What�s Our Response Time Like?

Emergencies - Utilities
Almost every utility outage to an entire building can be restored within a few hours, and they usually are. However, some interruptions or combinations of problems may affect the continual supply of a utility.The outage may last into the evening hours, weekends, early mornings, or, even more rare, last over several days intermittently.

When outages begin to go beyond a reasonably short time, we attempt to obtain status information from our own staff. Or, we will try to obtain status information from the GT Physical Plant if a problem is with the off-campus utility companies or GT physical plant systems.

Occasionally, we are unable to receive the best status information but will pass along what we have. Please ask your Residence Life Coordinator for updates, and they�ll let you know what we know.

Some problems with water and electricity originate off-campus, and the campus must wait its turn as the public utilities respond to all their problems in the Atlanta area.

When possible, notices will be posted in the halls and at our Web site (www.housing.gatech.edu) or passed through the residence life coordinators for planned, scheduled outages.

All Other Emergency Services

During regular shifts and even off-hour shifts, we respond to a number of situations, which threaten property or safety. Our response time will vary depending on current workload.

Even during regularly scheduled shifts some delays may be experienced while workers finish enough of their current assignment to respond to an emergency call. The number of other calls waiting, the number of staff available on the shift, and other factors may affect our response time.

Routine Work requests received today are given to our shops as quickly as possible but no later than the start of the next workday. These become part of the workload each section is assigned. Our section supervisors prioritize work daily so that residents receive the best, most timely services as resources permit.

At the start of each semester, repairs frequently take longer when most residents choose to report problems. Toward the end of each semester, most routine problems receive a response within same day.

Responses to Typical Repairs

Response times for maintenance problems vary according to the nature of the problem and when the problem occurs. After the initial rush of reported problems that occur during fall opening, the following generalizations may be made.

• Emergency:
  Emergencies are addressed using the next available staff, or within the same day/24 hour period. Emergency Problems include: no power, no heat, no a/c, resident locked out, no water, person stuck in elevator, flood, no lights at all.
• Routine:
  Routine problems will normally be addressed within the week with most problems being resolved within two days. Routine problems include: pipe drip, clogged sink/toilet, clogged shower/tub, insects in rooms, windows stuck/jammed, garbage disposal, and/or lock core changes.
• Minor:
  We try to resolve our minor problems with planned work. These items may take several weeks or longer to repair. Minor problems include: missing insect screens, vending machines, site lighting, furniture esthetic damage, cracked/broken mirrors, closet problems, toilet paper holders, and/or loose toilet partitions.
• Long-Term:
  Long-Term problems can be delayed until semester breaks, next summer, or programmed upgrade. These items include: large scale room / area painting, exterior painting, carpet replacement, sidewalk repairs, ceiling tile repairs, and/or large scale furniture reupholstery.

Examples of Services Not Provided

• Orthopedic backboards
• Curtain rods & curtains in student rooms
• Mattress pads
• Installing locks on bi-fold closet or wardrobe doors
• Storage of personal property
• Removal & storage of institute room furniture
• Repairs to personal property
• Running new electrical service into existing rooms
• Installing additional telephone jacks