Work requests to UW Facilities can take days, weeks or even years to fulfill. To help you understand how we prioritize and complete requests, here’s an outline of our process:
Step 1: Service request submitted
You may submit a service request to us either online or by contacting the Customer Care Team. If you have photos or files to submit as part of your request, please email them to careteam@uw.edu.
When submitting your request, please be as detailed as possible and remember to include your payment worktag for department-funded services. If we need additional information before processing your request, a Customer Care Specialist will contact you.
Step 2: Work analysis
We will review your request and clarify your needs. We will then identify the options available to solve the problem and work with our team of planners, engineers, technicians and other service professionals to select the path that best meets your needs and serves the needs of the University.
The first stage of prioritization occurs here as we look holistically at how your request fits into the needs of campus and any work already planned or in progress. As we go through this process you will be notified of the status of your request by email, through an online dashboard or be given direct contact information for the person working on your project.
Step 3: Work planning
This is where our team makes detailed plans for the work project, including finalizing scope, defining a detailed work breakdown and ensuring safety requirements are met. We also confirm all needed resources are available and order parts, if necessary.
Step 4: Work starts
The actual work defined by the scope begins.
For custodial, grounds and maintenance work, please be aware that scheduled tasks may need to be reprioritized based on what else is going on. The university is large, emergencies happen and it is critical that we remain able to adjust course as needed. When that happens, we prioritize accordingly:
- Emergency – Unplanned events that pose a risk to safety, property or critical operations
- High – Unplanned events that pose a risk to business operations or environments, and have the potential to escalate into an emergency event
- Routine – All other work
Emergency work must be stabilized within one business day, with high-priority work completed within seven business days. Routine work is completed based according to an assigned deadline or as scheduling allows. Deadlines on routine work may be delayed by parts or materials, by changes to the project scope, or by additional unforeseen obstacles.
If you have questions about the status of your work, contact the Customer Care Team. Even if the status is not immediately known, they will work with the technicians to find out the details and ensure you receive an update.
Construction or renovation projects vary tremendously in size and complexity. You will be assigned a project manager who will work with you on the details of your project and keep you up to date on where things are. Feel free to contact them for anything you need.
Step 5: Work completed and closed out
Once your service request is completed, our teams ensure records are updated, payments are processed and all other outstanding items are resolved. Custodial, grounds and maintenance requests can take a minimum of 45 days to close once identified as work completed.
Step 6: Tell us how we did
Once a work has been indicated as completed, the work order requestor and contact will receive a link to our satisfaction survey. Please take a moment to tell us how we did!
You may also provide us feedback at any time by contacting the Customer Care Team.