Why is it so confusing to determine how to buy the right door mat? Have you ever googled door mats and felt overwhelmed by the 185 million+ results? Does having so many options create uncertainty as to what to buy? Although mats might not excite you, let us consider their importance.
Mats help provide clean spaces which enhance the onsite experience, property appearance, and provide public safety.
An entrance mat is the first thing a visitor or resident sees when entering your leasing office and it is usually the first thing people think of when you talk about mats.
Remember, there are many types of mats including interior & exterior mats, safety mats, amenity mats, maintenance workshop mats, marketing mats, custom rugs, and more. The truth is, mats are a large part of the brand interaction for prospective residents, current residents, and even your team members. It may be the one marketing piece that interacts with all these people the most when you consider the number of times that they step on a mat.
Mat Procurement
Since mats are so important, how do you know which mats should go in which spaces? What branding or decorating opportunities exist?
Mat buying is in fact very complicated today. There are no guidebooks with a simple-to-follow decision tree that allow onsite teams to easily navigate the various options and determine which mat is best for each location on the property. My team took on this challenge and worked with our customers to develop the first multifamily decision buying roadmap for floor mats.
The decision tree helps your on-site staff find the best mat that will suit their needs based on specific conditions including mat location, branding needs, and environmental conditions like dry, rainy, snowy, or sunny. When used correctly, the factors considered in the decision tree not only improve the lifespan of the mat, but also ensure you purchased the right mat for your brand needs.
Easy-to-Use Mat Buyer’s Guide
A mat buyer’s guide considers branding needs, geographic and weather conditions, safety needs, and common space uses. A comprehensive plan offers various types of mats in different sizes, colors, and materials. The system helps your properties use the right mat at the right location at the right price. Using a modern mat system across all your properties ensures that your teams are keeping your brand standards updated, ensuring a safer community by reducing slippery floors, and protecting the floors from scuff marks and dirty footsteps around the building.
According to cleanlink.com, it is estimated that the cost to find and remove a single pound of dirt from a building can run in excess of $700 in cleaning costs. As few as 150 people entering a facility can track in one pound of dirt in a five-day work week, costing departments over $30,000 annually to remove. The U.S. Green Building Institute recommends 10-15 feet of entrance mats to catch as much as 85% to 95% of contaminants.
Benson is one of the largest mat vendors in multi-family today. Our team is ready to help you solve this challenge at your properties. Our tools that help you build a mat strategy and system have simplified the mat business, allowing you to navigate the competing requirements of function and branding.
To learn more about our mats and our matting system, contact your account manager today or email benson@yourbenson.com.
