Creating a Positive Resident Experience

Let’s talk about how to provide good customer service. Everyone has experienced bad customer service at some point; whether it was the ignorant sales clerk or the rude manager on the phone. Most people have probably told their friends or family about it.

Today, anyone can Google your company and read reviews, find out ratings and company information. It is important to ensure you know what your reviewers are saying, taking the feedback into consideration when planning for a positive experience.

Being a property manager involves a high level of customer service-oriented tasks. How does a property manager or condominium corporation excel at ensuring their residents feel welcome and listened to? A good resident experience is similar to providing positive customer service.

Communications

Good communication practices are key for providing the best resident experience and making the property manager’s job easier. Self-service optimization for communications means finding ways for residents to interact with you when they want. With self-service apps and 24/7 support at most companies, people are increasingly expecting top notch service whenever they want it. Small steps that property managers can take could include having a general inquiry email, a text message phone number available, and also office hours where residents can come and see a property manager in person. Feeling listened to makes residents feel worthy and an important part of their community.

Purchase user-friendly software.

Companies like Yardi are always coming out with new property management software programs. But newer does not always mean better. Ensure you find the right software for your building and resident needs. Property managers will be more effective at managing customer relationships with more sophisticated data-gathering tools, such as customer relationship management software.

At Priority Submetering Solutions, we take positive resident experiences seriously. Just look at our Google rating! Priority is continually researching and implementing new technologies and approaches for the residents we serve. Continue reading to learn more about creating a positive resident experience and how Priority Submetering implements customer service tools effectively.

Multi-Lines of Communication

Priority continually asks for feedback in our Customer Satisfaction Surveys. The comments and analytics from this feedback help us in our customer service-based decision-making processes.

Based on customer feedback, Priority has implemented a Live Chat service at www.prioritymeter.com. Live Chat is similar to an instant messaging application. The customer goes to prioritymeter.com, clicks on their respective country flag and the chat icon will pop up on the bottom right hand of the screen.

The chat program works very well on desktop, laptop and mobile phones, thus making it easy to connect with a Priority customer service rep no matter where you are! There is a ‘Queue’ number given to you when you type your first message informing you of your position. Currently, response time is less than one minute. Quickly and easily you are messaging with a real customer service representative, no robots here! Live Chat is the fastest way to connect with a customer service representative to have your questions answered.
Be Responsive

When you send an email or leave a voicemail, you expect a response. The time frame on how fast companies (or friends) will respond to you can vary. A simple solution to dealing with a high volume of incoming phone calls and emails is to always respond right away with a standard or automated message saying something along the lines of ‘I look forward to connecting with you and answering any questions you may have, please note I will do my best to get back to you within the next couple of days.’ This way, the resident knows you have received their message and they believe you will follow up on your promise to respond in a certain amount of time. Now, you must follow through on your promise to respond in the specified time frame, or else bad reviews and negativity may be coming your way.

Priority Submetering has a Contact Us Form for residents to fill out when they have a detailed question or comment they would like to submit. The form is available on the website, and can be completed whenever the resident is ready. Priority Submetering also has a dedicated [email protected] email for all types of inquiries. The email is checked everyday and personally responded to by a trained customer service representative.

All of Priority Submetering’s customer service representatives work in the Priority head office. Priority’s values include accountability and approachability, and these are reflected by having an in-house and fully trained Customer Service department working alongside Sales, Project Management and the company President.

Throwing in Something Extra

Free swag or gifts are a simple and amazing tool to provide memorable and excellent customer service. At Priority we offer contests and promotions all year long. When a resident signs up for E-Billing they are automatically entered into the monthly draw to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card. Currently, Priority’s biggest promotion is running until the end of October: ‘Win Free Electricity for a Year!’.

Later this year there will also be a Holiday Promotion with many prizes to be won. By completing the Customer Satisfaction Survey upon moving out of a suite, residents are also automatically entered into a monthly draw to win a $50 Walmart gift card.

Showing residents some appreciation is a simple and rewarding way to keep everyone happy. Hosting events, having giveaways and contests also engages the community base. The engagement can be in person, through social media or a website – it all contributes to enhancing the overall resident experience.

By making resident satisfaction a top priority, a true partnership is formed. Taking a long-term view of the importance of maintaining good relationships will lead to increased happiness and productivity throughout your resident community.