Lesco Help Desk Getting the Job Done and Then Some for NAI Southern Real Estate in Charlotte.

When Lesco says it operates a help desk, Steve Banner calls that a major understatement.

"It’s the ‘OnStar’ program for me,” said Banner in describing the Lesco Help Desk. “I can tell a client ‘we will be there for you’ and I know we will.”

“I’ll put their Help Desk up against anybody’s,” said Banner, who is vice president and director of property management for NAI Southern Real Estate in Charlotte. Banner has responsibility for more than eight million square feet of property and more than 100 locations in the Charlotte market for clients including Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Wachovia, Blockbuster, Coca Cola, and Great Clips.

“The folks at the Lesco Help Desk are absolutely great,” stated Steve. “As a corporate policy, we go to ‘best of class’ suppliers and vendors. When it comes to help desks, that’s Lesco.

NAI Southern Real Estate, which was founded in 1899, is the third largest property management firm in Charlotte, handling office, medical, industrial, and retail properties.

“The best thing we’ve ever done from a property management perspective is hire the Lesco Help Desk. I’ve sold accounts because of it. Everyone says they have a help desk, but too often it’s a secretary taking messages on top of her other duties.

“Documentation is the main thing. Operations gets a daily report and I get a monthly report, and these reports help us trend things. The Help Desk has helped us reduce our maintenance staff and costs.

“Is it a tenant problem? Is it a building problem? We can track the calls and the responses. It helps me evaluate fees.

“I know that 7/24 there will always be a voice on the line to deal with the needs of our clients. The phone is answered with the words ‘NAI Southern Real Estate Help Desk,’ and we know the call will be handled properly, whether HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roof, or landscaping.

“In fact, if we get a call directly for some reason, we pass it on to Lesco so it can be properly tracked. I need their records. I can get any custom report I need, for example, all roof leaks for last year, or all calls for one client or location. It helps us plan our budgets.

“Our next step is moving our system onto Lesco’s intranet. We’ll be on their LAMA system soon, and I’ll be able to get all the information I need on our own private web site.

“It’s also a PR thing. It’s the ‘OnStar’ program for me. I can tell a client ‘we will be there for you’ and I know we will. I also find out when a caller is ‘irate’ or ‘extremely upset’ so that I can follow up personally to say, ‘I’m sorry you had that problem. Did it get corrected?’ That makes a huge difference.

“I sleep a lot better now. Closing the loop is what it’s all about. It improves customer service, provides value, makes us more efficient, and it grows with our business. It is a proactive way to separate us from the competition.

“I sell the Help Desk by telling a prospect that we partner with a leading help desk provider. If they ask ‘are they any good?’ I say they’re good enough to provide help desk services to more than 3000 Wachovia branches.”

Steve serves as an instructor for BOMA, and has helped other property managers with continuing education. He and his wife Dava have three sons, ages five, three, and nine months. They live in a farmhouse near Lincolnton, about 45 minutes drive from Steve’s work in downtown Charlotte.