There are many benefits to employing a qualified property management firm to manage a rental portfolio. In particular, property managers serve as the middlemen between owners and tenants. After all, a landlord’s goal is to rent the property in hopes of turning a profit but keeping tenants happy is a big part of that equation. Therefore, taking the time to provide fast, friendly, and professional customer service is key. Finding time in their busy lives to meet every need of their tenants can prove to be a significant challenge for owners. So, continue reading below as we discuss why property management customer service matters and why leaving it to the professionals may be the best option.
Why Customer Service is Important in the Rental Industry
Customers today expect more of any company, and that includes your rental business. In fact, nearly 70% of consumers choose to use a competitor’s services following a poor customer service experience. Furthermore, up to 70% of consumers would willingly pay more for a better customer service experience. That is a harsh reality for anyone running a business.
In addition to lost income, disgruntled customers can spread their negative experiences through online reviews, further hurting your business. While great customer service is the lifeline of any company, rental property owners must take this seriously. For rentals, a happy tenant is a tenant who stays and continues to rent and care for the property as if it were their own. Therefore, less vacancy means avoiding costly turnover and marketing costs. So, quality customer service is a surefire way to make your tenant happy and more willing to stay.
Best Practices for Rental Property Customer Service
Luckily for owners, a property management company has several practices and procedures to ensure tenants receive excellent customer service. Join us below as we examine the top 5 best practices property management firms use to provide consistent and professional customer service to every tenant, every time.
- Monitor Tenant Relationships
- Property Management Processes
- Listen to Tenant Concerns
- Prioritize Issues
- Look for Ways to Continuously Improve
Monitor Tenant Relationships
Today’s competitive market demands that an owner’s chosen property management group provide tenants with a positive experience. The most successful property management firms regularly inventory their company’s customer satisfaction to gain insight and adjust as needed. That said, below are some ways in which customer service may be monitored by both you and your management team –
- Set Expectations – Ensure that customer service is at the core of the property management team and set expectations high.
- Evaluate Every Level – How employees interact at any level is important to the overall customer service experience. From the office staff to property managers to everyone in between, all employees must enjoy working with people, handling issues professionally, and making tenants a priority.
- Consistent Monitoring – A professional firm will monitor their employee’s ability to communicate, both verbally and in written form, to existing tenants as well as potential ones. Thus, ensuring all individuals receive the same level of quality customer care.
Property Management Processes
When an issue arises, those in charge jump right in and start attempting to solve the problem as fast as possible. However, jumping to conclusions without all of the information required can create more tension than the original issue itself. Remember, tenants do understand that mistakes happen, things break, and issues arise. That said, satisfaction boils down to how the management handles those mistakes. A successful property manager can understand situations from several different perspectives. Doing so allows them to balance the needs of anyone.
There are a few key questions to answer for owners looking for the right property management firm for their portfolio. It is important to understand the processes a tenant will go through and how the management company will handle any issues. Check out these examples below –
- Are problems taken care of quickly? – Get a basic timeline for problem-solving from your property managers. From the time a tenant expresses an issue to the time it is resolved, and how it unfolds is important.
- Is the leasing process efficient and easy to understand? – Property managers must make every effort to ensure the leasing process is clear to tenants before, during, and after the lease is signed. Additionally, they need to ensure that the tenant receives pertinent information such as contact information, move-in protocols and lease renewal options, home care responsibilities, etc.
- What is the process for filing a maintenance request or complaint? – At Bay Property Management Group, all maintenance requests are handled by hand-picked contractors to ensure a quick turnaround. Every complaint or maintenance needs must be a priority to protect the reputation of the company or property owner and the property itself.
Listen to Tenant Concerns
Tenants want to know they will be heard no matter what. Yet, great customer service goes beyond just hearing your tenants’ concerns. Therefore, as a landlord, it is important to employ a property management group that will take every question or concern seriously and provide appropriate solutions for all involved.
The best property managers listen with a purpose, convey empathy, and ultimately solve problems which are key to great customer service.
Prioritize Issues
It is the property manager’s duty to make sure everything runs smoothly and the tenant’s dilemmas do not go unnoticed. That said, tenants do not want just to be heard; they want to be a priority. Therefore, to be successful, companies must face complaints and disgruntled tenants head-on. So, the best way to prioritize issues is to –
- Respond quickly – Response time is critical in this fast-paced society. So, having a system or protocols in place to address concerns quickly adds immediate value to any business.
- Prioritize and Communicate – Great property management companies can quickly evaluate and prioritize issues to tackle them efficiently. So, even if a solution is not available right away, a good manager will take time to address the issue with a tenant and begin to ease their concerns. Therefore, it is vital to keep lines of communication open until the issue is resolved.
- Follow Up – Juggling multiple properties and tenants means organized follow-up is critical. Not only do managers want to confirm work or repairs are complete, but tenants appreciate the extra effort to ensure their satisfaction. In turn, this will make their tenancy far more enjoyable.
Look for Ways to Continuously Improve
A property manager’s job is never done, and part of that responsibility is to always look for ways to improve the tenant’s and owner’s experience. After all, tenant satisfaction and tenant retention often go hand in hand. As a landlord, checking in with long-term renters to ask them how the management team is doing is critical. If the tenants express dissatisfaction, property managers can use additional techniques to improve the rental experience.
What Sets Bay Management Group Apart?
Bay Property Management Group is the leading property management team for your Bucks, Chester, Delaware, or Montgomery County rentals. Our experienced property managers partner with a 24/7 maintenance staff and an office staff ready to answer all of your tenant’s questions to put customer service first.
Tenants value their time and want everything to be done efficiently, quickly, and easily, just as any customer would. Therefore, having the right property management group is vital to avoiding a dreaded and costly vacancy. So, providing high-level customer service will help keep vacancy rates low and rental satisfaction high. Give us a call today to learn more about the benefits of professional full-service property management in your area!
