Kay Chaplin, CFO, Mantle Space
When it comes to customer satisfaction, it’s easy to focus all our energy on what happens at the front line – the reception team, the maintenance response times – and of course these are all important. But in my experience, true occupant satisfaction starts long before anyone walks through the door.
It starts in the back office.
Systems over goals
James Clear famously wrote, “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
As CFO at Mantle Space, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how we can support our team to deliver consistently excellent service. What I’ve come to realise is that the systems we use behind the scenes are just as important as the people delivering the service. If those systems are clunky, disconnected or slow, it creates friction and frustration, whereas if they’re streamlined, integrated and responsive, members feel a sense of confidence from their very first point of contact.
Modern financial and ops platforms give us the ability to move quickly and make better decisions based on real time data. Real-time data means we can spot issues before they become real problems. In the age of AI, automated workflows also mean fewer manual mistakes. And when everything is connected, we’re not wasting time chasing information through different platforms, or duplicating effort.
Most importantly, this efficiency translates directly into a better experience for the people using our spaces.
I don’t think finance and operations leaders should sit on the sidelines when it comes to the front-line experience. We have a critical role to play. We’re the ones who can invest in the right infrastructure, who can push for scalable systems that grow with the business, and who can make sure our teams have the tools they need to do their jobs to the best of their ability.
It’s about enabling service, not just controlling costs.
When a team knows they can rely on the systems behind them, they’re more confident, more consistent and more proactive in their work. That’s what builds trust with occupants and ultimately that’s one of the things keeps people coming back.
At Mantle Space, we’ve worked hard to align our operational platforms with our service goals. Three years ago we made the switch to an integrated system specifically designed for our industry, covering both front of house systems and behind the scenes accounts software. This gives us a single source of truth, and access to real time data for all. This change also gave us the opportunity to review our existing systems; challenging legacy processes to make sure that we’re making the most of technology innovations, streamlining a number of processes across the company that saved time and improved accuracy. It’s not always glamorous work, but it’s essential. We’ve seen how the right infrastructure can make a huge difference.
Scalability and future-proofing
As a business grows, having secure, scalable, and centrally managed platforms and systems becomes essential. When systems are fragmented and outdated, the cracks start to show. Teams spend more time managing workarounds than delivering value to members.
And of course, staying adaptable is key, especially with how quickly we’re seeing technological change. The tools we rely on today won’t necessarily be fit for purpose tomorrow. That’s why it’s so important to invest in infrastructure that can evolve with the business. No one wants to be ten years down the line, stuck with legacy systems and wishing they’d made the change sooner. The cost of inaction is often far greater than the alternative.
Customer satisfaction doesn’t begin at the front desk. It begins with the systems that support the people who make the space work. If we want to deliver a great experience, we need to start by getting the back office right.
