within the convenience store industry. She emphasizes the importance of not making assumptions and asking the right questions to solve problems effectively, a lesson she learned through trial and error. Carrie highlights the strong, trust-based relationship between the facilities and operations departments at Noria, which is built on open communication and consistently showing up to resolve issues. She also discusses her team's approach to prioritizing tasks, focusing on safety and sales, and managing a large number of sites across multiple states through a combination of in-house technicians and a trusted pool of vendors.
Takeaways:
- Never make assumptions. When a problem arises, it's crucial to ask questions and dig deeper to understand the root cause before dispatching technicians or vendors. This avoids sending the wrong person with the wrong skillset, which saves time and money.
- A strong relationship between facilities and operations is built on trust and communication. Consistently showing up, communicating effectively, and delivering results are key to fostering a collaborative environment where both departments can work together to solve problems.
- Prioritize tasks based on safety and sales. Safety is always the top priority, followed by issues that impact sales. Communicating why a smaller issue might need to take a backseat to a more critical one helps manage expectations.
- Utilize a combination of in-house teams and trusted vendors. Noria has a robust in-house team of technicians for various trades, which allows for timely responses. They supplement this with a carefully selected pool of vendors who understand their expectations and standards.
- View facilities from a consumer's perspective. To maintain high standards of cleanliness and overall experience, it's important to see the stores as a customer would. This helps in identifying areas that need attention and ensuring a welcoming environment.
- Trust and empower your team. A manager cannot do their job without a reliable team. Trusting your team members, supporting them, and fostering an environment where they can lean on each other is essential for success.
Quote of the Show:
- "My best piece of advice is to trust in your team members and hire a team that works well together. I think that's the most important piece. You cannot do your job without your team.”
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