Dave Tompkins 26:35
It’s been a really, it’s been a real challenge for us. As you mentioned, you know, homelessness is not a new issue, and it’s something that we’ve been dealing with for decades. Um, but with the onslaught of COVID. We have experienced a lot of encampments coming up around our buildings. And as you say, the city has either sanctioned them or for a long time, just had a sort of a hands off policy. And it’s a challenge. It’s a challenge for us. It’s a safety that presents safety issues. And we’ve had residents frankly, move out, because they just don’t want to live in a building where there’s a tent came in across the street or when they look out their window, that’s their view. And we have, we’ve had a lot of residents reach out to us say, and asking us, you know, what are you doing about this? How are you going to fix this, and, unfortunately, you know, we’re all in it together. So we encourage you to contact the city, you know, to reach out to 311 to reach out to our local supervisor, depending on where the buildings located, we’re doing the same thing and forwarding pictures and, and, and whatnot. I do think things have gotten a little bit better. It hasn’t been publicized as much. But you know, we had in Marina one of our buildings, for example, there was a tent encampment that came up on NorthPoint and, you know, the city essentially responded by saying, you know, they were just gonna leave it and kind of you know, Keep things contained. Yeah, pressure. They came through one day and they cleaned it up. And we haven’t had a problem there. Since. You mentioned Dolores, we’ve had some encampments, there’s these grass mediums on.
Greg Owens 28:13
I saw that,
Dave Tompkins 28:13
all right, beautiful, they take poms, but they’re becoming camp grounds for people. And, you know, the city will come through and sort of clean it up, and then they come back. But it’s been a big challenge for us. You know, it’s a complicated problem. And it’s just been compounded by everything that’s been going on these last, you know, three or four months.
Greg Owens 28:37
Right, right. Yeah. And I think like, it is like something that the city really needs to sort of figure out what can be done and as a society, right, and it’s a big complicated problem that’s not going to get solved easily. Right. Um, I’d like to change topics and as we get close to wrapping up and just like a little bit about how you got it. To this industry because one of the things that I’ve been trying to bring awareness to is how such a diverse career being a facilities manager is, I think, for a lot of people like sitting in front of a computer all day long is incredibly tough, challenging job. But that being a facility manager being like a, in a construction industry, you’re always sort of on the go moving about new projects and things like that. And so, just a little bit about your story and how you got into this into this industry.
Dave Tompkins 29:32
Sure. And I would just start by saying, that’s exactly how I got into this industry. I’m not a sort of, you know, the desk for eight hours a day, 40 hours a week, kind of guy. Do I do more and more of that in my career now. You know, kind of worked my way through the ranks, but you know, I love being outside. I love working with my hands. I love solving problems, and I have my first facilities job over 20 years ago, a beautiful property down in Saratoga called Villa Montalvo. 65 acre estates open to the public, they do search there and have hiking trails and corporate events and things but I just got exposed to the freedom of, you know, going around from one issue to another taking care of things. And it really stuck with me. And over the years since, you know, I’ve worked jobs and maintenance of course, I had my own light construction and maintenance company, I’ve worked for high end residential construction here in the city. And then, you know, obviously I’ve been doing maintenance management and project management, you know, now more specifically for the last 12 plus years, and, but it just, it all started with a, you know, a desire to want to fix things want to understand how things work, one solutions and to not want to be in an office. Under fluorescent lights full time, you know? So, yeah,
Greg Owens 31:05
yeah. And it’s and like you said, there’s every day, there are new challenges that come up or new problems to be solved. It’s not that no day is the same? I would, I would think, right, especially with how many how many buildings you guys are managing?
Dave Tompkins 31:21
Yeah, I tell my team that, you know, we start the day with a plan. We do whatever we have to do to, you know, respond to the issues that come up. And it’s, it’s very unusual that, that, you know, your day goes exactly as planned because, you know, things happen, and we’re always responding to issues while trying to be proactive to prevent those issues from you know, coming up or, you know, recurring, right, once upon a time. You know, Greg I got a degree, a bachelor’s degree in English literature. You know, I thought I was going to be, you know, a professor and you know, a great American novelist. And I realized I just like to fix things. And, you know, that was, that’s really it,
Greg Owens 32:07
that’s an interesting path going down in that degree and that kind of thing. But at the end of the day, like, wow, I like, like, the end of the day, I like fixing stuff, right. And that’s good self awareness.
Dave Tompkins 32:17
It’s simple. I will say, you know, the English degree has served me well, just with communication, written communication, you know, and dealing with different individuals across organizations. So I’m thankful for that. But I have also wondered, you know, if I had just started, you know, doing something a little bit earlier, or maybe I could have gone that path, but that’s what makes life so unique and so interesting. And, you know, that’s why we all have our own story. Because, you know, we find our paths and, and like me, we find something that we love, and we’re lucky to be able to do it.
