Sean

The first question is just background: What’s your full name? How long have you been here? And where'd you grow up?

My name is Sean O’Sullivan. I’ve worked here for 17 years. I grew up in the Bronx, New York.

How did you hear about the position in this building?

So, I started in the security department. I worked there for four years, and eventually, a spot opened up. I was able to have an interview and joined in 2009.

Between your first interview and then your first day working, would you say it was a quick turnaround?

I would say so. I would say it was probably within a week.

And would you say 17 years is the average tenure for the building, longer or shorter?

I would say, uh, a little bit longer. Because you have a lot of guys here that work 30 years or so, and then they retire. So, some guys, because it's a union position, like to work until they retire, which is usually about, I think, 65.

And what does a typical day look like for you?

A typical day, for me personally, is I get here at 7:30 and start at 8 am. I greet tenants on their way to work. Then, the rest of the morning usually includes accepting packages, dry cleaning, etc., and putting them into the Building Link to notify the tenants that they're here. And that's pretty much it. You know, sometimes visitors come, so we're calling up the tenant waiting on visitors here. Giving out keys to contractors and announcing guests is pretty much what the rest of the day entails until 4 pm.

Are there any days you prefer over others?

I prefer Friday (chuckle). I work Monday through Friday, so Friday over Monday is definitely the best time.

And what day of the week or time of the day is busiest for you?

For me, the time of the day that would be the busiest is usually about noon. Because that's when most of the packages come in, generally, I guess from 11 to two, the mail comes in. So that's when everything is pretty much coming in.

And what do you most look forward to in the day?

I would say going home, but basically, just basically greet tenants on their way to work in the morning. And you know, to be basically positive, you know? So maybe that will rub off on people, you know?

And what do you least look forward to in the day?

That’s a tough one. There’s really not much. The job isn’t that difficult, to the point where I don’t look forward to anything.

You mentioned earlier that 11 to 2 is when mail comes in. Would you say the workload is in different waves over a shift, or is it evenly spaced out?

It could be overwaves, definitely. The bulk in that time frame, 11-2, but you’re gonna be seeing things as soon as you start up till when you leave. It’s gradual work over a shift.

And how many waves would you say per shift?

Probably half a dozen, I would say.

And what contributes most to these shifts?

Packages, definitely. There are food deliveries, but not that many. But that’s also mostly at night.

Does the job get busier or less busy at different times of the year?

Yes, so it's quiet during the summer, and then as you get towards the end of the year, let's say, you know, September, you have school starting, so people go to school, people come back from vacation. The holidays, more packages, definitely. So, it definitely increases, I would say, from September to December.

And does the increase in work during the holiday season ever feel too overwhelming, or is it manageable?

It can be overwhelming, especially with the packages, as you get to the end of the year and the holidays. The number of packages coming in now compared to, let's say, when I first started has definitely doubled or tripled. I mean, everything is online now, so there are times that we have some of the packages and can't even fit them in the package room. So, it can be overwhelming.

And how do you calculate the difference between announcing a guest and sending them up?

So basically, you just got to, if you're not sure, you know, you can just say, you know, you just greet them, and if you’re not sure where they’re going, ask them, “How can I help you?” And then, usually, we have constructions in the Building Link for guests, so a resident will tell us who's allowed upstairs. Or, if they’re headed out to work, they’ll let us know if the babysitter or the housekeeper is coming. So, usually, they'll give us an advanced warning.

And what do you feel is the most crucial aspect of the job?

The most crucial is…It’s basically, as a doorman, we are also like security in the building. So, for anyone who passes or comes in the door, the doorman is basically the first line of security. So that's the most crucial thing, which is making sure people coming in are okay and that they're okay for access. If they're not, then we definitely need to stop them and see where they're going. So that's definitely, I think, the most important.

How do you prioritize different aspects of the job when they pile on top of each other?

You just got to kind of, for example, if packages come in, usually, you can set them to the side for a moment if you’re helping a tenant or talking to a tenant, or helping a broker, or what have you. You can always set things to the side and then get to it when you're finished.

Would you describe this job as one that causes a lot of stress?

It can cause stress, definitely. You just have to know how to break it down, and the last question kind of answers that. You just have to designate.

And if you had to put a number on it, on a normal day, how many times do you interact with non-tenants in the lobby?

It's going to be, let's say, 7 out of 10, I'd say. The most, for me personally, the tenants in the morning are going to work, so you're not gonna see them, you know, for the rest of the day. So mostly it's the parcel packages, like the UPS, FedEx, DHL, you know. I know their name, and they know my name, so it's like you interact more with couriers and stuff. Or delivery people during the day.

And you'd see them mostly in the afternoon-ish?

Um, yeah, definitely like late morning.

How often do you interact with co-workers? And how long do you converse with them?

Interact with co-workers? Um, that also depends on which shift you're on. Um, over here in the townhouse, there is one person per shift. So obviously, it's like, I don't have much interaction. But if I'm working in the main lobby, there's definitely more interaction because you have to work together.

How many times would you say, on a normal day, tenants walk in, not the building?

Do you want a rounded number? I would say maybe 50-60 times. Because you’re dealing with six floors plus the penthouse, and you get the people out of here in and out.

What time is the busiest for lobby traffic?

When everyone is leaving for work and coming back, so I’d say mostly in the morning.

And how long would you converse with residents on average?

On average? Pretty short, a couple of minutes. Maybe more if they’re explaining any authorization for a key or something, but generally, it should be a couple of minutes, a few minutes at most.

And do you converse longer as they leave or enter the building?

Entering. Usually, in the morning, people are on their way to work. So, I try to keep it simple unless they have something to explain or let me know. I just try to keep it short.

And how did COVID really impact the occupation of the building?

A lot of people moved out during COVID, or they had other places they went to. But traffic in the lobby definitely slowed down. Packages were kind of slow as well. But when we started getting packages when COVID first came out, you know, we had to wear protective gear and plastic gloves to deal with packages. We had to spray the packages with bleach or something. So, there was a lot of stuff going on. But it wasn’t that busy as far as traffic.

Would you say anything from the COVID era is sticking around?

Cleaning, basically. Just me, even though COVID, obviously the pandemic is over, COVID is still around, but we still want to be, like we still have the cleanliness in the lobby. We still try to be proactive. Cleaning up the doors or glass or things you touch, packages. Obviously, it's not as stringent as during the pandemic, but we still try to learn some lessons for other things.

As tenants moved out or went away for COVID, would you say that you got more or less or more distant from them during the COVID era?

No, I don’t think so. I think when a lot of people returned after they moved away for a bit, we picked up where we left off. Obviously, since we had a lot of people move out, we had a lot of new tenants, so it was like restarting, basically, getting to learn new people's things and new people, welcoming new people. So, it was kind of a restart, if you will.

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