If you have called or emailed our office in the last 3 years, you have most likely had the pleasure of interacting with Olivia, or Liv, as she prefers to be addressed.
Liv joined us in early 2018, as she helped get our Victoria location off the ground. Her life partner, David Bell, moved to the Island to manage the location, and Liv offered to roll up her sleeves and work alongside Dave, doing whatever needed to be done, including cleaning windows and gutters, cold calling potential clients and visiting sites around Victoria to prepare estimates. This was a complete 180 from her career in fashion, and she handled the transition and steep learning curve beautifully.
Her efforts didn’t go unnoticed and in 2019, Liv was promoted to head of customer service team, and started handling all client communications for both our Vancouver and Victoria locations. Her ability to handle large volumes of communications efficiently and to create systems that would streamline our back office processes has been extremely invaluable.
As our operations keep expanding in BC and Alberta, Liv has now taken on the role of operations manager for our back office management team, and oversees all admin functions, ensuring that our clients, in each location, get the same friendly service and personal touch that she has been known for.
Eduardo joined us this year in April all the way from Chile! Eduardo always puts safety first which is our #1 core value at Black Tie. When it comes to safety, he is not only concerned with his own safety but also the safety of his colleagues.
Eduardo is excellent at managing his time and meeting deadlines while ensuring his quality of work is always top-notch.
Whatever the job is, big or small, Eduardo always has a can-do attitude and an open mind to learn new skills or try out a new technique.
He is an excellent team player. If he finishes up for the day early, he will help his colleagues to finish up the task or pull up ropes.
Thanks Eduardo!
STAFF 📸 CONTEST
Congratulations, @DAVIDFAZV, the winner of Black Tie’s October Staff Photo Contest w/ 266 likes
Hat’s off to our 2nd place winner @drewlacarte w/ 127 likes
And coming in at a close 3rd place, @samuelhalifax w/ 120 likes
And a big thank you to everyone who submitted their photos.
If you like these, please come check out our Instagram where we’re always posting awesome photos like this one. Follow us @blacktiepropertyservices.
Pictured from Left to Right: Kim O’Pray – FirstService Residential; Tracy Po – BOMA BC; Ines Howie – Ultratech Cleaning Services Ltd.; Krishna Nault – Black Tie Property Services
Pictured from Left to Right: Krishna Nault – Black Tie Property Services; Kim O’Pray – FirstService Residential; Michael Glassco – IAQ Consultants; Kyle Tusim – Tremco; Muneesh Sharma – BOMA BC
Northview Golf & Country Club – Surrey, B.C.
August 19th was our first industry golfing event since the lockdowns. We are so grateful for the chance to spend a day in the sun with our industry peeps! It was refreshing to meet new friends and reconnect with those we haven’t seen in a while.
A big thank you to BOMA BC & their incredible golf committee for organizing a well-run and impressive event, the BOMA BC Golf Classic at Northview Golf & Country Club. It’s events like these that make us such proud members of BOMA.
It was a gorgeous day and we can’t wait to see you out there again on the golf course.
We are always striving to improve our services at Black Tie. We do that by listening to what our customers have to say and taking action whenever possible. We value all feedback because it helps us align with our customers needs as well as ensure we are upholding our company values and service promises. This month, we wanted to feature just a few of the lovely pieces of feedback we received from our customers. Thank you for taking the time to let us know how we are doing.
“Dear __Annonymous__
Thank you both for recommending Black Tie window cleaning service. I have lived here since 2016 …what a difference quality workmanship makes. These window cleaners are actually doing hand window cleaning and drying. Very professional. The previous company, Pacific Heights…never used this method. They did the water spray with a brush. Windows were streaky and not cleaned. I observed them cleaning at least twice. As an owner, I’m very very pleased. One a hot 27C day at 2:00ish pm …they were smiling when I told them they are doing an amazing job. I know they just started only on one side … got way more windows to go. Just good timing that I was at home …witnessed some of their good work.”
– Vancouver
“I am usually home during the day and was not aware that Black Tie Property services had come and gone. I contacted the company thinking they had “forgotten” my condo. Much to my surprise, the supervisor made a personal visit to my condo and in the end, we confirmed that my windows had been cleaned. And, much to my embarrassment, the “grime” on my deck windows was on the “inside”, which is my responsibility. I’ve since cleaned the inside of my windows and now they are sparkling clean on the inside and out! Great personal service from this company. Thank you.”
– Vancouver
“Mr. Kyle has provided an excellent customer service from day one. I do not have enough words to describe the fantastic work he has provided. Our company will continue using Mr. Kyle’s Black Tie Property Services this year again as he has proved himself to be an exceptional professional within his area of expertise. I totally recommend his services.”
We want to say a big THANK YOU to all of the amazing property managers that were able to make it out to our Industry Happy Hours in Calgary & Edmonton this past July.
It was fun & revitalizing to connect in person over some good food, tasty cocktails and lively conversations.
If you missed the July Happy Hour, don’t distress comrades! There are more drinks and laughs to be had and many more faces we’d be delighted to see. WE WILL BE BACK!
Some kind words from our guests…
“Thank you so very much for the invitation to your Black-Tie Industry event at Rodney’s yesterday (bringing West Coast seafood to Calgary was outstanding), it was such a pleasure meeting you and also getting to meet and collaborate with fellow industry professionals.“
“I would also like to thank you for hosting the Happy hour it was a lot a fun and we love to get to know our vendors it gives us a little more confidence when we know who is handling our buildings.”
Founded in 2011, Back Tie offers a dynamic work environment and has established itself as the best rope access window cleaning company to work for, in Vancouver.
