Introduction
In the world of commercial real estate and facility management, few relationships are as paradoxical as the one between buildings and their elevator service providers. Despite elevators being critical infrastructure that affects building operations, tenant safety, building value, and operational efficiency, there exists an almost universal pattern of unquestioned trust in service providers that, upon closer examination, appears largely unearned and potentially costly.
This blind faith phenomenon becomes even more puzzling when you consider the financial stakes involved. Whether managing a single elevator building, a ten elevator building, or a portfolio of 90 units, the annual maintenance costs represent significant capital expenditures. Yet building owners, property managers, and facility engineers routinely accept service provider reports at face value, rarely implementing independent verification systems or demanding accountability measures that would be standard practice in any other vendor relationship of comparable scale.
The Hidden Cost of Misplaced Trust
Understanding the Trust Default
The elevator service industry has cultivated a unique position of assumed expertise that discourages questioning. When a technician in a uniform arrives with a clipboard and technical jargon, the natural inclination is to defer to their judgment. They are elevator experts; they know how to service your elevators, and this is what we assume. This dynamic creates what we call the “expert assumption trap,” the belief that because elevator mechanics are specialized professionals, they must inherently be acting in the building’s best interest. The elevator mechanics have to do what their companies tell them to do, and they do not run their route, schedule, workload, etc.
Reality Check: Our audits reveal that over 95% of elevator service providers are not completing all necessary preventative maintenance work as outlined in best practices or even their own contracts. This isn’t necessarily malicious; it is often a result of systemic issues within the elevator industry’s service model.
The Documentation Deception
One of the most significant trust failures occurs in documentation and record-keeping. Building property managers, building engineers, facility managers, facility engineers, and building owners frequently rely entirely on elevator service provider logs, believing these constitute adequate documentation of their elevator’s maintenance history. It is common that the building personnel never see the records or even know how to access the records that they should have access to. It is a code requirement that all building owners provide records that are readily available in the machine room. Furthermore, reading the fine print reveals a critical distinction: these are the elevator service provider’s records, not the building’s records. If the building wants these records, it must download and keep them in the building’s records.
Key Documentation Issues:
- Service logs often lack detail about the actual work performed
- Records may omit failed components or deferred maintenance
- Documentation rarely includes performance metrics or trend analysis
- Building owners have no independent verification of claimed work
- Legal liability often rests with the building
This documentation gap creates a dangerous blind spot. Without internal records, independent tracking, buildings lack the data necessary to identify patterns, predict failures, or even verify that elevator contracted services were delivered.
The Psychology Behind Elevator Service Trust
Cognitive Biases at Play
Several psychological factors contribute to this misplaced trust:
- Authority Bias: Technical expertise creates an automatic deference. When someone speaks confidently about machine bearings, sheave groove wear, or controller diagnostics, non-technical stakeholders naturally assume competence and honesty.
- Status Quo Bias “We’ve always done it this way,” becomes a powerful justification for continued trust. If the elevators are running today, there’s little perceived urgency to question yesterday’s maintenance practices.
- Complexity Avoidance Elevators are sophisticated machines with intricate mechanical, electrical, and digital components. Many building managers find it easier to trust the experts than to hire an elevator consulting firm. Some people do not even know that the services of an elevator consulting firm exist. Furthermore, it is difficult for building personnel to prolong a lingering when they need a fix, so they are stuck with the cost and scope they are presented. They do not know that an elevator consulting firm is available to solve their problems immediately. A professional elevator consulting firms know the industry and understands the urgent time frame buildings are up against.
- Risk Misperception Because elevator accidents are rare (thanks to stringent safety codes), there is a false sense that all elevator maintenance is being properly handled. This confuses safety compliance with operational excellence and equipment longevity. It is common for elevators and escalators to pass inspection, yet they will have obsolete elevator parts, elevator parts availability challenges, life cycle depletion, performance issues, etc.
