Flooring: carpet versus vinyl tile

• When deciding what kind of flooring to put in an area, first look at the use and foot traffic of that space. Areas that are pass-throughs such as hallways have, by definition, more traffic than destinations, such as offices or rooms.
• Hallways should have vinyl tile or some other hard surface
  • Durable floor surfaces are the priority because of the heavy foot traffic, and hard surfaces have a lifespan that is double or triple that of carpet
  • Hallways are noisy but sound control is not a priority
  • They should be easy to clean since there is more potential for people to spill things on the floor
• Classrooms and offices should have carpet or some other sound-absorbent material
  • There is a great need for sound control so that those seated in the space can hear each other
  • Carpets make rooms feel warmer and more welcome
  • Carpets in rooms will last for years because there is less foot traffic than in a hallway

Lead On!

Steve

Grouping rooms in use for energy savings

• In facilities with multiple HVAC units for different areas of the building, schedule all weekday meetings (insofar as possible) in the same area of the building so that you use only one or two HVAC units.
• Help members who insist on using another room see the benefits to the church of saving on energy by meeting next door to another group.

Lead On!

Steve

Scheduling Vendor Visits

• Tradespeople have a habit of showing up whenever it suits them. Work with your suppliers to establish a specific date and time for each visit.
  • Setting up dates and times will help the church manage who is on its campus (a prudent security action especially if there are children at the church).
  • Planning visits enables the administrator to set aside time to work on a specific issue instead of being torn between items demanding his/her attention at the same time.
  • Setting up dates and times for the trades is also a benefit to the vendors’ scheduling processes.
• Bumping vendors because of funerals
  • All vendors need to be informed at the outset of a contract that if they are working on a project, they might be bumped if there is a funeral. Funerals are always unknown events but they are priorities.
  • Negotiate up front who will bear any expense regarding lost productivity due to a funeral–the church or the vendor. The vendor may be able to work at another customer’s location on the day of the funeral.

Lead On!

Steve

Learn the Industry Jargon/Lingo

• Every trade (plumbing, electrical, carpentry, HVAC, roofing, etc.) has terminology that is inherent only to that trade. They also have words that are common to all of them just because they are in the construction business.
• Administrators will help themselves if they can learn the vocabulary used in the construction business and within each trade; they don’t have to know it all, but they should know enough to be able to understand the specifics of that trade.
• Knowing the lingo of a trade will also help keep the administrator from feeling that he or she is getting taken advantage of by some person wanting to overwhelm or baffle the administrator.
• Most tradespeople will appreciate that the administrator can speak their language so they don’t have to interpret everything they say.

Lead On!

Steve

Bidding

• Every 3 to 5 years, put contracts out to bid. This includes EVERYTHING from the food supplier, elevator, dumpster, commercial property insurance, copiers, postage meter, financial audit, custodian supplies, etc.
• Some companies are so hungry they’ll cut prices to get enough business to keep their employees.
• Some companies are willing to do anything just to keep good customers which could even mean revamping a contract halfway through its term.
• Examples of savings from some clients:
  • Commercial property insurance was reduced by 42%
  • A smaller and cheaper postage meter was obtained because more mail was sent electronically
  • The new copier contract permitted an upgrade to a color machine for less than the previous price of a black-and-white machine
  • The bank reduced its fees just to retain the relationship
• In every instance, insist that the savings not affect the quality of service

Lead On!

Steve

Meetings with Vendors

• Meet with major vendors about once a quarter or every six months—just enough so you know each other and so you have a direct interest in what they are doing for you.
• If you have any questions, don’t wait for a meeting; send an email or call them. It might lead to a meeting, or it might be handled by phone or email.
• Very early in the relationship, establish your expectations for the vendor. This includes when you should be notified about replacements or repairs, a price point below which the vendors do not need to get your authorization, how often you all will meet, and anything else that can improve what the vendor can and should do for the church.

Lead On!

Steve

Vendor Relationships (part 1 of 2)

• A professional relationship between each vendor/vendor contact person and the church administrator is a critical factor. That relationship makes later conversations easier and leads to less finger-pointing; it leads to greater respect on both sides for the other’s position and its limitations.
• A good relationship with a vendor can lead to newer and better contracts in the future—saving the church money.
• After a few years, a good administrator will develop a sixth sense about vendors. That intuition based on experience will help him/her identify which vendors are just salespeople and which ones truly have the church’s best interest in mind. A good vendor will come to the church with new ideas and products which will help the church save money and labor—not just “get a sale” to meet a quota.

Lead On!

Steve