Author: psec

Long Elevator Wait Times

The impatient look on people’s faces when they are waiting for an elevator could be a sign that your business isn’t up to expected standards. While you might think that the speed of the elevator has little to do with the quality of your service or products, if the consumer or client isn’t happy, chances are you will have a tough time earning or keeping their business. Your employees may also waste precious time by waiting on their ride. Your elevator shouldn’t be sabotaging your stellar reputation or productivity with long wait times.

Continual Discontent

Though conducted with New York wait times in a commercial setting, it was said that the total amount of time office workers ended up waiting for the elevator over the span of 12 months ended up being around 16 years of time. This equates to lost productivity and lost sales or revenue potential. Seattle experiences the same commercial elevator traffic. Regardless of how long a person has to wait, there is also a psychological factor that increases the anxiety level, frustration, and impatience an individual feels when there seems to be a prolonged period of waiting without a definitive end.

Correct the Problem

Elevator operations are continually evolving and monitoring your current system for available upgrades or service needs that can reduce unnecessary lag time. A regular maintenance schedule will help stop problems with waiting before they even start. Using music in the elevator can be a distraction while traveling between floors, and adding mirrors around the entry and exit locations can create a visual distraction for waiting patrons. Installing a signal box that indicates the location of the traveling elevator can give people an estimated timeframe for their wait.

Call the Experts

If you want to combat the frustrations felt by your employees, consumers, or clients over waiting for an elevator, Puget Sound Elevator Company can help. Call 425-800-8256 or email us to find out how we can improve your elevator wait times.

The Importance of Having a Clean Elevator at Your Business

Maintaining a sanitary environment for staff and clients is crucial for every business owner. In addition to protecting everyone’s health, a clean building reduces the transmission of infections and reduces potential employee sick days. Although the elevator is a high-traffic area with patrons in close proximity to each other, owners can sometimes neglect elevator cleaning. At Puget Sound Elevator Company, we understand the necessity of a clean elevator and would like to show you a few reasons to keep yours sparkling.

Health and Safety

To ensure the safety of your staff and guests, you can adopt a daily cleaning program that includes the elevators. Elevators are tight, enclosed spaces that are vulnerable to germ transmission. It’s vital to sanitize every call button, floor number, carpet, panel, and wall in the machine every day. The gaps in the elevator walls are often overlooked but should be vacuumed regularly. If you have a considerable volume of traffic in your lift, multiple cleaning sessions may be necessary.

Passenger Perception

Healthy passengers are a top priority, but how your guests perceive your elevator can also affect your business. A client who rides on a foul-smelling or filthy elevator is unlikely to revisit your business. The elevator is one of the first indoor spaces a new visitor encounters, and keeping it clean is essential to your reputation.

Pit Maintenance

Although the elevator’s interior is the prime cleaning area, you should also keep the elevator’s pit clean and clear of debris. An old bag of chips that has fallen into the pit does not pose a safety hazard for passengers, but it can attract insects and rodents that could eventually make an appearance inside the elevator.

Elevators are intricate machines, and cleaning them requires a specific set of skills. Consulting the elevator professionals at Puget Sound Elevator Company before you start cleaning can save you from an unnecessary malfunction caused by improper cleaning products or techniques. Call 425-800-8256 or email us today to learn more!

Emergency Elevator Plan

Fire awareness in your building is critical to the safety of everyone inside. Does your fire plan include your elevator? At Puget Sound Elevator Company, we understand the importance of elevator fire safety and can help you create a plan.

Why Can’t You Use an Elevator During an Emergency?

You should never instruct employees or guests to use an elevator during a fire. The fire can short the electrical system and cause the elevator to become stuck between floors. Since elevator shafts can act like chimneys, smoke inhalation is also a major risk.

What Are the Elevator Fire Service Modes?

Every elevator has fire service modes. When your elevator’s smoke or heat sensors pick up on something, the elevator will automatically go to the ground floor. The doors open to allow the passengers to depart safely. The elevator will not respond to any other calls except from emergency services when they arrive.

Once the firefighters show up, they can initiate phase 2. The firefighters use a key switch on the control panel. If you have an up-to-date elevator, then it should accept the key all fire departments have. This allows for rescue teams to operate the elevator and move it from floor to floor as necessary.

Which Elevators Do Emergency Personnel Use?

Emergency personnel looks for the elevator with the blue asterisk symbol. This is also known as the Star of Life, and it is a universal symbol on uniforms, medical equipment, ambulances, and more. The star stands for the six stages of EMS care: Detection, reporting, response, on-scene care, care in transit, and transfer to definitive care. EMS looks for the star because it means that elevator is big enough for the equipment, like a 24”x84” stretcher.

At Puget Sound Elevator Company, we will make sure your elevator is properly maintained, so if there is a fire, your elevator will function the way it is supposed to. Call 425-800-8256 or send us an email to find out how to increase the safety of your elevator during an emergency.

Raise The Value Of Your Property

As a property manager, you have to understand the role an elevator plays in the overall value of the property. While an elevator generally increases a building’s value, it can just as easily drive down the value when not cared for properly.

Create Coherency

If you remodel or renovate the entire building but leave out the elevator, people will notice. You may think that if the elevator functions, then you don’t need to fix it up. In reality, if your guests see an updated lobby, hallway, and other public areas, but your elevator looks like it belongs decades prior, they may see it as outdated and unsafe.

