Carr Workplaces
Coworking is an ideal office solution for a variety of reasons: it keeps overhead low, the leasing terms are flexible, and you can expand or decrease the amount of space you have as needed. But there are dozens of coworking operators and to speak of them as one would be like saying all cars are the same.
Carr Workplaces has a significant presence in Alexandria, with three locations in Old Town, as well as twenty-four other locations spread across the rest of the country. To best illustrate what separates Carr Workplaces from the dense field of coworking operators we asked four of our most experienced general managers about what distinguishes the company from everyone else. Megan Alexander, who is General Manager of Carr Workplaces at the Willard next to the White House and who has been with the company for 7 years, cites, above all, an emphasis on customer service. “We never say no to a request,” Megan said. “Recently I was asked if we could facilitate a 3 am overseas video conferencing call in one of our meeting rooms. I came in at 2:30 am before the client even walked in to test out the system.”
While the support staff at many coworking operators is seen more than felt, at Carr Workplaces, our General Managers attest that being service-oriented is, in fact, a manner of being and not just polite corporate-speak. It helps that the administrative staff at all Carr Workplaces locations are full-time and trained to become an unofficial extension of their clients’ teams. Jamie Janata, General Manager of Carr Workplaces in Chicago described this difference saying, “You can find office space anywhere, but our biggest thing is service. It's not the cliché of ‘we're here if you need us,’ anyone can say that. It's thinking ahead and listening for opportunities and asking if you need hand-outs for your meeting or catering and taking the initiative to see how we can take administrative duties off your plate so you can focus on what you do best.”
Carr Workplaces
Gregg De los Reyes, General Manager of two Carr Workplaces locations in Manhattan, said that beyond service, the professional feel of Carr Workplaces is a defining factor as to why clients opt to get office space with us. “When prospects tour and they see the professional presentation of our offices, they’re eager to bring in their own clients for meetings. Jamie also noted, “Our clients like the feel of our offices, that it’s not 5 people stuffed into what is really a 2-person office, there’s more room to stretch, the hallways are even bigger, so there’s an airier feel.”
Gelda Maule, a General Manager of three Carr Workplaces locations in Alexandria attributes the intelligent design of Carr Workplaces’ locations to the company’s founder, Oliver Carr Jr., explaining it was one of many visionary ideas he had: “we came out of the gate with great ideas: all-inclusive pricing, bright colors, creating community, in addition to the teams at the centers going above and beyond to help our clients thrive.”
Carr Workplaces
Along with Carr Workplaces professional setting comes the very real measures the company provides to its clients in order to give adequate privacy and protection for client data. Megan said, “the clients that come to Carr Workplaces like an extra sense of security.” She noted how other operators provide almost no privacy, often having see-through partitions as well as large open spaces, where at Carr Workplaces there’s, “always the option for true privacy. Any office in our centers has privacy panels if you want them and all meeting rooms have drop down screens. And from an IT stand point every client is on a VLAN so their data is fully protected,” Megan said. Gregg also explained that at his locations several clients are attorneys who like “enclosures, walled offices, it’s not an open environment, so they can have confidential and private meetings.”
When asked to describe the ideal Carr Workplaces client, these General Managers concurred on a few key points: someone who likes to receive clients and needs a professional environment to do so, someone who values great design and prime locations within their city, and someone who values both community and the support of an experienced and adept administrative staff. Gregg concluded, “for our clients, Carr Workplaces is a place they want to come to, like a great hotel, they enjoy working here and they thrive here.”
Curious about whether Carr Workplaces is a good fit for your company? Visit Carrworkplaces.com and try us out for a complimentary week.