The Inspection Illusion
Perhaps no misconception is more dangerous than the belief that passing annual inspections means elevators are well-maintained. State inspections focus primarily on safety compliance, ensuring emergency brakes work, doors close properly, testing is completed, safety functions, etc. They do not evaluate:
- Equipment efficiency and performance optimization
- Predictive maintenance needs
- Component lifecycle management
- Obsolete Parts
- Labor issues
- Parts availability
- Ride quality metrics
- Long-term reliability trends
Case Study Example: A 15-story office building in a major downtown area passed all state inspections for five consecutive years while experiencing increasing callback rates and tenant complaints. An independent audit revealed $180,000 in deferred maintenance that, while not affecting immediate safety, had reduced equipment life expectancy by an estimated 5-7 years.
Financial Motivations: Following the Money
The Property Management Disconnect
In many commercial properties, a troubling disconnect exists between who pays for elevator service and who manages it. Property managers and building engineers often have limited financial incentive to scrutinize elevator expenses because:
- Budget Line-Item Mentality: Elevator maintenance becomes just another budgeted expense, renewed annually without questioning whether value is being delivered.
- Common Area Maintenance (CAM) Pass-Through. In multi-tenant buildings, elevator costs are often distributed among tenants as CAM charges. When the building owner does not directly feel the financial impact, there is less motivation to optimize these expenses.
- Risk Aversion Over Cost Management Property managers may prefer to approve all recommended repairs (necessary or not) rather than risk being blamed for an elevator failure due to declined maintenance.
- Knowledge Property managers, building engineers, and building owners do not hold the elevator knowledge necessary to make informed decisions. Elevators and escalators have been called the blackhole of a building. It is one area that is a mystic to a building.
The Hidden Cost Structure
What building owners do not realize is how the standard elevator service model incentivizes minimal preventative maintenance:
- Base Contract Economics: Elevator service providers often bid low on preventative maintenance contracts, planning to recoup profits through repairs and replacements, and they will not guarantee the service provided
- Billable Hour Incentive: Less preventative maintenance leads to more breakdowns, generating overtime callouts and emergency repair revenues
- Parts Markup Reality: Components that could be sourced competitively are sold at significant markups when installed during immediate repairs or an upgrade
- Modernization Pipeline: Poorly maintained equipment reaches “end of life” faster, creating lucrative modernization and repair opportunities. Then, potentially installing proprietary equipment- a cash cow.
The War of Attrition: How Elevator Service Providers Win Through Persistence
Overwhelming the Opposition
Elevator service providers have perfected a strategy of administrative overwhelm. They understand that building managers, building engineers, building owners, and others juggle countless responsibilities like HVAC, security, cleaning, tenant relations, compliance, and more. By creating a constant stream of elevator service tickets, repair recommendations, and technical proposals, they ensure that elevator issues become something managers want to quickly resolve rather than deeply investigate.
Typical Attrition Tactics:
- Multiple elevator repair quotes for the same elevator recurring issue
- Technical language that daunts questioning
- Creating urgency around repairs
- Bundling necessary and unnecessary work
- Scope creep in service recommendations
The Retail, Hospital, and Hotel Vulnerability
Certain property types are particularly susceptible to this war of attrition:
Hospitals operate 24/7 with life-safety implications for elevator failures. The combination of regulatory scrutiny, patient care priorities, and operational complexity means elevator decisions often default to “just fix it” regardless of cost or necessity.
Hotels face immediate guest satisfaction and revenue impacts from elevator downtime. A broken elevator during peak season can mean thousands in lost revenue and damaged reputation, making hotels quick to approve any recommended repair.
Retailers usually have corporate contracts and have no way of knowing if the service provider shows up. The management responsible for the elevators and escalators is not even on-site. Management is usually informed of down or problem elevators when an elevator or escalator is down.
The Industry Knowledge: Elevator companies explicitly recognize these vulnerabilities. Sales training materials often identify industries as “premium service opportunities” precisely because of their limited ability to scrutinize service delivery.