Greg Owens 32:57
Yeah, yeah, no, I agree. I don’t You know, I came into this into construction painting through my uncle and, and it was a brilliant sort of move on my part in that I found a way of sort of working that really fit my personality in a lot of ways, right? Because it’s always you’re always on the go learning new things problem solving, as you said, right. Um, and you guys, you have the mix of you also have some commercial properties, you guys are managing the, as a painting company, like we have to have, like, unbelievably different. It’s even like different crews that we put in apartment complexes versus some of the you know, working inside a retail space or a commercial space. What I’ve noticed with apartments is like you’re really dealing with not one client, but all the apartment owners right even as a painting contractor, and how does that impact like your guys’s decisions between those two you know, the cost Commercial, the commercial end retail and in apartments?
Dave Tompkins 34:03
Well, I will say this, that working in an apartment complex or you know, in a multifamily site is very different than working in a commercial environment or working on a construction site. And, you know, we have a lot of contractors over the years, you know, that they come from a union background or from new construction, and you know, that they think, Oh, we got this, it’s no problem. And what they don’t realize is a very, very different way of, you know, working, you’re working in, in people’s homes or just outside their homes. You know, you talk about Dolores, just as an example. You know, you’re not dealing with just a single resident. Now, there’s 160 units between the two buildings that are right there. So if you’re being loud or doing something you shouldn’t or, you know, maybe saying something that shouldn’t be, you know, said it’s not just one person that may hear it or be offended or call the office and complain, you know, there could be hundreds and think people lose sight of that, you know, we don’t start work and start making noise and occupied buildings at 6am or 7am. And people have to adjust to that in those types of work schedules in a commercial environment. You know, you people leave for the day and it’s totally empty. Well, our buildings are never totally right. somebody’s home, there’s always somebody that’s going to be impacted by work, no matter what the scope. And so it’s a challenge. Most people figure it out, though, there’s usually a couple of hiccups or, yeah, we’re pretty good at leading them down the right path.
Greg Owens 35:36
Yeah, what I was, I was mentioning it to Jonathan is, is, you know, in the commercial end of things, nobody really cries out, right, like, you know, when we’re working inside a commercial building retail space or something like that. There’s nobody cries, right. But when you’re doing dealing with residential, and it’s their home and there’s so much emotions wrapped up in their homes and the nerves you know, and all around that. There’s a lot more of that to just comes out. And you have to be very aware of that. And then like, you’ve been doing this a long time and, and something I’ve noticed and I have to remind my employees of all the time too is like, Look, there’s there’s everybody’s got a camera, everybody’s got a video, there’s surveillance everywhere you have to be on, you’re being watched all the time, there is no hiding on a job. So you have to keep that in mind as you go through your day, and not make any of those kinds of mistakes that can cause you know, people to get really upset.
Dave Tompkins 36:34
People you know, people are watching. I think that’s just the reminder, and when you’re in a multifamily environment, particularly in a high density area, to be really sensitive to that. And remember, these are people’s homes and in some of our older buildings, Greg, we have residents that have lived there for 40 years. You know, I mean, that’s right. They feel like it’s there. I mean, even though technically they’re renting, they’ve been there. So long. That, you know, they are sort of a part of that building. And, you know, they take things personally, we just have respectful of that. And, you know, when we’re doing things the right way, there’s usually not a problem or an issue. But it does require, you know, a different approach and sometimes reminding the crews about that.
Greg Owens 37:18
Yeah. And then and sort of getting close to wrapping up on your, like, words of wisdom for somebody that wants to get into being a facilities manager, like how they get started, you know, some info around that kind of stuff.
Dave Tompkins 37:35
Yeah, you know, I think you just have to start and, you know, sometimes I, you know, I’ve had people work for me, you know, it’s their first couple of months in a position and, you know, they’re itching for more they know, you can tell they’re eyeing, you know, the promotion, you know, of two steps ahead. And, you know, I’ve counseled them on just focusing on what’s in front of you, you know, I think every journey starts with the first steps, and if someone’s interested in facility management and or the maintenance field or construction field or project management, when you have to earn your strikes, you have to start somewhere. And if you’re already in the industry, you know, keep going, make sure you work for, you know, an employer or, you know, for a company that has room for improvement, you know, as training programs or mentorship programs, you know, know that in time, good effort, quality work, it does get recognized. And, you know, if you’re not finding yourself successful in one environment, you know, look elsewhere, but just keep going. And, you know, I remember, you know, many years ago, feeling just like that I wanted to, you know, take on the world and, you know, I wanted to be a director when I was a maintenance tech. And, you know, I wouldn’t be I think as successful as I am today without having spent years in the field, going through all of the various challenges. Having, you know, making the mistakes along the way, and learning from them. And so my advice is, you know, if you’re just getting started one foot in front of the other, you know, keep moving the world needs facility managers need smart, bright, hard working people in this field. And there’s a position for you one day just have to get there.
Greg Owens 39:21
And you’ve probably seen like me that, like you can develop a tremendous amount of meaning by taking on more and more responsibility in your life. Right and then that can help you in your career because you’re like, you keep proving that you can take on a heavier burden and execute on it.
