In property management, having the right administrative tools can make a huge difference in renter satisfaction, productivity, and maintenance management. Renters expect you to take care of property concerns in a timely manner, but wowing them with excellent customer service will likely lead to happy long-term renters and positive reviews and referrals. Here are some simple strategies to ensure that your administrative practices make running your property as efficient as possible:
1. Be Available When and How Your Customers Need You
How do you maintain availability while also managing costs and maintenance needs? This is the constant balancing act of property owners. In this case, technology has made it so much easier! At WESP Communications, we provide coverage for all of your client and renter touchpoints. Whether you receive inquiries through your website’s live chat, work phone, SMS text message, or social media sites, our omni-channel solution allows agents to answer each inquiry or maintenance request in the order they are received. It’s a simple way to have all clients receive a quick response when they are actively looking for your service, while also saving you and your staff from constantly having to stay on-top of all the ways renters, potential renters, and other relevant parties, contact your business.
2. Make Scheduling and Appointment Management Available Outside of Office Hours
Customer habits are changing. People now expect Amazon-level convenience from all businesses. One way to ensure ease of access for clients, and no lost revenue or costly delays for your business, is by allowing appointment scheduling outside of your regular business hours. If potential or current renters and clients are not able to schedule with your business, it’s likely they will continue down the Google Search list until they find someone who answers the phone and schedules them for service. Through WESP’s Appointment Management Solution, our agents integrate with your existing appointment scheduler to continue to take appointments outside of your regular office hours. Our agents help to bridge the gap when your office team is unavailable, and best of all, you only pay the monthly rate that you choose, making payment plans scalable to any property size.
3. Provide 24/7, Emergency, and Overflow Support
Marketing your business as providing 24/7 and Emergency Services is a great draw for potential clients. However, it can be frustrating when it’s 3 a.m. and you are getting a call for a non-emergency. This is where contact centers are a property manager’s best friend because you get to set the boundaries on your time, by determining what justifies an emergency. Live agents work as a gatekeeper for you to maintain those work boundaries. Renters are given the option to schedule an appointment, or they can leave a message, and have their call returned by your staff during normal business hours. Overflow support is also an important aspect of managing call volume. This is a great way to ensure that if there is an influx of calls, those customers are rolled over to a WESP live-agent, within a certain number of rings. This way, you are able to avoid hang-ups, and capture all of those potential opportunities, even when your office staff is busy, on vacation, or away from their phone.
4. Use A Professional Dispatch Service
The dispatcher is the first person renters talk to, and helps set the tone for the client’s interaction with your business. Having a trained and experienced dispatch team helps to reduce downtime between calls and ensure speed and continuity between your maintenance workers, administrative staff, and clients. Rather than having to hire and train staff (AND increase your payroll expenses), many of our experienced agents have years of experience as service dispatchers.
5. Standardize Customer Service and Support
One of the best ways to leave an impression on clients is by having high-quality customer care. Renters should expect to speak with friendly, knowledgeable support staff every time they interact with a representative of your organization. With a contact center like WESP Communications, we pride ourselves on being an extension of your business, and we take that commitment to excellence seriously. Whether it’s for initial contact, follow-up and appointment confirmation, rent collection reminders, or reviews and experience surveys, our live-agents work to ensure that your renters receive the best customer service. To learn more about our customized plans and affordable rates, contact the WESP team here.