Breaking Down the Trust: What’s Really Happening
Contract Language Loopholes
Elevator service contracts are masterclasses in protective ambiguity. Common problematic provisions include:
“Systematic Maintenance” Clauses Contracts promise “systematic maintenance” without defining specific tasks, frequencies, or standards. This allows providers to claim compliance while doing minimal work. It is also common not to have a clause at all.
“As Needed” Provisions. Many elevator preventative maintenance tasks are qualified with “as needed” or “when necessary,” leaving the determination entirely to the elevator service provider’s discretion.
“Normal Wear” Exclusions: Contracts typically exclude “normal wear and tear” without defining what constitutes normal versus premature wear due to inadequate or missed maintenance.
Limited Liability Structures Service agreements often cap or provide vague terms, regardless of equipment damage or decreased life expectancy caused by poor maintenance.
The Real Performance Gap
When independent elevator consultants audit elevator maintenance programs, consistent patterns emerge:
Lubrication Deficiencies: 50% of audited elevators show inadequate lubrication, leading to premature component wear
Adjustment Negligence: Door adjustments, oil, and rope tensions are frequently outside manufacturer specifications
Cleaning Shortcuts: Machine rooms, pits, and car tops accumulate debris and contamination
Documentation Gaps: Actual maintenance performed rarely matches what’s documented in service logs or documented in general
Predictive Maintenance Absence: Despite available technology, most programs remain reactive rather than predictive
Why This Matters: The True Cost of Blind Trust
Immediate Financial Impact
The direct costs of inadequate maintenance are substantial but often hidden:
- Premature Modernization: Poor maintenance can reduce equipment lifespan by 30-40%, forcing modernization years earlier than necessary
- Excessive Repairs: Deferred maintenance leads to component failures that could have been prevented with proper care
- Callback Charges: Poor maintenance increases breakdown frequency and associated overtime or immediate service call fees
Long-Term Asset Degradation
Elevators represent significant capital assets, often valued at $150,000-$500,000+ per unit. Poor maintenance doesn’t just affect current operations it destroys asset value:
Decreased Property Value: Buildings with problematic elevators see reduced property valuations and harder sales. Tenant Retention Issues: Unreliable elevators drive tenant dissatisfaction and increased vacancy. Modernization / Repair Sticker Shock: When deferred maintenance finally catches up, modernization or repair costs often exceed budget by 40-60%
Legal and Liability Exposure
Blind trust in elevator service providers creates serious legal risks:
- Inadequate documentation can leave buildings defenseless in injury lawsuits
- Failure to maintain equipment properly jeopardizes the operation’s needs
- Buildings may face regulatory penalties for equipment neglect
- Owner liability extends beyond what service contracts cover
The Path Forward: Building a Culture of Accountability
Implementing Independent Oversight
Breaking the cycle of blind trust requires systematic changes in how buildings approach elevator maintenance:
- Independent Logging Systems Maintain building-owned maintenance logs separate from provider documentation. Track every service visit, callback, and repair with dates, times, and outcomes. You can log, but you must also pay attention to the logs and service.
- Performance Metrics Tracking: Establish KPIs for elevator performance:
- Callback frequency per unit
- Average time between failures
- Door operation data
- Ride quality measurements
- Response Time
- Entrapment elimination
- Regular Service Audits Schedule independent elevator consultants to audit maintenance programs annually. The cost of an audit is minimal compared to the savings from identified deficiencies.
- Contract Reformation Negotiate service agreements with specific performance standards, detailed task lists, and meaningful penalties for non-compliance.
