RD Scinto takes pride in keeping its properties and facilities in pristine condition. The company builds, owns, and operates all of its buildings, sparing no expense when it comes to making updates and improvements.

The Facilities Operations Group (or F.O.G. team) is the group responsible for overseeing the maintenance across all of RD Scinto’s properties. The F.O.G. team stays busy all year long, working hard to ensure RD Scinto facilities remain in spectacular condition while ensuring delightful tenant experiences.

To give you an idea of what we mean, here are some impressive facts to consider:

• RD Scinto invests over $1 million each year in asphalt updates.
• A recent retrofit HVAC improvement on 1 Corporate Drive (Tower 1) cost $2.1 million.
• A new elevator in the same building cost over $800,000.
• The F.O.G. team can control most of the doors, gates, HVAC systems, and lighting fixtures at the company’s 50 buildings from one central location.

What is the F.O.G. Team?

The F.O.G. team consists of over 20 full-time employees and includes building engineers, maintenance mechanics, and licensed HVAC technicians. Maintenance and HVAC technicians are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year; in the event any issues come up, help is always just a phone call away. Further, each large building that RD Scinto operates has a dedicated building engineer who works full-time in the building and is always available to respond to tenant concerns.

How are F.O.G. employees vetted?

RD Scinto tenants include an array of highly sophisticated corporations, including Cartier, Prudential Financial, Iroquois Gas, and Sikorsky, to name a few. Serving these prestigious organization starts with having a talented F.O.G. team filled with employees who are highly reliable and extremely trustworthy.

Every single member of the F.O.G. team undergoes a thorough drug screening and background check, which is cross-referenced with the Department of Homeland Security. But it takes more than a clean slate to become a member of the F.O.G. team.

RD Scinto only hires people that embrace the over-the-top customer service philosophy that is the cornerstone of the organization. Just like the company works hard to impeccably maintain its buildings, RD Scinto spares no expense when it comes to attracting, training, and retaining the top maintenance and technician talent in Connecticut. By paying higher than average wages, offering great benefits packages, and issuing company vehicles and gas cards to members of the F.O.G. team, RD Scinto ensures its employees are happy.

As a result, there’s almost no employee turnover. Each member of the F.O.G. team enjoys showing up to work every day.

What happens when a tenant has a maintenance issue?

The F.O.G. team operates with the goal of resolving tenant issues within one to two hours. If they are unable to respond as quickly as that, they will always address an issue the same day it’s brought to their attention. If an issue occurs after a building is closed, tenants can call an exclusive “F.O.G. hotline” 24 hours each day. If a tenant has any type of problem in their space—maybe it’s too hot or too cold or maybe one of the light fixtures stops working, for example—they can simply dial the F.O.G. line and their concerns will be addressed promptly.

For less urgent matters, tenants can also shoot a quick email to the maintenance team. Additionally, at residential properties, if a tenant needs help assembling furniture in their space or attaching an HDTV to the wall, one of the maintenance technicians can help complete the task for a nominal fee.

Who oversees the F.O.G. team?

Joe Delco, Vice President of Operations at RD Scinto, Inc., runs the F.O.G. team.

Joe has been with the company for over 32 years. The dedication and hard work he’s put in over the years has undoubtedly contributed to the company’s success, helping establish RD Scinto as Connecticut’s premier commercial real estate organization.

About Joe

Joe comes from a building management background. He decided to join RD Scinto in large part due to Bob’s tireless work ethic, customer obsession, and ability to get things done.

Prior to joining RD Scinto, Joe was the director of the Parks and Recreation Department in Westport, CT. There, he oversaw a team of 40 full-time employees, with up to 300 team members coming on board during the summer.

“Buildings don’t turn off at 5 p.m. Our buildings are operating and alive 24/7, so our team has to be operating and alive with them 24/7,” Joe explains. “At any given time, an emergency issue can arise—water, electrical, medical, you name it. The FOG team is always prepared to take action.”

Outside contractors also play a crucial role in the F.O.G. team’s effectiveness. Aside from overseeing the internal team, Joe Delco manages dozens of contractors and vendors that service RD Scinto’s buildings and grounds throughout the year.

