The nature of flexible office space is exactly that – flexibility. That said, whilst we have a number of clients who use our workspace for short term requirements or temporary overflow space, at our core is the desire to create long term partnerships and support clients who wish to grow, downsize or even move location. Most companies who join our community move in to our space on a 12 month agreement, so they know their overheads are fixed for that period of time and they can benefit from maximum discounts or promotions we might be offering at that time.
As a result, after nine months has passed, we initiate a conversation about the renewal of the office agreement to give decision makers plenty of time to plan and consider options. Part of Podium’s core values is integrity and transparency, which means we do not:
* Win new business with heavy discounts only to demand a huge price hike on renewal
* Simply “stay quiet”, therefore enforcing an automatic renewal at a higher price
We do:
* Make initial discounts vs standard pricing clear and part of our agreements
* Initiate renewal conversations 100% of the time
* Work with our clients and their budgets to find a solution that works for them
* Communicate consistently with clients so if there’s something they aren’t happy with, we know about it and we do our best to resolve it. Quickly. And not just because we are about to have discussions about renewal
Every month as a business our managers initiate, negotiate and process all their own client renewals. Inevitably, situations change, some companies grow too big, some are struggling, some were only ever with us for a limited period of time, so each month we usually do bid farewell to a small number of clients.
Last month in central London, General Manager Mark Dalton achieved a 100% renewal rate across all his seven sites, which, as any flex office operator will tell you, is an exceptional result.
At Podium, we talk a lot about partnerships, and this achievement reflects what that truly means.
Our 100% renewal rate hasn’t happened by chance. It reflects how every member of our London team interacts with each and every client. We don’t see ourselves as simply a workspace provider; we aim to become part of our clients’ business solution.
Our approach has always been straightforward: remove the drama and make our clients’ working lives easier.
If the air conditioning isn’t working, we sort it. If a client needs temporary staff connected to a secure Wi-Fi network, we sort it. If they want their office transformed with company colours, bespoke branding or even a new internal meeting room, we’ve got it covered.
Whatever the challenge, our focus is on finding the solution.
We work hard every day to give our clients reasons to stay with us. Of course, there will always be a commercial element to any business relationship, but when you’ve built trust, delivered consistently, and demonstrated that you’re invested in your clients’ success, those conversations become far more straightforward.
Mark is justifiably proud of this result:
“For me, a 100% renewal rate isn’t just a statistic. It’s a reflection of the hard work, professionalism and dedication shown by every member of the Podium team. It’s proof that when you genuinely care about your clients and consistently deliver on your promises, loyalty follows.
I’m incredibly proud of what the team has achieved, and even more excited about continuing to build those partnerships in the years ahead.”
Mark is pictured here with the team at Pi Accounting, who have now been Podium clients for over ten years, so there have been many renewal conversations. Founder Andrew May has long been a fan of Podium’s straightforward approach; “We’re now very long term tenants of various Podium offices, benefitting from their flexible approach that has really helped us manage our desk requirements through the peaks and troughs over the years. There’s often somewhere that will offer a discount on an initial period, but Podium have appreciated our long term partnership, remaining competitive for rent costs every year.”
For information about flexible offices to rent in central London contact [email protected] or contact us here.