Creating Vendor Accountability Systems
Documentation Requirements:
- Photographic evidence of completed work
- Time-stamped maintenance checklists
- Component wear measurements
- Performance testing results
- Detailed repair justifications
Performance Standards:
- Maximum callback thresholds
- Response time guarantees
- Uptime commitments
- Ride quality standards
- Service targets
Case Studies: The Cost of Misplaced Trust
Case Study 1: The Municipal Building Disaster
A 20-story municipal building in Seattle maintained a “full service” contract with a major elevator company for 7 years. The building manager trusted the provider completely, never questioning recommendations or seeking second opinions.
The Revelation: When a new facilities director ordered an independent elevator audit, they discovered:
- 60% of logged maintenance visits never occurred
- Critical safety components were beyond wear limits
- $400,000 in unnecessary repairs had been approved
- The equipment was operating at 40% efficiency due to neglect
The Outcome: Recovered $275,000, and developed a proper maintenance program which reduced callbacks and will extend the life of the equipment.
Case Study 2: The Hospital’s Hidden Costs
A large hospital in Atlanta discovered their elevator expenses had increased 400% over five years, all absorbed as “necessary maintenance” for their aging equipment.
Investigation Findings:
- Service provider was creating problems through improper adjustments
- Same components were being replaced multiple times
- Maintenance was being billed but not performed
- Staff were approving all work
Resolution: Implementing an independent oversight program reduced elevator expenses by to only preventative maintenance while improving reliability by 80%.
Next Steps: Taking Control of Your Elevator Assets
The era of blind trust in elevator service providers must end. Building owners, property managers, and facility engineers have both the responsibility and the tools to demand accountability. Start with these concrete actions:
- Schedule an Independent Elevator Audit – Don’t wait for problems to surface. Proactive auditing reveals issues while they’re still manageable and cost-effective to address.
- Implement Tracking Systems – Whether through software or spreadsheets, begin tracking elevator performance metrics today. Data is your strongest weapon against service provider complacency.
- Question Everything – Challenge repair recommendations, demand detailed explanations, and always seek second opinions on major expenses.
- Build Your Team’s Knowledge of the Contract – Invest in elevator contract education for your team to know what is and is not covered. Basic knowledge prevents exploitation.
- Consider Alternative Service Models – Performance-based contracts, service providers, and consultant oversight can transform your elevator program.
The trust paradox in elevator service exists because we allow it to exist. By understanding why we have historically trusted blindly and taking steps to implement proper oversight, building owners can protect their assets, reduce costs, and ensure their elevators serve their intended purpose: moving people safely and efficiently for decades to come.
Remember: Your elevator service provider works for you, not the other way around. It’s time to manage this relationship with the same rigor you apply to every other critical building system. The question isn’t whether you can afford to implement proper oversight; it is whether you can afford not to.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How can I tell if my elevator service provider is actually doing the work they claim?
A: Look for specific evidence: detailed maintenance logs with time stamps and specific tasks, before/after photos of work performed, wear measurements on critical components, and consistent improvement in performance metrics. If your provider can’t produce this documentation, they are likely not performing comprehensive maintenance.
Q: Is it normal for elevator repair costs to increase every year?
A: While some increase due to inflation and aging, equipment is normal; annual increases above 5-7% warrant investigation. Properly maintained elevators should have predictable, stable costs. Dramatic increases often indicate deferred maintenance catching up or unnecessary repairs being recommended.
Q: What’s the difference between what elevator inspectors check and what actually needs maintenance?
A: Inspectors verify safety compliance. They don’t evaluate operational efficiency, component wear rates, adjustment quality, or predictive maintenance needs. An elevator can pass inspection while still being poorly maintained from a lifecycle perspective.
Q: How often should I get an independent elevator audit of my elevator maintenance program?
A: Annual audits are ideal for buildings with multiple elevators or critical operations (hospitals, high-rises) that have concerns. It may be once a year or once every five years; you will know when it is time based on your issues or concerns.
Q: Can I switch elevator service providers, or am I locked into the manufacturer?
A: Unless you have proprietary systems, you can absolutely use another elevator service provider. Check your current contract’s termination clause with your legal to understand what you can do.