Client service is the key to successful client retention. And, above all, our members’ well-being
It’s not news that coworking spaces are a growing industry - we actually addressed this topic in the June issue of Meeting Point. -, but, in addition to what is commonly recognized as the added value of working in this type of space, such as flexibility and the ability to meet the diverse needs of companies from different sectors and workers with different attitudes, there’s something else to them that is truly undervalued: the quality of client service.
Let’s see why.
1️⃣ A tailor-made experience
Whether you need a space adapted to your company with all the conditions for your team, or you're a solo worker who wants to work from a shared workplace on an occasional basis, a flexible workspace have different solutions to meet any type of need. And even better: at LACS if our plans don't meet what you're looking for, we're 100% available to design a solution with you that best suits your reality!
2️⃣ Support at every step
From your first visit to our locations, to the process of deciding on the best plan for you, to your setup and the needs that arise over time, at LACS you will find a team that is always empathetic and available with a clear goal: your satisfaction and well-being in our workplaces.
Each LACS location also has a specific Community Manager who makes your integration into your new coworking space much easier. Everything so that you too can feel as good as other members about working in a shared workplace, as highlighted in this Harvard Business Review study entitled “How Coworking Spaces Impact Employee Well-Being”:
“The coworking enthusiasts we spoke to described feeling part of almost a social movement, a communal determination of the culture in which they worked. Most sites establish a coworking code of conduct and hire a community manager to ensure adherence to those ideals.”
2️⃣ The right attitude to start each working day
As humans, we are all vulnerable to the environment in which we find ourselves, and we know how the mood of others can influence our own. At LACS, every working day, the team always welcomes you with a “good morning” and a smile. For many of our members, our teams are almost like a family.
3️⃣ On-the-spot technical support - key to productivity
One of the biggest enemies of productivity and smooth performance at work is technical difficulties. Who hasn't had to deal with a slow Internet connection, a lazy computer or a microphone that decided to stop working just before the next online meeting? Well, at LACS our IT support team is able to solve any technical problem that might disrupt your work.
4️⃣ Creating a sense of community
Diversity and inclusion are two of the words that define LACS and, whether it's through the events that the various LACS locations organize or host, promoted by partners or companies based in our locations, our team is a key player in helping to create a sense of community and belonging for everyone who works from our coworking spaces. From welcoming you, to introducing you to other members, our teams' role is essential for networking and for making you feel comfortable and not alone among strangers.
In the aforementioned Harvard Business Review investigation, the researchers point out that:
“Community managers also arrange both formal (e.g., workshops) and informal (e.g., impromptu lunches) activities to facilitate relationship building and professional development. Employees in our survey praised these chances to regularly learn and socialize.”
And in this context, we can't help but recall the testimony of one of the LACS members, Stephen Baldwin, who decided to move to Portugal from England and chose to work from LACS Cascais.
At the Moving to Portugal event in London, where LACS participated as part of the Visit Cascais delegation, Stephen Baldwin said:
“The morning always starts with a hug with the reception staff, with coffee and me engaging with people. So, there’s a social area, and I will always meet someone for a coffee in the social area. That starts my day, it kicks starts my mind."
And continue: "I then work in the open spaces and I get on with work. That’s a comfortable way for me to work. I like to be quite mobile when I’m working, I don’t need to be stuck in an office.”
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Client service. Essential to each location’s identity and the companies and workers’ professional identities
In another investigation published by Harvard Business Review, on “How Coworking Spaces Affect Employees’ Professional Identities”, the authors point out how in recent years they have studied how coworking spaces “impact individual workers, taking into account the amenities, branding, aesthetics, and unique cultures created from diverse people and companies working together under one roof”. And their conclusion doesn't surprise us:
“We have found that workers benefit from coworking spaces more than traditional offices. They experience greater levels of flexibility and thriving (defined as vitality and learning at work), a greater ability to network, as well as a stronger sense of community.”
The researchers go further and state:
“When organizations take the time to choose a coworking space that aligns with the image they want to project - about their employees and about their business - workers will experience higher levels of thriving, and the organizations will benefit as well, causing employees to identify even more strongly with their purpose and values.”
Naturally, the team responsible for each LACS location is primarily responsible for the identity of each location - and this also leads us to work every day for high-quality customer service.
To close this topic on a high note, we revisit the words of LACS CEO Martim de Botton, in an interview with Forbes Portugal:
“There is the company culture, which is created by the company itself and which we believe is only reinforced by being physically connected. Then there's the community culture, which is created by us, by the team that manages the LACS space and which always tries to meet what the community wants.
The fact that we have a community that is characterized by having a young spirit, being dynamic, entrepreneurial and social, means that the company's culture is reinforced through the networking that takes place in the collaborative workspace. Everyday life has to be about community and not just work. Those who come to work at LACS will have moments of inspiration when they meet people from different companies and nationalities, and these moments add value to the companies and translate into greater productivity. Organically, we end up creating a greater networking culture for all the companies that come here.”
LACS talent featured in Eco
We can't close this newsletter without mentioning that LACS talent is once more highlighted in the press! Raquel Correia, Chief Marketing Officer at LACS, signs an opinion piece in the portuguese online newspaper Eco, arguing how Portugal is such a strong brand:
“On the doorstep of digital, cultural and entrepreneurial Europe, we are true heroes of the sea and we are increasingly breaking records beyond sport, we are millions of Ronaldos in the art of producing ideas and accomplishing on various fronts, showing that Portugal is not just sun and stunning landscapes, it is a complete, creative, innovative and versatile destination. Without a doubt, the next place to be!”
And if you need a motivation boost, this article excerpt is for you:
“As professionals in the fields of management and business, we must recognize and harness the power of the Portugal brand, here and across borders. We have the right product, the right market, the right environment and the noble and talented people to make it happen, charting the country's success for this year's various trends and dictating those of the following years. With a positive, proactive and innovative approach, Portugal must believe in its brave nation and its DNA of making things happen and we will continue to be a stage, a summit, an exhibition, a business roundtable as well as a destination of choice, as a true global hub for innovation, culture, business and quality of life.”
The place to be.