The Power of Positivity
It’s a fact of life: whenever there’s construction in a heavily populated area, construction noise is an issue. But Danella employees do everything they can to help minimize those impacts.
In Miami Beach, Collins Avenue/Florida A1A is the main street through town, lined with stores and upscale high-rise residential properties. When a necessary construction project started during the night hours a few months ago, complaints started coming in.
“One resident was really having a difficult time.” Danella Superintendent Raul Perez recalled, “Our equipment makes a lot of noise, and she just couldn’t sleep.”
The work had to continue, so Raul could have just ignored the complaints. But that’s just not the kind of guy Raul is.
“You have to be polite with people. You can’t just say ‘we have a permit’ and keep working. So I explained what we’re doing and how it benefits them, and I do my best to address their concerns and help them.”
Danella Division Manager Freddie Brady recognizes Raul’s skill and attitude. “Raul is really good at talking to people.” Brady says, “He has a lot of experience and strong knowledge of the job, so he never promises more than he can deliver. But he helps people understand that we’re doing the best we can for them.”
Going The Extra Mile
To address the resident’s complaint, Raul requested additional manpower to finish the work faster. He also silenced backup alarms on vehicles (using spotters to safely back vehicles instead), and reduced the use of metal plating on the roadway to reduce traffic noise.
The grateful resident wrote a positive email to Danella to ensure Raul’s efforts were recognized:
“I’m writing at this time to praise an employee of yours, Raul Perez. He went above and beyond as a supervisor and deserves the recognition. I’m currently a resident on 69th and Collins and have been having a hard time dealing with the noise of the street construction. When I expressed my concern with Raul, he empathetically did everything in his power to help and gave me all the information I needed. I just wanted to share my positive experience with you.”
Raul has developed a positive relationship with the resident, who still stops to say hello when she’s walking along Collins Avenue and sees Raul working with his team.
“She is really nice.” Raul says, “I like working with people like her, and I really try to make them happy. I’m glad we were able to help her get back to sleep.”