When you make upgrades to your building, try to match the elevator to the rest of your décor. In modern elevators, glass patterns are extremely popular. Additionally, metal, wood, and stone are trendy features that may increase your property’s value.

Upgrade for Modernization

There is a significant difference between stepping into an old, creaky elevator with outdated controls and stepping into the cab of an up-to-date, modern elevator. Clients, residents, staff, and guests are more likely to feel comfortable in a renovated elevator.

Not only are modern elevators safer and more energy-efficient, but they are comfortable and convenient. Modern elevators have fewer wasted trips and lower wait times. Many modern elevators have monitors that can alert you if there is a serious issue. For example, if your elevator is stuck on the track or experiencing pressure issues, you will receive and signal so you can get help right away.

If your elevator does not function properly or if it doesn’t match the overall theme, it could reduce your property’s curb appeal. At Puget Sound Elevator Company, we will provide you with the upgrades you need to raise your property’s value. Call 425-800-8256 or email us today to get started. 

Every year, elevators travel about 1.4 billion miles in the U.S. To keep your elevator running with the best of them, you need to have regular maintenance performed. This maintenance may involve shutting down the elevator for a day, so be sure to plan ahead. Having a plan for scheduled shutdowns will also come in handy if the elevator ever breaks down unexpectedly.

How to Prepare Passengers

While putting up an out-of-order sign is helpful, you can’t just stop there. If you have time to prepare your guests or passengers, inform them as early as possible, so they have time to plan around it. You can also provide them with a pamphlet that explains the improvements that will be made and their alternative options during the shutdown. For instance, you may want to include takeout or grocery delivery resources for those who use the elevator out of necessity. Having these resources handy will also be helpful in the case of an unplanned shutdown.

How to Plan for Potential Repairs

If you know that there are going to be repairs completed on your elevator, you need to plan it wisely. For instance, try to schedule the repairs on calmer days. For example, if the elevator is in an office building, try scheduling repairs over the weekend when most people are not working. Do not have repairs completed during peak hours if you can avoid it. When you plan, you can also warn those in your building about when the repairs will be done.

 How to Perform the Repairs

You should try to have the repairs finished as quickly as possible. One way to save time is to have the contractors work around the clock, in shifts. When you have two or three different shifts, you can have the repairs done a lot quicker. The less time the repairs take, the less money you have to spend and the less inconvenience the guests in your building have to suffer through.

Elevator maintenance is a critical element to your building’s health and safety. When your elevator has to go down for any length of time, you need to do everything you can to keep disruption to a minimum. For more information, contact Puget Sound Elevator Company today!

If you are looking for a quality company to service your elevator, our team of technicians has the experience and training to keep your unit in excellent shape. We treat each business as a unique entity with specific needs and desires, offering individualized attention and custom solutions. This means we can set up a perfect service plan for you, whether you have a small unit that isn’t super busy or a large system serving hundreds of customers every day. Our technicians will ensure you comply with all building codes and safety regulations while providing affordable service to keep the elevator running.

A Plan That Works With Your Budget

There are few things more annoying than an unexpected repair blowing a massive hole in your budget. With regular maintenance, you know where you stand, and emergency repairs are kept to a minimum. A plan that is clear about costs provides many benefits:

• Transparency
• Affordability
• Peace of mind
• Reliability

We always discuss your options upfront and let you know about servicing requirements and associated fees. Your contract spells out what you can expect in terms of service calls, repairs, and preventative maintenance. Our technicians work to help you get the best out of your elevator in every sense.

A Program of Superior Customer Service

At Puget Sound Elevator Company, we see our relationship with each business as a partnership. We are more than willing to go above and beyond, whether this means working custom shifts to cut down on disruptions or responding quickly to all of your inquiries. Our team is fully equipped to handle your needs. Technicians are trained and certified, and we have the resources to deal with problems efficiently. We always seek to limit issues with your unit and ensure the safety of all passengers. Call 425-800-8256 or email us today for your elevator service needs. 

When it comes to commercial property maintenance, there might be some things on the list you can overlook for a while before they become big problems. Issues with your elevator do not fall under that category. There are a few elevator issues in particular you should pay close attention to, so as to keep your elevator in the best and safest condition possible.

1. Overheating

There are a lot of working parts that go into making an elevator function correctly. Control systems and electric energy are converted into heat, which causes the system to get quite hot after prolonged use. Depending on the weather at the moment, the heat problem could get worse, causing the machine to overheat. At Puget Sound Elevator Company, we’ll help you find the solutions you need to avoid having your elevator overheat. This could mean improving ventilation, cleaning the unit, or replacing a part.

2. Slowing Down

When the speed at which your elevator functions begins to slow down, you can assume there’s a problem that’s only going to get worse with time. Perhaps your tenants or clients are having to wait longer before getting on the elevator. Maybe the car has slowed down, or maybe the doors are slow to open and close. In any case, safety is an issue when an elevator slows down. Friction and pressure have likely increased, which could lead to additional damage or injuries. A proper fix, including lubrication, could be in order.

3. Rising Energy Bills

There are a lot of things that could cause your energy bills to rise, but in buildings that include an elevator, the elevator is typically one of the most obvious culprits. We can check your electrical panel, sensors, and a variety of other parts that might be causing the problem. With immediate attention, we can help you lower those bills and increase safety in your building.

As you can see, there are some serious issues related to elevator safety and efficiency. If you are a commercial building owner who has to deal with an elevator, contact Puget Sound Elevator Company today to discuss maintenance, modernization, and what to do when you realize you have a problem.