You're a new property manager. You have your first meeting with the elevator vendor next week. They've been servicing this building for years. They know everything about these elevators. You know nothing. Here's how to walk into that meeting with the right questions, get the information you need, and establish yourself as someone who won't be easy to ignore.
Why the First Meeting Matters
The first meeting with your elevator vendor sets the tone for your entire relationship. The vendor is assessing you: Do you know what you're doing? Can you read a contract? Will you push back on unnecessary repairs? An informed property manager gets better service, faster response times, and fewer surprise invoices.
This meeting is also your chance to gather critical intelligence. You need to understand what equipment you're responsible for, what's covered under your contract, and what you should be budgeting for over the next few years. The vendor has this information. Your job is to get it documented and in writing.
Most importantly, this meeting creates your documentation baseline. If the vendor promises monthly callback reports, you want that on record. If they claim a 30-minute response time, you want to know what that actually means. Verbal commitments disappear. Written commitments create accountability.
The 10 Questions to Ask
Contract and Coverage
1. "Can you walk me through exactly what's covered under our current contract?"
You need to know if you have a full maintenance contract or an examination contract. Full maintenance covers parts and labor. Examination contracts cover inspections only. The difference affects every invoice you'll see. Ask the vendor to explain your specific coverage in plain language, not contract jargon.
2. "What major components are excluded from coverage?"
Even full maintenance contracts have exclusions. Machines, controllers, and door operators are commonly excluded from standard coverage. If your contract excludes the machine and it fails next year, you're looking at a $40,000+ repair. Know what's excluded before you get the invoice.
3. "When does our contract expire, and what are the renewal terms?"
Contract renewals are leverage points. If your contract expires in 90 days and you're unhappy with service, you have options. If it auto-renewed last month for another three years, you don't. Know your timeline. Know your exit windows.
Equipment Status
4. "How old is each unit, and what's the modernization timeline?"
Elevator lifespan is 20-30 years depending on usage and maintenance. If your equipment is 25 years old, you should be planning for modernization within 5 years. Equipment age drives your capital budget planning. Get the installation dates for every unit in writing.
5. "What repairs have you done in the last 12 months?"
Request a service history report. This shows you what's been breaking, how often, and what it cost. Frequent repairs to the same component suggest a bigger problem. If the door operator has been repaired four times this year, it's time to replace it, not repair it again.
6. "What's the callback rate, and how does it compare to similar buildings?"
Callbacks are service calls after the initial repair. High callback rates mean poor repair quality or deferred maintenance catching up. Ask for your building's callback reports and how your numbers compare to industry benchmarks. A well-maintained elevator should have low callback frequency.
Performance and Communication
7. "What's your average response time for entrapments versus routine calls?"
Entrapments (people stuck in the elevator) should get 30-minute response during business hours, 60 minutes after hours. Routine calls (elevator running rough, weird noise) get slower response. Know what you're paying for. Know what's realistic versus what's contractually guaranteed.
8. "What reports should I expect, and how often?"
Monthly callback reports should be standard. Quarterly performance summaries are common. If you're not getting regular reports, you can't track performance or identify patterns. Ask what reports the vendor provides and request copies of the last six months to see what you've been missing.
9. "Who is my point of contact, and what's the escalation path?"
You need a name and a direct number. When the elevator goes down at 7 AM and tenants are calling, you don't want to navigate a phone tree. Know who to call. Know who to escalate to when your primary contact doesn't answer. Get cell numbers if possible.
Budget Planning
10. "What should I be budgeting for over the next 3-5 years?"
This is the most important question. Vendors know when major repairs are coming. If the machine is on its last legs or the controller is obsolete, they know. Ask for a realistic budget forecast. Not a sales pitch for modernization, but an honest assessment of what components are approaching end of life and what that will cost.
What to Bring to the Meeting
Your current contract. If you don't have a copy, ask the vendor to bring one. You can't verify coverage without reading the actual terms.
Recent invoices. Bring the last three months of invoices. Compare what you're being billed to what the contract says you should be paying. Billing errors are common.
Building's callback history if you have it. If the previous PM kept records, bring them. If not, request them from the vendor during the meeting.
Your questions written down. Walking in with a written list shows preparation. It also ensures you don't forget to ask something important when the vendor goes off on a tangent about new equipment.
Red Flags in the First Meeting
Vendor can't explain what's covered. If they can't summarize your contract terms without checking with someone else, they don't know your building well enough.
"You'll have to ask your predecessor." This is deflection. The vendor has service records, contract files, and equipment history. If they're unwilling to provide it, that's a relationship problem.
Resistance to providing callback reports. Callback reports are standard documentation. If the vendor resists sharing performance data, they're hiding something or they're disorganized. Either way, it's a problem.
Vague answers on equipment age or condition. The vendor services your equipment monthly. They should know installation dates, major component ages, and condition trends. Vague answers suggest they're not paying attention or they're avoiding difficult conversations.
Pushing immediate upsells before discussing current status. If the vendor spends the first meeting selling you on modernization or add-on services before explaining what you already have, they're focused on revenue, not service.
Before Your Next Meeting, Know Your Contract
The best preparation for your first vendor meeting is understanding what you're already paying for. Upload your elevator contract to our Contract Scanner. We'll show you exactly what's covered, what's excluded, and what questions to ask based on your specific terms.
Walk into that meeting informed. Get the answers you need. Establish yourself as a property manager who knows the difference between routine maintenance and an unnecessary upsell.