Our diverse crew is mostly comprised of young rope access technicians from all over the world, looking to expand their skills and knowledge, while logging hours on ropes. Most of them share a passion for rock climbing and the great outdoors.
Being one of the only exterior maintenance companies in BC to achieve COR certification, you can be assured that your safety will always be the top priority. We also leverage technology to streamline communication between team members, and increase employee engagement. Employee recognition, as well as peer to peer recognition, are well engrained in our culture. Whether you choose to make a career at Black Tie, or are just passing through for a season, our goal is to create a lasting impression by offering the best possible work environment for our employees.
Wether you have experience and are looking to improve your situation, or are brand new to the industry, we would love to meet with you.
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We are currently looking to fill the following positions:
Experienced Rope-Access Window Cleaning and Power Washing Technician:
This is a full-time position starting now, and possibly ongoing throughout winter (peak season ends in December and some workers will get laid off). Duties include power washing, window cleaning, dryer vent cleaning and building inspection.
Requirements:
SPRAT or IRATA Level 1 or higher
Experience in window cleaning and power washing desirable, but training will be provided to the right candidate(s)
Computer literacy and access to smart phone and Internet connection (ability to fill out online work reports and communicate fluently in English, both written and spoken).
Positive attitude and proven customer service track record
Clean appearance, punctuality and all the usual basics…
Compensation:
Base hourly rate with opportunity to earn upwards of $35-$40 per hour on piecework
Bonuses and incentives based on performance
Ongoing training and certifications
Signing bonus offered to certified candidates meeting all requirements
Other:
All rope access and necessary equipment provided
Full work uniforms provided
One of the best Extended Health benefits plans available to the industry
Legendary Christmas party and monthly staff events
Professional development and employee training budget
We can’t believe how fast 10 years flies by. We started out as a small team servicing Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. Our team has grown since then and we’ve expanded our services to Victoria, Edmonton and Calgary.
In today’s blog feature, we interview Ryan Macdonald, a Wind Turbine Technician & IRATA 2 Rope Access Technician, currently working at Vestas. Ryan had previously worked with us as a window cleaner on the Black Tie Construction team and I had a chance to sit down with him and interview him about his experience with us.
Can you share with us some background about yourself? Where are you from and what are your passions?
Well, I’m 30 years old and I grew up in Revelstoke, BC. Big into mountaineering and outdoor adventures, as well as a fan of history and political activism. Bit of a renaissance man, haha.
Can you describe for us what your current job is?
I currently work as a resource technician with Vestas Americas, and I travel across North America building, servicing, repairing and sometimes decommissioning wind turbines. It’s a 100% on-the-road position, so my fixed address is a storage locker now.
That’s such an interesting job, what inspired to pursue that?
I spent seven years in the tech startup industry, and one day as I was very tired of that role I saw a really cool photo of someone who was repairing a turbine blade on ropes in Morocco. I thought that I wanted to do that and gave myself 5 years to do it. Haven’t quite made it to Morocco yet!
What is it that you love doing about this job?
This has been a dream job of mine, and one of my favorite things about it is that it brings me to travel to places that I wouldn’t have otherwise. So far this job has taken me to Oregon, Texas, Iowa, and across Canada three times by car. I spend anywhere from 4 days to several months in each location depending on the project.
One of my passions is rock climbing, and a big percentage of my days are spent hanging from ropes professionally now. Also, I am compensated well for the work that I do.
Can you describe for us your experience working with Black Tie?
Working at Black tie for over three years was a formative experience for me. I learned a lot of skills from David (Managing partner of Black Tie Construction services) such as accountability, attention to detail, and team management skills. In my years of work experience, working at Black Tie was the most valuable in terms of hard transferable skills learned – hands down. I’ve worked for other window cleaning companies before and sometimes worked with people who weren’t very inspiring or motivated which was rarely the case here.
I love how Black Tie creates the best possible work experience for window cleaning. I was never made to feel like I was just a number. David really makes you feel like you are part of the family and I loved the monthly barbecues. He makes the best Guacamole! Shout out to Ravi, too, he was there as I went over my first drop practically holding my hand while I was scared. One of the hardest workers and nicest guys I’ve ever met.
What kind of advice could you give for someone working at Black Tie who is aspiring to grow into working in other industries like yourself?
In terms of career development, I think working in construction is more valuable. Working in property services is a bit more relaxed and flexible, you don’t have to wear PVC every day. I found I learned valuable time management skills there. In the construction side though, you are constantly interacting with construction crews, liasoning directly with the site supervisors on timelines, you have to be really conscientious about where you drop your ropes, and you have a lot more tasks that you have to be managing. When I first started doing wind turbine installations, in 2018/2019, I feel like I wouldn’t have been nearly as successful doing that job if I hadn’t already had experience working with the construction team at Black Tie. I would say that working with David set me up for my future success.
Can you share a fun fact about you?
I’ve been a hobby photographer for about a decade now, my camera is my constant companion on the road!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Window cleaning isn’t the most glamorous job, and sometimes it’s a struggle due to weather or the stress of the contract, but out of all the jobs I’ve had it definitely prepared me the most for a career with heavy responsibilities and high pressure. And the first time you notice some kid forcing his parents to stop walking so he can watch in amazement as you hang off a building, or try to hand you a cold pop out a window as you abseil past – that’s a feeling you’ll never forget. 😉
Thanks Ryan for taking the time to share your insight and knowledge with us. It was great talking to you and we at Black Tie wish you success in the world of wind turbines.