“Our snow plow crews, landscapers, cleaning crews, sprinkler contractors, fire panel and detection team—these people have been working with us for decades,” Joe continues. “We are very loyal to our contractors. In return, they are very loyal to us and our tenants.”

Above and beyond Facilities Management

According to Joe Delco, these are the main factors that contribute to F.O.G. teams’ overall success:

• Timeliness. Tenants appreciate the quick turnaround time (one to two hours on average) for maintenance repairs and issues.
• Quality construction. RD Scinto buildings are built well from the get-go, so they are less likely to experience issues compared with structures that are frequently bought and sold and less cared for.
• Highly skilled mechanics and technicians. RD Scinto’s F.O.G. technicians possess unmatched skills, leading to faster response times and better tenant outcomes. The company’s technicians are prepared to respond to any type of emergency maintenance issue as soon as it arises.
• Unlimited resources. Every tool or device that F.O.G. mechanics might need to fix a maintenance issue is always readily available to them; they never have to wait to locate a tool from an outside vendor or third party. What’s more, the team is always investing in new tools and technologies so that they can continuously improve the tenant experience and maintain high-quality properties and facilities.

How the RD Scinto guiding philosophy influences the F.O.G. team

“You cannot out-work Bob Scinto period. End of conversation,” Joe says. “Bob’s hard work ethic promotes a can-do attitude throughout the company, and that really sets us apart from other commercial property owners.

When employees see Bob working as hard as he does, they’re motivated to work as hard as they can, too. Yet at the same time, Bob’s down-to-earth attitude enables him to connect with his team on a personal and friendly level.

“Bob’s employees simply don’t want to disappoint him,” Joe continues. “Everyone likes and respect him so much. When you work for RD Scinto, you want to succeed because you like Bob and want to impress him.”

The F.O.G. team’s relationship with tenants is paramount

Every year, RD Scinto sends a 12-question satisfaction survey to its tenants. The survey, which directly correlates to compensation, asks a series of questions that are answered on a scale of 1 (unsatisfied) to 4 (highly satisfied). If the response average is at least 3.5, everyone in the company gets a bonus. If the result below 3.5, bonuses are not issued.

This compensation model ensures that each member of the F.O.G. team is invested in producing positive outcomes for tenants. This is why it is essential for F.O.G. employees to embrace RD Scinto’s over-the-top customer service philosophy—and for that philosophy to guide them through every tenant interaction.

For the record, bonuses have been issued ever since the survey has been conducted, which should come as no surprise considering RD Scinto’s 99% occupancy rate.

How the F.O.G. team goes above and beyond

To give you a better idea of what the F.O.G. team looks like in action, here’s a recent example to illustrate their level of commitment. One night around 2 a.m., RD Scinto’s overnight security crew noticed a leak in a commercial tenant space. “Water leaks are some of the riskiest maintenance problems we face,” explains Joe. “So it’s imperative that we address any leaks as fast as possible.”

After noticing the leak, F.O.G.’s plumbing and maintenance crews were on site within the hour. The team quickly determined that the leak was caused by faulty coffee maker piping and immediately began working on a solution.

After the plumbing crew fixed the leak and the maintenance crew repaired the wall, the cleaning staff used industrial dehumidifiers and wet-vacs to dry the affected space.

All told, the entire issue was detected and resolved before the tenant came in to work in the morning—and most importantly, with no interruption to the tenant’s work day. Simply put, that’s a level of service you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else.

The F.O.G. team ensures RD Scinto properties remain second-to-none

When you’re looking for an office, you want a facility that is immaculately maintained and in great shape. At the same time, when issues arise—and they will from time to time; such is life—you want a team of committed and courteous professionals who work hard to solve them as quickly and thoroughly as possible.

The F.O.G. team is at the heart of RD Scinto, Inc. Our facilities and operations professionals are always available to make sure that our properties and buildings deliver spectacular experiences to our tenants—all year long.

To learn more about why RD Scinto properties are perfect for your commercial or residential needs, read about the Scinto Difference. You can also connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.