Dave Tompkins 39:39
The most successful people in any industry, you know, they want it, they go after it, they’re proactive. They’re not waiting to be told what they need to do next up, you know, sitting on their hands. They’re, they’re passionate, they’re hard working. They’re self starters. And those are all qualities that define successful people?
Greg Owens 40:03
And what’s great about like, how many buildings you guys have is there’s always a problem that needs to be fixed. And there’s always something you can like, bring to the K, I saw this. And here’s what I found out about it. And here’s what I think we could do. What do you think? Right? And you’d be like, super happy if your team comes to you with those kinds of that kind of energy,
Dave Tompkins 40:24
of course, and you know, in our line of work, the jobs never done, you know, there’s never going to be a day where we just wrap up and say, well, all you know, we can go home today. And that’s it. We have plenty of job security, and there’s always room for improvement. And even on some of the buildings that I’ve been working with here at Trinity for over eight and a half years, I’ll go on a sidewalk and I’ll see something that I’ve probably walked by 100 times and think, well, gosh, why don’t we do something about this or, you know, we need to fix this or let’s improve this, this area over here and you know, having people in the field Are your eyes and ears that are there on? Or, second, identify those issues? and be proactive and bring them to your attention? I mean, that’s all part of having a successful team.
Greg Owens 41:10
Yeah, no, I totally agree in our company to, you know, if we can have people that are spotting things, letting us know, letting us be communication is just so valuable. Like, just let us know you found something new, a new problem or something like that. Don’t be afraid to talk about it. Let’s bring it up. And let’s, let’s have that conversation.
Dave Tompkins 41:28
I have a saying, regarding communication. I tell my guys if I have to ask you for an update, you’re not communicating effectively enough, you know, you didn’t, you know, you know, the expectation is we’re proactively, you know, letting know what’s going on. So a great vacation is really important. And it’s, it’s just part of being successful.
Greg Owens 41:51
Right? Any any tools you guys use, like apps or anything like that, that you found really helpful in your industry?
Dave Tompkins 42:00
We use a software platform that runs our business. It’s one of the largest multifamily software programs, I think available on the market. It’s called yardie reads and, you know, large property management companies, but it allows us to manage all of our, you know, work orders, our purchase orders, all of our, you know, rental resident information for prospects and you know, CRM platforms and things like that. So, you know, that’s really the base of our business from an app standpoint. We issue iPhones to every single employee, whether you’re director level or your janitorial or housekeeping level person. And you know, it allows you to clock in and clock out on your phone and allows you work orders and allows you to receive, you know, emergency text messages, if there’s something we need to get out there to all of our staff But there’s not a specific app other than, you know, the software that we use with yo. But I think the technology, you know, we we tried iPads for a while they were too big and clunky. So we went to the, you know, iPhones and that’s worked out really well for us. And, you know, I think just connecting and engaging with everyone across the organization, and treating them equally on that front has been really, really helpful. And, you know, lets us reach everyone. And with the push of a button. Yeah,
Greg Owens 43:29
yeah, that’s good. That’s good. Well, this is great talking to you, Dave. If people want to learn more about you and about Trinity, how were they? Where can they go to find out more?
Dave Tompkins 43:43
I think definitely visit our website, TrinitySF.com you can learn all about our company. We’ve been in the city for over 70 years really fascinating story, found our founder started this company with nothing. Or you know, we started in San Francisco, we work in San Francisco exclusively. So that’s a great place to learn more about us TrinitySF.com. You know, for me specifically, I’m a little behind the times, I’m overdue on getting my LinkedIn set up. I’ve been kind of social media adverse, but I’m constantly that I need to do that. So pretty soon people can insert, I’m sure on LinkedIn, Dave Tompkins at Trinity SF, and I’ll get out
Greg Owens 44:26
there, you’ll show up on LinkedIn. And I know we actually looked for you on LinkedIn. We’re like, wow, we don’t know who this guy is.
Dave Tompkins 44:33
I know I’ve been I’ve deliberately for years I’ve resisted it, but I think it’s I think it’s it’s time
Greg Owens 44:40
Yeah, I to have a What is it? I understand social media. I get how it’s important. I have a, I don’t know a reluctancy or latency to go to the table with it on a lot of ways, right.
Dave Tompkins 44:55
And I like to tell the people that I work, I work with grace because I’m just too busy working. You know, I don’t have to make my profile on LinkedIn, but in this day and age has just changed so much. It’s how we connect with people. Yeah, it’s how we network. You know, at one point, I think it was a platform for people that were just looking for employment maybe. But it’s so much more than that. And, you know, we’re Trinity is big on LinkedIn as well. And I’m, I’m gonna be on there soon enough.
Greg Owens 45:24
All right, Sounds Sounds good. Thank you so much for being really appreciate you being on this podcast Watching Paint Dry and Dave Tompkins with Trinity. Thank you so much, and we will catch up at some other point.
Dave Tompkins 45:40
Sounds great. Thanks for having me, Greg, and Katrina. Have a wonderful afternoon.
Outro 45:53
Thanks for listening to the Watching Paint Dry podcast. We’ll see you again next time. And be sure to click subscribe today future episodes.