Customer Service Excellence In Property Management
When it comes to “customer service excellence” in the residential property management space, there’s often a disconnect between the expectations of owners and tenants and the experience delivered. I blame this “expectations mismatch” on property management companies and their property managers.
As professionals, it’s our job as an industry to ensure that we clearly and comprehensively communicate to tenants and owners what they can and should expect from us as property managers, and what we can and should expect from them as owners and tenants. Only when the three parties—owners, tenants, and property managers—are working from the same expectations “playbook” can we hope to raise the bar and decrease the satisfaction gap that exists in the residential property management industry.
What Owners Should Expect From Their Property Manager
- No funny business. Everything starts with trust. Owners have a right to expect honesty in all dealings.
- Clear communication. Owners have a right to expect that property managers will do what they say they’ll do when they say they’ll do it.
- Professionalism. Owners have a right to expect straight-forward, professional, drama-free conduct from their property manager.
- Empathy. Owners have a right to expect their property manager considers their specific needs and makes nuanced adjustments in the management of their property as much as is practical and in accordance with laws, regulations, and industry best practices.
- Superior knowledge. Owners have a right to expect their property manager is knowledgeable, up to date, and vigilant in applying that knowledge towards protecting the best interests of the owner.
- Pleasantness. Owners have a right to expect that whomever they speak with at their property management company will greet them warmly and treat them with kindness and empathy. Owners should never be treated gruffly nor dismissed out of hand.
What Tenants Should Expect From Their Property Manager
- Prompt and reasonable resolution to all legitimate issues and maintenance requests.
- No funny business. Everything starts with trust. Tenants have a right to expect honesty in all dealings.
- Clear communication. Tenants have a right to expect that property managers will do what they say they’ll do when they say they’ll do it.
- Professionalism. Tenants have a right to expect straight-forward, professional, drama-free conduct from their property manager.
- Empathy. Tenants have a right to expect their property manager considers their specific needs, rather than playing hard-ball in all instances, as much as is practical, and in accordance with laws, regulations, industry best practices, and the strict provisions of the lease, to try and work through issues with tenants towards a satisfactory resolution for all parties.
- Pleasantness. Tenants have a right to expect that whomever they speak with at their property management company will greet them warmly and treat them with kindness and empathy. Tenants should never be treated gruffly, nor dismissed out of hand.
I opened this article by saying that I blame poor customer service in the residential property management industry on property management companies and property managers. I say this because I believe it’s the jobs of property managers to set expectations with owners and tenants up front. Property managers are the ones who know (or should know) what works and what doesn’t when it comes to effectively managing rentals. It’s both foolish and unfair to expect owners and tenants to understand why things have to be done in a certain way — for their own protection — unless we take the time to educate and explain things up-front.
If the policy is to return all calls (except of course for maintenance emergencies, which ideally have a dedicated, 24/7 hotline solely for that purpose) within 24-hrs, or next business day, then it is the property manager’s responsibility to inform tenants and owners, up-front, that such is what they should expect.
A property manager turns properties over to tenants in move-in ready, clean condition and expects those tenants to return their properties at move-out in the same move-in ready, clean condition, less normal wear-and-tear. It’s the property manager’s responsibility to set expectations up front, including the consequences to the tenants’ security deposits if they fail to do so.
What Property Managers Expect From Their Owners and Tenants
For the property managers reading this, you’ll no doubt “get” what I’m about to say. For some (not all) owners and tenants, frankly, you’ll become offended at the straight-forward honesty of what I am about to say. So be it — I’m willing to face the consequences of speaking the truth as I know it.
What property managers expect and deserve from owners and tenants is the recognition that they are people, just like you are, who deserve respect, compassion, and fair treatment. All too often, property managers are treated like glorified “gophers” by owners and tenants alike, talked down to, and expected to carry out unreasonable requests at the drop of a hat. All too often, owners and tenants take it upon themselves to blame property managers for issues with their rental, as if the property manager personally snuck into the property, in the middle of the night, and maliciously broke the refrigerator.
Owners and tenants alike need to realize that their property manager is not the enemy — they are there to help resolve issues as expeditiously as possible, given the realities of the myriad situations they face daily.
Tenants, sometimes the part really will take a week to get in! It is not the property manager’s fault that this is so. All the property manager can do is to jump on the issue and get the ball rolling as quickly as possible and keep the tenant informed along the way. If the only part available has to come from China, then all a property manager can do is order the part and wait until it gets in. It does no good to get angry at the property manager — the very person who is doing their best to resolve the issue for you.
Owners, it is not the property manager’s fault that the sewer line to your house collapsed and it will cost $10,000 to replace. The property manager did not cause the sewer collapse, nor can they make it any cheaper to fix.
Tenants, it is not the property manager’s fault that you can’t pay your rent. You cannot expect the property manager to allow you to remain in the property for free! The property manager has a legal obligation under the lease to charge late fees and to initiate an eviction. Why get angry at the property manager who’s hands are completely tied in the situation? It’s your fault you aren’t paying the rent, not the property manager’s.
Owners, it is not the property manager’s fault that the tenant lost their job and decided to take their frustration out on the interior of your property. The property manager did not cause the damage, and the property manager had no control over the malicious actions of an “angry-with-the-world” tenant. It does no good to get angry at the property manager — the very person who is doing their best to get things back to normal for you.
In Conclusion
Property managers need to take full responsibility for educating owners and tenants up-front regarding the many expectations and responsibilities that each party has towards the other. It is not reasonable for property managers to expect that tenants and owners understand what is expected of them, or what they can expect from their property manager, without an honest and sincere discussion, initiated by the property manager, at the outset of the relationships. Only when the three parties — owners, tenants, and property managers — are working from the same “expectations playbook” can we hope to raise the bar and decrease the “satisfaction gap” that exists in the residential property management industry.
About The Author
John Michailidis, JD, is an attorney, author, real estate educator, and the broker/owner of Real Property Management of Sarasota & Manatee, a Sarasota, FL based residential property management company providing both Full-service and Lease-Only services to local area landlords. If you own residential investment real estate anywhere in Manatee or Sarasota counties, do feel free to reach out to our team at 941-216-0005, or through our website HERE.
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