How To Become An All-Star Property Manager
How To Become An All-Star Property Manager
We live in an unforgiving world that demands stellar customer service. One false move, and you have a negative review on social media. That minor mistake could become magnified and live online for eons.
If you feel like your business could do better, you might get your inspiration from your property manager or landlord.
Most people don’t think of their landlord as a muse, I realize, but I’m the owner of a national franchise property management company. That’s my wheelhouse, and if you think about it, if you have a landlord or property manager, whether they are wonderful to work with or something of a nightmare, every time you interact with them, you’re constantly being taught lessons in customer service (even if they’re an accidental landlord trying to figure things out on the fly).
So, if you’re looking for ways to improve your business’s customer service, or if you happen to be a property manager who wants to be better, you’d do well to pore over the blueprint that the best property managers and landlords seem to follow.
Communicate well and relatively often.
Nobody wants a landlord who doubles as a stalker — but you also don’t want to feel like you never know what’s going on in your own home. The best property managers send emails or texts or use some sort of social app to communicate with their tenants when new issues crop up. Will the building’s electricity be out for four hours in two weeks due to some scheduled maintenance in the neighborhood? Is a main hallway or lobby going to be painted? Will somebody be coming into your home to work on the plumbing?
You want as much advance notice as possible.
If you have a good property manager, you aren’t going to be living in a world with a lot of surprises. Just as businesses send coupons or reminders of sales to loyal customers, the best property managers let their tenants know that they care. Some might have an annual “get to know your neighbors” barbecue for anyone who wants to come. Others might send the occasional email or social media messages simply reminding tenants that if they have an issue, they shouldn’t be afraid to mention it.
